May 31, 2013
Two months ago I confessed I joined a
knitting/crocheting group. This group was organized through my church, as the
orphanage in Moldova is partnered with the church. Our goal is to make 1000 scarves
by Christmas 2013. The leader of the orphanage is a big picture kid of guy and
so we continue to stitch away toward the goal. 
When I entered the group I knew how to make a
chain. That was about it. So naturally, my first scarf was the most basic scarf
you can get: single crochet in one color. My mind is not one that stays content
for long. I would be creating my own system of torture if I just continued to
make scarf after scarf in that same basic way. Through watching and listening
during our meeting times and gathering valuable tips from what I lovingly refer
to as Hook Up With Hilary (a.k.a.crocheting while skyping with my sister. I keep telling her is could be a PBS
program.), my education and skill level have improved. So much so that I have
started reading patterns.
For the longest time I avoided patterns because
I thought they were too hard and you had to count and keep track of where you
are. As I have begun to really enjoy the way crocheting frees my mind, I really
had no desire to have to pay close attention to what I was doing. Plus I would
see the pictures of the scarves and think there was no way I could do anything
like that.
Then it clicked. This is just like the Sound of
Music. Remember what Maria said:
“Now children, Do Re Mi Fa Sol and so on are
naturally the tunes we use to build a song. Once you have these notes in your
head you can sing a million different tune by mixing them up.”
Well, in crocheting, once you know the basic
stitches (single, half double, double, triple, and slip) you can make a million
different scarves (and beyond) by combining them in different ways. A pattern
is just like a sheet of music telling you what note goes where and in what
rhythm or mathematical frame work so that a linear design is produced.
Of course, patterns are too a progression. For
the more difficult ones you do have to pay closer attention and check to make
sure your count is right. When learning anything knew, it takes awhile to learn
the abbreviations and figure out what in the world sc in ch-1 means. A little
trial and error with a pinch of common sense mixed in with a helping of
perseverance usually conquers a problem. And if that doesn’t work, there is
always YouTube.
Now, I feel as if a whole new world of
possibilities has opened up making each scarf a stepping stone in my new found
crocheting education.
