So many crafts, so little time...

I have done a few more crafts since my last post, but they are more of the same, so I thought I would lump them all together in the same post, just so I can have them out there.

First off, was the Zombie cross stitch I made for my hubby.  This was the first one where I actually made the pattern myself.  I did get some inspiration online, but the zombie was made from scratch.  I was really proud of how it turned out and my hubby has taken it to work and put it on his desk. 

The second cross stitch I made was for myself.  It has "Han shot First" with a picture of a blaster.  This one was another pattern that I had made, but took pretty much all of the inspiration from one I found online.  I still need to buy a frame for it since it will require a 4X5 frame and I didn't have one in my stash.

Last but not least is the dice bag that I am crocheting for my hubby.  It is not quite finished yet as I still need to make the drawstrings, and I am also going to add a felt Ork insignia on it.  I took my inspiration from this pattern, but didn't feel the need to make it so big.  I settled on 20 stitches to start and crocheted "in the round" so that the total circumference was 40 stitches around.  I did 20 rows before starting the eyelets and then did three more rows on top of that.  It holds all of my hubby's "Waggghhhh" dice perfectly!  In total it only took me a couple of hours to make over a couple of days.  I just had to remember to count my stitches after each row (just in case) and to mark down how many rows I have done (I am always forgetting).  Stitch markers help greatly, but I am unwilling to shell out the money for some, so I used a bobby pin instead.  Worked like a charm!

How I begun to learn to Crochet

A little while ago I decided I wanted to learn how to crochet.  My mom knew how, so I figured that was a good starting point.  Mom had already tried to teach me to knit back in the day, but I had no patience for it.  I thought that now I am a bit older, maybe I could try crocheting and stick with it.

We started out the lesson by learning how to cast on and make a single chain.  The yarn we were using wasn't ideal, but it was good for practising.  After a couple of attempts and a bit of swearing, I had gotten my chain done.  Hooray!  Then my mom dropped a bombshell.  Now I had to learn how to single crochet!  "What do you mean", I thought, "this chain wasn't it?  I hadn't even started?"  Impatience started to set in, but my determination won out.  I would learn. 

Mom showed me how and then how to turn my work and make a row.  Then she handed the reigns to me.  I struggled at first.  It didn't help that my nails were way too long and didn't give me the tension that I needed.  But I persevered and managed a crude couple of rows.  I was then sent on my way home to practice.

And practice I did.  I had two little balls of yarn and I crocheted until they were both gone.  Then I would take them all out and start again.

After I was feeling comfortable with the single crochet, I decided it was time I try to make something.  I had a ball of yarn from my wreath project and figured I may as well use it for this.  I settled on a simple dish rag.  Something that I can use and that won't make me tear out my hair in frustration.  I started off and worked away.  It was at this point that I realized why it is important to keep track of your rows.  I really had no idea how many I had done, and after all the issues I had trying to figure out how to count stitches, rows weren't any easier for me.

I looked at it and decided I had done enough...maybe.  I finished off the row and checked out what I had done.  For a first attempt I thought it wasn't too shabby.  Sure it wasn't exactly square and the rows were a bit wonky from different tensions, but I think I had the basic principles down.  Plus now I was able to look at it as a whole.  Learning a stitch is fine, but why the stitch is the way it is, and why it goes where it goes is way more important to me.  I need to wrap my head around it and look at the big picture, it is how I learn.  I had figured it out now and it made sense!

It was time for something else.  I decided this time on a pot holder.  Now I know it is basically a dishrag with a loop, but I wanted something that I could perfect my skills on and this was it.  I started out strong and kept my tension this time.  I also started counting rows!  I couldn't keep it all in my head as I was watching Top Gear (or my British granny time as I like to call it) while I was crocheting, so I ended up with the piece of paper and pen method.  Hey, it worked!

I came away with a perfect square!  Woot!  I am so proud of it!  Now all I need is a yarn needle so I can get rid of those icky tails.

All in all I am pretty happy with my progress.  I sat back and thought about it and realized that up until a couple of years ago, if I hadn't gotten it right away I would have given up.  I wouldn't have bothered with all the practicing.  Things usually come pretty easy to me, and in the past if they didn't I wouldn't even bother with them.  Why waste my time?  I didn't get crochet right away, but I am glad I have persevered.  I am enjoying it immensely and I can't wait to move on.  I feel that I have grown as a person in my patience and determination to see things through.  I like that!