Meet Heather
Since I have a passion for crocheting, I thought I’d set up a blog where I can share that passion. I’ve set up a gallery where I’ll post pictures of things I’ve created, a page for free patterns where I’ll post my feeble attempts at writing up patterns, which I admit now aren’t very well done (but I’m learning and improving as I go).
My crochet background is pretty basic. I started my yarn addiction early. At the age of four, my grandmother taught me the basic chain and it just grew from there. After mastering the chain and learning single and double crochet from Grandma, I basically watched others and read instructions and later looked things up online to learn the rest. There are still some stitches I have yet to get the hang of but I think I do alright with what I do know. My grandmother never used patterns for crocheting, which is probably why I never really learned to read them all that well or write them out. Once I make something, I tend to remember how to do it for future projects. However, I’ve had some interest shown in the things I’ve been making lately, so I’m bumbling through the process of learning to write out a pattern that makes sense to someone other than me. It’s slow going, but I’ll eventually get there.
My hook size of choice is the handy dandy “H” because it’s not too small nor is it too big. I primarily use aluminum hooks, though I do own one bamboo (which I really like), some plastic (they’re mostly just for “collecting” purposes, plus they were free) and a set of steel crochet hooks. I have very old hooks (they were my grandmother’s) and I have brand new hooks (just bought one yesterday May 27, 2010). I also have a nice collection of knitting needles, though I’m not very good at knitting. I can do the two basic stitches and not much else there. Give me hook and give me yarn any day. Sewing, at least for me, is a disaster. It’s just a skill I’ve never managed to pick up, which means I’m not very good at cross stitch either, though I can, oddly enough, create all kinds of things with plastic canvas. Go figure.
I’m not much of a pattern follower. I pretty much use a pattern as a guide, unless it’s something super simple that I can easily follow (some patterns baffle me). I look at pictures of things people have made and can then fiddle with it until I get an approximation of the item (most times). Clothing items are my downfall. The patterns for tops and such confuse the hell out of me, though I do have a tank top I’m making in thread around here somewhere that I need to drag out and finish (I made it up as I went, so no pattern reading involved), and I did manage to make myself a sweater. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a first for me and I’m proud of it. I primarily made blankets (afghans) until a few years ago when I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried new things, like shawls, wraps, bags and dolls. That’s when the Yoda doll (pictured below on this page) I made my son was born, and a new addiction was started. I then made a teacup chihuahua for my mother for Christmas. I’ve become a pro at making totes and other assorted bags (I am a bag addict after all), and I’ve made countless outfits for Build-A-Bears. I’m currently creating items for my pet guinea pig, Trilby.
Enough rambling for now. Let’s get to the good stuff.
