Friday, April 25, 2008

Crafty


When my grandma was up visiting during Easter she showed me again how to crochet. My mom had been trying to teach me for quite some time.
I understood how to chain and doing a single crochet stitch made sense to me, sort of. I could never check my work because my brain wasn't comprehending what the stitch looked like. I could never count my stitches. Basically, crocheting never clicked.
In my defense I will say I think it's because I am left-handed and I was learning to crochet right-handed. This wouldn't really make a big deal ordinarily since I do many things right-handed, as most lefties can attest. This is a right-handed world and I'd say most left-handed folks are rather ambidextrous. For some reason, however, my brain just couldn't figure it all out. I was frustrated because I could see it wasn't all that difficult yet I was unable to "get it".
As I said, I asked Grandma to show me yet again. I thought maybe with the background I had with my mom and having Grandma show me again between the two of them it may click. It did! It may have had something to do with doing just a single crochet stitch in the past. The item Grandma was making required a double-crochet stitch. I'm sure my advanced brain waves just needed something more complex to focus on....hahhahahahah. Yeah, right.
At any rate I wanted to keep up the long awaited skill I'd finally figured out and try a new project. The other item I had trouble with regarding crocheting is the patterns. Oh my, it's a completely different language. The abbreviations and parentheses are sort of overwhelming. I was determined to get the whole kit-and-caboodle so I found a really neat beginners book at Wal-mart. The photo above shows an older version of the same booklet I purchased. There are very easy to figure out diagrams and directions for different stitches. The booklet features 63 different patterns that when put together make a nice-sized afghan.
What's nice about the book is that it starts with the easier patterns and works you through, building on the past stitches. It's great for a beginner like myself. I have just about completed 7 blocks that I just store in a Ziploc baggie. Once I complete all 63 pattern blocks I'll be able to assemble the blanket and have a nice remembrance of the teachings of my mom and grandma.
Each block is 7"x7" so there is enough time to really get a good handle on the new stitch, or pattern. If I'm not completely done-in with crocheting by the time I've finished I could make little pillows or even cute handbags using my favorite patterns from the book and assembling said item in it's required form.
I will show a photo when I get the afghan all finished. Don't hold your breath. This may take awhile. If I had the time I could certainly whip out at least a block a day. I don't have that kind of time to just sit and crochet, however. sigh.... Even at that rate the afghan would take a good couple of months. I'm hoping to have all the blocks done and assembled into a blanket by the winter. I'm hoping. In the meantime, I'll just putz around on the thing and feel relief that I could figure how to crochet.
Don't' even get me started on knitting. I asked my mom to show me how to do that once and I think all I did was sit there with my mouth hanging open saying, "Huh?". I'll stick to crocheting and tackle the whole knitting thing some other day.

4 comments:

Jessica said...

I'm a master crocheter. I make a mean V-shaped swatch of yarn. =)

Katie R. said...

lol - good for you Jess.

I still wished you were closer, it'd be nice to have you over for coffee and apple bread. :)

LadyD said...

Katie- You should go away on the Quilters retreat with all the FCC women! You could get a lot of squares done there and have time to catch up with your friends!
Just an idea.......
I can't knit either, Tia tried to show me and all I can do is make a pretty first row.

rt said...

You go, girl! I learned to crochet from my grandmother as a young girl. Got gung ho again in high school and made enough squares to make a 3D rose afghan. Finally put them together as a newly-wed (age 23) and the finished project was an odd size -- too big for a throw, too small for a bed. Bought some more yarn to crochet a border around the whole thing. Finished it nearly 10 years later. Never give up.