New/Old Hobby or Baile Rochel Returns to Crocheting

"Baile Rochel" is my alter ego, or maybe she's the real me. Click "Baile Rochel" to read more of her writing.

Yesterday, when I was walking around the Talpiyot shopping aka industrial area, I found myself walking into a crafts store. I usually just walk around the Hadar Mall and then trek to Matan for a 12 noon class. But yesterday, I had been dropped off on a different street.

I love to window shop, always have, but suddenly I was attracted to yarn. It got a hold on me and pulled me in.

Before I realized what I was doing, I had picked out two packages of yarn and a crochet hook and announced to the salesman that I was going to crochet a scarf.

Of course, I've never crocheted a scarf before. I haven't a clue how to do it. The only thing I've ever crocheted has been hats and kippot (skullcaps.) There's a big difference between crocheting something round and crocheting something long which is supposed to have the same width all its length. Crocheting round things is very simple; it suits the technique.

Please don't tell me to follow a pattern, because I don't know how to do that either. I've always crocheted by "instinct" or common sense or just plain guesswork. And sometimes I've made a mess out of things.

There are two reasons I was pulled into this little/insane challenge. One is that I have a new jacket, the same dark blue as the yarn, and it needs a scarf. Two is I've been wanting to do something to help keep me awake and alert while at classes/lectures. Years ago, I did needlepoint pictures, but then I ran out of wall space. After that I kept myself happily busy crocheting hats. But after a few years I stopped wearing them. I prefer covering my hair with scarfs.

Of course, since I'm Baile Rochel, I didn't do any research, no google searches to try to find out any tricks to crocheting a scarf. I didn't ask anyone either. As the lecture began, I took the yarn and hook and tried to remember how to start. In all honesty, I was surprised at how long it took me to figure out what to do. And the start isn't exactly the same as for crocheting something round. But it's like what people say about riding a bike,You never really forget. Only crocheting is much safer. I wouldn't dare try to ride a bike after all these years/decades. If I goof up the crocheting, I can always undo the stitches or throw the mess out.

I crocheted a few rows and stayed awake during the lecture. That's good. There's no chance the scarf will be perfect, but I don't really care. As I tell my friends during my mosaics class, when they ask me what I'm making:

"It's the journey that's important."

What harm would it do to wear a crooked misshapen scarf, especially if the act of crocheting had helped me stay awake during expensive classes?

PS If you have some tips to help me crochet a scarf that doesn't look totally ridiculous, please write them in the comments, thanks.

Recycling, Donating Old Scarves

Apparently, I'm not the only one with a houseful of things I no longer need/use but can't bear to throw them out. At least I found a solution for my old scarves, the ones I no longer wear. Some are in perfect condition, but they're old fashioned, a bit frayed or faded. Not even the clothing gmachs, the special low-price charity stores would be interested in them.

A couple of years ago, I found a place that does want old scarves. Those ladies at the Kotel, the Western Wall, who offer women a cover-up. Yesterday I met a group of friends for one of our periodic f2f get-togethers, this time in Jerusalem's Old City. Beforehand, I reminded them that they could donate tichels, scarves at the Kotel. So a few of us brought bags full of them, all styles and colors. They were received with great thanks and enthusiasm, and within a short time, we could see visitors wearing some.

B"H, Found a Simple Cure

Very True Story

I had a real fright this morning in shul. Suddenly an awful headache, which I never get. The skin on part of my head felt numb. When I got home I got the veggies for the salad out and asked my husband to cut them and decided to rest. Suddenly I had an idea. I was wearing a new tichel, which stretches. I took it off and replaced it with a light hat, fancy from my son's wedding. Within a short time the headache lessened and disappeared.

B"H a miracle!

Next time I'll be tying the tichel much more loosely.

"Lifesaving" hat on the "guilty" tichel.

Tying Two Scarves, Dressing for a Granddaugter's Bat Mitzvah

I've been married and covering my hair for close to forty-seven 47 EEKS! years already, and for a good portion of that time I've worn scarves of various styles, shapes, etc. but always one at a time. Last night for my granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah I decided that I needed to tie two up. Many young women wear a whole closetful on their heads all systemically and artistically wound up together. It looks much too complicated and uncomfortable to me.

After I bought my dress, I realized that the unusual wooden necklace I had gotten from my parents years ago would be perfect with the dress, which it was. (A Hila dress, but not their usual form-fitting style.) And I planned on wearing it with my long gold scarf. That would be a very simple way to accessorize the dress which is classic black A-Line with large pieces of dark red and dark green fabrics sewn in. It's very subtle. Actually it reminds me a bit of the 1960s Mary Quant and Courreges shapes and style.

And then we had Silk Painting in the Senior Citizens Crafts activities I have been attending religiously ever since I left Yafiz. I suddenly saw colors that would be perfect with the dress and necklace, and I painted and created like some sort of nutty arty demon.
Since the dress is very dark, I loved the idea that the scarf would brighten the outfit. And of course it is always nice to wear one's own artistic creations.

The long piece of silk seemed the perfect size for my head when I was working on it, but afterwards, especially after the hemming done by a neighbor, I realized that the effect would be awfully flat and boring if I wore the silk scarf on its own.

There was only one solution to the problem. I had to tie them both on my head together, and after a bit of experimenting, this is what I managed to produce. Being that one is silk and about half the length of the other, I found it easier to work with than I had expected once I realized that I had to combine them before putting on my head, wrapping and tying.

I took this picture, yes a "selfie," after I got home so the scarf isn't all that neat, but you get the idea.

The moral is that we're never too old to try new things.