I can do needlepoint and cross stitch, though both are tough on fingernails. I have tried to knit, and I would love to be able to knit fisherman knit sweaters, but I find it difficult.
My main craft is crocheting. I find crochet cotton hard to work with, so I focus mostly on afghans. I have tried to crochet a baby afghan for all new babies in the family, including cousins, but I don't always get them done.
I find crocheting to be very theraputic. When I crochet, I sink into my thoughts and relax, working out the stress of the day. I mostly crochet at swim meets when my kids are competing. I get a lot of young children who come over to watch me crochet. Occasionally, I get a comment from an adult.
One elderly lady told me once how she and her girlfriends "back in the day" would take their knitting to the movie theater and knit while watching the movies. I can't quite figure out how that would be done, but I guess if you have done it enough, it becomes second nature.
Crocheting is my escape from the world. Wonder what non-crafters do to get away?
Can we add some keywords to this thread, like "cheap therapy" or "insanity prevention"? At least, those are two benefits of crafting to me!
I see my son go crazy at times. He skateboards and he plays video games. He won't even try anything else, although he has had crafts at school, and we encourage him...
OK, the most critical question of all for crafters, no matter what your craft:
How do you store your crafting stash and keep it under control? What gives you the most trouble? And have you ever been guilty of sneaking stash in the house?
Since I do sewing, knitting, embroidery, crochet and other things, and tend towards chaos when I am in the middle of a project (in other words, only the project in hand gets much attention, and everything else stacks up), stash management is always a struggle.
Any good ideas?