My adventure with crocheting after years
Crocheting, we probably all learned it at school during manual labor. But honestly, if you had asked me to hold a crochet hook a few months ago, I wouldn't have had a clue where to start. What about you? For me it has subsided considerably, and I was not the only one in my area.
I always asked my mother-in-law for help for simple jobs such as crocheting a string for my children's mittens. She is a true crochet expert and does it regularly. I thought it was clever of her, but didn't think much about it. Until I saw something that piqued my interest during a shopping trip at Action: crochet packages for Christmas figures. The snowman and Santa Claus looked so nice on the shelves there that I thought: "I want to try that too! How difficult can it be?"
Well, that turned out to be quite a challenge for someone who last crocheted in primary school! Reading a crochet pattern in particular was a challenge in itself. Anyway, I decided to persevere and bought both the snowman and Santa Claus. Not much later I found the gingerbread man in another Action, so I immediately took that with me. The only package I'm still looking for is the moose, but it seems to be sold out everywhere in Maarssenbroek, Mijdrecht and Nieuwegein. Who knows, I might come across it in another store.
My first attempts
Once I got home with my new crochet supplies, I discovered that crocheting itself is not as easy as I had imagined. Fortunately, we live in a time where you can learn almost anything through YouTube. I found some great videos that explained the process step by step, and that gave me just the push I needed.
Of course I also asked my mother-in-law for help. I won't be able to match her skill with a crochet hook for a while, but she did give me some good advice: practice with simple cords first. And that worked out well, because I still had three pairs of my children's mittens that could use a drawstring.
Practice with cords
I made my first cord with single stitches, but I soon noticed that it was quite thin. I wondered how sturdy that would be for kids who like to pull things.
For the second cord I tried single crochet stitches, and it worked! The cord was immediately a lot sturdier, but you do need more thread. For now, I think this is the best option for kid-friendly cords.
I now have one more pair of mittens to go and then I can finally get back to work on my Christmas projects. The snowman is still at 0 - I have to start all over again. Fortunately, everything I need is included in the package: the right crochet hook and yarn, so I don't have to sort out or buy anything anymore. Now it's just a matter of finding time between businesses to get started.
A relaxing hobby
I don't know if the snowman will be finished before Christmas. But what I do know is that I really enjoy doing it. Crocheting brings me peace and relaxation, something I can use in a busy family life. It's nice to make something with your hands, to learn a skill you may have almost forgotten. Every project you complete gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction.
And although I still have a lot to learn, I enjoy seeing how I am improving step by step. Who knows, maybe next year I'll crochet my own Christmas garlands and decorations! For now I will stick to the Action packages for a while, but I am happy that I have rediscovered this hobby.
Do you also have something that you learned in the past and have now picked up again? Share your experiences, I'm curious! Let me know in the comments below the Instagram post of this blog.
