At some point, I think every crocheter (especially beginners) have looked at a pattern and thought “That’s beautiful but it’s too hard for me. I don’t know how to make those stitches”. Sometimes that pattern gets saved for later or sometimes it gets brushed aside because it’s intimidating. Yes, there are definitely skill levels to patterns but that doesn’t meant you should pass one by simply because you aren’t there yet.
Think of a pattern that you have really wanted to try but for whatever reason, have always backed off from attempting. Maybe it’s the stitches…maybe it’s the size….maybe it’s the format. I want you to go find it and read through it. Pick out a few things that you don’t understand or aren’t sure of. If there’s a stitch that you don’t know, spend some time learning how to do it. If there’s some terms you don’t understand, grab a coffee and sit down to do some reading. The pattern that seemed so intimidating at the beginning will eventually start to make sense as your skills grow.
Want to try that gorgeous blanket pattern you’ve had your eye on? Work up a little square using the stitches involved to get used to doing them so that you can work through that project confidently. If you’re ready to dive into a larger project, don’t worry about rushing it. Give yourself lots of time and patience to get through it. One of the first blankets I made was a huge scrap blanket. It fits a queen size bed and is a complete explosion of colour because I was just focusing on learning straight edges and the basic stitches. Do you know how long it took me? Over one year to complete. I was not a fast crocheter when I was started and I made a ton of mistakes. I got really frustrated at times and would put my hook down for weeks because I felt that I was not good at this craft. But that blanket kept calling to me and I’d add another row…and another row…and another row. One year later, my edges started to even out. My stitches became more consistsent with tension and size. I now have a massive and colourufl blanket that shows my progress and new skills.
I also used a lot of different brands of yarn in that blanket so over that time, I learned about yarn. I discovered new brands, I learned about yarn weight and how the fibers worked up. It was a great learning opportunity and as I worked with new yarns to make this blanket, I would feel inspired to try a particular yarn with another project. Or if I found a line of yarn that I really liked the feel or colour of, I went and browsed patterns available for that certain brand. That of course led into learning new stitches so that I could try those patterns out. See the cycle? It’s constantly learning and developing skills, new ones or old ones!
I’m still learning a lot. There’s so much that I don’t know how to do or have even discovered. For example, you know that lovely cable effect that you can create with a crochet hook? I can’t figure that one out yet. I’ve tried so many tutorials but for whatever reason, I just haven’t found the right one that clicks with me. So I’ll spend some time searching for new “how to” videos and blogs and keep trying. But when I get frustrated, it’s great to keep that creativity flowing by taking a break and jumping into an old favourite pattern that you love. For me it’s, a simple granny square, a triangle scarf or little bits of crochet home decor.
So let’s chat: Tell me about your crochet journey and what you would like to learn (a stitch or pattern perhaps?). Tell me about something you have learned and feel particularly proud of. What’s your “go to” project when you need to get back to the basics? I’d love to hear it all!
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Happy Crocheting!