Holy Guacamole - I'm Crocheting....

so after many many years of trying I can now say...I CAN CROCHET. No longer is the word used as a curse, no more is it muttered under my breath, no longer do I sit in a jealous rage as my friends "do it" for their loved ones! I have conquered this one. And it took a "village" to get me there.

People have been trying to teach me to crochet for over 50 years - and that's a big number! But with the help of two very dedicated friends and this wonderful new designer I've actually turned out something I'm not ashamed to share in public.

Standing proudly - I Am A Hooker!

So the designer is Ms. Alan aka "The Lovely Crow" - and she has an etsy shop and she can also be found on Ravelry! I was sitting around and saw her pattern and when I went to buy it - low and behold it was on sale for CyberMonday - so obviously it was meant to be - so being very frugal I grabbed 11 different patterns and started printing. Oh no - it calls for Caron's Simply Soft - so I call Karen...where exactly does one get Caron's Simply Soft where laughter erupts from the other end of the phone...uuhmmm you go to Michael's or Walmart. How funny is that...now it's funny because I don't use "that kind of yarn" - but now I'm off to buy some. Well actually - I didn't technically buy it but that's a different story!

So back to my road to enlightenment...I start reading the pattern and right there in the second paragraph are the following words - "I now have a vimeo account, with lots of video tutorials, which I'm adding to all the time". So my dear reader - you not only get a copy of the pattern with detailed instructions and pictures (start humming Alice's Restaurant" here) but you also get a link to a video of the designer actually making the project LINE BY LINE! All for the amazing low LOW price of $5.95. (less if you got it on CyberMonday) Now I know you've all bought one of those amazing "products" advertised on late night TV - and well things didn't quite turn out the way they promised. But I swear by everything I hold holy - this one worked for me!

I learned a "magic loop" - I went on to making my first round, I learned how to change colors, I made earflaps - I embellished, braided and didn't even have to block (the magic of acrylic). And I made a hat!!! So if I can make a hat how hard could a bootie be... Well, made the first bootie - wow I made a wee little shoe! Made the second bootie - which aside from color did not resemble the first bootie in the least. Yikers - my gauge is sooo not consistent!!! But after many more attempts - I made shoes - that MATCHED! I am unstoppable - I am Golden - I can CROCHET!

So I made another set for Gabbi's baby, and another set for "Adopt-A-Family" to go with the first set for the guild challenge for preemie's (did you know if you use the smallest size and drop down a hook size - ohhh you already knew that - quit smirking) Then I went on to the next pattern for a cloche and ribbon maryjanes and I used some stash yarn from a bucket of odds and ends - and there's another one for guild!!! I AM ON FIRE!

So enough of this blog stuff - I need to continue on with the help of the Crow, and Karen, and Robyn - there are heads and toes to warm - and who knows how long I have before I relapse into lace, cashmere and two sticks!