Teaching a Craft

I've found myself in the enjoyable position of crochet guru lately. It started with a friend who knew how to single crochet enough to make scarves and baby blankets. She lives in fear of increasing or decreasing, but we'll get her there. She asked me to teach her how to make granny squares and is now working on a small bag of her own design.

We meet weekly for crochet dates. Another friend asked if I would teach her; one of her New Year's Resolutions was to learn a new hobby - something crafty. She became a part of our crochet dates and in just two "lessons" has made herself a coffee cup cozy and started a sampler scarf.

Last night she made a brief appearance at a class potluck but couldn't stay because she had promised to go with her boyfriend to a UFC fight. A number of girls teased and asked if she'd brought a book to read, so I asked if she had her crochet. She nearly shrieked and pulled the yarn and hook from her bag. She had been planning to just work in single crochet until our next "date", because even though I'd shown her other stitches, like double, she hadn't felt ready for it. But she remembered what I showed her about stitch heights and decided to give it a try since taller stitches work up faster. Using a couple online resources to walk her through the steps again, lo and behold, she has three rows of good double crochet!

I'm so proud. It's really gratifying teaching crochet and watching people click and see what they made with their own hands develop.

What's in my crafty queue: a scarf for sale, a refashioned skirt for me, a pattern for a coffee cup cozy, and a WIP top I've been neglecting.

What I'll be doing today: homework until the Superbowl, which I'm going to watch with friends (and maybe sneak in some crochet).
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