A Conversation with Aggie

I have a very good friend, AG - that I'll just call Aggie for the purpose of anonymity.

She'd think this was funny....

Aggie and I met a couple years ago through a mutual friend who thought "we were perfect to be friends" - and that mutual friend could not have been more right. Aggie and I enjoy each others company and things like strange conversation, crazy weird freaky items, and the color brown.

With my semester the way it is and my work schedule, I have not got a chance to sit and talk with Aggie that much at all. Today we were able to have lunch together and while I sat and crocheted, we had a terrific conversation.

Let's back up a little.

Several months ago Aggie brought up that she'd like to learn to crochet. She had always seen herself as a knitter but would like to learn crochet for the diversity of intricate, lacy stitches. She said her grandmother, if I remember correctly, had shown her the basics. She only needed a refresher to get moving. It only took a couple sittings for her to catch on and it wasn't long until she picked up a pattern for a ripple afghan. She's on her last skein and is ready to move on to another project.

Like me, time is not on her side right now. It also doesn't help she accidentally left her craft back and afghan at her parent's house after a visit.Before our conversation, she asked "is it bad that I'm sitting here, watching you crochet, and am actually drooling - I want my craft back. I want to crochet again."

Of course, like a good friend and crocheter, I offered her some of my extra cotton and a hook from my craft bag. *chuckles* She declined stating she'd be picking her bag up tonight.

Anywhoozles, the real meaning of this blog post is to recap our conversation and to find out if you feel the same way.

She brought up that it seems odd that crochet and knitting are pretty much "cool" again - many younger people are picking up the hooks and needles. Some are even starting yarn groups in colleges. We conversed about an article I read about how it seems crochet and knitting skipped a generation - what was once considered a grandma hobby was spreading like wildfire. It seemed to be taking over as a popular hobby once again.

We talked about why we felt this was going on: 1) with the economy the way it is, some people are being more open to learning how to do something rather than buying it in a store, 2) the idea of "going green" and reducing one's carbon footprint is more viable if the person learned how to make things, and 3) while not learning to craft related, the popularity of owning hand made items is more appealing with the push to support local growers, crafters, and artists.

Needless to say, it was another enjoyable, thought provoking lunch with Aggie - a reminder why I enjoy her company so much.

So..... what are your thoughts? Have you  noticed the same in your community? If so, what do you think it can be attributed to?