No matter where I am or what city I go to, when the weather turns cold there are crocheted scarfs, hats, and gloves worn by the scores. I bet the money spent on these items is in the millions at this point - could I be underselling this guestimate?
Last fall, these little seasonal gems got me thinking - How can I tap into this market with a product that is similar, cheaper, easier (for me to produce), and with a less-than-typical look? The answer came one day when I went to church - of all place! One Sunday in November I passed by a tub filled with yarn. Yellow ones....blues ones....multi-colored ones....all with thick, thin, and every feel in between. It seems the ladies in the church will crochet or knit blankets or shawls for those confined to their homes. Many years ago, my mother had taught me how to crochet, but I'd never continued the habit. As I remember it, many of my "projects" ended up curling within themselves, or, boredom set in at a mind-boggling speed.
Back to the church-tub inspiration: Eyeing this tub of cotton, acrylic, and wool, I decided to retry my hand at this old French pastime. At first the old unwanted habit of curling bits began to happen, which immediately discouraged me. Oddly enough, though, no matter how many times I'd put my miniature hammock down in frustration, I always felt compelled to pick it up and give it one more try. Perhaps it's age, maturity, or a last grasp of patience, but I became obsessed with correcting my crocheting. I'd Google patterns, watch YouTube how-tos religiously, I even tried my hand at visiting a yarn store near my house to get some tips....which developed into a near panic-attack when I tried to find an aluminum crocheting needle, but only found "professional" ones made of steel with plastic ergonomic finger holds.
When I revealed my new-found love to my sister, she revealed to me a suitcase-sized amount of scarves, throws, and shawls she'd made. I'd had no idea! She tried in big sis desperation to walk me through the "single crochet," "double crochet," and an attempt at "treble," or, "triple crochet" wording, but without a basic knowledge her concepts were nothing but foreign to me. Thinking that I was doing a single crochet, I found out three projects in that I was actually creating all my items with a slip stitch.... completely .... throughout every neckwarmer, bracelet, and cup cozy. Now, don't get me wrong, this stitch is quite a handsome, clean look for a project, but also very time consuming. I was creating a garment in a week when it really should have only taken me a couple of days! But, when you don't know you are wasting time, it's pretty irrelevant, right?
Last fall, these little seasonal gems got me thinking - How can I tap into this market with a product that is similar, cheaper, easier (for me to produce), and with a less-than-typical look? The answer came one day when I went to church - of all place! One Sunday in November I passed by a tub filled with yarn. Yellow ones....blues ones....multi-colored ones....all with thick, thin, and every feel in between. It seems the ladies in the church will crochet or knit blankets or shawls for those confined to their homes. Many years ago, my mother had taught me how to crochet, but I'd never continued the habit. As I remember it, many of my "projects" ended up curling within themselves, or, boredom set in at a mind-boggling speed.
Back to the church-tub inspiration: Eyeing this tub of cotton, acrylic, and wool, I decided to retry my hand at this old French pastime. At first the old unwanted habit of curling bits began to happen, which immediately discouraged me. Oddly enough, though, no matter how many times I'd put my miniature hammock down in frustration, I always felt compelled to pick it up and give it one more try. Perhaps it's age, maturity, or a last grasp of patience, but I became obsessed with correcting my crocheting. I'd Google patterns, watch YouTube how-tos religiously, I even tried my hand at visiting a yarn store near my house to get some tips....which developed into a near panic-attack when I tried to find an aluminum crocheting needle, but only found "professional" ones made of steel with plastic ergonomic finger holds.
When I revealed my new-found love to my sister, she revealed to me a suitcase-sized amount of scarves, throws, and shawls she'd made. I'd had no idea! She tried in big sis desperation to walk me through the "single crochet," "double crochet," and an attempt at "treble," or, "triple crochet" wording, but without a basic knowledge her concepts were nothing but foreign to me. Thinking that I was doing a single crochet, I found out three projects in that I was actually creating all my items with a slip stitch.... completely .... throughout every neckwarmer, bracelet, and cup cozy. Now, don't get me wrong, this stitch is quite a handsome, clean look for a project, but also very time consuming. I was creating a garment in a week when it really should have only taken me a couple of days! But, when you don't know you are wasting time, it's pretty irrelevant, right?
Don't worry...I'm much better now and just like my teachers, coaches, parents, grandparents, neighbors, pastor, and mailman advised, practice does make perfect. While I wouldn't say that I am in the realm of perfection, I have learned a few tricks, appropriate lingo, and techniques in the world of crocheting, and since November 2009, I've completed seven neckwarmers, four bracelets, two cup cozies, five hats (three berets and two beanies), a cast cover (when my 8 year old was pretending his arm was broken), a small draw-string bag, a bolster, and a horizontal-shaped wallet-looking sleeper for aforementioned 8 year old's miniature dolphin.
I look forward to continuing to hone my skills on your garments :-).
