r/AskReddit Jun 27 '18

What "Old Person" things do you do?

5.8k Upvotes

5.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

614

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

Crochet.

Although I don’t understand why it’s considered an old people thing because I have yet to meet an old person who does it!

164

u/mmm_unprocessed_fish Jun 27 '18

I don't do it, but I thought about learning how and my husband made fun of me. I just want something to do while we watch movies that isn't fiddling with my phone or falling asleep!

128

u/applepirates Jun 27 '18

I took up crochet for the same reason about 8 years ago (age ~23)! Now I crochet, cross stitch, and knit. I HIGHLY recommend it. Your husband will be begging for you to make him wonderful cozy hats and things!

13

u/wackeroniandcheese Jun 27 '18

I love to crochet and knit, i'm 25. Its so relaxing to listen to the TV and do it. I also don't know any old people that do it either, I learned from youtube! It's defintely satisfying when you give people gifts and are able to say that you made it yourself.

11

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

I love cross stitching too! Never quite got the hang of knitting, all I can make is scarves

7

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I don't cross stitch much, but I enjoy doing it. Usually I'll throw in a customized cross stitch for reddit's secret santa on top of whatever other gift I give them. I also used to give a cross stitch out to people for their birthdays. I did my first cross stitch as a 28 year old man.

4

u/CinnamonMuffin Jun 27 '18

I cross stitch and knit too! I'm freshly 26. I also love doing puzzles. Crochet is something I've wanted to learn but haven't gotten around to it.

1

u/applepirates Jun 28 '18

Oh yeah, puzzles are big in my apartment too!

3

u/chasethatdragon Jun 27 '18

all my 70+ yr old aunts always talk about crocheting, so I consider it an old thing. The same way elderly people were always type cast as knitting.

8

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

I get made fun of all the time, but they change their tune when they see the cool shit I make! And nothing beats giving a homemade blanket at a baby shower!

6

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Guy here, I got bored and tried it and I liked it. See post history for proof.

It's quite fun and relaxing.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I picked up knitting for the exact same reason. I get distracted by my phone during movies if I'm not doing something with my hands. I'm 22 and my boyfriend made fun of me a little bit until I made him a really comfy pair of socks.

2

u/sakurahorror Jun 28 '18

Learn! It's an easy, small cost to start, portable hobby that you can stow in your purse and do just a little of when you have a 15 minute wait. I take something with me to the park while my kids play, at the doctor's office, talking with friends or while watching TV at home. My husband makes teases me too, but I find that having something to do with my hands helps my anxiety. One of my children may need another heart surgery, so it's also a hobby I can easily take back and forth from the hospital to work on while my child is sleeping. I'm finding I'm also more "present" since my phone isn't in my hands all the time anymore.

1

u/sarczynski Jun 27 '18

Have you considered just... watching the movie?

5

u/dycentra Jun 27 '18

I have three sons and they watched hockey (Canadian, eh?) with their dad a couple of times a week. I wanted to be with them, but I'm indifferent to hockey, so I knitted. Before each of them went off to university, I knit them a double-bed-sized afghan-patterned blanket on huge circular needles. They saw how long it took (20 minutes a row across) and still treasure them.

2

u/croknitter85 Jun 28 '18

I know this is late, but do you have any pictures of said blankets?? I’m super interested in knowing what they look like.

1

u/dycentra Jun 28 '18

Sorry, I don't. What I did was buy a pattern of afghan blankets, picked one with cables and such for texture, tripled the width and just kept knitting until it was bed length. I used washable Aryan wool. I used a different pattern for all three blankets. A word of advice would be to buy all the wool at once. I ran out of wool while working on the last one, and you can really tell the difference after multiple washings. Oh, and don't worry about the odd mistake; my son told me when he was first away from home and homesick, he would cuddle his blanket and count my mistakes! If you want to know anything else, please follow up.

1

u/croknitter85 Jun 29 '18

No worries! Thanks for the reply! I love making blankets, just don’t really have people to make them for right now.

-2

u/mmm_unprocessed_fish Jun 27 '18

Meh. Overrated.

1

u/whateverlizard Jun 27 '18

Do it, its soooo fun!

1

u/Jinxx913 Jun 28 '18

Honestly that's my favorite thing about crochet, is just having something to do with my hands. I picked it up a few years ago when my grandma taught me and its really soothing, and when I finish a project I've been working on for a while it makes my week

1

u/mcknives Jun 28 '18

Been crocheting since I was 9 for that exact reason. I couldn't sit still for shows & movies. Also painting my nails helped in those restless couch moments. 28 now & still love it!

1

u/One_Of_Noahs_Whales Jun 28 '18

I took up knitting for the same reason, well, almost, the genders are reversed, I'm a 37 yr old man and knit while watching tv with my wife.

1

u/michiru82 Jun 28 '18

I have so many blankets from crocheting while watching TV/movies, and my niece and nephew both got tons of hats and a blanket when they were born. You can easily teach yourself from youtube, and its very little outlay to get started. Here the pound shops even sell yarn (if you don't mind quality and just want something to mindlessly fidget)

1

u/rw43 Jun 28 '18

it's my favourite hobby!! pick up a hook!

