Well, that's not strictly true, a friend from the Guild showed me how to do the different stitches about 18+months ago, but after that I could get no further than crocheting straight lines and circles. This was fine if all I want to crochet is scarves and blankets but it wasn't the crochet I had wanted to try and achieve. I did however manage to teach myself to crochet left handed as it was much more comfortable for me, being left-handed.
I got frustrated at not being able to progress, fed up I put the hooks away for a while. A while turned into a lot longer, I tried again about a year ago and still it didn't work, I just didn't "get" it. Then about 4 weeks ago I got the hooks back out again, found my book to help me and decided it was time to try again. I grabbed some wool and a hook and went through the basic stitches again to check I could remember how to do them. Yes, fine. Tried to do a pattern of a simple granny square and nope, couldn't follow it. Here we go again I thought.
Anyway I met up with a friend from the Guild at the last meeting 2 weeks ago and we got onto talking about crochet (she's left-handed too) and she recommended a book which is the one I have and I pulled out of my bag. So we looked at what I was having trouble with and a chat and a bit of advice later and something just clicked. It was as if I could suddenly understand the language of crochet, like learning a new language.
a couple of squares, need to practice these more
and find more interesting patterns
Since then I have practiced, and doing easy flowers, hearts and motifs which are done quickly - many in less than 10 minutes so quick satisfaction. I can read patterns, I can even read charts (my friend can't follow charts) - and all left handed, so the patterns are reversed but I can "see" how it works. Here are a few samples, I've made quite a few more now but these are the ones I took a photo of.
enjoying the simple quick flowers
trying a few different ones
and a sunwheel, a bit more adventurous for me
(slight mistake made but hey)
and some sweet hearts
So I think there is a lesson to learn here, never give up. If something doesn't work once, twice or however many times, keep trying and you will succeed. And I can hear you saying "but" and "I can't", etc. I was beginning to think I couldn't learn to crochet but I did and now I can. I have bookmarked and copied free patterns for a while hoping to one day be able to crochet, now I have lots of things to practice on.
That is fantastic, well done! Love the flowers, is that the tutorial off Attik 24's blog?
ReplyDeleteHi, thank you. I think the heart was from attic24, can't remember if maybe one of the flowers was too, have been looking at a few now and now doing patterns from a few books I have.
ReplyDeleteWell done! Twenty years it took me lol, but now I love it. So easy once it clicks isn't it?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you come up with once you have finished "practising" ;-)
xx
I WILL do this. i am inspired - again - by you, Dawn. I too have struggled with the left handed thing, but i will conquer it. I would like to be able to crochet in the car (when j is driving of course)
ReplyDeletexx
Dawn
ReplyDeleteI have the same relationship with crochet. Still owrking on it though. Love that sun shape. Hooray that crochet has clicked!!
Yay...looking fab. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's reading blogs like yours Shell and Becks that inspired me to keep trying.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it Jacqui, even lefthanded like me, I believe in you! Funny it's something I think I could do whilst in the car too. I'm sure you will too Kelly, one day it will just click.
Yah, I love crochet. Your flowers etc look very neat indeed :-)
ReplyDeleteand just a tip, if a right hander shows you any stitches, watch them facing them, that way you're seeing it done in "mirror" which might make it easier for you to see what they are doing.
Thank you Joxy x
ReplyDeleteI tried that with sitting opposite a RH crocheter, and learned the various stitches, but it didn't help trying to learn to do a granny square or follow a pattern. A block for me was where to poke the hook through! (for want of a better explanation).
I guess I just needed to wait until my brain understood what I was looking at in a book, it's clear as anything now and I can just look at it and know how to follow it, and adjusting to LH just comes naturally.
Aaw thanks Dawn.
ReplyDeleteI'm a leftie too and I think that was part of why it took so long. And I'm very logically minded and needed to know HOW it worked before trusting it would, hence similar difficulties with working out exactlt where to stick the hook!