writing about crafting

So this is a different kind of post today. I'm planning on talking more about Campfire and Scrivener, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about one of the things I do when I'm not writing.

I've always been big into arts and crafts, and I tend to lean towards things where I get to create something that I can hold and then show off to other people. During Lockdown a lot of people I know got into various crafting projects because it was something they could do without leaving the house. I found most of my usual crafting things I couldn't do as I was livi g at my then girlfriend's house and I didn't have l of my card making or jewellery making tools with me. 

I needed a new hobby.

It wasnt long after the countless lockdowns that I finally asked my mum to teach me how to crochet. I knew how to knit from many years back, but I wasn't great at it and I tended to lose patience with it as I could only do the absolutely basic stitch (I couldn't ever remember how to purl), and anything tried to make seemed to take forever to take shape.

 Crochet, it turns out, is much more up my alley.

I now have both physical and Kindle books with all manner of projects, and a few magazines with some wonderful ideas. I've a great stash of wool which includes most colours, though I recently had to go spending as I didn't have peach, dark blue, or brown, all of which were kind of necessary for my latest project.

I have been begged over and over by the same boy I the school I work in to crochet him a footballer. Specifically Lionel Messi. I tried to explain that this would be difficult, but he persevered. Eventually I crumbled and I went looking for a pattern that I could follow, which I did actually find, much to my amazement! 

Obviously it's not quite finished, but about three weeks of just doing bits after work and in between doing other things has got me here. It might sound like a long time but each piece has taken shape so quickly and even other people have been able to tell what I'm making (though not specifically who!)