charging for an afghan and what got me started

[socduncan]

About 4 yrs. ago I asked a friend if she could make me an afghan and her comment was yes but it would cost me. WHAT? You're my friend and I supply the yarn and you still want to charge me? Needless to say it ticked me off so much so that I decided right then and there I'd make my own.

 

So I asked her instead to teach me the granny square (that's all she knows how to do) and she said she couldn't because she's not a good teacher. Now with more determination, not knowing I should chain LOOSELY or how to turn my work, I paid to take a one time beginner lesson. I ended up making a basic dc afghan in one color. Project done! hook returned to drawn where it stayed, LOL! There, I showed her!

 

Now yrs. later still communicating with said friend off and on, I decided to give it another try. For some reason, now she could teach me the granny square. Go figure! My first project was a solid granny for my daughters queen size bed. Then a few ripple afghans and currently a v stitch baby blanket for PL. Hey I'm really liking this!

 

So the typical question of who taught you to crochet? ME! and a beginner lesson. Why couldn't I have had someone in the family teach me like mom or grandma? Well one reason is they're no longer around (nor did they crochet), LOL! But with determination it shows you can learn, if you want, with or without the help of friends or family.

 

Oh and yes if any of my "other" friends asked me to make them an afghan the answer would be....ABSOLUTELY! I'd love to.

[JohnsPrincess]

Lol, that's a cute story! I taught myself too. My great-grandma was a crocheter but she passed years ago and I wasn't into it then. So, I grabbed a Klutz 'learn to crochet' book and taught myself! This was only about 3 months ago and I haven't come across anything that I can't make yet, with the help of a book to show me the stitches! I'm "hooked"!!

[Lov2Crochet]

I am almost 100% self taught as well just by looking at tutorials online and in books. Congrats on taking the inititive to teach yourself when your friend wouldn't.

[magiccrochetfan]

Cheers for you learning to crochet when it wasn't easy to find a teacher. That's great! Crochet is a great craft, so I'd say any motivation is good;) Maybe your friend really did you a big favor by showing the beauty of crochet:hook

 

Just want to say also, your friend may have had good reasons why she felt she couldn't teach you. Maybe she really felt she didn't know how to teach someone initially, and in the meantime she became more confident about that.

 

And maybe she really didn't have time to make an afghan, maybe she had commitments for other projects, or something. I don't think it is selfish to refuse a request if you really can't do it. Just my 2 cents worth:)

[moomooo]

Sweetie i deleted my previous post.

Any ways I still commend you for learning on your own...

hugs

Lillibet

[mother_earth]

well this is my first post ever, although I have been lurking out here, this is such a great site, and everyone seems so kind...I watched my mother and aunt crochet from a very young age, and never really picked it up until I was a mother myself, guess it came "inherited" lol...now I have been crocheting for at least 18 years and I love every minute of it!

[socduncan]

Thanks ladies for the support. This probably was a favor in the long run. Either way I look back on it now and laugh! I find it funny sometimes as to what motivates or drives us to accomplish things that we've always wanted to do yet stopped cold in our tracks. I just wanted to share to help motivate others who are struggling or feel alone, that it is possible and the outcome can be exciting!!!

 

and yes...youtube video's are wonderful!!!

[magiccrochetfan]

I just wanted to share to help motivate others who are struggling or feel alone, that it is possible and the outcome can be exciting!!!

 

Isn't it great to have the Ville to share these things?

[annmcc1976]

I'm the same way.. if they would like to provide me the yarn then i have no problem making it for them just as long as they understand if i have other Paying requests that I will get to theirs when that is finnished or inbetween.

 

I make my mom stuff when she requests and she always buys the yarn and then some so i'd have some extra for me. wich is all I ask.. just get what you want... and mabey buy a skaine or 2 more just in case and consider that payment so i can add it to my stash.

 

I tryed to learn from a book but didnt get the concept of Chains at the end of the row n turning my work.. and may i say It turned out a disaster... till one day my best friends grandma asked what the hek u doing? n i told her TRYING to crochet.. she then Took my small RE try project.. tore it all out and Showed me properly what the things in my how to book meant!! ever since I LOVE it.. and just started to learn to read a pattern. before that i'd just make my own DC or TR. or HDC blankets in no more then 2 colors.. boom bam easy peasy!.. I'm so please dnow withmyself at these more complex patterns and sit back in awe that I made it.

[Nikkidear]

My mom taught me how to crochet, but she was very short on patience. She could only teach me for about 15-20 minutes at a time before she got aggravated with me. She knew how to crochet, but she didn't do it herself because it "takes too much time and energy". My mom lives 3,000 miles away, so every time we would get together I would learn one new stitch. It took over a year to get all the basics, and led to taking yarn and hooks to strange places (on the beach in Aruba was fun), but I persisted and finally learned all she could teach. That was a few years ago and I haven't stopped. My first real project was a blanket too. Still keep it around although it doesn't match a thing. It took 13 skeins of woolease t&q.

[DebraKay]

I will add kudos for teaching yourself. My grandma taught me how to chain, sc, and dc when I stayed with her a week one summer of my youth. I did not pick it up again until several decades later. So, although I had seen the basic stitches before, I had to reteach myself the basics and then on to all of the more detailed stitches.

 

But I would not judge your friend harshly. I think it is perfectly fine to charge for one's time. Crochet is like any other art/craft -- if I want to commission a special piece, I am happy to pay for the time and skill that will go in to it. My grandma made me a quilt top. Sewing is one of my least favorte things, so I will offer a friend a fair amount to finish it for me. I crochet for family and friends without charge, but those are my gifts. Not too sure how I would feel about being asked to do a whole afghan, unless it was family or a very close friend. I think it is a case by case basis sort of thing. If I thought someone was needy and wanted one, no problem, if it was someone close who I normally would do things for, no problem, but I might feel a little odd if some acquaintenance asked for that sort of time dedication out of the blue.