Learning a new skill: crochet
I love libraries. So many books, so many exciting stories, so much information - I could spend hours in a library, and often have. I also love sharing my appreciation of a library with others, In June I took my four year old niece to the library, to read stories, to look at books, and to borrow a few things for us to enjoy later. She picked a CD of nursery rhymes, a dvd she wanted to watch, and then as we were walking towards the borrowing station I spotted a book about crochet, a skill I had been meaning to learn for more than two years but that I hadn't gotten around to yet. So, I borrowed that book for me.
It is a wonderful beginner's book, going through terminology, things you may need to use, the basic stitches, how to read a pattern, with some simple patterns and then ideas for extending beyond simple things. Then it moves on through slightly more difficult skills, again with some patterns, and suggestions for extending beyond that stage. (To see more detail about the book, click here.)
So I sat down and read through the first section and started learning to crochet that weekend. At first I felt very awkward and uncoordinated! I doubt there are few things as humbling as spending nearly half an hour trying to do a slip knot! But with a lot of laughing at my own mistakes, and rejoicing at small successes, I quickly progressed in the course of the afternoon, through new magical skills: chain stitch, double crochet, and fastening off. I have kept some of my 'firsts' as a kind of record of the improvement I made.
All of my learning was done from written instructions, sample pictures, and trial and error. No one else in my home can crochet, and our internet actually went down for a few hours, which meant I couldn't refer to YouTube even if I had wanted to.
I worked my way through different types of stitches, building up to making a doll blanket for my two year old niece's birthday, appreciating the beauty and simplicity of making a rectangle! Since then I have expanded my skill set.
Above is the first item of clothing I finished, a small beanie, with some leftover yarn. Working in a circle was different! (I have since made a few more beanies to fit specific people.)
Then I moved on to a personal project: fingerless gloves. Back to rectangles! So much simpler... until it came to sewing the seam. A very snug fit at first, eventually stretching enough to be easier to put on. (I have also made a few more pairs of these for specific people, including a third glove for one niece when one was lost... only for the lost glove to be found almost immediately after the third glove had been completed!)
But eventually the book had to go back to the library. I debated for ages over whether or not to buy a beginner's book. In the end I did, but mainly because I wanted the little stitch count markers that came with it (five new crochet hooks and a few other bits that came with it didn't hurt either). And then came the next dilemma: I learned with Australian terminology (which matches UK usage), and the little book I had bought was from the USA... Another reminder of how language usage can vary from context to context, even with people who have the same first language.
I have yet to attempt the project I have had in mind since before I started learning to crochet, but I have had a few attempts at adapting patterns and making things up as I go. My Mum has quite the toy collection for when the grandchildren come over. One baby doll has lost all her clothes.
So I made her a new set. An eclectic mix of items and colours, but the baby is now (sometimes) clothed in her pink skirt, tri-coloured poncho, and orange beanie. She seems happy about it!
It is a wonderful beginner's book, going through terminology, things you may need to use, the basic stitches, how to read a pattern, with some simple patterns and then ideas for extending beyond simple things. Then it moves on through slightly more difficult skills, again with some patterns, and suggestions for extending beyond that stage. (To see more detail about the book, click here.)
So I sat down and read through the first section and started learning to crochet that weekend. At first I felt very awkward and uncoordinated! I doubt there are few things as humbling as spending nearly half an hour trying to do a slip knot! But with a lot of laughing at my own mistakes, and rejoicing at small successes, I quickly progressed in the course of the afternoon, through new magical skills: chain stitch, double crochet, and fastening off. I have kept some of my 'firsts' as a kind of record of the improvement I made.
All of my learning was done from written instructions, sample pictures, and trial and error. No one else in my home can crochet, and our internet actually went down for a few hours, which meant I couldn't refer to YouTube even if I had wanted to.
I worked my way through different types of stitches, building up to making a doll blanket for my two year old niece's birthday, appreciating the beauty and simplicity of making a rectangle! Since then I have expanded my skill set.
Above is the first item of clothing I finished, a small beanie, with some leftover yarn. Working in a circle was different! (I have since made a few more beanies to fit specific people.)
Then I moved on to a personal project: fingerless gloves. Back to rectangles! So much simpler... until it came to sewing the seam. A very snug fit at first, eventually stretching enough to be easier to put on. (I have also made a few more pairs of these for specific people, including a third glove for one niece when one was lost... only for the lost glove to be found almost immediately after the third glove had been completed!)
But eventually the book had to go back to the library. I debated for ages over whether or not to buy a beginner's book. In the end I did, but mainly because I wanted the little stitch count markers that came with it (five new crochet hooks and a few other bits that came with it didn't hurt either). And then came the next dilemma: I learned with Australian terminology (which matches UK usage), and the little book I had bought was from the USA... Another reminder of how language usage can vary from context to context, even with people who have the same first language.
I have yet to attempt the project I have had in mind since before I started learning to crochet, but I have had a few attempts at adapting patterns and making things up as I go. My Mum has quite the toy collection for when the grandchildren come over. One baby doll has lost all her clothes.
So I made her a new set. An eclectic mix of items and colours, but the baby is now (sometimes) clothed in her pink skirt, tri-coloured poncho, and orange beanie. She seems happy about it!
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