Trouble with me crosher

[callmemadam]

I’ve just been reading Joy and Josephine by Monica Dickens. In the book, she emphasises just how irritating one character is by having her refer to her crochet work as ‘crosher’. I don’t share this snobbery about people who call crochet, crosher and here’s why.

I learned to knit when I was about six and never forgot how to do it. In the seventies when crochet was suddenly fashionable, I decided to teach myself, with this very book which cost 20p.



Oh dear, I didn’t get on very well and so, on top of all the million other things I did at the time, I enrolled in an evening class. Our teacher was lovely. She did exquisite work herself but was endlessly patient with our clumsy efforts. And she always said, ‘crosher’.

As a result, I embarked on a crochet storm of shawls, multi-coloured cushion covers and a tea cosy. The shawls were either presents or were later given away (fool!), the cushions ended up lining cat baskets until they were just fur pads and fit for nothing. All I’ve got left is the ancient (vintage!) tea cosy.



Now I look at it and ask, How you did that? There’s a new crochet part work out. As the first issue is only 99p and includes pattern book, DVD, yarn and hook I thought I’d give it a go. So yesterday evening, a warlike evening of The Wartime Farm followed by The Bletchley Circle, I tried making a square. First it was a semi-circle. The next attempt was wedge shaped. Then the yarn got knotted. I gave up. I can do all the stitches, I just can’t make them into anything! I think it will be back to the old Patons book, which gives much clearer instructions than this new magazine. Also, the yarns and hook supplied are cheap and nasty, which you’d expect, really. Luckily, I already have every size of crochet needle there is and a fair amount of yarn. All I need is to recover my long lost skillz.



I won't make this, though. Ha ha!

Comments

[gghost.livejournal.com]

Good luck and have fun! I am sure that it will come back to you. I have never been able to get the hang of crochet, but DD makes lovely things.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I expect DD learned young; that's obviously the trick. I shall persevere, so thanks for the encouragement!

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

Keep going! You will get there. Crosher seems to be quite the in-craft right now, it seems to be growing faster than others. (Crochet and sewing are the currently trendy ones.)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. Does this mean some of the knitting mags will fold? You can hardly move for craft-related stuff in Smith's these days.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

My prediction would be the launch of more crochet mags, knitting staying stable, and things being cut-throat in the papercraft and cross-stitch sectors as those hobbies have been in decline for a while. Fewer people doing them means fewer mags.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Amigurumi!!

Damn, I forgot about the Bletchley thing.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

No, I won't!

Bletchley wasn't all that good. It's just a murder story where a group of former Bletchley women, now wasting their grate branes, use their wartime experience to solve the crime.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Oh, just tracked down the wool I liked when I saw it in Bath - it is Robin Paintbox Patriot:

http://www.artofyarn.co.uk/Robin-Paintbox-Multi-Coloured-Double-Knitting-Yarn-Patriot-1118

[geraniumcat.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I've got that Patons book somewhere too! I've never heard it called crosher but I pick up a hook occasionally, not very productively most of the time. I found a very tempting book of designs for squares recently which will most likely persuade me to spend a small fortune on wool which will then sit around doing nothing for 10 years :-(

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

I'd really like to make some cushion covers and a throw but the cost of wool puts me off. That's why I always check charity shops and the market for any going cheap. I like to pick up a hook, as you put it. I like the feel of it in my hand and the relaxing hooking and looping. It's the shaping that defeats me ATM.

[mimmimmim.livejournal.com]

Black Sheep's Yarn Bargains page - top quality, but discontinued lines / colours so half the price. I get most of my jumper quantities from them.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes, since you first recommended them I've been a big fan and get a lot from them. Excellent service, too, so thanks for the original tip. Just made a giant jumper and some bedsocks with their reduced yarns.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

I've never been able to crochet but I grew up saying crochet as a noun and crosher as a verb - just to be awkward ;)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's a new one!

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I have that book too! Though mine is a different edition featuring a woman in a crochet waistcoat on the front. Very seventies.

For cheap wool, try Lidl if you have one near you.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

It must have been a best seller!

I do look out for the Lidl offers, but my nearest one hardly ever has wool.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Over 2 million copies sold and 30 printings! http://www.modernknitting.co.uk/shop/patons-first-steps-in-crochet-17690-0.html

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Coo! The mind boggles at the thought of two million people learning to crochet from it.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I should think it must be more than that by now - that's what it said on the copy I had thirty years ago.