Web of Life, a crochet adventure with rocks

I am a rock hound. I have always been. Some of my fondest memories are sitting in the early morning light and going through each rock in my family's garden (they used small rocks instead of mulch). I would look at each rock, hoping to find a fossil or a rock worthy of my collection. I still have that collection plus many more. My neighbor is the same and I envy her. She has used rocks as decor. They are all over her house in neat little nooks and on the windowsill and in pretty jars. Mine are in boxes and drawers but some have been slowly making their way into the light.

Recently I have been getting crochet pattern books from the library, usually I get knitting books, and found this absolutely adorable pattern for a web to cover a rock. So Pretty Crochet took an ordinary river rock and made it look delicate in a pattern called Web of Life.

Two of my 3 greatest passions, rocks and yarn (the third is books) coming together...It was a must do project. For weeks I looked for the perfect rock even renewing the book so I can get this project done. The ones in the book were perfect ovals or egg shaped. Mine were more Lima bean shaped or had an irregular edge. The biggest problem was size. Mine were all 1" to 2" and the pattern called for 3-4". Out of desperation I posted a Rock Wanted sign on a forum I frequent. Sigh....how was I to get this wonderful creating accomplished? Then, while sitting at a stop light, I happen to look around and found myself in front of a garden shop, one that sells paving stones and landscape rocks. and right in front, in a wire bin were RIVER ROCKS (cue heavenly light and angelic singing).

Once home with my 3 River rocks ( I could go into how I had to sort through the big pile and find just the right ones and how the thought of leaving any rock behind made me nauseous, but I will spare you) I washed them and made them ready for the Web of Life design. I will admit to playing with them some...stack them, admired how they looked in that corner or another corner...you get the idea.....but then on to the project and the next snag in the web. No yarn.

I just inventoried my yarn stash and have 68 full balls and 30 partial balls of yarn of various size and colors. None are white and none are the size needed. Okay...not panicking I decided to use a light lavender that is thicker then called for, but that is fine, my rocks are twice as big as the pattern calls for....should work.

With yarn in hand and my just-dug-from-the-bottom-of-my-craft-bin crochet hook I was ready, but how to start. All my crochet skills vanished. How to start a chain? How to do a single crochet? What is a "tr" and how do you make one? So out comes the crochet book. I now need to relearn crochet. After figuring out the basics I begin.

After 4 tries, froggings, and retries, I had my base chain circle. Emma and I admired that 10 chain beauty. Modeling it on our finger like a priceless ring. I will have to say, the men in my house are oblivious to the turmoils and triumphs my new adventure is creating but Emma is right there, cheering me on every step of the way. Back on the project...I was told to make a triple crochet and join it to the circle...huh? More frogging, more tries and I think I have it. So for 3 hours I toiled at this endeavor and make a web. It drapes nicely over my rock and once again the admiration takes place with Emma "oohing" and "ahhing" at all the right places. Now to finish it.Again I am stumped by the directions but I venture on. The end project is a too thick web draped over a rock with a huge tangle underneath, But the underneath will not be seen and no one but me really knows the web is too thick.

I now call the men folk over to view my newest creation...the Web of Life....a mistake I should have foreseen (troglodytes the two of them), the young male looks at it and says "you dressed a rock? Really?" the older male just grunts "ah-humm" not really knowing what he is suppose to be looking at. So I try to educate them and explain it is a web on a rock, the Web of Life. Youngest just repeats the same just in reverse order and the older adds a "nice' to his confused look. Emma, of course knows just what to say and has declared all rocks need this and she will learn crochet so she too can partake in the beautifying of the world...(actually this is what I heard in her "Mom, it is beautiful" reply).

Not being discouraged by the nay-sayers and scoffers, I give it a second try, This time I decide on a smaller yarn and one a more nature-like color. I know just the thing. A yarn I have had for years, one with no label, but too pretty to donate. It varies from extra fine to unspun looking in areas and it is mossy green...perfect. this time I understand the pattern better and produce a very-close-to-the-pattern look.

I am pleased with the results but still the web is not giving me that feeling of satisfaction. The pattern rock had a white web, maybe that is the problem. I need white yarn. With one river rock left I am determined to make my Web of Life work. Yesterday I was able to get the white yarn....had to sneak it in while shopping for a birthday present for Emma's friend. Today I will attempt the 3rd web. In the mean time, someone contacted me about my Rock Wanted post, she is going to send me a 3" river rock, maybe two and I heard there is a store that sells river rocks for the garden, small 2"-4" size in a large bag for $5....might be worth checking out....I mean a large bag of rocks for $5, my heart it racing.