I spend anywhere from $2 a skein on the clearance novelties at Michaels to $50 a pound for the right roving to spin my own yarn to make a shawl.

I think my frustration as a crochet/maker of yarn is the fact that crocheters are often afraid to try nicer yarns (not always more expensive…just appearing so at the first look of the price tag…remember price per yard is the key ) for fear of ruining them in their projects.

I’m bound and determined to be a yarn educator! That’s right…And the Good Fairy of Crocheters Self Esteem…

Hook on! Heads up, Hooks Up HIGH! You are wonderfully creative and talented…that is priceless.

In today’s mix of fiber arts, it seems crochet is becoming more a part of some of the knitted clothing since some patterns need a crochet edging. I can see knitters learning to crochet for that purpose mainly. Honestly, I’d love to learn to knit so I could mix the two, but for right now, I’m perfectly content with what I can do with my hook.

Just watching my friends knit, I can see it being more difficult than crochet, and I guess when you are proficient at one or just really concentrating on one, the option to learn both doesn’t stand out in your mind as much. I know that’s true for me, at least.

That’s interesting. It seems Wally World is as American as baseball and applepie, and I just really wish it wasn’t. I wish there was more fight to keep them out of places. They tend to push the little man to the wayside, and as for quality–most of the time, they just don’t even breathe the word.

It’s possible that Wal-Mart was rejected for quality of merchandise and competition with Irish owned shops that offer affordable items. One big topic on cheap merchandise goes back as far as who’s making the stuff and how much were they paid, and of course the age of the worker. There’s a shop here selling demin pants for E7 a pair, which is about $9.50usd. They’re really good quality, but how can they sell them so cheap? There have been investigations into whether or not the pants were made in sweat shops. Their t-shirts go for E3-5 each, too. The shop is supposed to support Free Trade, but I don’t know how you can get a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for E10. Add shoes and you have a whole outfit.

Anyway, perhaps some of this has been landed on Wal-Mart’s lap and they backed out of Ireland because they didn’t want Ireland prying into their business practices.

I’ve also heard that knitters have a hard time using only one tool rather than two. They don’t know what to do with their hands. Especially if they knit with the yarn in their right hand rather than the left like crocheters.

I’ve recently gotten back to relearning knitting, just so I don’t lose it, but I always go back to crochet. There’s so much going for it these days with so many great patterns and yarns.

(found your blog from Ravelry…great reading!)