My granddaughter Lauren has just started to crochet. She's left handed but knits right handed. However when I started to teach to crochet her she couldn't use the hook in her right hand, she had to use her left hand. My problem was that although I can knit left handed, I just couldn't crochet with my left hand. So I just had to explain to her how the crochet hook worked and made new loops! She seemed to be able to use it in her own way.
We started off a few weeks ago with just a simple chain & then stitching it in rounds to make a coaster. Then she crochet a chain with two contrasting colours, her idea not mine! We weren't sure what to do with the long chain she made but I suggested she crocheted a chain from it. It turned out really nice & chunky & she used it for to tie her hair.
She wanted to progress so we moved on to double chain, I think that's single chain in USA. Her first attempt with about 20 double chains. It got narrower as she progressed as she was missing out a stitch on each row. It wasn't a problem. I made another matching piece & stitched them together, made a chain to tie it & she had a skirt for Barbie!
I made some crochet food last year which Lauren loved. So we looked at some foodie patterns on the Garnstudio site & she decided she wanted to make a carrot! It was a bit out of her league just yet with all the increasing so I made it for her. Then I made a clementine.
She's certainly got me interested in crocheting again. So much so that I've spent hours looking at some absolutely gorgeous stuff on people's blogs & not just crocheting!
I love Lucy's Blog Attic 24. She has such a great eye for colour & some really beautiful designs. She also gives us an insight into her home and her lifestyle.
Another blog I love is Bunny Mummy Jacquie. Like Lucy she gives us an insight to her daily life with gorgeous photos and colourful designs and tutorial. They are both wonderful at producing tutorials on how to make their designs. Brilliant!
Zjizjipke (I have no idea what this means) is a Dutch site with an English translation, lots of lovely crafty ideas & designs along with some lovely cat photos. This crochet blanket is absolutely beautiful & I would love to have a try at it. However think I'd pop my clogs long before it was finished. She has a tutorial for the squares on the site which I might have a go at to make cushions! I have to be realistic.
Another site I absolutely love is Jenny of elefantz. She has some gorgeous sewing ideas and lots of wonderful free crafty stuff. Her photos and tutorials are fabulous.
Then I went to the Garnstudio website. I buy lots of the DROPS wool at very reasonable prices. Their knitting patterns are wonderful designs but they are not well written if you're used to Patons & Sirdar style patterns. They have some beautiful crochet shawl & blanket patterns. Not sure how well the crochet ones are written as I've only made the food which was OK.
Here's my favourite blanket, Latte Macchiato!
It's not the gorgeous bright colours of some of the ones I've been looking at but I love the muted shades and the different designs of the squares. It could be easily adapted to brighter shades.
Lovely, You are so smart!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I have lost the ability to make granny squares. It would thrill me to make an afghan like the one shown above. You are a patient teacher and quite a yarn artist I am thinking.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure about that Patsy!
ReplyDeleteAnnie, I haven't made an afghan that large! I did make one for my granddaughter a few years ago in pastel shades which was nice. The idea was it would stay at our house for when she came to visit. It soon disappeared to her house!
ReplyDeleteI am wondering how old your grand daughter is Winifred? I tried last week to teach my 6 yr old granddaughter to crochet and realized what is so easy for me to do...seems very difficult to her. I need to find an easier way to show her how to do the chain and other simple stitches. I am still working on that, because she does want to learn. She has expressed an interest ever since she was about 3. She used to watch me do it and called it netting. I thought that was funny...because sometimes it does look like netting. I enjoyed reading your post!
ReplyDeleteOh... and I was going to tell you that I made a granny square afghan in the early 80's. I think it was mostly black. I like the light colors in the photo you have.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
ReplyDeleteI forgot to say I showed Lauren how to make chains on her finger first. I think that helped give her the idea of how it worked with the hook.
Your afghan would be very trendy in black & would go with most colour schemes.
Looks fun. I have never learned to crochet patterns but have made a number of blankets in basic stitch over the years. The fruit looks a good way to learn.
ReplyDelete