☞ Question of the Week: How much experience do you have with crafts?

Dear users and authors,
please share how much experience you have with crafts. You can, of course, break it down by type of craft. Have fun!

Hi everyone :-)

Well then, I’ll go first. For me, crafts have always been something natural, yet at the same time something special, because so much work and love goes into every handmade piece.

I was surrounded by yarn even as a child. My mom and our very sweet older neighbor could do just about anything.
  Well, except for sewing! They enjoyed doing that too, but I really didn’t like wearing the things they made. That’s probably why I only sew the bare essentials myself.

I have no idea when I learned to knit, but it must have been pretty early on. Along the way, they also showed me all kinds of patterns, including the most intricate cables. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you want to!
And that’s why I put knitting on hold until I wanted to knit socks for my kids.

Even though knitting was the main craft in our home, I was lucky—my two ladies were also able to teach me filet crochet. I was more enthusiastic about that, but somehow it still wasn’t quite it. I didn’t need curtains for a long time, and I didn’t want to make tablecloths either.
  But I did love embroidered Christmas tablecloths. So they had to teach me embroidery too. Unfortunately, cross-stitch was as far as they could take me, but back then—and still today—“can’t be done” wasn’t an option for me, so I picked up the rest of my embroidery skills on my own and, at just under 20 years old, I was proud as punch that I could finally show my mom something for a change.
  In the meantime, though, my mom had taken up Hardanger embroidery, and of course I had to learn that too. But I soon felt I’d gotten all I could out of it, and besides, I was at an age where so many other things were more important.
So there was a break of almost 10 years during which I only did a little something now and then.
  After I picked up the needles again to knit children’s socks, sweaters and jackets naturally followed quickly, but somehow that wasn’t really it either, and I only enjoyed my needlework moderately.
I have no idea why I picked up the crochet hook again, but that was when it became clear where I belonged. With a crochet hook in hand,
I can somehow do anything, and “can’t be done” really doesn’t exist anymore.
I’m proud and grateful that my ladies taught me so many different crafting techniques, but the most important one for me is crochet. Maybe also because it was given less attention, and I was able to develop more freely there.
  Funny enough, even when I was 20, my mom would always call me over whenever she’d already explained some kind of craft to her friend eight times. Then I’d have to explain it, and suddenly everything would click. :-D I guess my mom trained me to be the family craft explainer.
I’m curious to hear what you all have to share.
Warm regards, Birgit 

Hello everyone...

I tried out various crafts as a child and really enjoyed them.
I started with crocheting, and also did some knitting and embroidery. But then I discovered my love for sports; I even attended a sports school, where we only did crafts sporadically. So for the past 25 years, crafts haven’t really been a part of my life.

Then, about 1 1/2 years ago, my son really wanted those loom bands. And we started creating the most beautiful bracelets. I also tried my hand at making what are called “loomigurumis”—basically amigurumis, but made from these loom bands.

  I quickly realized that I was having a lot of fun with it, so I swapped out the loom hook for a crochet hook, got some nice yarn, and slowly got started. The enthusiasm I’d once had as a child came back very quickly.

  So you could say that I’ve been back to crocheting for about 1 1/4 years now. I never really liked knitting that much.
I’ve slowly taught myself everything again, step by step. I can feel myself getting better with every pattern, and the ideas just keep flowing.

I think I’ll stick with this for good, as long as my health allows.

Best regards, Doreen

Hi,

I started in second grade.
The first thing we made was a snail-shaped pincushion using a knitting dolly. We were allowed to continue working on it at home—about 20 cm, according to our teacher. Well, I spent the whole weekend sitting on the living room floor, working on it. My snail had a diameter of 30 cm. My grandma ended up getting it, since she was a seamstress.

Then came knitting. Oh man, I loved it. My mom once joked that she only went to work to pay for my yarn :-)

By the time I was in middle school, I’d finished the curriculum between Christmas and Easter and was just working on my own projects. That’s what happens when you spend every free minute doing crafts.
Whether it was knitting, sewing, filet crochet, Hardanger, embroidery, or patchwork… I did it all. The only thing I don’t like to knit is socks (boring), and I’ll admit: it wasn’t until today that I crocheted my first pair of baby booties that actually look like baby booties (thanks to a coworker).

