What French lessons and crochet have in common in my house
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325758)
Rockingham, Australia
October 9, 2018 6:17pm CST
I have a hard time just sitting if I don’t have something to occupy my mind or my hands. While Vince is away I’ve been going through an online course ‘Learn French in 8 Days’. I did five years of French at high school which was a long time ago but have tried to stay in touch with the language from time to time since.
While we were travelling in France I managed reasonably well as if you tried to speak in French eventually the people would get sick of waiting for you and start speaking in English. But I’d forgotten the various tenses and lots of other bits and pieces. I’m doing it while Vince is away so I can listen to the accent and speak it with the presenter. But a lot of it is sort of revision and I get restless.
So … probably 30 years ago I bought this variegated wool which I thought was very pretty. I started something with it then unpicked it and started a jumper for myself. I’m making up my own pattern. I thought it was probably time I finished it so I hauled it out and am crocheting while I listen to the French lessons. It’s done all in one piece to the underarm then straight up to the neckline so it doesn’t require much attention. I'm using another jumper as a 'pattern' to help with sizing.
By the time I get through the French in 8 days (which will take me much longer) I’ll be just about finished the jumper. Some of us don’t like to waste time, do we?
13 people like this
14 responses
@oahuwriter (26780)
• United States
9 Oct 18
You're accomplishing a lot! Nice even stitches too, looks very nice. Wish you luck in your French lessons...know what you mean I took Spanish in high school and Japanese in college and not using both a lot most is in storage somewhere. I like to hand knit and crochet but these days riding the bus takes so much time when I finish with shopping it's time for dinner already.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26780)
• United States
11 Oct 18
@JudyEv
One can crochet on the bus as long as they take just one seat to do it. But I don't crochet on the bus. Once I was just reading on the bus, when I looked up I was way past my stop...had to hop off and wait to go back and I'll not do it again. The bus is faster than you think...but I've seen people crochet on the bus every once in a while, but not me...once missing my stop was enough.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
@oahuwriter Oh dear, I would probably do this too as I can really absorbed in what I'm doing. I can't read on a bus though or crochet much or I start to feel sick.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246841)
• United States
10 Oct 18
You certainly are talented! I can't crochet my way out of a paper bag. Lol! Before our first trip to France, I brushed up on my high school French by taking a course at our local university. Everyone in the class was 18 years old except for me and the professor.
. It did help tremendously!
. It did help tremendously!2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Oct 18
One of my Army buddies was fluent in French. Came quite in handy during the day we spent in Brussels on the way back from England.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Oct 18
I used to like using it when I could but sometimes they had a hard time understanding me. Then there would be that moment of enlightenment when their eyes would light up because they'd suddenly worked out what I was trying to say. That was always a good moment.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
@teamfreak16 In Czechoslovakia we camped with some Czech people who knew English and they were delighted to have us to practise on.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Oct 18
@JudyEv - I found when I was stationed in Germany that they appreciated it when you at least tried to speak German and would go out of their way to help you with it. The girls, of course, wanted to practice their English, so those conversations were almost entirely in English.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85305)
• Bangalore, India
10 Oct 18
I don't like wasting time. My hands need to be always busy. It is a good productive way you are utilizing your time. You surely are good and quick with crochet.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (85305)
• Bangalore, India
10 Oct 18
@JudyEv It is same with me. My husband calls me hyperactive.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (169966)
• United States
10 Oct 18
You are so industrious. I couldn't crochet to save my soul, but I took some French in HS and college, and I was watching a foreign film on Netflix once and I didn't understand a word! However, one time in Montreal we came upon someone who exclusively spoke French..it was hysterical because he knew about as much English as I know French. but somehow we communicated..where there is a will there is a way I guess!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169966)
• United States
11 Oct 18
@JudyEv I watch the Great British Baking show on Netflix.and most of the people I understand quite well but there are certain dialects..I find very difficult to understand so it doesn't even have to be a foreign tongue.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
It is surprising how much you can communicate even when neither of you know the other's language. Part of the trouble for me is that they speak so quickly so I'd always try to string my words together really fast but only about 3 at a time then I'd have to regroup while I worked out the next bit.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
@snowy22315 I know what you're saying. We watched a Scottish film once and found ourselves reading the subtitles.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
@LadyDuck The jeans I am wearing come off easily with undoing anything and they're getting looser. It is just as well there is no-one else here. Five minutes ago I went and found a belt to keep them up. I was getting rash between my knees!
1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
10 Oct 18
French was my best subject at school and I've managed to keep it up by travelling to France almost every year. I still get genders wrong, and French people really don't like that! You can tell they feel like they're listening to fingernails on a blackboard when you make a mistake like that .
Hey you know what else French and crochet have in common? Our word crochet comes from an old French word meaning 'hook' - cos you use one when crocheting (I think!)
.
Hey you know what else French and crochet have in common? Our word crochet comes from an old French word meaning 'hook' - cos you use one when crocheting (I think!)1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
@NormanDarlo Two sounds easier than three.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Oct 18
Yes, I do use a crochet hook. I've always loved French but there is very little chance to use it here. I have a French novel I'm going to start on one day German genders are worse as they have three - masculine, feminine and transgender. 
No, I'm joking - masculine, feminine and neutral.
No, I'm joking - masculine, feminine and neutral.1 person likes this
@NormanDarlo (1071)
• Ireland
11 Oct 18
@JudyEv Well Dutch really does have a transgender gender, though it's not called that! There are two genders, neutral and common, the latter being the result of a fusion of masc and fem a few centuries back 
1 person likes this
