Delete Account @ everyone, please click here: Who had trouble as a beginner but got better over time? Please post some words of encouragement in this thread, thanks

Hello,
I’d like to delete my profile. How do I do that?
Best regards, Classica

Hello Classica
may I ask what you don’t like?
The account itself is free, so you could just leave it active.
You can also download the free patterns anytime
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/kostenlos
The Support will help you delete your account if that’s really what you want.
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/contacts/support

I thought I could make beautiful things like the ones on the site, but I’m just not cut out for it. I just want out.

First of all, thanks for your reply.
Everyone started out small—even the pros had crooked edges and uneven stitches at first. Don’t get discouraged; just stick with it a little longer. You can ask questions here in the forum anytime, and the respective authors will also be happy to help you.

@everyone
Please be so kind as to share a bit about your early days so Classica knows she’s not alone. I’m sure you weren’t always skilled at crafts, but you’ve all gotten better over time.
I edited the title—don’t be surprised. I just don’t want anyone to give up in frustration, so it would be great if you could share a few kind words. Thank you.

Well, I’ve been knitting and crocheting for as long as I can remember, but I took a very long “break” in between and only got back into my hobby a few years ago. I only really got back into crocheting seriously this year, though, and of course I had my fair share of beginner’s struggles.
But now it comes quite easily to me, and I can even crochet in the car (as a passenger, of course *grin*).

I also admire all the beautiful things here, especially the animals and the decorations. I haven’t tried making those yet, but I plan to soon. So even if the stitches look a little wonky at first—it doesn’t bother anyone! ☺☺

Well, there’s a wide variety of crafts offered here. Maybe you just haven’t found the right one for you yet. It’s also very important to start with small, easy projects. That way, you’ll have your first little success and can try it several times until it looks the way you want it to. Sometimes it’s just a matter of choosing the wrong project.
After I gave up on knitting back then, I wanted to crochet a scarf. Despite several attempts, it turned out terribly crooked and lopsided. Next up were pot holders. They looked better, but were still far from perfect—though they got better with each try. A scarf still wasn’t working out. But tablecloths actually came more easily to me. So I crocheted a whole bunch of tablecloths. Next came amigurumi, where unevenness isn’t immediately noticeable or is easier to forgive. After many, many other projects, I can now crochet scarves, jackets, and so on—and they’re no longer crooked either ;)

Hi Classica,
I signed up here about half a year ago because I had started crocheting again. My first project (a loop scarf) looked terrible.
My second project, a hat, looked better—it actually looked good—but the size wasn’t right. It was way too big. (I’m using it as a storage basket now).
At first, I only used free patterns to practice. Now, most of the things I make look pretty good, and I’m getting more confident with every project. Right now, I’m crocheting a dress for myself. It’s quite challenging. I have to unravel things every now and then. But I think it’s going to turn out great!
Start with simple projects—that way, you’ll see quick results and won’t give up. Crafting is so much fun.
And what’s especially great here is that if you get stuck, there are always helpful tips right here on the forum. Or if you have a specific question about a pattern, just send an email to the designer and you’ll get a reply very quickly.
I hope I was able to encourage you
! Best regards,
Arni

Hi Classica,
the fact that you’d like to make beautiful handicrafts is already the first step toward your goal.
I don’t know what you feel you’re failing at, or what basic skills you have.
But every beginning is hard, and practice makes perfect.
Back in the day (about 40 years ago), I only knitted clothing in all kinds of styles and patterns, and I never even touched a knitting needle larger than size 2.5.
At first, many UFOs (unfinished objects) ended up in the corner and sometimes even in the trash, but I didn’t give up. It was a big challenge, so I practiced all kinds of patterns before I successfully tackled my first major project.
That’s when my fate was sealed: I’d be hooked on needlework for as long as I could. In the ’80s, crocheting became trendy—curtains and tablecloths made with crocheted patchwork (using 1.5–1.75 mm crochet hooks), but with fabric squares crocheted around them—they were simply gorgeous, a “must-have,” and I shifted my focus.
I remember how often the fabric would tear, and how the stitches looked terrible and uneven, but even then I didn’t give up—I was almost obsessed with reaching my goal. Two years later, on the advice of friends and relatives, I opened my own needlework shop and even designed models for well-known magazines. In recent years, the target audience has changed; sometimes I work with needle sizes that look like broomsticks to me, and as a designer, it’s a real challenge to design even small pieces like amigurumi and the like.
But I don’t give up here either, and when I finally design a tiny piece, it takes many, many hours—and sometimes a lot of gritting my teeth. If you’ve decided on a model—and it might not work out until your third try—I think that’s perfectly normal.
The needle size, the yarn, the pattern, and, most importantly, the difficulty level should, of course, suit you and your basic skills. Maybe start with something small, even if you don’t need it right away—it’s the success that counts.
And the pride you’ll feel when you can upload your first project to our gallery will surely encourage you to reach your goal and improve your skills. I’m definitely rooting for you. Have a wonderful, sunny day, everyone
Best regards, Moni

Dear Classica,

I’ve met many people who thought they couldn’t knit or crochet. But that wasn’t true. They just hadn’t yet come across patterns they could follow. It’s an easy step from there to giving up.

