How I Started Crocheting

It is important to get the whole story when getting to know a person. Most likely if you are reading this you have seen my Instagram which is full of pictures of my recent work. But I didn’t start by making my own patterns, or even making dolls for that matter. So let me start at the beginning.

When I graduated college and moved out on my own, I realized I had all this free time and all this stress. I was working three part time jobs, all involving customer service and none having to do with what I had spent 4 years studying in school. I was lost. I needed something to do with myself, besides binge watching Gilmore Girls and obsessively reading Throne of Glass and the Lunar Chronicles. I tried to spend free time with my boyfriend and friends, but my schedule was so wonky with retail work that I found myself having more time in the middle of the day when normal people are at work or school instead of nights and weekends. I was lonely and had idle hands.

One weekend my boyfriend (now husband) and I were able to get away for a day and spend some time with family. On the way home from visiting my folks we stopped by to see some of his family and I couldn’t help but notice the giant blanket in a pile on the couch. His sister in law then began to tell me about her crochet hobby! She talked about how relaxing it was and that she could still watch Jeopardy and talk to her husband while doing it. It was the perfect multitasking hobby. Plus for us cold bodies, a few extra blankets around the house can never hurt. This hobby sounded precisely like what I needed! She inspired me to try. And besides I had done some knitting when I was little so how hard could crochet be? I mean there is only 1 hook.

About a week later I came home from Michael’s with somewhere around $100 worth of bulky Bernat Blanket Yarn, a giant crochet hook and jumped on Pinterest to learn how to read the pattern on the inside of the packaging. And, oh boy, was I in over my head. I watched dozens of Youtube videos and read blog post after blog post on what a single crochet was and how to weave in the ends of yarn. Switching colors made no sense and what was I supposed to do at the end!? I unraveled and restarted more times than I am proud of, but I did it. I did it and it is hideous, BUT I still have this blanket and I love it. It is the first thing I ever made and I am insanely proud of it. And its really tight so it is really, very warm. But only wide enough for one person, so no sharing!

I wanted to start with this story is because I have not always been good at what I do. I was actually quite terrible, but I never gave up and I put in the hard work. I see so many blogs and social media accounts that make things like working out, crafting, and other aspects of adult life look so easy. I do not want to be that blog, I want to be honest about how much hard work goes into what I do. I spent hours learning new stitches, developing new techniques and failing (lots of failing). But from that failure I have learned so much and I want to share what I have learned! I also want to keep learning and improving my skills in this craft that I have come to love so dearly. I love it so much that I have made it into more than just a hobby!

What do you love most about your hobbies? Leave a comment below!