Except.
Crochet.
For some reason I have never ever been able to retain crochet. I have relearned it from scratch, as if I'd never held a hook before in my life, several times since childhood but it simply won't stick. I can follow instructions, master stitches and truck along just fine (to the point where I've even cranked out a three-dimensional rose) provided I don't stop. If I set it aside to, y'know, get a night's sleep, then when I pick it up again (even if only eight hours later) it's gone. Back to the beginning and relearn as if it's completely new to me. ***sigh***
But the brain changes and benefits from change and hope never dies. So I'm planning on giving it another shot sometime this year. It's a time of an abundance of really good materials and, equally important, really good tools. I've only ever used Aero crochet hooks which are plastic-coated and blunt ... sorta the crochet hook equivalent of kiddie safety scissors (they were the only thing available at the time). So I've placed an order for some DyakCraft hooks (the same folks who produce those high-end knitting needles that I love) because I know from experience that better equipment really does help. I've loads of good quality natural fibre yarns on hand. Now I'm cruising through Ravelry looking for Irish lace patterns because that's the variant of crochet that I've always liked best (hence that three-dimensional rose ... Irish crochet tends towards patterns of often-realistic flowers and leaves, sometimes 3D).
And discovering that for some strange reason some of the nicest Irish lace designs currently available are from Japan: designers, publishers, and language.
This is going to be interesting ...
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