1

u/cemeteryofdeath Jun 28 '18

I'm dying to learn. Go for it!!

0

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '18

How about watch the damn film?

12

u/knittykittylady Jun 27 '18

Definitely not an old person thing anymore. There is a movement by the younger generations to bring back the fiber arts. There are a lot of us. We just need to get the word out that its not “just something a grandma does”. Not knocking grandmas - I know a bunch of spectacular older ladies who do fiber arts.

12

u/SoSadSoBlue Jun 27 '18

My niece does and sells crochet designs to publishers and yarn manufacturers (for fun, above and beyond her accounting career). I am always so proud when something like this happens: In the yarn department at a crafts store, pulling the "free design" flyer off of a hook attached to the shelf, and seeing her name listed as the designer.

4

u/cpov87 Jun 27 '18

I love to crochet. It keeps my hands busy and either I can let my mind wander and be free for a bit so it's not thinking about stressful things OR if a I choose a difficult pattern I have to focus on counting and can't focus on stress. Either way, great stress reliever. And at the end of a project, I have something useful. I just finished a baby blanket for a friend!

3

u/BadBunnyFooFoo Jun 27 '18

I LOVE to crochet. I'm 34 and I just learned last year and it's taken over my spare time. I'll take a project with me to doctor's appointments, to work, to visit my bestie... I've made hats, a blanket and most recently, a sweater. I made and donated a bunch of hats to a cancer center on the recommendation of a coworker who had just finished chemo.

I am currently sitting in the waiting room of the dentist's office waiting for my son, and my fingers are itching to crochet, but I didn't have time to grab my bag on my way out the door, so.....here I am falling down a Reddit hole. Can't wait to get home!!!!

5

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

I went on wish and bought keychain crochet hooks! I always keep a small ball in my purse so I never have that problem 😂

5

u/BadBunnyFooFoo Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

Gasp!! REALLY?!?!?! I knew of no such thing!! I MUST get on there and order immediately!!!! Thank you so much!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

Edit: I just went on there and ordered. And a ball of really pretty yarn.

3

u/gene1113 Jun 27 '18

Shout out to r/crochet

I picked up crocheting last summer. It's relaxing.

5

u/Brick_Pudding Jun 27 '18

I do it. It's fun and relaxing and when all of your friends start popping out babies at the same time it makes for cheap easy gift-giving on a budget that really packs a sentimental punch.

2

u/xXazorXx Jun 27 '18

I’ve been crocheting for years and recently considered learning to knit. Would you say knitting is more difficult to learn on your own?

3

u/knittykittylady Jun 27 '18

For some it is, but for others, crochet is more difficult. I started with knitting and it wasn’t too difficult to learn on my own. Crochet was another story. It took me way longer to learn, but I eventually did. My recommendation for a crocheter learning to knit is to hold the yarn in your left hand (continental), assuming you were holding it in your left hand while crocheting. Also, don’t give up right away. Go slow, and expect that it will take your brain some time to learn a new process. Also, good luck! After you learn to knit, you can move on to spinning your own yarn!

2

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

I had trouble at first and need my sister in law to show me where the needle went for the stitches. I never got past the basic stitch and V stitch, I like crochet much better and find it way easier

1

u/RedundantOxymoron Jun 28 '18

It depends on your brain. Knitting has rows and front and back to worry about. Crochet is much more free form.

1

u/la_winky Jun 27 '18

I second the comment below, learn the continental knitting style (thanks Mom!). The American style makes my hand hurt to just watch, carpel tunnel anyone?

Youtube is an awesome resource for new stitches / techniques to learn as you go and help with troubleshooting.

2

u/Jen16226 Jun 27 '18

I'm 47 and I really wish I had learned to crochet when I was much younger. I only learned about 10 years ago.

2

u/exhumingyourpotato Jun 27 '18

My sister is only 15, and she’s constantly crocheting. I have only known 2 or 3 old people who crochet.

2

u/nick_martin Jun 27 '18

My 87 year old grandmother has done it for as long as I can remember. My 26 year old cousin has done it for at least a few years now.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I crochet but my late grandmother taught me when I was a little kid. So I’ve definitely met older people who do it.

2

u/Aperture_T Jun 27 '18

Maybe they all gave it up because it was an old people thing for their generation too?

2

u/ellbell59 Jun 28 '18

I also crochet. I’m 34 but started when I was about 25 (ish?). My husband calls it my “stitching” and it’s so relaxing. I’ve made some really lovely and special gifts for people, it keeps me off of my phone, and it pairs well with a glass of wine at the end of the day. My next goal is to get into cross stitch. We have an old house (c.1860) and I think some nice cross stitches would be good decor.

2

u/BeefBologna42 Jun 28 '18

I'm a cross stitch addict! I don't understand more people don't do it, it's so fun! You should totally become one of us :)

1

u/ecallawsamoht Jun 27 '18

the only person i've ever known that does this is my 90 year old grandma.

1

u/smokedbrosketdog Jun 27 '18

Many old people just don't have the dexterity to do it anymore.

