crochet 101

Granma Susan!

I'm putting in a traditional Granma request and I hope I am giving you an ample time slot to complete this request (if you want to/have time to, of course!).

This summer, as you know, will be spent on Avanti work and countless Bama Bound sessions. While some of my coworkers will be glad to have the freedom to spend their time engaging in stereotypical college activities, I would like to spend some of my free time reconnecting with an old middle school past time of ours, crocheting. Now I know you spent plenty of time teaching me and my siblings the art of crocheting, but as time has come and gone I have forgotten all of these techniques. But as my heart grows fond of staying in instead of going out to do the stereotypical college activities, I would love to be able to crochet (and crochet well, I might add, because my middle school self made an atrocious scarf with the number of stitches ranging from 9-15 for each row J again.

So now onto my request...since I am of no knowledge of crocheting, I was wondering if you could take the time from now and throughout the summer to video or write some crocheting tutorials for me. I know there are countless videos and tutorials online, but none of them are taught by my Granma (so basically they're pointless). I would request Skype calls with you to teach me but since I am unaware of the free time I will be having, I figured video/written tutorials would work for both our busy schedules.

Please let me know what you think and if you're up for the "challenge"!  Lots of love and missing you bunches, Madison ❤

I received this request via email a few weeks ago, wow how could a granma say no to that? Even though this granma has never made a video, or even knows how to. I felt out of my comfort zone technologically. But research and advice paid off and I posted the initial video, which just outlines the basics, with more detailed crochet lessons to follow.

When working with the video editing software, one of the options was to add music, so I clicked yes and a window popped up with all the music I have on my computer. There were a couple of good songs for crochet, like "chain, chain, chain, chain of fools" sung by Aretha Franklin and "unchain my heart" sung by Hugh Laurie (Dr. House) - you know because in crochet the chain stitch is the base of all other stitches. But when going to YouTube, I realized that those songs cannot be used due to copyright infringement. No worries, YouTube has lots of music (or sound effects) you can use that are acceptable. 

I sent a link to my debut video out to my critics (family) and received a thumbs-up. But I also received a suggestion that future lessons be posted AFTER this current semester is finished so as to focus spare time on academics instead of crafts. 

I also learned that Madison's plan is to make several crochet blankets this summer for future gifts... I know she is very ambitious and will probably do just that, but it would take me all summer to make one blanket, just saying.

A goal of mine is to hand down, pass down, not only family heirlooms (quilts etc.) but also family skills. I remember learning to crochet sitting on the couch in our little house at Fort Bragg, my mom and I keeping busy while dad was stationed in Korea for 13 months. I was probably 7 or 8 years old, making doll clothes. But it is like riding a bike, once you learn how to crochet (or knit or sew) you can pick it up again years later and know your way around. 

Of course the best way to teach someone is in person, but in this day and age, hopefully the video will do fine. Thanks Madison for the idea, for pushing me to learn something new myself, and for carrying on the family traditions.