When people see or hear that I have a passion for crochet, I usually hear one of the following responses:

• Isn't crochet for old ladies?
• That's so cool; I wish I had the talent to crochet! 

While I am sure that my fellow hookers (NO, not that type of hooker, many crocheters refer to themselves as hookers because after all, our work is done with a hook.) have heard many other responses, I sincerely feel these are up there on the top of their list too. Or maybe I am way off, and I have some special friends! 😆 Do you have another response that you hear often? How do you respond to it? 

 Isn't crochet for old ladies? 

 Often my response to this is either an eye roll or a forced chuckle! Would you ever tell an artist that crayons are for kids? I used to take offense to this question; I first really started getting into crochet when I was in my mid to late twenties, and that is far from old. And while I am getting up there in age, I am still not old at 39. Even if my body tries telling me otherwise. I always thought these people were cruel and rude. However, while it may be true for some, I really wanted to know why people thought this way. 

So like any other normal person wanting to know something, I turned to Google. I was not lucky enough to find a clear-cut, scientifically proven answer but, I did find a few theories. Many of these theories could all be tied back to one general idea: The thought of hand-making clothing and household items has a stigma of being old fashioned. 

There was once a time when fiber crafts were taught as part of the curriculum in elementary schools around the world. As this curriculum was removed from the class, so was the little bit of the history of the craft that was taught. Frankly, I don't recall much of what was taught; I just knew that I got a break from the not so exciting school work. However, I do recall that it did not matter if you were a boy or a girl; everyone had the same Art class; there was no get out of jail free card because you thought you were too masculine for it. 

Now, take a moment and think back to your childhood and try to recall the first time you ever saw someone crocheting or maybe even knitting. Who do you see? For me, I see my grandmother. How many of you also see a grandparent? Well, guess what this is another reason we often associate crochet with elderly folk. There is a logical reason for this though, many of them were alive in the 1940s when crochet was a substantial part of the wartime efforts, or in the 60's when the famous granny square became all the rage. So yeah, I can clearly understand why many people associate crochet with an old lady craft. 

If you ever have the time or interest, you can learn a lot about the history of crochet over on the Crochet Guide Of America webpage.  

Thankfully, that stigma is slowly dying, and men and women of all ages are learning to crochet!

 I wish I had the talent to crochet?

Teaching others how to crochet will play a major roll in breaking the stereotype. 

 What's that I hear you telling yourself?

You could never create anything so beautiful?

 You don't have a crafty bone in your body? 

 I promise I've told myself these same lies. If you have a desire to learn and are willing to be patient with yourself as you do so, then you too can learn how to crochet. And once you learn the basic stitches, all you have to do is follow directions (also known as the pattern.) 

 Over the next several weeks, I will begin my Learn to Crochet series. And I will be happy to answer any of the questions you have along the way! Don't want to ask your questions in the comment section? Use the Contact Us form, and I will respond to you directly. 

After each lesson, I will post an easy to follow pattern for you to practice and master the stitch! Before you know it, you will be making some amazing pieces for friends, family, and even yourself!