MY HOBBIES CROCHETING

                                                           CROCHETED BRIDE DOLL

As you all know, I enjoy my hobbies. Whether it is writing poetry or stories, gardening, playing the piano, singing, collecting my bells, sewing, quilting, or chasing my ancestors, I love them all. But probably my all time favorite is crocheting. I use to sit and watch my mom crocheting when I was little. She would make rugs out of rags and sock loops. There  was a sock factory on East Third Street and Larry and I would go down and pick up sock remnants for mom to make the rugs. I learned to crochet when I was about 9 years old. I didn't make many things until my daughter was 6 and wanted a poncho to wear to school and I picked it back up, Have been doing it ever since. Started doing some more intricate patterns and baby booties for shower gifts and afghans for babies. I quit for a while so I could make some quilts and then picked it back up one day when a pattern came in the mail. It was a southern belle doll and I fell in love all over again with the toys and started buying books with different animals. Some were only 6 inches tall. Cats, frogs, rhinos, dogs, and bears. Even an Elephant crocheted in pink. Plus the clowns. Everyone loves the clowns. It doesn't even matter what color they turn out just so they are clowns. One day as I was walking through Walmart, I saw a bride doll pattern. So I bought it and got started. This was for an 18 in. doll with a 12 in. train. Julia has a bride doll that we used in her wedding but it is a Barbie doll and I could not see how to use that small thread. But the larger doll was easier. After I finished with her, I went to Hobby Lobby in Cartersville to get a glass case to display her. I continue to crochet today but not as much because my eyes are getting so bad that it is hard to see even the big stitches. But it is still fun and the people who have received one of my gifts have told me that they really enjoy them. I have entered many of my projects in the fair and won many ribbons. A  red rose garden that I gave to my sister-in-law got blue, an Indian doll complete with beads and feathers got red, plus the panda bear. He is still wearing his blue ribbon. The first and only Barbie doll dress that I tried won a blue ribbon. My daughter, Julia, has claimed it but I have granddaughters and great granddaughters who would love them all. I feel like a young girl again when I am making the doll dresses. I have made a Santa Claus that Julia displays for Christmas and I have a Mrs. Claus, with small glasses. and snow white hair.  Guess I will never grow old  that way because I still have a bride doll setting on my dresser. Had one on my bed when I was growing up and she remains in my memory. All of the memories are good to tell my children and grandchildren. That is why I write them down for them to read. Plus I enjoy the telling. I remember my grandmom telling me stories about her youth and I was fasinated so I continue on with the family tradition.

                                                                   PANDA BEAR
                                                            




         CLOWN