But, I needed to learn something new. Wendy, the Crafter's Apprentice, has issued a challenge that has its own button. Learn a new technique (LANT) encourages the expansion of brain cells while amazing and delighting ourselves.
For my LANT, I cued up this youtube video to make those cute little five petal flowers that seem to be blooming everywhere on the blogosphere. I am not kidding when I say that it took me back to the summer day when I was 10-years-old and trying to learn crochet from Aunt Rita. Her hands seemed to fly through the yarn. She claimed she was going slowly too. I tried all afternoon to progress beyond the nine foot chain I seemed to have created.
I greeted my Uncle Dave on his front porch steps, crying over my own grubby ball of yarn, hook dangling uselessly in my fingers. He told me that I would one day learn to crochet, but maybe that day wasn't the day.
I loved Uncle Dave. He was from Glasgow, Scotland. Almost no one could understand his accent, but he was the most patient man God ever made. His heart, while big, did not work well. He died from heart failure not long after our chat on the porch.
Yarn and I have never been lifelong friends. I am a thread and floss girl. However, the flower thing appealed to me, so yesterday was the day I would learn to crochet something. I found some bamboo yarn in the closet in various colours. Since it does not have the texture of yarn or wool, I decided I would give the flowers a go.
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| So sad! |
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| A bit better! |
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| Much better! |
The second was middling effort, but at least I was learning the pattern.
For the fourth one, I switched hooks and yarn yet again. I think the result is delightful.
Now, I will keep doing them until I am confident in the technique. They will likely start showing up on my work soon -- as long as I can make them better with each one I do.
Sure, I've had to ice my tennis elbow, but I learned a new thing! Can the installation of zippers in lined bags be far off?
The mind boggles...
WOooooooooooohoooooooooooo I'm glad you've mastered that technique! Only because I'm happy for you - not because I myself cannot master it, and certainly not because I LOVE CROCHETED FLOWERS and like to add them to many projects and most DEFINITELY not because I know you'll give me some!!
ReplyDeleteYou know I'll be happy to help you with zippers - I've done one or two or three hundred in my time :)
Well done Nancy! The flowers look great to me, you're being too critical of the earlier ones. A good tip for beginning with crochet is to use a handknit cotton, it doesn't split and it's not fluffy so it's really easy to see where you're putting your stitches. Looking forward to seeing fully lined zipper bags with crochet flowers on them... from you, not Sandra! (Though Sandra, I do love yours too)
ReplyDeleteIsn't youtube amazing. Whenever there's something I want to learn how to do or something I haven't done in a long time and want to refresh my memory, chances are youtube has a video about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it also always amazes me the different techniques people use. I watched that how-to about the flowers that you linked to and she holds her yarn completely differently than I do when crocheting.
You did great and way to go tackling a new craft.