I know June is a random time to mention this, but trust me, I'm not going crazy (or crazier than usual).
Anyway, I don't usually do resolutions because I can't think of any that aren't standard (be healthier, work out more, stop eating crap) and then the next thing I know, it's February and it's too late to consider it a New Year's resolution anyway, so I don't bother.
But this year, with my 30th birthday looming, I decided I wanted to do something. Not make a resolution to not do something. I decided to take up a hobby. And I would give myself the whole year to figure it out.
Growing up, I watched my mom crochet on a regular basis. If a baby was being born, my mom was making a beautiful afghan. She made me a funky furry scarf that I love and even got involved in making matching scarves for her entire choral group. Evenings spent watching TV usually meant she also had hook in hand. I expressed interest after college and she gave me her old book (and by old, I mean from the early 70s) and showed me a few things. However, my lack of coordination was apparent and I gave up. Gave up, but never lost interest. That book, the ball of yarn and two hooks she gave me always had a place in my home for the last 6 years. Occasionally I would pick them up and then quickly put them down, knowing I couldn't figure it out.
So as part of the reinvention of me at age 30, I decided to give crochet a chance. In January, I bought two books (in addition to the classic from Mom), a skein of yarn, and a bunch of hooks. Diligently I read the first book, Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell, without picking up my other tools. I needed to understand what I was doing. The pictures in the book were great, the language was interpreted for me, and I really felt like I was getting a good foundation of understanding how to do this.
Turns out my reading comprehension skills are not what I thought they were. I was able to successfully make my foundation chain and slip stitches, but could not for the life of my figure out how to make my fingers interpret the words to make a single chain crochet. Dammit.
So I opened the other book, just a basic guide with step by step instructions and illustrations. Moving right along, I got confirmation that what I knew was correct. On to the single crochet--do X (see figure 1.) Ok, success. Do Y (see figure 2)--yup, makes sense. Do Z (see figure 3). Perfect, this is where I screw up! Wait. Where's figure 3? ARGH! Yes, the book referenced a figure they didn't print. The exact figure that would have shown me what I was doing wrong.
So I put my books, yarn, and hooks into a bag and left them by the couch. I needed to step away and couldn't devote myself to figuring it out anymore. I blamed my abandoning the craft on my busy work schedule, since I was working long hours between February and May, but I left the materials in plain sight to taunt me into giving it another try when I was ready.
In May, a big, brand new JoAnn Fabrics store opened at our local mall. I had gotten an email saying they were offering 50% off all their scheduled classes if you signed up during their grand opening celebration. A class is exactly what I needed to tackle this beast. I went in, found they were offering a class on Basic Crochet and then learned it was going to be at 6:00 pm on a Wednesday. A day I was scheduled to work until 6:00 pm and after my commute, probably wouldn't be home until 8:00 pm. I declined, and then hemmed and hawed about it. I actually walked out of the store. And then I thought, "No, this is something I want to do, and I'll just tell them I have to leave early that day." I would never leave early when I was scheduled late (and overtime was involved) but this was something I wanted for myself. So I turned around and signed up.
The class was perfect. It was the instructor and one other student, so I really got the attention I needed. Someone to physically show me what I was doing wrong and catch me when I did it. In that 2 hours, I learned a lot. We didn't actually make a project, but I had a big piece with all kinds of stitch patterns on it and felt confident I could go back and do a project from my books.
I started with a bag, the first project in the Chicks with Sticks book. I've almost got one panel done, and then I'll start the other panel and put them together. It's a very relaxing hobby and I've been working on it in front of the TV and in the car (for long road trips, like when we went to L's wedding). My goal is to get to the point where I don't need the whole book and can do projects on the train.
Knowing that we have more road trips coming up (we're going to Pittsburgh this weekend), I went to Michael's on Saturday and bought a bunch more yarn. Another project in the book was a curly scarf and I thought it would be the perfect quick project in the car.
Sunday night, we were watching TV and I wanted to play with my new yarn, so I started the scarf. Within an hour and a half, I had almost finished it. Last night, I put in the last 30 stitches, tied off the ends and voila! My first finished project.
Here's a little more of the detail:
Not my best photos--they're from my phone. The scarf is 38 inches long. Which is not as long as you think it is. I think I'll adjust the pattern and make it longer. I told D last night that we have to stop at Michael's and get more yarn tonight. I'm definitely making this project again!
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