Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Hood County News publisher Sam Houston was recently surprised to hear crochet has made a big comeback. In fact, handiwork of all kinds that had all but died off has enjoyed a recent renaissance as young people take an interest in what was grandmother’s sport.
Houston mentioned this phenomenon in his “From My Front Porch” column of July 20. In the column he ruminated on the various ways people enjoy spending their free time, from sports to crochet to real estate. He noted that some hobbies seem to run in cycles, becoming more or less popular in different eras.
Crochet has captured the hearts of many in ways that it hasn’t in decades — since it was part of fashionable outfits of the 1970s. Fashion, like hobbies, runs in cycles; the 1970s styles have returned and with them, crochet.
Online crochet groups abound and the return to handmade goods on websites such as Etsy has also fueled the fire.
Barbara Bass took a special interest in Houston’s column. Eighty-nine year old Bass is the grandmother of J.D. Tuggle who works for the Hood County News in the press department.
Bass complimented Houston on his column, which is a favorite of hers.
“I want you to know that I have five children, seven grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. In 1976, I crocheted a Christmas stocking for my first grandson and since then all of them have a Christmas stocking,” said Bass.
She continued, “Last year, 2023, I crocheted 69 stockings. I did it just to pass the time. I give them to other family members and their children and grandchildren, friends and strangers.”
Bass doesn’t know how many stockings she has crocheted in her years with her crochet hook — but one of her happy new recipients was Houston himself — as Bass sent him his own stocking with her letter.
"It was so nice to receive the gift from Mrs. Bass. It is nice to know readers are paying attention and care enough to send me a memento. She definitely put a big smile on my face,” shared Houston.
The letter included some sage advice from Bass to Houston, “Don’t forget to hang it up next Christmas and maybe Santa will fill it with something good.”
Houston intends to do just that.
