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I love finding hand made gifts to give family. I wish I could be the one making them, but there are some talents I lack. I mean, we can’t all do everything; what a boring world it would be if we could.
So whenever I can I like to support crafters in their talent.
I’ve tried crocheting, and I just can’t do it. Maybe one day I’ll find someone patient enough to teach me, but until then I enjoy browsing the amazing creations from people like Maggie Knorr of Keepsake Krochet. She has some beautiful afghans, totes and jewelry – all crocheted. I’m going to turn it over to Maggie now to tell you a little more about herself.
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My name is Maggie Knorr and I’ve been crocheting for about five years, but I’ve been familiar with it for most of my life. My grandmother was constantly crocheting things and frequently it was things for me. She made me three dresses as I grew up and also an afghan that I didn’t receive until I went to college. She kept it in her cedar chest and let me look at it occasionally. She did teach me the basics of crochet, but never how to read a pattern, so crocheting long pieces of something got kind of boring. I never really showed any more interest. Then, in 2005 I came across the prayer shawl ministry online and thought it was neat. I decided to try to make a shawl. I was following a pattern, but my one edge kept growing. I went over to my grandmother’s to find out what I was doing wrong. She told me I was picking up stitches. I asked how to fix it, and she said, “Count.” Well, a row was 109 stitches long and I wasn’t going to count that every row, so I put it aside again.
Four years later I came across something called Tunisian Crochet, and this is where you use a long crochet hook to cast on and cast off stitches to make a row — kind of like a mix of knitting and crochet. I figured if all the stitches were on the hook it would be easier to count, so I gave it a try and picked it up just like that. After about a year of making things in Tunisian Crochet I got brave enough to try traditional crochet again. By this time my grandmother had passed away, so I went to a yarn shop and the lady helped me learn to read a pattern and I have just run with it since then. I enjoy making throws and shawls because they don’t take a long time to make and it’s like giving someone a hug that they can use any time they want to. Crocheting has become an important part of my life. I feel I help enrich other’s lives by providing lovingly made quality items and gives me a connection to my grandmother even though she’s no longer with me.
I also enjoy reading, writing, journaling, cross stitching and letterboxing. I’m extremely proud of my son who is pursuing his black belt in karate and my hubby who is a staff sergeant in the WV National Guard.
I could see many teen girls and moms wearing these beaded chokers. They would make a great stocking stuffer. Plus they’re affordable for a hand crafted item.
Connect with Maggie on Facebook
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