By Tawni Rogers
Oh man, my first year crocheting was probably the biggest learning curve I'd ever had, period. Once I got the basics down, like chains and single crochet, I might have gotten a little cocky and thought that I could wing it from there.
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When I make my animals, a lot of it is just single crochet in rounds, so you get pretty used to it. But first I was pulling my stitches far too tight, and then I was getting sloppy with the details. I wouldn't leave my ends in nicely; I didn't take my time to make cute noses or make sure the eyes were put in place. So once my project was done, although I made it, I was pretty disappointed in it because it didn't look polished.
The very first thing I tried to make was a very familiar character from Star Wars, wink wink. I made him in such a rush that he ended up looking very sloppy in the end, and I still laugh about it today. My Etsy shop is called Ugly Elf Creations, after this fine gentleman.
Ten Beanies Later I Still Avoid Making Them
I think beanies are among the first things everyone makes when they start learning to crochet. Again, because I'd gotten a little cocky, I didn't think I needed to look at sizing charts or yarn size or hook size and just wing it. I probably tried to make at least 10 beanies, and they all turned out to either be way too big or way too small. Because of this, I got discouraged and still don't make many beanies today.
The problem was that I wasn't paying attention to the yarn size the pattern called for and was instead making it with whatever yarn I liked. I quickly learned that you have to pay attention to the small details in the pattern for it to turn out right.
The Scarf That Grew Ten Inches Too Long
Absolutely made this mistake when I first started making scarves. Now, scarves can be pretty simple, where you go back and forth or work in rounds to finish the scarf.
Again, I made the mistake of ignoring the pattern and buying whatever yarn I thought was prettiest, which turned out to be a very big, chunky yarn. Needless to say, when I finished the scarf, it ended up about 10 inches longer than I anticipated because I had used a huge amount of yarn.
At this point, I didn't start again; I just called it a wash and learned my lesson.
The Penguin Pattern That Was Secretly Russian
Very early on, I discovered that crochet terms are not universal. Did you know this about crochet? No one taught me this as I was trying to learn, but there are different crochet terms for UK abbreviations, for the United States, and sometimes for Russia. So you really have to pay attention to what terms the pattern is written in and how to make those adjustments if you need to.
Early on, I had bought a simple pattern to make a cute penguin or something; I can't quite remember. And when I sat down to start making it, all of the stitches were very foreign to me. I couldn't believe it. As I got to digging into it, I realized I had accidentally bought a Russian crochet pattern, although the instructions were written in English. Now I know to look for US crochet terms when I'm shopping for patterns.
Why the Spike Stitch Still Scares Me
Frankly, the spike stitch still intimidates me to this day. It's a very odd stitch, as sometimes you are reaching down past the current row or around to the side past the current row. The results turn out very pretty, but it's very difficult for me to read the pattern and understand what they're wanting me to do.
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I don't do the stitch very often, and every time I do, I watch a YouTube video so I can remember what I'm going for.
Sometimes the project that you really want to do has something difficult in it, and you just have to push past it. The current blanket I'm making right now has some very pretty spike stitches that make it look like maple leaves. So I'm glad I got past that for now.
The Cardigan My Mom Wants Washing Instructions For
I'll be honest, I'm not brave enough to wash my projects quite yet. I know a lot of them are washable. I use washable yarn, and I tell people to put their projects in garment bags or wash them separately so they don't get snagged, but a lot of the stuff I currently make doesn't need to be washed.
However, I recently made a very pretty cardigan for my mom, and she's asked me for washing instructions. So stay tuned for the results of that, because I hope it doesn't fall apart.
Not Just a Grandma Hobby Anymore
I think early on I kept thinking that this was a hobby for older people; the comment I get all the time is that somebody's grandma crochets all the time. It didn't seem to be a hobby for many young people. That being said, I am finding more and more of them online.
I do think crochet has become quite a cathartic exercise for people my age, especially during the pandemic. We all picked up new crafts and new hobbies while we were stuck at home.
Slow Down and Buy the Cheap Yarn First
Month three, I would tell myself to take a breath and know that this was not going to be a hobby that was learned quickly. While you can learn the foundations of it- the stitch types, the yarn you like, the equipment you need- the more you do it, the more refined your projects look. I'm over 6 years into this hobby I do almost daily, and I can even see improvements in what I'm working on right this minute compared to something from 6 months ago.
I would remind myself to slow down, take my time with the details because that's what makes the projects look so fancy in the end, and give myself some grace to continue to learn.
I would also tell myself to slow down on the yarn purchasing- just kidding; we all can use more yarn. I think when you first get started, you should use some simple, cheap yarn you maybe don't love but can just practice with. And buy yourself a nice padded bulky hook. None of your practice and none of your first work will be very refined, so make it easy on yourself.
After that, it's all about nice hooks. I have to have a nice hook with a padded handle that's metal; I hate plastic hooks. Now I'm so particular about the brands of yarn I use, the shape of the hook, whether they're pointy or curved. I have a neck light so I can crochet on dark yarn, but on day one I did not know that all of these things would be needed as I proceeded with this all-consuming hobby.
I think if you're getting started, remembering to give yourself grace to learn, make mistakes, and try again is crucial to having the encouragement to continue.
