Three weeks ago I got a new job and this was my first week on my own. My days are so full that each day at work feels like 2 hours. Needless to say my work has come home with me this week which has resulted in both my crochet hook and I experiencing separation pains. I have quite a few unscheduled hours this weekend so I look forward to reuniting with my new friend.
Saying that, I have been THINKING about my crochet progress which is part of the process for sure.
I am happy with my first attempt at a dishcloth; it is far from perfect and it still needs a border. To finish it I learned how to bind off the crochet and weaving in the ends. The binding off is so simple it, I believe it doesn’t even really deserve a name, but I guess it is an important step.
The next step was weaving in the ends of the yarn. For this I need a tapestry needle, which was not in my stash of supplies. But I did find one in the crochet kit I was gifted! There are many different ways to weave in the ends, so I chose a YouTube video called How to WEAVE IN ENDS Perfectly & Easily that Won’t Come Undone! which definitely sounds like something that what I would want.
I have a plan to do a second dishcloth in order to learn some new stitches. My future wee amigurumi animals will require skills in different stitch types, so to familiarize myself I think this is a good next step. Which stitch to choose?
In a quest for answers, I went to a new resource, Reddit, joined and searched a subReddit called r/crochet. The rationale was to add another source for my PLN. Unlike the Facebook groups, I am unable to ask questions, as I don’t have much of a presence on Reddit. But searching the subReddit provided some good advice. While I was there, I joined r/crochetpatterns which promises advice for beginners. And this is when I was introduced to what appears to be a most amazing website. called Ravelry. Ravelry is set up like an app, I believe there is an app available in the US. I couldn’t find an equivalent one available in the app store for Canadians. I am excited to explore this new community!
I also went back to Instagram and TikTok. While we are all witnessing that learning online is a great place for instruction, I realized it is also a great place for inspiration! I landed on this TikTok video which means the slip stitch in a combination which is called a crunch stitch.
@joannstores Save this for later! Such a great handmade gift to make for someone. #JOANN #diy #crochet #crochettutorial #handmadegifts #handmadewashcloth
Congratulations on your new job! I am finding the same thing bringing work home every day to get marking, report cards, and planning done makes time extremely precious. Give yourself some grace you are crushing it.
Karissa 🙂
Thank you for the encouraging words. I am very excited to start this job. I am happy to be spending some extra time on it, to really dig. my heels in. At the same time it is sure nice to have an excuse to sit down and crochet for a while at the end of the day
Hi Crystal,
You raise a very interesting point about TikTok (and similar sites). Sometimes we search them endlessly for tutorial videos, but they are valuable for inspiration alone. I have found so many different gardening ideas (my summer hobby), or book recommendations, just from scrolling. It’s nice to feel inspired by the joyful little things in our world. I look forward to hearing more about Ravelry…glad you were able to stumble upon it using Reddit.
Thanks for you comments Kimberley. I so agree that it is nice to get inspiration from all the joyful little things. We just need to moderate that scrolling!
Hello, Crystal, You’re doing great with your crocheting! Your stitches look neat and well-formed, and it’s clear you’ve put a lot of effort into your work. Keep going—your progress is impressive.
Wow Crys! Even an experienced crocheter found some tips. Love the title of your blog. When I get home you’ve inspired me to get the crochet back on my hook! Keep creative.