Crochety with crochet?

I've never mastered the art of knitting...
I've love the look and concept of crochet but that also felt unconquerable.

 My dear late Nana tried many times to teach me but I just didn't get it. I'm left handed, she wasn't, and my hands and brain ( I'm slightly ambidextrous with things) just could not grasp it.


Actually, the last time I saw her and the last time she really had a conversation with me was after she'd had a stroke and lost her vision apart from the odd moment where she would have a pinhole tunnel of vision several metres away.

She said " are you crocheting!" as I sat on a couch across from her chair.
"Yes tho I'm still getting the hang of it and feel all fingers and thumbs " I replied.
"I'll say you look bloody awkward!" she said with a huge smile on her face and then she felt my squares and complimented that it felt good and to keep it up and was impressed by the fleece inner method. 

She passed away a few days later.


Now before my tears short out the keyboard......

so a year ago I mastered the art to crochet ( or so I think now I can turn out a granny square and that alone makes me feel happy)



 


My left handed crafty friend run a crochet club at a local primary school. Her 6 year old can finger knit and crochet already and smiled at me when doing this without looking at his hands when I went to craft nights at his Mum's house.

I taught him as a preschool educator  - so this led me to try- who can be outdone by a 6 year old!!!

I had to retrain my brain. so as I recuperated from some surgery  I sat and drove my husband mad replaying/rewinding snippets 'how to left hand crochet for beginners' You tube videos - but I mastered holding yarn, needle (somewhat awkwardly) and mastered the chain and a treble, but that damn starting ring!!!!

When it needed to be a square centre  - mine turned into circle, and then when I needed a circle it turned into some other shape that would unravel!



So Deryn shared how she gets her kids to start crochet and as long as they  learn a treble and a chain they can make a square which they share their first project of squares into a snuggle blanket for children taken into foster or emergency care.

Now if a 5-10 year old can master crochet using this method - so can a left handed clumsy 45 year old woman!

So forget those silly starting circles/squares. Also this method has a 3 chain in the corners which allows a bit of squidge room for the finished granny square and allows you to stretch blocks to fit when joining ( which I have yet to master!)

Excuse my explanations as a beginner crocheter! ...but this is the only way I conquered crochet so may help others, or if you are trying to teach a child/new person or a left hander who will be more annoying than a child trying to crochet using their feet!

STEP 1

Take a 2inch square of polar fleece (I've used a post it note for easier illustration)- exceptionally forgiving and sets the size! Such great colours and patterns!



STEP 2


Awl in 6 holes no less than 1/4 inch in around your square. If you do not have an awl snip tiny slit in these areas a n test using a crochet hook. I use a 4.25mm hook and 8 ply wool.


STEP 3


Now use any you tube video to learn how to start to attach wool to the square and do master a chain and a treble. I found this useful! HINT: use earplugs or risk driving those you love and live with mad as you rewind each step!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrGQYsQb_N4

Now if you follow my method (Deryn's) you can skip to 4:13 (time) in this video as you don't have  to make that silly middle circle/square and just learn how to make a

* Slip knot and join your wool into a hole and then chain 3. ( DO NOT do this into the corner as she does on the video but into a side hole as we just chain in the corner and we do a chain 3, not a chain 2 as she does.)
*  Chain stitch
* a Treble


STEP 4


Here is my hopeless rendition of a crochet illustration to explain what you do.

You will
  1. attach your wool using a slip knot and secure stitch, then chain 3 into a side hole. This will act as the first of a treble.
  2. You will do three in total trebles into each hole. Move along and treble into the next hole with NO CHAIN between.
  3. Only in each corner after a treble will you chain 3 before doing another treble (so each corner hole when you start will have a treble, then a chain 3 along and then another treble back into the hole.
  4. Follow this pattern then as you join in another outer row of crochet.






Somehow this method means I only have to master two stitches and their is wriggle room in my "blocks" when I go to join them with the corners of a chain 3 allowing a bit of stretch.
 
I love the old granny square or peggy square as they are also known. My great Aunty Peg (Nana's sister) gave me a blanket in sherbet pastels for my daughter when she was born - its was known as the Aunty peggy blanket.

I've seen baby showers where a good crocheter will help attendees crochet a peggy/granny square each and assemble it into a blanket for the mum to be.
Maybe my method could help anyone do just that (maybe finer wool yarn and hook - ask an expert!) no need to be crotchety about crochet anymore!!!

* note  fleece is not recommended baby blankets as it doesn't not breathe,  but a small square surrounded by open weave wool yarn, not acrylic yarn is fine

 
 

Comments