Now that is manly!

I've been learning to crochet. Scream daggy all you want, I don't care. It's giving me something to do, something that gives me a tangible result at the end of the project. Unlike caring for two kids all day... the only tangible result from that is the pile of soiled nappies waiting to be washed and overflowing basket of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. (Although I suppose, technically speaking, the fact that the two kids are still breathing at the end of each day could be counted as a tangible result. But it's not quite the same, and let's face it, if I failed in this regard, the authorities would be turning up at my doorstep.)

I've been amazed by how easy crochet is (ie. compared to knitting). I tried to learn knitting, under the instruction of Gran, and although I learned the basics - made a few scarves, etc. - I could never fix up mistakes, so if I didn't actually have Gran right there beside me, projects tended to stall indefinitely.

Crochet is a different story. So far, I have made several practice-pieces - just trying out different stitches, then I made my first project - a beanie for BallFiend: Now I am 90% of the way through my second project - a matching scarf:
I've also been amazed and excited by the range of things that can be made using crochet. Then I found Ravelry - an online community of knitters and crocheters with free patterns galore! My enthusiasm escalated. At last count, I had about 20 items 'queued' for future projects. When it comes to crochet, it seems, if you can think of an object to make, then someone has probably created a crochet pattern for it.

So I'd come to the conclusion that crochet is not at all daggy and that many of the things that can be crocheted are practical, and often truly beautiful... then I saw this one: Manly Tank-Top. Think I might need to make one for FreeloadingPhill to help him on his latest quest.
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