For years, I bought beautiful, colorful craft magazines because I liked a pattern in them. But I could never recreate them because the patterns were too brief and not tailored to my beginner level. Yet I really wanted to be able to do it. So I bought a knitting magazine (“Modische Maschen”) where the individual stitches were described in great detail with pictures right at the beginning. There was no internet or YouTube back then. So I tried each stitch one by one and compared it to see if it looked like the picture. And then I worked my way through, stitch by stitch. No, the pieces didn’t look great yet, but I was very proud and happy about my progress. And the next time, I tried another small new thing, and that’s how I learned over time. Everyone starts with small steps, and everyone keeps learning.

If you just gave up trying, you’d miss out on the wonderful world of handcrafts. They bring so much joy, even if you struggle with every stitch at first. But it gets better with every project!

How about we start a thread where we (the designers) compile our patterns that we consider particularly “beginner-friendly”? There’s bound to be something there that catches your eye right away. Then you’ll tackle it and won’t stop until the project—no matter how crooked or lopsided—is finished. And if you have questions along the way or get stuck, just reach out to the designer. They’re just a person like you and me. I get requests like that, too, and then we exchange emails and send pictures back and forth, taking a closer look at the problem area and figuring it out.

I once had a customer who wrote to me skeptically, saying she’d already tried 12 times to knit a lace shawl—that is, a shawl made of very thin yarn.  My pattern would be her 13th attempt. And what can I say—she succeeded and proudly and happily showed me her creation. Now she finally understood it because it was explained in such detail that she could follow along. She’s more confident now and has started her next project.

Warm regards from Ina

Thank you so much for the replies, everyone!
So far, I’ve only knitted scarves and infinity scarves. I also knitted a skirt once. The pieces turned out well and are admired by people I know.
But then I tried my hand at a sweater:
- First attempt: The front and back pieces were too big and didn’t match up. It was also knitted too loosely.
- Second attempt: I thought I’d use a smaller needle size. I recalculated everything to figure out how many stitches and rows I needed. But it turned out too small, and the two pieces didn’t match up again.
And I hadn’t even knitted the sleeves yet! I unraveled everything and turned it into a throw! I can only knit straight, and that really annoys me! Decreases and increases come out uneven—one part ends up longer or wider than the other... I don’t feel like investing any more money in yarn that ends up looking terrible because of all the unraveling and ends up in the basket!

I’m really sorry to hear that. Having to rip out your work over and over again is frustrating.
I also really dislike knitting tops—not because of irregular shapes, but because the seams annoy me. ;-)

Why don’t you try knitting a poncho for starters? You knit it from the top down, so nothing can turn out irregular. :-)

Hang in there! It would be a shame if you gave up.

@Classica
don’t get discouraged—it gets better with time.

@all
thanks for your encouraging words here in the thread.

Hi Classica,
I can only agree with the previous posters. After all,
no one is born a master :)
I discovered crocheting amigurumi about 3 years ago, and even now, when I’m sewing them together, I’m always convinced it won’t work out—only to be pleasantly surprised.
A teacher once told me, “If you give up right away, you’ve already lost.”
Go ahead and throw your work against the wall, leave it there for two hours… and then pick it back up!!!
Even if a piece doesn’t turn out exactly how you imagined, treat it as practice and learn from your mistakes… next time it’ll be better, I promise!
To quote: rip it open, straighten your crown, and keep going. )

P.S. I’m also trying my hand (again) at a kids’ sweater… after sewing it together, now it’s time to take it apart, then unravel it, and then on to the second attempt…:

Hi Classica,

I actually learned needlework as a child, but I’ve only been doing it consistently for about 1.5 years now. I can really only encourage you: hang in there!!! Before every project I wasn’t sure about, I thought about what else I could make out of it.
And on the topic of sweaters: I tried raglan from the top down because that way I could try it on at any time and easily convert my gauge (using my yarn and needles) directly using online calculators. That resulted in a really nice practice piece—I don’t wear it, but I keep it here as a template for modifications (waist shaping, making the sleeves narrower or wider).
That gave me the courage to fulfill my best friend’s wish: to make a one-piece sleep suit in size 98/104 (you can find baby measurements for one-pieces everywhere, but this size was a challenge) for her little one (from 300 km away, so without any try-ons at all)—both the child and mom were and are very happy. So this was actually only my second finished garment (not counting socks and hats).
Best, Steff