#17- Learn to Crochet

Okay, I’m not there yet. I am not at the place where I can crochet beautiful blankets like my friend Andrea. But I’m getting there, very slowly. About 12 years ago my grandma taught me how to make “granny squares.” That was basically the extent of my crochet knowledge, actually, it still is, but I’m trying something new. Given the horrible economy, the lack of people buying furniture and the bills (oh the bills). I decided that this will be a “get creative” Christmas.
One of my favorite “homemade” gifts is those little scrubby pad things that people knit or crochet. So I decided to try to make some. I found a pattern online for crocheted ones, and so I decided to give it a try. (Friends and family who are reading this, look for scrubby pads in your Christmas present, that is unless I get tired of making them.)

Challenge number 1 was remembering how to do a double crochet. After some practice it came back (since it is the featured stitch in a granny square). Challenge number 2 was figuring out what the things are made out of. You’ll never guess. They’re made out of nylon net! So now, in addition to figuring out how to crochet, I”m figuring out how to crochet with strips of nylon. It’s a new level of challenge, which is why I think I can say that I am learning to crochet, even though I haven’t learned any new stitches.

Since I started this post (this is one of those posts that has lingered in my draft box for a while) I have gradually expanded my crochet skills to include dish cloths and cat toys. Well the cat toys were more a way to practice other skills, but they are quite useful. My cat loves her newly crocheted round things that she chases all over the house. She also loves to eat the yarn so I have to make sure that whatever dangly thingys the yarn rounds have on them is thick enough that she won’t eat it completely off. (This has already happened with a few of her new toys but she hasn’t gotten sick yet, so apparently cotton yarn is digestible for cats) Anyway, depending on whether I get all the other crochet stuff done I think the next project might be a couple of hats and/or a scarf. We’ll have to see if I get all the scrubbies and dish cloths done first though.