{"id":1529,"date":"2022-05-03T20:03:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T01:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/?p=1529"},"modified":"2022-05-03T19:40:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T00:40:50","slug":"my-reflections-on-crochet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/03\/my-reflections-on-crochet\/","title":{"rendered":"My reflections on crochet"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few things I\u2019ve learned about the craft<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As a more experienced crocheter, who loves yarn and the process of crocheting I\u2019ve realized what is for me and what I love about crocheting isn\u2019t what always draws others to the craft. There are always lists of what novice crocheters should know or tips to improve. Instead, I have a few reflections that go beyond how to hold your hook or how to monetize your hobby.<\/p>\n

\"\"1. Make what you want<\/span><\/strong>
\nThere are many tips and tricks that people will share on how to crochet faster or how to do myriad things in crochet but if you are passionate about crochet, what is really important is that you like doing what you want. That means if you want to pursue crochet as a business, as a side hustle or just as something you like to do to relax… make what you want. If you want to make six dozen lovies, or baby blankets to sell, cool. If you want to make hats go for it. If you want to solely work on one project or have six concurrent projects – that\u2019s your prerogative.<\/p>\n

2. Crochet with yarn you like<\/strong><\/span>
\nThough I have tried different yarns and will experiment with different ones, I am firmly in the worsted\/Aran weight camp. DK or Light worsted are ok, but for my regular comfort zone… give me a worsted. The range of worsted still seems to vary; they aren\u2019t all on the bulker side or on the thinner side so there are still quite a few to work with. As I\u2019ve mentioned before, there are more than enough yarns for people to love and use. Working with bulky too long, makes my hand cramp and I like to see more progress which I can\u2019t see after working with laceweight for a lengthy period of time.<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t be afraid to change the pattern<\/strong><\/span>
\nPatterns are like recipes – suggestions. There are times when I look at a pattern and think there\u2019s an easier way to make a section or make changes based on what I want to do. Patterns are great just as recipes are. Once you have made them then tweak them. Or if you know that you don\u2019t like a certain ingredient don\u2019t use it or select another. If you aren\u2019t a fan of eggs, then don\u2019t make a frittata and if you aren\u2019t a fan of puff stitches or cables, then choose another pattern. If you are being graded on what you are making or need to sell something that needs to look a certain way, then fine, otherwise feel free to express yourself.<\/p>\n

\"\"4. You don\u2019t have to use the recommended or suggested hook<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe biggest, most freeing thing that I have learned about crochet is that you don\u2019t have to use the recommended or suggested hook. There are certain manufacturers whose suggestions are useful, while others, I\u2019ll increase a hook size or two. Also, not all hooks are the same, a metal hook may glide over one yarn while a plastic or wooden one will slow you down. Use the right tools for the project. You only know what the right tool is, if you try a lot of yarns and use different hooks.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Crochet in public<\/span><\/strong>
\nCrochet in public. For a while I didn\u2019t crochet in public because I didn\u2019t want people to ask me about my project. Though, I would crochet at lectures or talks at the public library. Just sitting and listening, makes me fidgety. I would take pages of notes that I wouldn\u2019t necessarily want to keep just to keep busy and stay focused. Taking notes on the salient points is still useful but for something where I may zone out, crocheting a pattern that I know well, helps me stay focused. Also, when I have to wait, having a project allows me to be engaged with my surroundings and not as closed off as I would be if I were just reading a book.<\/p>\n

There still more to learn and about the art of crochet. It\u2019s fun, a pastime and a way to make things that I can share with others. I don\u2019t want to sell things, that\u2019s added pressure to make a deadline. Even though I set goals and break those down into mini goals for myself, that\u2019s it a goal I have set for myself. If I don\u2019t make my goal, I haven\u2019t disappointed anyone. It\u2019s enjoyable sitting down with a hook and yarn while rooting for my favorite team on tv or a streaming a movie or show and finishing a few rows or a hat. No pressure and no stress, just relaxation and a way to share something with others.<\/p>\n

Happy crocheting!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few things I\u2019ve learned about the craft As a more experienced crocheter, who loves yarn and the process of crocheting I\u2019ve realized what is for me and what I love about crocheting isn\u2019t what always draws others to the craft. There are always lists of what novice crocheters should know or tips to improve. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1529"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1537,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1529\/revisions\/1537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crochetmaven.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}