People who crochet, please come hither

[gozf]

My friend said that she's teach me to crochet.  I would really like to try, but I am hopelessly un-crafty, and I am not especially dexterous or coordinated.  I'm pretty much all thumbs.  Or no thumbs.  Whichever would be more debilitating.

I took a knitting class once, and it was a mess.  My pot holder looked like a lop-sided cat toy.  That's what it became, actually.  The cats loved it.  It was unfit for anything else.

Anyway, my one friend, who is pretty crafty, has offered to teach me to crochet.  She says it's easy.  She says I don't have to count or be coordinated.  She says I can make myself fluffy scarves and warm blankets.

Is she lying, or no?  Can a dummy like me actually crochet something decent, after a little practice and work?  How hard is this to pick up?

[TrickyBob]

Crochet is pretty easy. Use safety pins as stitch markers and you no longer have to count. Plus it only involves one needle.

[lpcats]

In my opinion, crocheting is significantly easier than knitting and doesn't require near as much concentration.

[speckledfrog]

Crochet is ridiculously easy and you can even do it while you are watching TV. Win-win!

[wambam]

I am truly the least crafty person in the world* and I can do the basic stitches.

*A few weeks ago I was thrilled that my ribbon bookmark project turned out and I didn't lose a finger in the process: www.richardliantonio.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-pray-the-daily-office-from-the-book-of-common-prayer-part-7-making-it-easy-in-fact-brainless/

[game blouses]

It's easy once you get the hang of how to hold and move the hook. I learned through YouTube videos, which are nice because they zoom in on the stitch.

[gozf]

I would just like to one day make my own chevron-striped scarves. That's all. That's all I want in this world.

Ok, this is sounding promising. Eek. Now I'm scared. What if I really suck? I am consistently paralyzed by the possibility of my own failure!

[speckledfrog]

Oct 30, 2013 13:29:06 GMT -5 gozf said:

I would just like to one day make my own chevron-striped scarves. That's all. That's all I want in this world.

Ok, this is sounding promising. Eek. Now I'm scared. What if I really suck? I am consistently paralyzed by the possibility of my own failure!

Shove it in a drawer and tell no one.  See, nothing to lose!   

[gozf]

Oct 30, 2013 13:30:23 GMT -5 speckledfrog said:

Oct 30, 2013 13:29:06 GMT -5 gozf said:

I would just like to one day make my own chevron-striped scarves. That's all. That's all I want in this world.

Ok, this is sounding promising. Eek. Now I'm scared. What if I really suck? I am consistently paralyzed by the possibility of my own failure!

Shove it in a drawer and tell no one.  See, nothing to lose!   

But my friend will know.  She was with me for the knitting class.  She still teases me about it.

Maybe I need a different teacher.  She's impatient.  And she hit me once! 

[aprilsails]

It's definitely much easier to crochet than to knit. I learned when I was 4 so it's doable even if you're less than coordinated.

Start with washcloths or granny squares for a baby blanket. These are usually very simple and involve minimal counting.

[speckledfrog]

In that case one of us can send you a decoy and she'll never know.

[jax373]

Not lying....I can crochet, picked it up easily by myself but I cannot knit to save my life. Give it a shot, it's fun finishing a project.

[fuckyourcouch]

It's really easy. My grandma taught me when I was like...6?

[missbella]

I much prefer crochet over knitting. Have your friend show you, then get this book to practice with. It explains all the basics and shows each stitch step by step. It is really good. www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Knitting-Crocheting-maranGraphics-Development/dp/1592008623

[gozf]

Oct 30, 2013 13:32:24 GMT -5 @astrid said:

Hitting doesn't sound good.

lol

It wasn't.  She got jealous that I won something at the Harry Potter book release party that I went to with her, so she smacked me pretty hard in the head.  In Borders.  I was not happy, but she was really pregnant, and it was midnight, and so I figured she was exhausted and hormonal, and I let it slide.

Pre-hitting, I intended to give her the swag, because I knew she really cared about it much more than I did.  But then she hit me, so I kept it. 


Anyway.  I'm gonna learn to crochet!!!!!!

[gozf]

Oct 30, 2013 13:33:59 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

The stitchwork with chevrons is not hard. It's the tension that creates problems. I've been crocheting for years, and I still can't make a non-wiggly chevron blanket. I don't let that stop me, though.

I figure if it's, like, and infinity scarf, or something, a little wiggle won't matter! 

[gozf]

Oh. Perhaps I should have mentioned I'm a lefty. I've heard that makes a difference for knitting. Does it for crocheting?

[jane6672]

I taught myself how to crochet a chain stitch.


Then I gave up.

[shamalamadingdo]

Oct 30, 2013 13:25:23 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Crochet is pretty easy. Use safety pins as stitch markers and you no longer have to count. Plus it only involves one needle.

I have starred using bobby ions as markers and they are so much more convenient (to me) than opening and closing safety pins.

Gozf, have you seen my stuff on fb lately? I taught myself with a book and YouTube videos are So helpful!

Eta
Lol. Bobby pins. Not ions. If that wasn't obvious.

[gozf]

Oct 30, 2013 15:14:58 GMT -5 shamalamadingdo said:

Oct 30, 2013 13:25:23 GMT -5 TrickyBob said:

Crochet is pretty easy. Use safety pins as stitch markers and you no longer have to count. Plus it only involves one needle.

I have starred using bobby ions as markers and they are so much more convenient (to me) than opening and closing safety pins.

Gozf, have you seen my stuff on fb lately? I taught myself with a book and YouTube videos are So helpful!

Eta
Lol. Bobby pins. Not ions. If that wasn't obvious.

I'm running to stalk you right now!