Adventures in Crocheting

Or “How the heck do I do a sl stitch?”

As previously stated in my first post I wanted to make that pretty hat.  But I soon discovered that I had to do a lot of studying on what all the abbreviations were (sl, ch, HDC, etc) and how to do them.  This particular pattern did not list a key.  I was anxious to start and have a completed project.  I am not a patient person when it comes to crafty stuff.  I want to see immediate results.  So I decided to set off in search for a project that either had a key listing or had less terminology in it to research and learn.  Less learning yields faster working which yields faster results, right?  Nearly, anyway.  I found this scarf pattern that looked a lot more at my skill level (level 0), and it also contained a key!  I was able to complete it in about two weeks (though I cheated by making it skinnier than what the pattern calls for). Yes, it did take me two weeks, a long time, I know, but a) was my first crochet project ever, so there were some mistakes and start-overs to deal with and b) not being wise in the ways of yarn (yet!) I chose a very frilly, poofy, sparkly ‘yarn’ from Hobby Lobby for the project. It didn’t take long to figure out that it was a horrible choice but being the cheapskate frugal person I am, I stuck with it.

I crocheted impatiently the whole time.  Even with my impatience, one thing I have really enjoyed so far is being able to see this tangible thing in my hand grow as I work on it.  I think that’s the main reason I enjoy it so much.  Compared to the computer work I do every day, slaving away all day with ‘nothing’ to show for it, working with yarn has been very satisfying.

If you do not already know how to do a sl stitch, I will save you the trouble of having to go look it up.  All you have to do is insert your hook into the target loop, wrap the yarn, and pull it through, as demonstrated here. Voila!  This stitch is primarily used for joining a chain in a round.

Next post: “Ravelry, A Yarn Lover’s Paradise”, or “Why I learned to knit.”

Tags: crochet, impatience, Level 0, pretty hats, sl stitch, technique