Crochet is better with friends.
That’s part of the beauty of a crochet-along. Even if you are not in the same location as other people (thank-you Corona), you can crochet along with friends. Basically it’s people working together on the same square at the same time. They share progress, ask questions, and display their squares. It is a great time of encouragement.
That’s a big reason I love crochet alongs. For the past five years I have participated in the Moogly Afghan CAL. Every two weeks, Tamara Kelly coordinates with other designers to offer a pattern for a 12” afghan square. In mid-November, after finishing the 24th square, afghans are assembled ready to be gifted or loved. Over 19,000 people have joined the Facebook group to share with each other!
Including my friend Rah-Rah-Robin, or Rah-Rah for short. Rah-Rah (can you tell I picked her “blog name”?) messaged me in the fall to ask what hooks she should buy as she had decided to pick up crochet. Could I teach her? That remains to be seen.
After she learned the basic stitches, I attempted to teach her a ripple scarf pattern because “if you can learn this, you can crochet anything.” I wasn’t a great teacher. She didn’t make the scarf, but she did pick up her yarn and make other things: a doll sleeping bag, a basket, a blanket.
So, I figured she was ready. Then once she said she’d join me on this CAL, I figured we should write this blog together to get a point of view from a “beginner.”
Introducing the Competitors (I mean friends who are not competing…at all)
Name: Rah-Rah Robin
Age: C’mon. A lady never tells.
Crochet level: Beginner
Crochet resume: doll sleeping bag, basket, blanket, and a few “somethings”
Background: Rah-Rah has done everything from opera to truck driver. She is a fellow homeschool mom with one daughter, one man-child, and a Newfie named Abby Cadabby.
Her current thoughts on this project: “What did I get myself into?”
Name: Heidi Hazelnut (aka. Me)
Age: 40. I’ll own it.
Crochet level: Advanced
Crochet resume: Many, many, many projects and around 20 designs. Also have an Etsy site and have to claim this as a business on my taxes.
Background: My degree is in English. In my life BC (before children), I worked in journalism and publishing, but have always leaned toward the creative arts.
My current thoughts on the project: “I hope Rah-Rah doesn’t hate me.”
So, how did I manage to rope Rah-Rah into this project as a beginner? I told her the same thing I told her about the scarf—“If you can crochet this, you can crochet anything.”
Her perspective: “It all began on a cold December day when my phone went, ‘Ding.’ Casually I picked up my phone and looked at it, and there was a message from my friend. This message seemed innocent enough; it inquired if I would like to join her in a crochet challenge for the 2021 year. After I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes, I looked at the Facebook group page and started crying again because I have never done anything like this before. In reality, I have never completed a pattern at all. With one last ‘Ding’ and a promise of being extremely rewarding at the end, I agreed.”
Ha! I hooked her. Now what about that first block?
Block #1: Come Together by Jessie at Home
At exactly 11 a.m. (EST) on January 7, the first block was released. I looked at it—gorgeous. I looked at the pattern—uh oh. My first thought was, “What was I thinking telling Rah-Rah she could do this? This isn’t beginner stuff.” But I’d made multiple squares by Jessie at Home before. She usually shows up on the FB page and offers support for those having trouble. This time, she was even generous to offer a video tutorial. Well, that changed things. Robin can teach herself from a tutorial.
Rah-Rah’s perspective: “Square one was accompanied by water falling from my eyes and the nagging question of, ‘what did I get myself into?’ Let us not mention the ‘ding’ ‘Are you done?’ messages I received. I picked my colors and sat down to get started, and well, that went nowhere.”
I had my block made by the end of the day, since my family was in exposure quarantine, and I had nothing better to do. The colors were a bit of a surprise as I’d decided on a bright color scheme….really, really bright.
Rah-Rah on the other hand, opted for muted browns (and now greens and some blues) to give her the “essence of tree.” So, how was her square going?
Rah-Rah’s perspective: “After a video phone call to the guru, I tried again.”
(Note: Do you know how hard it is to tell someone if they’re crocheting correctly when you’re looking at it from the back side on a video chat? Also note: When we got together to work on Block #2 I wasn’t any better. Apparently, I’m just not a great teacher. More on that session in another post.)
“The last straw was a Youtube tutorial. Attempting to work with the video was not going well, and watching on the phone was a poor choice. My husband agreed to allow me to watch it on the large TV in the living room to see what she was doing. Still, I could not work along with her. On the seventh try, I watched the whole tutorial and completed the square. No, I did not use the pattern, but it was complete, and to my forgiving eyes, I was in love with the work I finished.”
“I immediately sent a picture to my friend (me again), and waited seconds with no response. Next, I gave up, and posted the image to the Facebook group (where I saw it right away!) and waited to see what others thought of my work. Square one ended with water falling from my eyes as I felt the feeling of accomplishment wash over me.”
My friend, Robin, who is a complete beginner at crochet, MADE THIS SQUARE her first time out of the gate! She did an amazing job—no credit to her teacher, as she really learned it on her own.
I really do think that if she learns to crochet this, she can crochet anything.
Rah-Rah and I can’t wait to share Block #2 with you. Stay tuned.