Red is the color of giving.
My first shipment of red items is out the door.
My maternal grandmother’s favorite color was red. Even her kitchen was decorated in red and white. She was a very generous person who taught me that regardless of how much or how little you have, you can always help others and spread kindness. I think of her often when I am working on the red scarves and hats because of the color association, but also because she taught me to give to others. I prepared the scarves and added notes of encouragement.
The next project that I have is to finish a scarf to accompany a hat for a project for the homeless. As I like to say, if you make it they will come. Since I have been making hats for adults, I have been looking at other people in my local coffee shop and on the bus and train to see how adults wear their hats. Not just when it is super cold (and all fashion sense or pretense of fashion sense, goes out the window) but when it is moderately cold and you wear a hat to be more comfortable, not just as a necessity. There are skull caps, toques, slouchy hats and dozens of styles of hats. It’s interesting to see how other people wear hats and I have tried my hand at a few different styles. The same style can look dramatically different with heavier or lighter yarn. I’ve tried all of them and they are warm. I hope the recipients enjoy them as well.
Sticking to the plan of making the hat first and then make the scarf, so I don’t shortchange the hat in length (also to ensure that it will cover the wearer’s ears), I found that I made a mistake in one of the scarves. I left the hat at home because it was already done, so I started what I thought was the same pattern. Nearly a third of the scarf was complete when I compared it with the pattern in the hat, then I discovered that it wasn’t the same. The yarn is the same and the pattern is similar, but it’s a beautiful happenstance, I didn’t rip it out because I like it. Next time, I will look at a picture of the hat before I start working on the scarf.
Crocheting is a fun an enjoyable pastime, so I do it for fun. When I was in my local coffee shop today, the barista asked me if someone made my hat and scarf for me. I said I did. Oh, it’s nice, do you make them to sell? No, I made a lot of things, but most of the things I make to give away. It was refreshing to say that. Though I set lots of deadlines and crochet goals for myself, it’s nice to have something that I don’t HAVE to do, but rather, I want to do it. Even when I make something in the wrong stitch pattern, I still have progress that I can mark. Plus, after each project, I gain new experience and can share what I have learned with other crafters.
Give, because you want to, not because you HAVE to…