Since I have a few kids, I sewed and knitted for them, though I rarely crocheted for them. At some point, I just didn’t need to make curtains anymore :-)

Since my youngest wouldn’t accept store-bought stuffed animals, I tried making one… and he loved it. Somehow it just happened, and I ended up designing my own. 
Writing patterns put me off at first; I just collected my notes, and one day my mom asked, “What’s the big deal?” After all, I wanted to become a needlework teacher… which makes sense, with a seamstress as a grandma and a trained machine knitter as a mom.

Like Birgit, I’m also curious to hear what you have to say :-)
Hugs, Sabine

I started making hats on a knitting loom a good three years ago. Of course, we very quickly had a lot of hats, and I thought they needed matching scarves to go with them. I made those with a rectangular knitting loom, but that turned out to be tedious and very bulky. I still knew knitting, knit and purl stitches from school, and that’s how the first simple scarves came about. Crochet was added too, and then I discovered my first amigurumi... My first unicorn turned out gigantic because I crocheted it with yarn for needle size 10...
The next ones weren’t really pretty either, and I almost despaired over the magic ring! Including nasty fits of rage and grumbling. At some point it worked, and today I make them without thinking much about it.
The next challenge was treble crochet; today I like crocheting them.

Only sewing was and never will be my thing. In that respect, I consider myself completely lacking in talent, even though my mother always wanted to teach me. I own a sewing machine, but I’m not able to thread the yarn...

Well, you don’t have to be able to do everything... Conclusion: crochet without a crochet chart works quite well, knitting I can do knit, purl, dropped stitches, increases and decreases, and Tunisian crochet only the basic stitch and knit stitch, but no increases or decreases.
There’s still room for improvement in everything; I’ll keep at it...

I have also loomed, including large figures. But since the rubber bands became porous very quickly, the work wasn’t really worth it.

I learned to knit and embroider from my mother. Of course, needlework was also a must at a “Catholic” elementary school, but I then went on to a “Catholic” girls’ high school, where all kinds of needlework (sewing, embroidery, knitting, Tunisian crochet) were part of the basic curriculum.

With four children and a house of my own, I then had very little, if any, time for needlework for several years. Well—I still sewed Carnival costumes and costumes for the Three Kings. And I did crafts—from Window Color to candle-making—with the kids almost every day.

I only started knitting again a year ago—to be precise, when I gave away my craft supplies because there simply weren’t any kids left who wanted to join in. In my search for nice patterns in larger sizes, I realized that there was very little, if anything at all, that was beautiful and original.

So I started writing down and publishing my own patterns. By now, my mind never stops—ideas just keep pouring out. I’d really need six arms and 24 hours a day......

Hi everyone,

I’m one of the lucky ones who took HWK (handicrafts/woodworking/art) in school. And creative work has been a part of my life ever since. Only the materials and techniques change from time to time.

I learned to crochet and knit back in elementary school, and my grandma also taught me how to embroider. For a little over a year now, I’ve been publishing my own patterns and have fulfilled my dream of starting my own brand. I’m currently expanding my skills for the American market.

In addition to working with wool and yarn, I’m a big fan of upcycling. I’m not a fan of our throwaway society, so I upcycle as much as possible to pass things on at a low cost. In doing so, I often creatively repurpose materials and objects.
I also taught myself to sew, and I’ve also mastered lacquering, patination, and other visual and creative techniques.
  I also learned woodworking and clay work in my HWK classes and expanded my knowledge during a carpentry internship.
While I was in secondary school, I was lucky enough to take professional art classes for a while, which is how I learned to work with oil, watercolor, and acrylic paints. My work was even exhibited once.

And now that I’ve written this text, I find myself wondering how I ended up in an office job...

With that in mind, thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself.

Christina Lemberger

P.S.: My creativity has its limits. I can’t write, because I’d much rather write in dialect (I’m from Upper Bavaria).

Well then, I’d like to share too.....

The first kind of needlework I vaguely remember was when I was sitting on my mother’s lap and was allowed to “help” her with tapestry embroidery. She told me I was about 2 or 3 years old at the time, and I’ve been hooked on needlework ever since.

