craftiness and such

[saffronhare]

Okay. So I've achieved some proficiency with the going-back-and-forth for knitting (knit and purl stitches) and crochet (single crochet and double crochet). This pleases me greatly, since it's taken me...oh, like 30 years to finally be able to crochet. I'd like to learn maybe one more crochet stitch -- perhaps shells or some sort of "flying V," because I like the name -- and then it'll be time to learn how to read a fecking pattern.

UPDATE: As it turns out, I may have been doing double crochet stitches at least partway wrong. The rows I worked on last night are still a very pretty assemblage of obsessive slip-knotting, so perhaps I was doing some other mysterious stitch entirely. (shrug) I could just make an afghan comprised of squares along the "what happens when I do it like this?" theme.

Any advice or links that would be useful? I seem to learn best with step-by-step visual instructions and then doing it to match the illustrations, though watching a real person is often helpful. Thanks!

Comments

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

I can show you how to do shell edging. It doesn't work so well for regular stitching. Basically, it's two singles, two doubles, two trebles, and a lock stitch.

Yay.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

A treble? You know, it's pretty funny that sc means you do things twice/in twos, and dc means you do things thrice/in threes. Is treble just another magnitude, or a different technique entirely? And what is this lock stitch of which you speak?

I did not yet succeed in duplicating the flowery granny thing you showed me, but watching you was a big factor in finally figuring out sc and dc. Thanks!

Re: Yay.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

A treble is exactly the same, except that you yarn over (yo) twice and pull through by twos an extra time. It makes a long, lacier looking row of stitches.

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

Judi might be able to show you some stuff...

[capriciouslass.livejournal.com]

Ya know, I've always been able to knit, but crochet has completely escaped me. I'd love to sit down and learn it though.
Considering the crafty nature of the things that some of us would like to learn this year, perhaps we should re-institute craft circle?

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind sitting down together at some opportune moment to show you the little bit I know, but scheduling time for craft circle is very difficult for me (which is why I don't think I ever was able to show up, but not for lack of interest). I just do it in the odd half-hour or hour on the couch in the evenings -- it's very therapeutic when I need to unwind my brain before bed. Longer blocks of time just don't come all that easily, you know?

[capriciouslass.livejournal.com]

Longer blocks of time just don't come all that easily, you know?
I'm right there with you. Though I could wish I had bigger blocks of time to just do crafty things, that doesn't go along with some of the other choices I've made in my life.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I've done a lot of subtracting in my social life lately, which leaves me with some regret about some things I don't do anymore, but it also leaves me with more energy to just BE instead of DO.

It's not a bad trade-off, for the moment. :)

[kittenpants.livejournal.com]

I have a couple of crochet books I can loan you. They have copious illustrations. ;)

[kcwitch.livejournal.com]

wish i could help but i have only managed to do the single stitch since forever.