I learned how to crochet {03.06.24}

Hello and happy Wednesday friends! I hope your week is off to a great start and the rest of your week turns out to be wonderful.  I'm excited a bit about today's post because I'm going to be talking about learning how to crochet.

If you've been around the blog for any amount of time, then you know that I know how to knit and have been knitting for a very long time.  I love knitting and how beautiful it looks but there are limitations to knitting (as with any other craft) that make it a little less versatile.  And to be fair, I have been taught to crochet on multiple occasions in the past but for some reason it just didn't stick.  Fast forward to this year...  I had a plethora of extra yarn leftover from my 2023 Temperature blanket and needed something else to do to them other than making another temperature blanket. I spent a lot of time researching ideas of things to knit and did not come up with anything. 

Insert Elyset Myers with this adorable crocheted cardigan.  And I was immediately sold and when I found that she had put together a YouTube video on how to make the squares I was hooked (womp womp). 

@elysemyers

pov: you asked me about my sweater

♬ original sound - Elyse Myers

My first square turned out... okay.  I found that I had a hard time keeping the stiches equal and I think I started it over a total of five times.  But I am happy to say that I was able to get it finished and once I was done with the first one I felt more comfortable making more.  Once I was confident, I did a ton of research on how to make the sweater and made a layout similar to what Elyse had done using the colors that I had available in my yarn.  Below is what I put together.  But if you watch the video above you can see that she did not need nearly as many squares so I am planning to make two of each color pattern at the bottom so I'll end up with 24 squares in total. 

Obviously it will take me a bit of time to get through 24 squares and then I'll have to go through the process of blocking the squares and piecing it together. To date I have made a total of 12 squares so I am about half way done with the actual crocheting process.  I have started doing research about blocking and piecing because I'm hoping that by the end of summer I'll have a sweater to wear in the fall/winter.  Below are the ones I have made so far - what do you think? The colors match the temperature blanket I made last year (by the way... I should probably talk about that too, huh?).  I'm excited to get to the point where I can start assembling into a sweater shape, but that will require me to finish all my squares first. 

Also, look at the below square... I was cackling when I got further into it because I kept thinking that it reminded me of something but I could not figure out what it was. Then it hit me... it is the same vibe as the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo! Did you watch Scooby Doo when you were little? I absolutely loved that show and how fun and silly it was. I wish I could go back and watch the original again for the first time just for the nostalgia. 

I thought the blue and yellow squares would be my favorites, but now that I've made what I've fondly called the Mystery Machine square I have deemed that one my new favorite square.  I actually think it could be fun to make some sort of blanket or something in those colors too.  We will see what I end up making. 

I'm still debating what color I want to make the wrist and neck pieces which is why they are beige/taupe in the sample above.  I'm debating the darker blue color or green but I think I will have to make a decision once I get the whole thing put together.  It will also depend on how I end up organizing the squares once I get them finished.  The image I created above needs a complete rework and since I am a visual person I may just have to wait until they're all done and can be put on the floor in front of me for placement. 

Of course, I will bring you along on this journey and give you updates as I move through the process of blocking the squares and binding the sweater together, but I am still a ways away from that as I need to finish a few other projects for friends that are having babies this year first. 

I decided to get myself a set of hooks, stitch markers and a little bag to carry them all.  Because who doesn't love a cute bag and cute craft supplies? I wanted to make sure I had options should I veer into another crochet project (which I already have btw - more on that later).  I found these black and gold hooks on Amazon and really liked them and of course I had to get cat-themed stitch markers, because cats.  To shop them for yourself, just click on the image below to be taken directly to the items. 

So can I officially say I learned how to crochet? I am going to say yes.  Am I a skillful crocheter? No.  Can I make only one square so far... yes.  But I am getting pretty darn good at that one square and am really enjoying learning all the new patterns/stitches that are available with crochet. 

So what do you think? Am I crocheter? Do you crochet? What is your favorite thing you've ever made? 

Have a wonderful day,

Jackie

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