How did you learn your craft?

[VintageEnthusiast]

It’s interesting how people like to learn different ways. How did you learn your craft?

 

Years ago when I learnt crocheting, I did it by reading an old crocheting instructional book. I came across this book at a crafts fair, bought it because I needed something to read on the bus on the way home. I got so interested in it that before walking home from the bus stop, I stopped by the shops and bought my first crochet hook and some yarn. The rest is history. I loved it from day one.

 

Although my grandmother crocheted all the time, when she was alive I hadn’t really seen any interest in it. But now each time I crochet it reminds me of my grandmother and it makes me feel real good.

[lpgeorge123]

My dad's girlfriend taught my how to make a really simple scarf using all double crochets. I became hooked (pun intended ) and found books that showed me how to do other stitches. My grandma had passed away right around then, so I claimed all of her crochet hooks and started experimenting.

[mythunderbird]

i was taught by my 3rd grade teacher, she at the begining of the school year asked if anyone wanted to learn to knit and crochet , i signed up for both and learned alot from her the rest was self taught by experimenting with different stitches i could not live without crochet:hug:hug:hug

[Reneva]

My mom taught me when I was seven. She used to crochet doilies and did some beautiful filet crochet and I begged and begged and begged until she bought me a kid's learn-to-crochet kit for my birthday. It's the only gift I remember from that year (or most years, actually). Once I knew a few stitches I used to sneak into mom's current project and crochet a few stitches to see if she noticed.

 

My projects used to spend a long time in my bottom dresser drawer in between crochet sessions, but once I got older I picked it up with more regularity, and now I NEED to do a few rows every couple days. My specialty is baby afghans, but I've been starting to do some amigurumis lately, too.

[misssmaggie]

My girlfriends grandmother taught us to make a chain when we were around 6 years old. Then one day I discovered there was more to this and I have been self-taught since.

[unicorn37757]

When I was in my middle 20s I picked up a learn to crochet book & taught myself. I've loved it ever since:hook

[CLLinda]

My grandmother taught me the basics when I was a teenager. Then when I was pregnant with my first child, I took a class at Lee Wards and haven't stopped. That was 18 years now.

 

[dorothysgirls]

My Grand mother taught me the basic chain and single when I was little. Then I moved on to quilting, counted cross stitch, knitting, cake decorating, and flower arranging also taught by her. Sadly she passed before I learned all she had to teach and I have taught my self the rest of the croche stitches. When ever I do any of the things she taught me I remember her fondly and I have taught one of my 3 girls to crochet (the twins are still to little). My oldest also quilts and cooks. I also try to teach at least 3 people a year to corchet. This summer I taught a group of girls ans one boy(all about 12) to crochet and the "fee" for learning was to make something for charity. We wound up making slippers for the troups. My heart is filled with joy that young girls are learning the craft and being responsible. At least if they are at my house learing to crochet then they are not out on the streets getting into trouble.

[turtlesmoonbd]

I learned the basic's from my mom she had a Craft store when I was growing up and sold yarn. I have actually done just about every arts and crafts that there is because of my MOM.

[rascalsmom]

My college roommate taught me, shortly after we graduated. She taught me the basic sc, dc, hdc and I taught myself from there on.

 

My grandmother was an accomplished crocheter, but I guess I never showed enough interest when she was alive, since she never took me beyond the chain stitch!

[butterflie]

My mom (who is right handed) taught me how to do a single crochet when I was about 11 or 12. I had wanted to learn for years before that because my best friends grandma made her a bunch of blankets for her room and I loved them. Unfortunately, though my friend knew how to make them she refused to teach me. I'm not sure why.

 

I used a simple single crochet for a few years and then took one of the last Home Ec. classes our school offered and the new teacher decided that since we learned how to sew the previous year and were in the cafeteria because of renovations, she was going to teach us to crochet. She taught me how to read patterns and what the different stitches were. Even though I caught on right away, it took her awhile to realize I was doing the stitches right since I'm left handed and she had to sit in front of me to watch what I was doing.

