Cat Mad Crochet

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Confession: I have no idea what I did with my time before I started to crochet. Obviously, I know generally what I did, but what did I do when I was sitting quietly? What did I do when I was watching television? Chatting with a friend? Making sure my children didn’t get irreparably damaged at the playground? While waiting for appointments? Children’s classes to let out? Something to happen? Did I just sit there? (Keep in mind this was the time before smartphones. It was me and my little flip phone just whistling away the hours.)

I think, embarrassingly, that I did. I think I just sat and let time slip away a lot. I hate that. Now that I crochet I can always keep myself busy even if I am just sitting. I understand that there is a benefit to being quiet and still, but for me there is also a benefit to busy hands. I’m not so concerned about the devil and what he might make of my idle hands as I am about not having something else to do/look at/involve myself in should I need it. One does need a shield in public these days even if that shield is a single ply lace weight with a pretty halo.

Years ago, I taught Violeta, my dearest friend, to crochet. She is a gracious student who doesn’t complain when I get the counting wrong or cannot remember how I made something. One day she asked me about a stitch pattern similar to one she saw on a knitted shawl. As we sat and talked and drank tea, I played with some yarn and came up with a stitch pattern, complete with an increase. She was duly impressed and I was quite pleased with myself. 

Undoubtedly, someone else came up with this stitch pattern before me. My knowledge of crochet is hardly exhaustive. Just because I had not seen it before does not mean it didn’t exist. Such is the nature of craft. Different people at different times come up with the same thing.

That little stitch pattern became a shawl that is airy and lacy and pretty. It looks equally nice with a single ply lace weight as with a fingering weight as with some fuzzy mohair. I’m sure it would look nice with bigger yarns, too, I’ve just never tried it. 

When Violeta asked me recently if I could find her the diagram I made years ago so she could remake the shawl, I went in search of it. As is the way of my personal brand of chaos, I cannot find it anywhere. I even organized my stuff so this wouldn’t happen (so much) anymore. No luck. So I got out some yarn and tried to remember what I did. It came back to me pretty quickly, which felt nice, and this time I have written it down, with notes, where I will not misplace it quite so easily. I think. Fingers crossed.

I’ve included the notes if you would like to give it a try. I’ve made it before as a point to side wrap (it’s narrow, so be aware) and as a long isosceles triangle (increase to the middle then decrease again to the other point). I think it would make a cute neckerchief, if one is so inclined. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes. Happy crafting!