Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Tips for Learning Crochet + Hello Kitty Amigurumi!

 It feels awesome learning new skills! Crochet is something I've wanted to learn for so long, but it's taken me years! I first tried it out a couple of years ago and had originally decided it wasn't for me, because I literally could not grasp the concept of it. But I decided to try again a few months ago because I was determined to figure out how to make a Hello Kitty amigurumi figure after my friend gifted me with a Sanrio character-amigurumi how-to book for my birthday.

I know I've already showed off my crochet skills, (back in March: for the Birthday Cake IGGPPC Craft Challenge), but I had actually completed this Hello Kitty before I did the cake. It just took this long for me to finally photograph it! ;)


Check it out:










 I know that it's SUPER WONKY but keep in mind: this was my very first time making an amigurumi figurine!  Also, I just used whatever yarn I already had on hand, (well in reality, what my mom had on hand), so that's why she's green.

(my friend suggested that it could be a zombie Hello Kitty. Why not.)


Embroidering the facial features was also a lot harder than I thought it would be.. and by the end I was so anxious to finish it that I just sewed on her body parts any old way, hence the visible threads. Sue me.


Have you ever wanted to try out crochet?  Here are some tips!


Handy TIPS:


Find BOOKS, and YOUTUBE VIDEOS !!


Make sure the books contain CLEAR photos and that the instructional steps aren't too "wordy".. They should be as concise and simplified as possible so that you don't get lost. And of course, photos for every single step help tremendously! In fact, the book that I used that finally helped me "get" it, (after staring through countless other resources) was called "AmiguruMe" by Allison Hoffman. I highly recommend it!

And aside from books, good, clear, and professional YouTube instructional videos are necessary to see the process in action!


Learn and Do ONE Tiny Step at a Time


Start with ONE thing, and ONE thing only. For example, I (for some reason) was having trouble understanding the term "yarn over", for the loooooongest time. And I soon discovered that if I ever skipped a "yarn over" at any point, the entire step/stitch turned out completely wrong! Find out what the essentials are, and master them one at a time!


When You Master a stitch, make a Project Using just that ONE

 

When I finally understood "yarn over" once and for all, I made a circle using ONE singular stitch, (the Single Stitch) until I mastered that one.. and then the "Double Crochet Stitch", and the "Half Double Crochet Stitch", and so on. (There's a ton of stitches in crochet!) Before you know it, you'll be mixing them all up into one super cool project.


When All Else Fails, Enlist Help



Sometimes, no matter how many photos or videos you stare at, it helps to have somebody there in person showing you how to do something. Luckily for me, my mom knows a bit about crochet, and she would happily watch me while I tried something and told me whether or not I was doing it right, or showed me a different way to do something. Everyone has a unique approach to things, so if the way one YouTuber does it isn't working for you, you can enlist someone else to show you a different method and it helps a lot! If you don't have a crocheting mommy or grandmommy, ask your coworkers, your friends, that sweet looking elderly woman in the doctor's waiting office at your next appointment... Find someone who knows how to crochet and beg for help!

 

 And most importantly: don't give up!


Ok, well, I gave up several times before I finally got it. There were times when I just thought I would NEVER grasp the idea of this, but I kept at it, I made stupid mistakes, (and yes, I got frustrated and threw things across the room), but one day.. something just CLICKED. And suddenly, everything else finally made sense.

Stick to it! Wait for your "clicking" moment, and then celebrate!



Hope that help!







1 comment:

  1. Knitting and crocheting are both skills I want to learn. I'm looking for a more portable crafting hobby, since I don't want to tote my sewing machine around if I go out of town.

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