Happy National Crochet Month!

                              Happy

          National Crochet Month!!

How it Came to Be:
In 1997, then President of the Crochet Guild of America, Pam Oddi, and Gwen Blakley-Kinsler, founder of the Crochet Guild of America, decided that Crochet should have national recognition and set aside a week to coincide with National Crafts Month.

From there, National Crochet Week grew into National Crochet Month, which includes 30 ways to help promote crochet. 

So Dee, what's with the Roman decreeing "Happy National Crochet Month?"
    Ah, because March was also the month that in early Roman history, Mars, the god of spring, growth in nature, and fertility, was celebrated (this god later became the god of war) with festivals starting today, March 1st. 

     Fast forward this line of thinking of the many sailors who were forced into battle, be it through pirating, or through the act of declaring war.  These sailors, during the times when they were idle, were often times creative. 

     They would whittle or carve to pass the time away.  If and when they made it to shore, many would sell the items they created to afford ale, and what not.  Some of these items still exist today, including knitting needles and crochet hooks.

      So as we celebrate the month of March, a month traditionally celebrated for growth, I encourage you, my readers, to do something to also celebrate Crochet.  Use this month to crochet something for a family member, a friend, a charity.  Offer to teach someone the basics of crochet.  Take a crochet class and enjoy learning something new while also enjoying the company of others who also enjoy crochet.  Visit your local Library and take out a book on crochet, or treat yourself to one you can put in your own private library.  Try a new yarn that you've never tried before.  Start your own online journal/blog to track your own crochet adventures as I do here.  Submit a pattern proposal to a publisher.

     Whatever you decide, let this be the month you help Crochet shine.  :)