January 20, 2022

I was able to speak with my mom yesterday about coming up with a hat making kit that teaches knitting or crocheting, and she got excited and started showing me some of the hats that she has done and discussing different techniques that are good for beginners.

I’m definitely a beginner at this. I would say, I’m a beginner again. Honestly, I don’t know how many times I have learned to knit and crochet and then promptly forgotten how to do it. My mom’s reminiscences were remarkably similar to that, and she told me she remembers teaching me many times. I am the first in generations of my family not to have an aptitude for this skill, apparently.

My family emigrated to the United States from South Africa in 1992, when I was seven years old. My parents brought six suitcases with them on the journey and yesterday my mom showed me cozies that were crocheted by her grandmother and great grandmother. 

These are very special. It’s not just the idea that, of all of the things my mother could have packed into the 6 suitcases that at one time represented my family’s only possessions, she chose to pack these, but it is also because the crochet work is so fine it is almost like lace. 

I hope you can see the incorporation of the seed beads into these pieces. Seed beads are very popular for crafting, traditionally, in Africa and you can buy amazingly creative pieces in South Africa. I remember seeing many artists and craftspeople selling their work on the streets, when I was a child. 

These cozies are family treasures, and I was so pleased that my mother proudly shared them with me. She said, in the days before refrigeration, they would place these over the top of bottles of milk to keep insects from getting in. The beads woven in around the edges make the outer part of the cozy more heavy so they will sit on top of a bottle without sliding off. 

My mom does amazing crochet pieces too. For example, we have a detailed and ornate tablecloth that has also been crocheted with this fine thread. When I think of the skill and time that goes into making something like that completely by hand, it just boggles my mind. I think a person that can do that kind of work is an actual genius.

I admire the level of patience it must take to finish something like that. I think most of my problem has always been a lack of patience. I am going to start with a simple and quick project, like a hat.

My 13 year old daughter, who has been learning to sew, told me that the hat kit should teach people to crochet instead of knit because crocheting is easier. Ideally, I’d like to develop kits that teach both skills. I am probably most confident in my ability to learn to crochet at this point, so I think I’ll start with that. 

My mom also showed me these hoops, which she said are great for beginners, and she said that, because you begin to stitch the yarn around the ring, these are great for making hats because you start with a circle. I’d like to try to learn to use these hoops at some point too. 

This blog entry will have several parts. I will keep you updated until my hat is finished. Right now, I’m working out the details of a kit that provides a simple, user-friendly, pattern for a hat, which will cater to all skill levels. I’m so excited to start this project!