New Obsession

I've been wanting to learn to crochet for a long time. I'm constantly finding the cutest little amigurumi animals and figures on Etsy, only to find out that it's a pattern for sale, not the actual item. So, if I can't buy the figures, I'm gonna have to learn to make them myself.

I mentioned that I wanted to learn to crochet, and my mom said she could teach me, but somehow, that didn't seem like such a good idea. I picked up a learn to crochet kit at Hobby Lobby and took it with me when Sally had to be in the hospital for jaundice. I learned a little, but when I got past single crochet, I felt like the instructions were a bit lacking. Stuff wasn't making sense, so I put it all away. It wasn't like I didn't want to learn anymore, it just wasn't coming all that easily, and quite frankly, I'm a little lazy.

Over my lunch hour yesterday, I happened to pass buy the local bead and yarn store and decided to stop in and see what kind of crochet books they had. The owner showed me two or three that she said were very good. When I asked which one would be most helpful for both learning and reading patterns, she recommended The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller.

Last night, while I was watching tv with Mr Kay, I broke out the yarn and hook and went to work. The instructions in this book are amazing! All the things that I just didn't "get" with the other book were fully explained in language I could understand. The diagrams made sense. It addressed common mistakes with phrases like "here" and "not here". It kind of feels like you're learning with an actual person sitting there teaching you. I am loving the way the hook and yarn feel in my hand, and it's so exciting to see the actual progress. And it actually looks good!

Today over my lunch hour, I learned the double crochet stitch. Tonight, I'm going to tackle the triple. I can hardly wait to get to the end of the book which is full of simply adorable patterns! There are at least two scarves, two sweaters, a couple hats, a bag and a blanket that I want to make. It should keep me busy all winter long!

Make sure you get the most recent edition of the book. Apparently, the original book had a number of errors in the patterns, but those have been corrected in the latest edition. (I nearly panicked when I started reading some of the reviews, but was relieved to find out about the corrections.)

I'm sure there will be future posts about my foray into this new hobby. Maybe I'll get brave enough to post a picture of my swatch!