 

I've been crocheting ever since. I even started making doilies. Which I didn't realize were just crocheting with tiny thread for many years But I love making them. Even if my hands cramp up!

[kel]

I had tried learning a few times over the years, but could never quite get the hang of it, so I would give up in short order and give whatever yarn I had to people who could do something with it.

 

Then we moved across the country to Virginia, and aside from sibling-in-laws, I knew no one.

 

At first I started scrapbooking, but I don't have anywhere to spread & altho I like it, I wasn't in love with it. Cleaning up my mess of scraps became a chore. So off I went to JoAnn's & Michaels in search of SOMETHING to do and fell in love with some yarn. Using a book and some online video clips, I taught myself. Then I discovered Debbie Stollers SnB Happy Hooker book and started looking online for a local group to join. I didn't find one, so I started one! 2 1/2 years later we have about 30 members - 5 of which have become WONDERFUL friends!!

So I like to say crochet saved me from sure depression.

I love that I can crochet just about anywhere, it's so portable, and rarely ever a mess. Of course, it does require lots of stash space! hehe

[kmeiding]

Two of my college friends were crocheting when a group of us were together on a Saturday night. One of them left to go do something and she told me that I could work on what she was doing if I wanted to but I said that I didn't know what she was doing. As soon as she got back, both of them were helping me to make a granny square, although I had no idea what I was doing. A couple weeks later, I bought some yarn, a hook, and a book and taught myself.

[crazycrochet]

I had watched my mother crochet my entire life. I asked her once to teach me and she said I don't think you are ready yet, and she was right I lost interest in it. When I turned 17, a good friend of the family was pregnant for the first time, they had been trying for 10 years, this was before all the fertility treatments came out. I wanted to make her something special and asked my mom again to teach me. Mom said yes, and ever since then, my hooks and yarn have not been far from my side. The only time I put them down was when my carpal tunnel got so bad I couldn't hold a hook. I picked it back up 2 weeks after the surgery and haven't looked back. I am 58 now, and enjoy crocheting more now then I did 40 years ago.

[Mom w/a Motif]

I lived with my Aunt when I was graduating high school. My other aunt (her sister) had lived there, but we kept getting her mail and she would get Annie's Attic catalogs. I would look through them when I was bored and decided I wanted to learn how to crochet so I ordered an afghan booklet. Well I kind of started because I knew how to chain from when I was little (a friend taught me).... I ended up going over to my other aunts' house, and she showed me the ripple stitch and the back of the booklet where it showed you what dc and sc and tr meant... I haven't looked back since. (I was 19 when I learned to crochet...) When I met my husband, we would go to his Grandma's house and her sister lived with her and she crocheted. As grumpy as she was, I liked her just because she could crochet. (She never used a pattern, just "knew" what to do.... although a lot of her stuff was mismatched because when she would run out of yarn she would just buy 'another white', or another yellow... I still thought it was pretty amazing though, she would whip out these tablecloths with no pattern. Some of them were really nice!!) Then four years later my SIL gave me two pairs of knitting needles. I went straight to JoAnns and bought a 'Teach Yourself to Knit' book, and after a few tries I finally got it. I also sew, quilt, and used to do cross stitch (not anymore). I do redwork occassionally, but I haven't done that in a while, either. I would sew more if I had a sewing machine that worked. (I've been dropping hints to my husband..)

 

My Mom never crocheted; but I remember going through her big cookie tin with all her sewing stuff in it, and she had some crochet hooks in there. But she never did crochet.

 

Sorry I started rambling there....

Tina

[Lady_of_Roses]

I had tried repeatedly to teach myself so that I could get a craft kit that you made all the clothes for a doll. One of my aunts taught me how to chain. I can't remember if she showed me how to do the sc or not. Anyhow, once I finally had learned how to hold the yarn (which was what my problem was), I was able to teach myself the rest. I never did get the doll... she was gone by the time I learned.

