The Penguin crochets now too!*

*more accurately, the Penguin CAN crochet, though she definitely still prefers to knit.

 

 

One of the programs we have at our library is a knitting and crocheting program.  Knitters meet in the evenings on 1st Tuesdays, crocheters on the 3rd.  Mostly basic learn-the-craft type instructions, but that's all good too.  Everyone has to start somewhere, right?  And no, I actually don't run them. My shifts are usually during the day, because of my own programs and duties, and we have another knitter on staff who leads these groups.

 

Last month, it looked like there'd be a night where I actually did have to lead the group, though.  And of course, it wasn't the knitting night.  It was the crocheting.  So I had to brush the rust off and fill in some gaps in my crafting knowledge.  It's only a beginning group, like I said, but I still need to be able to answer questions, right?  The way things turned out that week, I didn't need to cover the group's meeting after all, but that wasn't before I'd already knocked out two and a half dishcloths relearning the crochet stitches!

 

Not wasted time and effort though, since I might have to cover one or the other group again in the future (the only other needlecrafter on staff), and it gave me the motivation to actually figure out crocheting.  I've known the basics (in theory, not in practice) for a few years now.  I am comfortable making a chain, and using crocheting to edge my knitting or to seam it or to add tassels or something.  But an actual crocheted object?  Not until now...

 

 

One of the biggest hurdles was the act itself, not just making the stitch.  You hold a crochet hook usually one of two ways: like a pencil or like a butter knife.  This is INCREDIBLY awkward for a lefty holding a hook in her right hand.  It took a good bit of repetition to just feel remotely comfortable doing that motion alone!  Why don't I just use my left hand, you ask?  Because as I'm re-teaching myself, I'm depending on images and videos online or in magazines; I don't have someone I can easily ask in person.  And there are many, many more righty directions than lefty.  So, to make my movements match the directions, I have to use my right hand (easier to do than trying to mirror everything while still learning).  Plus, whenever I feel brave enough to try a crochet pattern, that'll be written for someone using their right hand.  I've learned to transpose my knitting directions as needed, but I'm not quite ready to do that crocheting!

 

So what did I actually make? 

 

 

I ended up making 5 dishcloths (4 shown above - the 5th is just another round one like the 4th).  For the first three, I chained about 20-25 stitches, then worked a stitch until the piece was dishcloth-sized.  Left to right below (and above, actually), we have a single crochet square dishcloth, a double crochet, and a treble (triple) crochet. The single and treble crochet squares actually came out pretty neatly.  I don't know what happened to the double crocheted one, coming out wonky like that.  I mean, I know it's because my stitch count changed between rows, but why I was not tracking... a mystery for the ages.  Probably got too absorbed in the episode of whatever I was watching!  :)  Still, very good practice and it's perfectly functional as a dishcloth.

 

   
 

The last two were ones worked in the round.  I found a basic diagram and just worked it in single crochet until, again, it was dishcloth-sized.  I'd provide the link, like I always try to, but I probably couldn't find it again if I tried.  It's a pretty basic crochet-in-the-round circle, though, nothing too fancy.  And like I said, I made two round ones.

 

 

Overall, yes, I do definitely prefer knitting.  My hands got more tired crocheting than they do with knitting.  When I knit, I don't turn my work; I'm always looking at the right side.  This is a little unusual, but it also means that I'm not ALWAYS doing the same movement.  Gives my hands a little bit of a break, which means that I can keep going longer without getting sore or stiff.  In practical terms, I can knit through a whole movie without feeling cramped or stiff, not just a TV episode (standard units of measuring time, right?).  Crochet uses the same motion all the time, and always with my right hand.  And I probably grip my hook a little tightly too.  A consequence of still learning and being a bit unsure of what I'm doing.  Perfectly understandable, but it is more tiring on the hand.  It's like writing really long essays by hand, if you remember those days in school.  Your hand just gets tight and stiff and a little sore if you keep pushing it.  That's how crocheting was for me.

And in general, I like the knit stitch and it's resulting fabrics better than I like the crocheted equivalents.  Not that there aren't cute or pretty crocheted pieces.  Just in general, I prefer the look of knitted fabrics.  Personal preference, so just take it for the quirk it is!

 

 

Still, crocheting is very fast, and can use up a lot of yarn very quickly (the crochet stitch uses more yarn per stitch than the knit or purl stitch does).  Perfect for gifts or for using up craft acrylic or dishcloth cotton!  And it is always nice to have another crafting skill under my belt, just in case I want to make that super cute amigurumi...

Requisite kitty-crafting picture, you ask?  Take a look at the very first picture.  Yes, those are kitten toes at the edge of the frame.  Scruffy has to investigate anytime I'm taking pictures of my crafting stuff, but I was able to snap the shot before he decided he wanted to sit on it to gain my attention. :)