Learning to crochet without hands on instruction.... Thoughts from an insomniac crafter

craftJust before the lockdown I had one in-person lesson on crochet. It was something that I'd toyed with the idea of learning but never really took the time try. My teacher was wonderful and I mastered the single crochet stitch by making a washcloth. It was great and I looked forward to learning more .... But the pandemic decided that was not going to be as easy I'd hoped.

Taking what I'd learned, reading a beginners' book and watching several YouTube videos, I managed to teach myself how to increase and decrease and follow most of a pattern. Over a few short weeks I had a blanket made using a chevron pattern in single crochet.

I was and still am quite proud of it. My only discontent is the edges. I did not at the time understand how to turn a row properly. To be honest the concept still trips me up and I have yet to learn how to read the patterns properly to avoid these problems.

Anyhoo, like most things I try to learn, I'm not content to just do the same thing again, so I tried to learn double crochet and how apply it to patterns. Well that didn't go as smoothly as I'd liked. Frustration ensued for awhile and I found myself at war with the hook.

Then Square Lemon to the rescue! Through our weekly Zoom Craft and Chat, I met a new friend and was extremely grateful to learn of her online crochet classes, from Texas! Turned out the first class I took was on double crochet. It was meant to be. She too is a wonderful teacher and she had me very comfortable with double crochet within the hour. So much so that after the class I found another chevron pattern online using double crochet and started that. Again, it's a blanket but this time for a baby. I used up all my softest yarns on it and had to wait for a new shipment to finish it but hopefully I can finish it soon.

To keep me in practice, I found inspiration in a wonderful woman, my grandmother-in-law, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago. She was quite ill and in a nursing home. Her family offered me her knitting and crochet supplies because of my interest in the craft and of course because Square Lemon had lessons (and will again in the future!). I was honoured. I really admire the type of woman she was and her attention to detail in both knitting and crochet is inspiring. The last project she had started was for her daughter and it was knitted. I'm hoping she won't mind my using the yarn for a sightly different project in crochet. It will definitely have the same recipient. Here's hoping I'm able to ask my new online teacher for help along way so I can get this project done too!

One of the added benefits to continuing this type of craft is it's helping my hands. I swear crochet and playing the piano are the only things keeping my hands from stiffening up into useless claws. And thanks to that I'm able to still paint! It's like the circle of art.

And with that I should probably get some sleep. Crochet on the brain has kept me awake long enough. Good night!

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