Are you winging it or controlling it?

Are you just winging it?

You would think crocheting is an exact discipline - and in a way, it is, you create the stitches based on instructions, you practise, and you follow a pattern - it sounds like the perfect craft for control freaks like me. As long as everything goes exactly the way I want it, I’m totally flexible.

However, what I just discovered the last two days while teaching - it doesn’t matter how exact it is - you can still learn the basics by winging it. Moreover, at your first session, `winging it` helps a lot - the less you care about the outcome, the more you focus on the joy of making the stitches and the less time you count your stitches and judge their neatness - the quicker you learn.

What’s the worst that could happen? A messy row? A loose stitch? An uneven square? A misplaced chain?

You will have enough time, later on, to worry about the number of rows, the corners, and the right tension. Don’t want to grow up that quickly - enjoy your crochet childhood and play with your single stitches around for a while - it will pay off.

Trust the process and trust yourself.

Be like Steph. She rocked up on the bank holiday Monday, didn’t give a damm about counting the number of stitches or comparing the tension in her rows - joyfully crocheted for 3 hours and went home with something she labelled as a doll purse. It was a joy to watch.

I wish I could be like Steph - I have a very clear understanding of the minds of those who undo each imperfect row - I’ve been there, done that. You are not alone.

Heyho.