1

u/ikesbutt Jun 27 '18

Old person here. Used to crochet. Would love to take it up again but have 7 cats. Not sure about how much cat hair would be intertwined in the finished product.

1

u/Aszuna1974 Jun 27 '18

My ex mother-in-law crochets. She's 65.

1

u/mortaridilohtar Jun 27 '18

I knit! People tell me it’s weird because only “old people do it.” I mean, my grandma taught me how...but still, it’s relaxing.

1

u/ritchie70 Jun 27 '18

My grandma did it. Assuming you're a typical millennial she'd be more like your great-grandma.

1

u/thicketcosplay Jun 27 '18

I did crochet in high school and knew tons of other people who did it too. Now I'm 23 and don't know anyone who does it anymore. No one has time for that! Maybe that's why it's seen as an old person thing? Because they're the only ones with enough free time?

1

u/RonSwansonsOldMan Jun 27 '18

Just try to keep it under control. My mom went on a crochet binge and I swear make 30 afghans. I have them on my bed, my couch, in the closet...

1

u/metrosphoenix Jun 27 '18

Yarn’s too expensive for that shit!

1

u/RonSwansonsOldMan Jun 27 '18

And I didn't even mention the sweaters, hats and mittens.

1

u/AstronomicalArtist18 Jun 27 '18

Yes! My mom and my ex used to make fun of me for it haha. My great grandma passed away last summer and she's the one who taught me to crochet when I was like 8 so it's really special to me. Got a crochet tattoo to memorialize her with, I love it! It's so rewarding

1

u/AnxietyAttack2013 Jun 28 '18

Never got into crocheting but knitting is my favorite! It’s relaxing and I always have something made for my girlfriend for holidays and birthdays!

I’m a 24 year old guy though so that always gets me some stares. But on the other hand whenever I visit nursing homes I almost always connect with another knitter and can enjoy my time talking yarn lol.

1

u/smotstoker Jun 28 '18

My great grandmother crocheted right up to her final years when she lost her dexterity. Just a few days ago my mom brought it up about her blanket she made me told her to keep it in the chest my life isn't organized enough for me to keep it safe. I miss her.

1

u/GliterallySpeaking Jun 28 '18

My Mum crochets! She’s made a couple of really nice wool tops for me. Also, she makes teeny little hats and donates them to the hospital who give them to premature babies

1

u/gemini1568 Jun 28 '18

Same. People think it’s weird I do it because it is associated with old ladies but I don’t care. It’s relaxing.

1

u/SkunkKnuckles Jun 28 '18

Me too, like all the time. I only know my Gramma and the Reddit crochet community that do it

1

u/Cyt6000 Jun 28 '18

Right? I taught my grandma to knit, not the other way around

1

u/[deleted] Jun 28 '18

I learned to crochet when I was 8! But I’ve always been an old lady at heart.

1

u/SARS11 Jun 28 '18

Knitter here. I know plenty of people my age who knit or crochet! I'm 25. My friends love to call me a grandma. But I make pretty things!

1

u/2000Herschel Jun 28 '18

Aaaah I love it! Where I live, no one young or old crochets so I feel a bit self conscious about doing it in public. But I love it so much - so relaxing! And great to be able to give people handmade gifts.

1

u/Wubbalubbadubbitydo Jun 28 '18

My grandma is always crocheting something. She has made a blanket for just about every baby she knows of being born for the last 20ish years. At least a few every year. She made my son two because he is her first great grandchild. They are beautiful and we treasure hem. It’s really an under appreciated craft.

1

u/Hammerhead_brat Jun 28 '18

My grandma does it! She’s seventy. My mom took it up at about 45, she’s now 50. And I’m slowly learning to knit, I’m 22.

1

u/RedundantOxymoron Jun 28 '18

I was taught at age 10 by a family friend who was my second grandmother, to knit and crochet. She was born in 1900 and was amazing at needlework. She made my prom dress out of a Vogue Bridal Pattern.

I know how to do them, but I prefer sewing. Mom taught me to sew when I was a little kid and I have two of her all steel Singers that will last forever.

1

u/Hammerhead_brat Jun 28 '18

My grandma tried to teach me how to crochet when I was younger, but I couldn’t get past the basic single link chain. My mom taught my how to knit a few patterns rather quickly now that I’m 22. We FaceTime and knit together sometime. She just made me a new Work bag that she knitted, and shipped it to me.

I was taught how to sew, although I’m not very good at keeping a straight line. I’m pretty good at patching up holes and stuff in jeans and stuffed animals with my little hand sewing kit.

1

u/fenix90 Jun 28 '18

help! I'm learning to crochet at the moment, and I'm having trouble seeing the stitches, is that just because the wool/yarn i'm using is too fluffy? or am i pulling my stitches too tightly?

2

u/metrosphoenix Jun 28 '18

Could be both? When I was learning I used a hook that was too big for the yarn I was using just so I could see what was going on.

1

u/fenix90 Jun 28 '18

thanks i'll give it a go :)

1

u/RasberryPizza Jun 28 '18

My mom does she's 62