Crochet for Men

Since interest has picked up amongst strangers and friends about my little blog, I asked my husband what he thought about it. He said that he had visited it, but that it was too girlie for him!

 I told him that men do have interests in crochet. I mentioned The Crochet Dude, who has a line of crochet accessories. The Shibaguyz have a whole  design team behind them,  and Mike from the Crochet Crowd is known on Facebook. My husband, not unlike the aforementioned macho men, is very manly and looks the part. He is bearded and mustached,  stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, and weights 303 pounds, most of which is muscle! GRRRRRR.

 Was there room for crochet in his testosterone-filled body? I wasn't sure!


When Crochet Today recently queried, "Would your guy, or any guy you know wear a granny square sweater?" my answer, with 203 other crocheters was am emphatic  "NO WAY!" I would love to be like the 9 crocheters who answered, "Yes, because I made it"  But I know my husband.

Still, he has been helpful with my obsession with crochet. He never stops me from buying yarn, which is a big plus, and he put up with my crocheted toilet paper cover AND slept next to my crocheted bed doll. He loves the crocheted gifts that I make and asked me to make sure to make the best baby afghan EVER for his brother who just had his first child.
He was brave enough recently to offer a critique of my art, though.  I told him that although my handle is Dani Does Doilies, I don't care for doilies because I am not used to working with small needles. Ironically I I am  now inundated with requests for doilies!  I was grappling with whether I should "change with the change" or stay in my comfort zone.  A post on my new favorite facebook page(Change Your Attitude...Change Your Life) said it all.

Since I want to SUCCEED with crochet and in  life, I decided to take his advice and buy the special yarn and tiny hooks required to make dainty doilies. I've already scoped out a "My First Doilie" pattern on Crochet Pattern Central, so I'm ready...all thanks to my guy!
 Although he will likely never wear a cool granny-squared sweater (how much yarn would it take to cover those muscles!) he has prodded me out of complacency and into and a new, exciting world. He has noticed my efforts, causing change in me, making him a great LEADer! I don't know what is more manly than that!

"Say Thank You"

I recently listened to a podcast where the speaker complained about giving gifts made from the depths of her heart. She did not even receive a simple thank you. That statement sent me down a serious thought spiral.

I, too, love making and giving gifts. I love surprising people with homemade gifts made from the depths of my heart.

I gifted one friend, named after a famous line of dolls, with an adorable little doll key chain. I "broke" into her place of business, snuck past receptionists and strangers and put the key chain in her mailbox. "Lalaloopsy" never acknowledged receipt of the gift, nor did she question where it came from. Wanting to remain anonymous,but still found it, I made sure that she saw that I had had the exact same key chain as the one that mysteriously showed up in her mailbox.She never said a word about it. I hoped she hadn't thought I was a stalker.

At school's end I love giving my children's teachers appreciation gifts. One year I filled a mason jar with Hershey kisses, crocheted a little Hershey kiss onto the top and snuck it into one teacher's car. This time I signed the names of my children."Hugs and Kisses from the Branches" read the card. She never once said thank you. Come on!

After that, I made crocheted Peruvian-styled hats for every student in my daughter's class. Granted her class was small but I crocheted day and night for days and nights! This time I made sure that my children told them that their mother had made the hats specifically for them. It didn't make me feel better that only one out of the 12 parents said "THANKS!".

I then questioned why I felt so compelled to give people things that they hadn't asked for. Just last week as I prattled off the list of crocheted gifts I was in the process of making as gifts, my son asked me something that had obviously been on his mind for a while.

"Don't you get tired of making so many gifts?" He asked

"Nope" I responded. "I need something to do."

"You don't care that you don't get paid?" He challenged

I am getting paid, I told him, in my soul. There is benefit in giving things with no strings attached.

"What if you run out of yarn?" Was his last postulation.

"I will NEVER run out of yarn!" I stated emphatically.

A simple THANK YOU does not fill the criteria of "strings attached". Saying thank you is polite and mannerly. If we lose that ability to vocally express gratitude for given objects then we have lost all of our humanity.

A recent post on Facebook by Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life told me why I felt compelled to give things, even if I'm not given so much as a simple THANK YOU in return.

Be The Type of Person You Want to Meet, said the post. That made things crystal clear.

I really wanted someone to break into my place of business and leave a secret gift for me! If they didn't go all out, as I tend to do, they could at least be mannerly and vocalize receipt of the efforts that was done in their honor. Say THANK YOU!


With that being said, I would like to finally say, Jane Doe, it was I who put the  cute doll key chain in your mailbox 12 years ago! PHEW! Feels good to finally say that!

Don't worry, now that she knows I gave it, I can hear her say it.

THANK YOU!