A week or so ago I found instructions for making granny circles here. I forwarded the website to Rowan, hoping to feed her interest in fiber. We snuggled up on the couch this morning with a few skeins of wool yarn to play. She chose the turquoise and lime, while I opted for a couple of handy balls of light and dark pink.
I was about Rowan's age when I first learned to crochet. Sitting there with her, I was reminded of the many projects I made through my junior high and high school years - afghans, sweater, rugs, and more. I enjoyed, too, realizing how much I've learned about working with fiber since then, and how much more confident I am in my own abilities and design capabilities than I ever dreamed of so long ago.
It's been many years since I've crocheted, but my hands quickly remembered what to do. I was able to share with Rowan ideas on how to achieve the results she was envisioning, and, thanks to the miracles of modern technology, we were able to find amazing photos of crocheted fiber art to ooh and aah over. I'm now fighting the urge to curl up on the couch with my stash and play for the rest of the afternoon.
*****
By the way, if you happen to follow the instructions on the site I noted, ours are a bit different. To maintain the round shape (Rowan wanted to make coasters), we followed the given directions for the first three rounds, and then added a final round which alternated 1 single crochet, 1 chain for every double crochet in the third round.