If, as a child, I had been asked if I thought I would grow up to be a crocheteuse, I have no doubt I would have given the questioner a puzzled look. Crochet was not an integral part of the landscape I grew up in, and my visual knowledge of it did not extend beyond doilies.
But somewhere along the way, something changed.
It could simply have been the zeitgeist of the times, but in late 1997, I was overcome with a desire to learn crochet. In the summer of 1995, I had met someone in Omaha, Nebraska, who had taught herself to crochet from a book. So I began my attempt to learn crochet by buying books. The only problem with my method was that the books that attracted me were not instructions for beginners, but rather compendiums for already accomplished artisans, and I made very little progress.
I needed a teacher.
To that end, I persuaded a woman named Edith Proctor to give me lessons. I would drive to her apartment on Sunday afternoons, and, after I had eaten enough to satisfy her that I had consumed the necessary sustenance needed to wield a hook, the lesson would begin.
One of the most important lessons I learned from Edith was this: it all starts with a chain.
And whenever I encounter a pattern or stitch that seems difficult or trying, I remind myself that crochet is created one stitch at a time, and that I will eventually figure it out.
A lot has happened since I first learned to make chain in the living room of her home.
I have gone on to enter my work at both the county and state fair level with varying degrees of success, having placed first in my category on occasions, and other years, not having placed at all.
I have also furthered my education in crochet, as I found that my undergraduate degree in English and my MFA in writing do not carry a lot of weight in the crochet world.
To that end, in May of 2009, I successfully completed the Crochet Guild of America’s Masters Program Basic Stitches Course, as well as the coursework for the Craft Yarn Council of America’s Certified Crochet Instructors Program.
And now I have begun to blog about my adventures in crochet from my kitchen counter in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the hope that others will join me on this journey that moves forward one stitch at a time.
Hello Leslie,
It was great running into you at the Fiberfest! Loved the crochet bag you were sporting and your WIP! Can’t wait to see what’s next in your adventures in crochet. If you are ever in Wilmington stop at the Quarter Stitch on Oleander Dr.
Happy hooking,
Karen
Hi!
I just wanted to say that I’ve enjoyed exploring your blog. I wish I had the motivation to do one. I’ve thought about it, but then rationalize that it would end up a bit of an ADHD rant as I have so many interests and jump from one extreme to the next. Plus my carpal tunnel has turned me into a “type it and let them figure out what it says between the errors”. I have to type it and drop sometimes.
The one that caught my eye and made me click on your blog in the first place was your poncho, then I saw the word Boo-Boo and had to stay and read. My friend nicknamed me Kerraboo when I was about 19. It caught on for some reason and everyone started just saying Boo…. Jump about 25 years and my first grandson, even though I thought I was Nana-Boo. Was just able to say Boo-Boo… So the 4 after that carried it on and here I am… Not a Nana… Forever Boo-Boo.(however I’m kerraboo2 on all my social sites).
It’s neat finding a crochet blogger (or any craft for that matter) who has an old blog. It’s neat to watch someone progress from earlier crochet to becoming one with their hook and seeing how things change. I am more of a freestyle or whatever you call it. I have bought several books and often find some really nice ones on ISSUU that allow me to download or read them for free. Oh how I love that site. Between Issuu and Pinterest I never seem to be short on ideas. I learn stitches best from YouTube though rather than books and on occasion will crochet or at least start a project from a pattern. However I do best just hooking and ripping until I get what I want.
Keep up the with the projects and documenting. I am enjoying reading them. Do you have a Pinterest?
Fun read! As a clueless crocheter, I’ll keep an eye on your blog – maybe I’ll learn something 🙂
I am curious about where you got those nifty yarn bobbins in blog entry of the same name (“Yarn Bobbins”) on 13 December 2011. Those look like a great bobbin design.
Hi there! I love the Better Homes and Gardens Granny Square Sampler Afghan. Every page I find that has one directs me to your page. However, I can’t find the full instructions for each square when I click on each link. They are incomplete are confusing. What is the starting point? I can’t even pay and find the actual Better Homes and Gardens Granny Square Sampler Afghan pattern. I love the look and just seeing if you can help. Thanks! Shannon Walker
Hi there, I’ve been following you for a while but your post about the Raleigh installation this weekend made me wonder if you were local. And indeed you are! My name is Caroline Cameron, a fellow crocheteuse who is currently working on the CGOA master’s program and I regularly attend a crochet group that meets at Panera on six forks on alternating Tuesdays, this coming Tuesday at 7 is our next meeting. I live off 98 just east of Six Forks so not far from you at all. Do you go to any crochet gatherings? Do you attend the conferences? I met three women at the conference last year that were from somewhere in the Raleigh area, I think they were all sisters. Could one of them have been you? Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Hello, I have a stitch question that I was wondering if I could ask you about the Seafarer’s cap. I can see on Ravelry that many people have made this cap and like the pattern, but I am having trouble with it. I know that the pattern has 2 rows HDC and 4 rows sl st, and I’m pretty sure that is what I’m doing. But somehow my rim ends up being too small and I can’t figure out why. If I sent you a photo, do you think you might be able to figure out what I’m doing wrong? Thanks kindly, Charna
I just finished a Seafarer’s Cap and it’s too small for me – but it was planned for a friend and/or her teens boys. If it doesn’t fit them, she can gift it to someone with a much smaller head.
Frogging is a great teacher for me – and I highly recommend to people to welcome frogging – once learned, it makes the next steps go very fast! 😉
I’ve started a very loose chain of 45 – and plan on making a gauge per the pattern.
My first attempts are at Ravelry – my Projects ala DalesMelody.
I couldn’t figure out that the hat was done sideways. LOL
I have just found your blog and am interested in a few details. – I was gifted a box of yarn with some unmarked balls that I cannot identify, but under closer examination I believe it’s the same yarn you used for the (Troll hair) on your troll hat. – ( its a coral, orange, and chartreuse varigated worsted weight) – I was curious if you remember the brand/ color name etc. – That would help me immensely! – Thanks so much!