Crafting Balance 3KCBWDAY7

~Are you a knitter or a crocheter, or are you a bit of both? If you are monogamous in your yarn-based crafting, is it because you do not enjoy the other craft or have you simply never given yourself the push to learn it? Is it because the items that you best enjoy crafting are more suited to the needles or the hook? Do you plan on ever trying to take up and fully learn the other craft? If you are equally comfortable knitting as you are crocheting, how do you balance both crafts? Do you always have projects of each on the go, or do you go through periods of favouring one over the other? How did you come to learn and love your craft(s)?~

My crafting started with crocheting. I’ve been crocheting for some 29 years now. Then eight years ago I got tired of seeing patterns that I liked but, was unable to do. Solution, I taught myself to knit.

Balancing the two is non-existent for they are both fickle lovers and need my constant attention. Therefore, I have multiple projects going at once, stashed in various locations around the house. I do have affairs with one over the other for periods of time, while the other whispers, “come back we have better more beautiful projects.” This is why I have multiple projects. I am easily seduced from one to the other.

Some of my FO's hiding behind my couch.

I come from a family of people who like to work with their hands. My grandmother is a painter, my mother a seamstress/fiber artist/jewelry maker, and my grandfather is a woodwork/basket maker. Someone is always making something. And it is rare to see any of us without a small craft bag in tow wherever we go. It just came naturally to pick up some kind of craft (or more) and get my hands busy.

A miniature rocking chair my grandfather made for my daughter.
 

And now the next generation is taking up the call. Every time I turn around Daughter is making something. So, far she has learned to cross-stitch on plastic canvas and single crochet. But, her first love is drawing and scrapbooking isn't far behind. Son is also getting the crafting bug and likes to sculpt with model clay and paper art. Husband has joined my family's madness and has taken up woodworking. Many an evening he hides in the dungeon (basement) to play with his wood :p

I've enjoyed the 3rd annual Knitting and Crocheting Blog Week and I hope that everyone else has too!