Embroidery right from the start. I made my first children’s embroidery picture all by myself at 4, then came table runners, tablecloths, and finally pictures. Since I really enjoy doing it, but neither hang them up nor put them out (relatives were always given generous gifts - and still are today), I needed something new.

At around 10, I started knitting. Well, I threw away the first 2 sweaters right after finishing them - they were so crooked and the colors were awful, even though I’d picked them out beforehand from my mother’s yarn stash.

After that, it faded away and I started sewing. That went much better, and from age 12 on I sewed all my skirts myself. Then blouses and things like that were added too, and at some point I went to fashion school, which I completed with vocational training. But somehow I still ended up in an office job. Over the years, though, I’ve sewn everything from simple wrist warmers to elaborate ball gowns. With the children, it somehow turned into being the household mending service.

Oh yes, since I never give up, I also took up knitting again. Though I really only do that for myself and for a very select few. I knit everything from dresses to winter coats, but I most enjoy doing it for myself. At least then it fits and has exactly the colors and quality I want.

Last but not least came crochet. By the way, I only learned that as an adult. And honestly, I thought I’d never learn it. It was really slow going with curtains (I don’t like them). The breakthrough came with the kids, who absolutely wanted self-invented animals. And I’ve been doing that for a good 5 years now. Though the first unicorn my daughter got looks more like a starving dog with legs that are too long.
Blankets and cushions, mainly crocheted from granny squares, have also found their way into our home. At last I found something I actually like to curl up under - which makes sense, considering how easily I get cold.

I also have to say that I now really enjoy introducing my friends to needlework, and they’re always delighted with the help.

Hi
I also learned needlework from my mother, so I was always ahead of my needlework teachers. When we had to knit socks at school, I knitted them in a two-colour pattern. Plain stockinette was too boring for me.
After knitting, crocheting, knotting and sewing, I discovered bobbin lacemaking as a teenager. It fascinated me so much that from 1992 to 1996 I studied design in the field of textile art at the Schneeberg University of Applied Arts. My focus was on bobbin lace.
I always enjoy designing and making my own lace.

Hi everyone,
I learned to crochet and knit from my grandma. Even before I started school, I was already crocheting skirts, scarves, and pants for my dolls. And this passion has stayed with me all these years, sometimes more, sometimes less. Four years ago, when my grandson was announced, I picked up my needles again, and since then it’s not only been a joy—it’s also been a kind of therapy. It calms me down and provides the perfect balance to my job.
By now, I’ve also come to realize that for me, the journey is the destination. I’m thrilled by new yarn and new patterns; the finished product is secondary. It’s the same with my patterns…… many are fully knitted but only half written up, and the next idea is already there…… and it all keeps going merrily on. 

You’ve all written such lovely stories here :)

I had my first experience with crafts back in elementary school when I made a little crocheted pouch. I didn’t enjoy it at all, and I still remember very well that I needed my grandma’s help. Since I couldn’t figure it out at all, she finished crocheting the pouch for me. At school, everyone was amazed by it *laughs* I don’t even remember if I ever cleared that up. Probably not ;)

In any case, I was glad when the needlework unit was over. In the years that followed—and even up until a few years ago—I always thought of crocheting as something only older people did. Luckily, I’m wiser now :) My grandma crocheted and knitted the most beautiful things. Everything you can imagine, and I really enjoyed wearing those things. It was all fine as long as I didn’t have to crochet or knit myself. My thing was more drawing, painting, and writing.

So how did I get back into crocheting? Two years ago, I discovered a crochet kit for a fluffy hat in a craft store. I liked it so much that it was enough to motivate me to learn how to crochet. I didn’t know anything at all (since it had been so long—or rather, I’d never actually learned). Holding a crochet hook, what a stitch looks like, and so on—it was all new territory for me. Thanks to crochet books, YouTube, and “learning by doing,” I taught myself how to crochet. At that time, my grandmother was already suffering from severe dementia and could no longer help me. She passed away last year. I then inherited all her craft supplies. You can imagine what kind of collection she’d amassed over several decades of crafting. I was still able to put some of it to good use, though, and I’ve been crocheting every day ever since. It really helped me get through a difficult time (because last year was pure chaos for me), and I’m sooo glad I gave crafting another chance :D If someone had told me that just two years ago, I would have laughed at them. I’d also like to learn how to knit someday. I think my grandma would be proud.

