ML's Adventures In.. Crocheting Pt. 2

ML’s Adventures in.. is a new segment I am introducing to my blog. It will feature different things that I intend to learn and try. Examples may include: crafts, recipes etc. 

 

The first book I read for my adventure in crocheting is called Crochet for Beginners: The Basics on How to Create These Hand-Crafted Creations by Mary Fuller. 

(Image from Goodreads)

I was excited to begin this book because, judging by the title I assumed that it would teach me the basics on how to get started. I gathered my supplies: hook and yarn of choice and settled in to learn. 

Unfortunately this book wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for. At 32 pages long Crochet for Beginners, read more like a long essay on what crocheting is and why one should do it. The section on basic crochet stitches showed a picture for each, however it didn’t show how to do it. As a somewhat knitter I am used to using two needles so I was at a loss how I was to work the yarn and the hook. I was looking for either pictures or specific instructions on how to properly work my fingers. While it did mention briefly what hands to use for what (right hand works the hook, left hand holds the yarn) it didn’t say how to wrap the yarn around your fingers in order to have the proper grip. It isn’t really possible to move on from this step otherwise, so I was left wondering what to do next. 

I then turned to youtube, in hopes that a visual demonstration would be able to get me started, so that I could return to the book. The first (and only) video I watched was just what I needed to understand how to begin. 

Posted by epicabundance, this video is geared towards people like myself who have never crocheted before. Viewers are taught how to do a slipknot (or starting knot), chain stitches and single crochet stitches. I watched and re-watched this video over and over again, following along with the instructor. Then I practiced and practiced the steps she taught, over and over again. Ripping out my work time after time until I got it right. 

I was now ready to return to the eBook. I decided to start the section where it explains how to do the stitches over again, now that I had the knowledge I learned from the youtube video. 

The instructions still didn’t make any sense to me! Even though I now knew how to work the hook and hold the yarn, I still felt that there was missing information in the books instructions. I continued to read hoping that there would be a simple pattern that I could attempt, but there weren’t any patterns included at all. Instead there were more reasons (some repeated) to try crocheting and a list of abbreviations for crochet terms. The real kicker was the page that listed the different ways the word “crochet” was commonly misspelled. 

 

Maybe this eBook would be better geared towards someone who is considering trying to learn, but for me it was disappointing. 

Thankfully I have more books in my TBR pile, that I can turn to. 

Check back soon for my next installment, where I will attempt to get started again.