[robbieAK]

My mother who knows how to do many things crafty, began teaching me to knit when I was about 6 (?). I think she tried to teach me to crochet around that time too, but I was too young to really get it. Then when I was 11, my siblings and I all got the chicken pocs (total of five with pocs ). I was so bored being stuck in my room iching like crazy. My mom took pity on me and decided to bring me a hook and some yarn. She taught me the basic stitches that day and I just took off running with it. I was soon looking at any old magazines she had and of course found a couple of projects I wanted to do. I still didn't have consistent tension and was really just learning, but I figured I could make a bedspread sized afgan as my first patterned project (I was just free form crocheting up til then). Once I got that started, I found this doily that I wanted to do (keep in mind I really didn't have much done on the afgan yet). Well, I went and got the supplies and started that too. To make a long story short, ten years later I finished the afgan and after ripping it apart once and starting over the 3 foot diameter doily was finished too (yeah, that's right I went for the biggest one I could find).

[crochetluvknot]

I worked at Michaels a few years ago and one of my co-workers said I can teach you to crochet in 1/2 an hour (yeah right) I used to sit and watch her make the neatest things and I was always in awe of them so one day I bought a simple crochet hook a size H I didnt know there were other sizes and types and this and that and a ball of yarn on our lunch "hour" I walked up to her and said ok teach me if you think you can she started me with the chain and the basics SC DC and TC and had me do a row of each and pull them out and do it all over again well it took about an hour and a half and I had the hang of it so I picked up some more yarn and took it home with me and by the time I got home and dinner done etc I sat down to crochet and all I could remember was the Chain and the SC so I started an afghan (what was I thinking) and it took me about 6 months to make the darn thing it was 5x6 feet and all single crochet it was all sorts of wavy and wonky from tension but I was so proud of the thing when I had it finished I gave it to my son when he was young and he still has it.

[pasteeater]

I used to watch a neighbor crochet while we'd sit outside by the lake and talk. I wanted to make things for my kids so I asked her to show me. It took a few days but I finally got it right and went to the library and checked out a book. After that I tried various other crafts. I guess crochet was my gateway craft. LOL

[Tapioca]

I tried to teach myself from a book, and failed miserably. So a dear friend of mine taught me (in our later 20s) and I've been off and running since.

Oddly enough, I taught myself to knit from a website.

[Titus2woman]

I have an internet dulcimer friend who read on my blog that I wanted to learn to crochet, so she put together a BIG tote bag with a how-to book of patterns, a Pound of Love in white with a baby blanket pattern, and a set of hooks in a case. I will FOREVER be grateful to her! I took that little book and practiced chaining for about a week and slowly progressed from there, and it has forever changed my life! (((((HUGS))))) sandi

[Ellie 13]

My grammie "let" me untangle a bag full of balls of yarn. she gave me a hook (E ) and taught me to chain. I asked my sister to teach me the granny square. I tried to make a granny square vest (a 60's thing), but the the squares didn't match up. In 8th grade, I got a booklet, as part of the sewing class, with basic stitches and taught myself (extra credit). my grammie gave me my first real book and I haven't stopped since (30+ yrs). I still have both books and many more .

Ellie 13

[RusticOkie]

My grandmother taught me. When I was younger I would spend the summers with my grandparents. Well my mom's mom loved to camp so we spent a lot of time at the lake. She always had crochet around and that is when she taught me. I learned how to make potholders and only did them for a LONG time. Then I moved onto scarves and then I just gave it up.

 

Just a couple years ago I decided to pick it back up and I fell in love with it. Now I can't stop.

[ArielManx]

When I was about 11 or 12, I asked my dad's cousin (who was a lot like an aunt to me) if she'd teach me to crochet. She made beautiful doilies and I wanted to make them too! She said crochet would be too hard for me, and that she'd teach me to knit instead. Well, since it wasn't what I wanted to learn, the knitting didn't stick with me at all. My grandmother also did a little crocheting, but she was not a patient woman when it came to teaching things, so I never asked her.

 

A few years ago I got it in my head that I wanted to crochet again - but this time to make afghans and baby gifts (as I got to the age where all my friends started having babies). So I went to Michael's and bought one of the Susan Bates teaching kits, and the rest is history. Oddly enough, I've yet to make one of those doilies I wanted to make so badly years ago! And I now really dislike Bates hooks and much prefer Boye.