Crocheting from a Pattern—A Personal Account

Once I’d finally managed to top up my store credit and download a pattern, I was ready to go. Crochet yarn, hook, and coffee were all set. A first glance at the pattern, a frown, another look… time for a cup of coffee. Somehow, these things look completely different from my knitting charts. Grabbed my glasses. Skimmed through the pattern again… Hey, there are pictures in there. Maybe I should read past the first half-page. So, out with the yarn. This feels… strange. Definitely not sock yarn. After the second round, I compared the picture to my own work… somehow it looks different. I sighed loudly, set the crochet hook aside, and pulled on the thread. Back to the beginning. Stopped after the chain stitches—printed out the pattern. From then on, I carefully checked off each step. After a few hours, the first part was finished—and it even looked almost exactly like the one in the pattern. On to the next part. A few hours later… it looked weird. So… asymmetrical. So back to the part I’ve mastered best by now—unraveling. Next attempt.
That’s how it went for every section. I think I’ve learned quite a bit about crocheting along the way. The result isn’t perfect, but I think it’s definitely presentable.

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I’m still at least 10 hours away from the two hours the author of the pattern mentions. But I’m not giving up hope.

That looks good. I really like that you’re sticking with it and not giving up, even if it doesn’t go so well at first.
You definitely have potential! :)
Which pattern are you going to try next?

Now I’ve got two more pairs of shoes to make—I still have about 14 days left, according to the doctors involved :) Let’s hope the little ones aren’t in too much of a hurry :)
After that… good question… I’m not quite sure yet. I’ve already made a hat—it wasn’t that bad. My sister is begging for a poncho—I’d like a shawl—so we’ll see :)

So you have 11 days left now, if I counted right?
Being heavily pregnant in this heat—I can’t imagine that’s all that easy.
I hope you’re managing well.
And I hope that with those two little ones, you’ll still find time for crafts and for the forum here.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you—please let me/us know how things are going for you, if you’d like.

Nope—not me, two acquaintances of mine are the ones having the little ones :) And if I’m to believe what they say, they’d rather it were winter right now *laughs* The last little ones that kept me from sleeping had four legs and went “meow”—or something like that. So I’m sure I still have time, even though my other hobby already takes up a hell of a lot of it.
The shoes are finished by now, as are various knitted versions—it’s just that the Chucks had caught my eye months ago—I just didn’t dare pick up the crochet hooks.
In the meantime, I’ve started something that’s supposed to turn into something poncho-like later on—but THAT’S going to take quite a while if I keep going at this pace.
 

Oh, then I must have misunderstood. I’m sorry about that, but I would have been really happy for you if those had been your little ones.
That’s just the downside of the internet—you can’t see the other person, so sometimes you misunderstand things.
But on the other hand, you get to talk to lots of people you wouldn’t otherwise meet because they might be too far away geographically.

So how’s the poncho coming along?

Nice shoes!