Obsessed with Crochet
It's been 7 months since I first picked up a crochet hook, and I am still very much in love with crochet. I've learned a ton over the last 7 months and am learning something new each week.
The main thing that I've learned is how supportive the online crafting community is. As someone starting out, I have found that asking questions is the best way to learn. Everyone I have encountered has been very helpful and friendly. Designers I look up to always respond to my comments and are happy to give insight into their process. As a new comer, I worried that I would be intimidated by all of the amazing crafters out there, but I have always felt extremely comfortable putting my crafts out there for all to see.
One of the most fascinating things to see is how many different ways pattern makers put their own touch onto a pattern of the same animal. The 3 pictures below are all giraffes, but no two look alike. I am constantly trying patterns by different designers to better understand the similarities and differences in their writing and designs.
Recently, I have started experimenting with different colors and yarn types. Below you can see the same pineapple pattern but each is slightly different. They first 2 are done in cotton yarn and the 3rd is done with acrylic yarn. You can see how the color and size changes the look of each pineapple (but they're all equally adorable).
Creating a pattern yourself is hard. I give a lot of credit to the artists that come up with their own original patterns. I tried to make my own pattern (pictured below) and it was much harder than I thought it would be. I never even got around to typing it up. I'll most likely stick to following patterns before I attempt to publish up my own.
Two words... Hobby Lobby.
I had only been crocheting a few days before my first trip to Hobby Lobby. Everyone had told me how great it was but I had never gotten around to going there myself. I now go there frequently. Their brand "I Love This Yarn" speaks for itself. They have it in a wide variety of colors and they're great for making amigurumis.