One April Anniversary, A Thank You

ScannedImageChanging points in my life can happen at any time, however I can name quite a few that mark my life in large ways that occur in the last week of March and the first week in April. So in a sense it is a time of anniversaries of sorts for me.

Actually it was there years ago tomorrow that I left my job of 12 years to begin working in crochet full time. Okay, it is really more like part time with juggling the household, but it was still a large life change.

I cannot say that I bravely walked into this decision and had astounding amounts of work that would warrant my change of employment. As a matter of fact, if things had not occurred the way they had, I would probably still be working my job and designing crochet on the side still today. However, like many things in life, I was faced with a choice.

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I have often felt tied to my desk in my old job…funny that was with yarn too.

I had worked part time for my employer for 8 years (the prior 4 years were full time, but after my son was born I transitioned to a part time position to attempt to balance my home/work life). I knew that this status of part time would mean that I was likely to give up any chance of promoting, and my wages would probably not change in a great amount of time, but it was my choice. So on a fateful afternoon 3 years ago, I received a call from my boss. She wanted to inform me that the director was rescinding my part time status and that I was being given a four week notice that my status would be changed to full time.

I was again faced with a choice, and this one offered me very little opportunity to have a balanced life. The decision was finalized a short time later when I picked my daughter up from kindergarten. I told her that there might be some changes, as I might have to go to work more. I remember her sitting on my lap, she looked up and me shaking her head. She said, “Mom, I’m sorry. You’re going to have to quit your job. I like it when you pick me up from school.” I don’t know if 3 years later that same response would be given, but I knew I had to set the priorities that truly mattered, my family.

After crunching the numbers and having the support of my husband, I gave my notice. My last day of work was April 5th, a day after my first published design & article came out on newsstands in Crochet! Magazine. So, I made the plunge. I work longer hours and am more critical of my work than I was prior, but I have a new challenge and hold more of my life in my hands. I may not put in the hours of 9 to 5 anymore, as my work is juggled between commitments and contracts. I may work late hours and spend less hours actually talking to people (and I typically am a pretty social person, so this is a significant adjustment), but I have a balance. The family budget is tighter, and we do not have many shinning things, but it all feels right. I sometimes do miss my old job, at least my co-workers and the satisfaction of knowing that I made a difference in the life of someone in my community. My current satisfaction is measured differently now.

So, on this anniversary, I would like to say, Thank you. Thank you to those that have made me face choices, and those that have supported me through those decisions. Mostly, thank you to those that support me today. Thank you for reading my ramblings, for supporting my designs. Thank you for buying my patterns, and supporting the publications that feature my work. Thank you to those that believe in me even when I have times that I do not believe in myself. I hope that through my journey you are encouraged in your own, on whatever path it might be.

Thankful Crochet…Not What You Might Expect

ScannedImageThanksgiving is the time of year that Americans take a moment and ponder what they are thankful for, families and friends come together over a hearty meal and various traditions are followed. Some gatherings are small, some are large, but all are focused on those we love.

I wish that we took time more often to ponder our thankfulness, and personally try to do this at least once a week (okay, sometimes this actually becomes once a month, but at least I try). Over some of this ponder I have realized how thankful I am for crochet, and it may not be in a manner that you have thought about. I am thankful for crochet being my social lubricant. Don’t misunderstand, I am quite a talker and can get into conversations that are no longer counted in minutes but hours and days, I can usually find some comfort in a room full of people that I have never met before, however crochet allows me to engage with some new people in a very different way.DSCF0849.1

By crocheting while sitting and enjoying the family get-togethers of the holidays, I can actually think before I speak (a trait that I always need to work on). I can crochet at my husband’s work holiday parties and it becomes an icebreaker within a group of other spouses that may only see each other during these events.

Not only can crochet help me within situations I know, it opens dialogs in places I don’t, such as the park, the coffee shop, the grocery store, the doctor office, actually just about anywhere. By working on some stitches it helps engage with others; people feel like you are approachable and want to understand more about what you are doing. It might bring back fond memories for them, or questions of how they could try and create for themselves.

DSCF0848.1By wearing my hook in my hair (yes, I do actually use a hook to hold my hair up) people might identify me as the “crochet lady”, and that is alright, I wear it as a badge of honor, and have for years, because it opens different doors and helps me to connect with the larger world around me. So thank you crochet, for being my longtime hobby, and current career, that allows me to engage with the rest of mankind.