Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


August 22, 2008

Its just a little bit of history repeating ...



32 years ago, in the life of Hoppo Bumpo ...

I'm a kid. I'm visiting my slightly older, but much taller cousin. And wow she has a bike ... a two-wheeler. My bike back home is a trike with a red tip-tray. Sturdy and dependable, but none of the allure of this big-kid machine.

I'm allowed to ride the two-wheeler. It seems awfully high; I need help to get up and then to place my feet on the pedals. Then there's need for a little push to get started.

I'm very wobbly to start, but once I get going I manage to ride down the circular driveway. This is great. Round and round I go. Clockwise. Out the gate, along the path, back in the other gate; along the drive; out the gate again. Round and round.

But I realise that I have no idea how to stop. My legs are way too short. My feet cannot touch the ground. A sudden stop with the brakes, would surely end in being catapulted over the handlebars. So I continue circling and hatch a cunning plan. A Starsky-and-Hutch-style roll off the travelling bike.

As you can imagine, it doesn't end well. Frankly, rating up there with the time I hatched the cunning plan to forge through the hurdles rather than jump them, at the junior athletics competition.

Fast forward to this week in the life of Hoppo Bumpo ...

Its the final week of the granny-square-in-a-month challenge and I have been thrown a lifeline. A most talented and generous crafting girl offered to give me a crochet lesson. As we'd never met before, it was an incredibly kind offer. Not only did I receive a fabulous (and patient) crochet lesson, but she gave me some more suitable yarn and a partly worked granny square that I could continue on with (... and did I mention how lovely she was with my marauding Argy and Bargy?). Thank you so much, Kirsty!

So I took away the granny square and started going round and round. Chain three, treble, treble, chain one, treble, treble, treble ... its mesmerising and addictive. Round and round. Round and round.

At first I was amazed at how the square was magically forming. Then I started to understand how the process was translating to the work. Then when I dropped a stitch, lost count or got a bit confused, I felt confident enough to unravel a little bit and start again. I have crocheted in the park, at the hairdresser's and in front of the Olympics. I'm slow - terribly slow (the first independent round took 40 minutes) - but immensely pleased with this emerging skill.



The only thing I have been a little hazy about, is stopping. So yesterday I hatched a cunning plan. I attempted a Starsky-and-Hutch-style roll off the side of the granny square. And this is how it ended ...

I'm sure I was supposed to be in a corner, but I guess that's something to aim for next time ...

15 comments:

  1. I am so, so chuffed for you. That's FANTASTIC! And your work looks great lady!

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  2. Great post! It's fabulous that the crochet finishing didn't end with cuts and bruises :)

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  3. I have no crocheting abilities so I am amazed that you can get such sweet patterns with wool. It looks so nice - I might have to get you to pass on the knowledge

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  4. Oh woo hoo! *insert impressed sounds and lots of head nodding*

    Now, I may sound like a complete bitch but if you can do it lady then surely I can too...my many many first attempts have gone similar ways to yours.

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  5. It's perfect! Congratulations. Wish I had joined you!

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  6. Look at you go - great work.

    & yes the corner.

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  7. Excellent! You are now a crocheter! I love your story about learning to ride a bike.
    Lisa

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  8. Excellent linking of the stories - ha !

    ( sorry, shouldn't laugh.. )

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  9. Wowee, it looks fab!
    I had the same problem with finishing off...I somehow ended up in the wrong spot...I still have no clue..

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  10. It looks fantastic! Clever girl!

    I love the bike story. Wish I had thought to execute a starsky and hutch style roll when I stacked it a couplfe of weeks back - it certainly would have looked more graceful to the passing motorists.

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  11. Hey HB - what a fantastic granny square. Mission accomplished and in the four weeks you gave yourself - well done. Re my square (Amanda looks down and shuffles feet) hmmm not happening. I have to say I am a failure on completing the granny square in a month!

    What are you going to do with your new found skill - are we to see blankets rolling of the hook?

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  12. That looks fantastic!! I am so jealous of your crocheting skills. I really need to sit down and learn one day.

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  13. This is great. It took me awhile to get it but now I'm crocheting like there's no tomorrow!!

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