Best wishes, Steffi

I’ll join in, too :-)

It all started with a knitting spool in kindergarten. I couldn’t make anything except those basic “sausages,” but I made them with passion and in huge quantities. No idea where my mom always got rid of all those many, many meters of yarn “sausages” ;-)

I crocheted for the first time in 2nd grade. It came sooo easily to me, and I loved it. The highlight (which was even graded) was a seal we had to crochet. It consisted of a square of single crochet stitches that you then had to fold into a triangle and stuff. The accessories (flippers, etc.) were cut out of foam rubber and glued on.
Since I was having so much fun, I didn’t make just one—I made three seals right away! And instead of gluing the accessories on, I crocheted them. I had no idea how to crochet in the round, but I still managed to make the flippers without a pattern! I got an “A” with a star, and I was proud as can be!

In fourth grade, I crocheted myself a handbag, just winging it without a pattern. It was even two-toned and had a button closure! :-)

After that, there was a break for years… until, three years ago, we were discussing whether Yoda from Star Wars was a doll or an animated character. So I Googled “Yoda doll”—and saw a crocheted Yoda! I just HAD to have it! As luck would have it, it was a Sunday when stores were open, so I went out and got some yarn in Yoda colors and a crochet hook.

That Yoda was a disaster! I didn’t mark any stitches—I just counted. For decreases and increases, I improvised as I went along; for color changes, I simply knotted the ends of the yarns together. I stuffed Yoda with cosmetic cotton, and the yarn ends were knotted on the outside of Yoda as inconspicuously as possible. The doll is super ugly, but I was incredibly proud of it, and it still has a place of honor in the display case in the living room.

After that, there was another 1.5-year break, but then it started all over again… I unpacked my hooks and had to crochet EVERYTHING I knew and loved from back then… Especially Pokémon ;) As they say, practice makes perfect, and so my creations kept getting better and better.

At Christmas 2015, I was commissioned to crochet a Homer Simpson. I looked for a pattern (back then I didn’t know that it wasn’t allowed because of copyright) and the only usable one I found was too expensive for me at 10€. So: I decided to do it myself. I crocheted my own Homer and wrote my own pattern. The Homer turned out better than I’d ever hoped, so I decided: I’m going to keep at it! :-) Well, here I am now, and my third pattern is coming soon! :-)

By the way, I can’t knit or do anything like that—my grandma showed me once, but it still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. But we’ll see what the future brings.

Hi everyone, there are so many great stories here—I don’t want to withhold mine from you either ;-)

When I was a little girl—I don’t even remember how old I was, just as far back as I can remember—my mother and my grandma showed me all kinds of handicrafts, like crocheting, knitting, and embroidery. I was so excited about being able to create something myself that I was unstoppable. Even back then, part of my allowance went on yarn :-) I made clothes and accessories for my sister’s dolls and my own; I still remember a little pouch for money to wear around my neck, as well as a large doorstop made from leftover yarn, various scarves, pouches, and a little mouse—today we’d probably call it an amigurumi—that I gave to my grandma. It hung from the key to a door on her living room cabinet—behind it were her gummy bears.

Back then, I made everything from memory without any patterns; if something didn’t fit, I’d unravel it and start all over again. At school, we did very little

needlework—a bit of embroidery in elementary school, and then in 6th grade we had a textiles class—and after that, there was a long break... For years, I didn’t crochet or knit at all—only shortly before the birth of my first son did I rediscover this hobby and start making things for him and for myself. That was a good 7 years ago now :-)

After a few more or less successful attempts to crochet or knit from patterns (for one thing, I’m not very good at sticking exactly to patterns, and for another, something always had to be changed or adjusted because it just didn’t fit), I went back to crocheting and knitting freely.
And from there, it was only a small step to writing and publishing my own patterns... and here I am now :-)

Best, Sylvia