Apparently, it’s my fault...

I have a younger sister. Younger by not very much at all. We’re very alike. Friends of our parents used to have trouble telling us apart, and when we were at boarding school, even Mum had trouble working out which one of us was on the phone.

For reasons of family, years and language, my younger sister’s nickname is Grillos. Its how she appears in my contacts, how I address her and how I think of her. Neither of us know how it started or how it morphed into and stopped at Grillos, but I do know she wasn't always called Grillos, even as a nickname. Anyway, we get together once a week when we visit Mum. We help each other through the gaggy part of the Covid test by laughing and making awkward gagging noises. We visit Mum and always spend a good few minutes discussing which one of us is her favourite. I often wonder if Mama would actually like to be able to sit up and bang our heads together. Anyway, despite being alike, we’re very different, and until very recently, Grillos would not have claimed an enjoyment of much that’s creative for a hobby. 

That’s her in the front, acting all tiny and youngest-y. Back when we all called her Sally.

Couple of weeks ago, I ordered some yarn to crochet a baby blanket for her coming grandchild. We had a short discussion about how she’d like to learn to crochet but being left handed meant no one would teach her. I’m right handed and do not believe that makes it impossible to show someone, and I believe it’s easy to learn. So this week, she came to see Mum armed with a packet of yarn and a collection of crochet hooks.

And there I was thinking that I’d rummage in my yarn stash for some leftovers and a hook for her to trial! It all started well. We sat opposite each other and I said, ‘make a slip knot’ which she did with alacrity. Then I talked her through making a chain, insert hook, yarn over, blah blah. While she made a chain, I talked about slip stitch and using a chain or slip stitch to turn corners, fill spaces etc. How to do one extra stitch at the end to ‘build’ the height for the next row. She totally got it all. So, move on, turn the chain and work into it as the foundation for the first row of stitches. Not possible. Way way way too tight a tension. Surprised me! So, I taught Grillos how to frog her work. She was unimpressed, I can tell you. Apparently my fault for not knowing she would pull the yarn so tight. Then I did a few chain stitches and she noted the relaxed tension. So she did some more. Better, but still quite tight. Turn, hook through, yarn over, etc etc. Again. But of course, the tension made getting the hook through quite a fiddle, requiring her to use fingers to loosen the yarn. Then she forgot that she was working in a row rather than a column and lost control of the way to hold the chain. This was my fault because I was crap at explaining. She was starting to fizz. So, I suggested she try again with a much bigger hook and to keep the tension more relaxed. She was difficult to convince, to be honest. But, fair play, she did start again. A chain of ten plus one for turning...she was really getting it. Then the hook wouldn’t go through too easily again. And the yarn she had bought is acrylic and you can hear it being all man made on the hook. Very annoying apparently, and my fault. She managed a double and I said cheerily that all she needed to do was finish the chain in the same way. A chain of 10 stitches, so just another 9 doubles to do, by the way. Just to remind you. The chain was still having to be loosened to get the hook through and that, suddenly, was it. Grillos and crochet were finished. I expressed surprise, cajoled, encouraged and tried to get her to carry on. But she wouldn’t. She said she already knew that it wasn’t for her, if it drove her mad that quickly, she didn’t want to do more. I laughed. Probably made her more cross.

I have to admit that this is one of the things that makes us different. Especially having brought the set of hooks, I’d feel a small obligation to bite down and carry on. But no, Grillos was having none of it. Consequently, the above pictured set of crochet hooks and stitch markers are looking for a home in which to be useful. If you’d like it, please get in touch, as it’s all my fault, the least I can do is offer the RAK and not let them clutter up my sister’s house!