This blog post is part of the 3rd Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week:
Introduction to the topic:
Improving Your Skillset: How far down the road to learning your craft do you believe yourself to be? Are you comfortable with what you know or are you always striving to learn new skills and add to your knowledge base? Take a look at a few knitting or crochet books and have a look at some of the skills mentioned in the patterns. Can you start your amigurumi pieces with a magic circle, have you ever tried double knitting, how's your intarsia? If you are feeling brave, make a list of some of the skills which you have not yet tried but would like to have a go at, and perhaps even set yourself a deadline of when you'd like to have tried them by.
There are three words that I really liked in the introduction above: make - a - list. I love making list! So why not make three lists about my crochet skills? Here we go:
In my childhood I've learned...:
In my childhood I've learned...:
- the basic stitches, like sc's, dc's and trebles, but also front and back post stitches or reverse sc's
- the basics of Filet Crochet (had to learn it at school but was never really enthusiastic about it)
- to work mainly with acrylic yarn and a 3.5mm hook
- how to make basic granny squares and join them to a blanket:
- how to make simple potholders
- how to make a weird looking snake (I've found this creature in my parents' spare room recently):
- how to make what we've called "bed socks" (half socks, half slippers) - damn, I haven't made them for years, maybe I should see if I still know how to do it?
- how to do Wiggly Crochet (although I didn't know back then that it was called Wiggly Crochet):
In the past twelve months I've learned...:
- to understand (and distinguish) the US and UK crochet terminology
- to crochet around stones:
- how much fun it is to work with cotton yarn
- to start motifs with a magic ring
- to start a crochet piece with a chainless foundation
- more crochet stitches: puff-, popcorn-, leaning tower-, star-, surface- or the bullion stitch
- that there are more ways to make a granny square that I had ever imagined
- to make amigurumis:
- to work with a double ended hook (Crochenit)
- to work with a hook and a broomstick (Broomstick Lace)
- to design my own patterns:
In the future I'd like to... :
- have a go at freeform crochet:
- learn another lesson from "Crochet Master Class" (like Painted Crochet):
- design more patterns
Oh, by the way - another thing I've learned: the longer I've got a crochet plan in my mind, the more likely it is, that I won't start it in the near future :) And the freeform, the yarn bombing and the painted crochet are in my mind for a long time now, which means it'll stay there a little bit longer, I guess.
Instead, I'll probably discover something new and exciting soon, and won't go to bed before I have given it a try - those are my favorite projects, the ones that won't let you sleep at night. Can't wait for the next adventure! :)
If you're not participating in the Blog Week, maybe you'd like to leave a comment here, letting me know which skills or techniques you'd like to learn in the future, I'd love to read your thoughts!
Want to check out more "skillful" posts? 3KCBWDAY6 is your (google-)code for today!
Hope to see you tomorrow for the final day of this terrific week :)
I loved this post (the photos are fab) and I like what you say about 'planning'... I quite agree. Please check out my post on the same topic :-) http://www.imake.gg/archives/3735
ReplyDeleteMartine
I never really got past the basics with crochet (found knitting and got obsessed with that instead). Your post makes me see how much more there is, and what exciting things you can make with a hook. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIsn't that true! The long-term plans get shelved to do something else quickly.
ReplyDeleteI've had many sleepless nights too, due to exciting new endeavors. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI love the freeform idea. That looks like so much fun. I want to yarn bomb, too, but I'm a bit worried that it's no longer much of a trend.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I love the list part of the prompt today (even though I ignored it a bit!)
ReplyDeleteI like your freeform goal- that was something I hadnt thought of!
Lovely post Barbara... I too learned the basics years ago, but only decided to improve my skills a couple of years ago. I am envious of your designing skills... and have never tried wiggly crochet yet...but it is on the list! You have helped stretch my skills a little with the, 'Beyond the Square' challenge! Jill x
ReplyDeleteYou have come a long way Barbara and learnt so much and inspire so many. I have improved my crochet skills too over the past couple of years without even realising it. I love to try different things and will have a go even if it looks difficult. I would love to be able to design something, who knows maybe some day :)
ReplyDeleteLists in crochet or knitting don't work for me ... and I agree, sometimes the moment takes over what's been in my head for a while. That Crochet Master Class book is wonderful, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI love your look back at what you've already learned!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara , this is a great post.Also I would like to add something else to this .....sometimes we learn on how to match colors and lmake something so bright,colorful ,fun , for some people strange but curious too....love colors and how you do match them.This is something that sometimes is good to learn.Love your blog,your projects and all your Thursday posting....everything I should say.Thanks for the opportunity to be part of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks and have a great week start.
Xo,Xo,Xo
Luna
What an interesting post! I love freeform and hope to be working with it a bit more over the next year or so. The first time I came across yarn bombing was during a visit to a local museum. A group of knitters had yarn bombed some of the trees in the museums medieval garden and it look great... especially during the summer when all the flowers were in bloom :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the colours that you use. I got pretty interested in freeform a few years back. I looked at a lot of it, but never attempted it. How awesome would it be to yarn bomb a bus!?!
ReplyDeleteWhat an impressive line of skills you've got under your belt!
ReplyDeleteYour Granny blanket is really awesome.