Eddie Caudel Comes Out

Black Headband with Red Rose

I might as well tell you now because you'll just find out anyway.  I crochet.  Yes, I've been crocheting in secret for years.  My Great Aunt Glady taught me how when I was a wee lad.  It started with a fascination at watching Aunt Glady knit and crochet when she'd come to visit us.  She was a machine.  She could knock out an entire outfit in one sitting. I asked her if she'd show me how.  She did and she told me I had good tension.  I guess a little encouragement was all it took because I was hooked (pun intended).  Over the years I never did much with it except keep my hands and fingers busy.  Sometimes I would get a skein of yarn and crochet it into half a scarf, only to unravel it and roll it all into a ball.  I even did a bit of knitting from time to time.  My friend Scotty and I used to knit while watching David Letterman.  We never made anything - we just knitted.  Well, lately I've felt like I should be more creative and start finishing projects; you know, actually make something more than just a patch.  I got some purple yarn and started making scarves and trying out some of the more complex stitches.  I thought maybe some of the Red Hat Ladies in the area would like something purple to accessorize with so I started really practicing the craft.  Some of my earlier pieces were pretty rough, but I kept hearing Aunt Glady telling me I had good tension.  I also found that it really helps to be able to read a pattern (some of which are pretty tricky).  Here's an example of a line from a crochet pattern:  4ch, 1tr in each of next 6ch, 3ch, ss in next ch.  After you learn all the abbreviations and stitches it makes pretty good sense.  My sister, Laura, gave me a book for my birthday on how to knit and crochet flowers.  Now I'm making some real pretty things.  I have discovered, thanks to Google, that I'm not the only guy who crochets.  Men are coming out all across the land, boldly wielding needles and hooks and producing some very fine articles.  If you'd like to see some of my product, just go to my little shop on Etsy and have a look around.  So now  you know.  I'm out - I crochet!