Hello needlework lovers 🤍
A big hello to all the needlework lovers. It's the beginning of a new year and consequently the beginning of good things. The needlework community hosted an end of year challenge which I wholeheartedly wanted to partake in but along the line, I lost track of time only to be reminded after the contest had expired.
I missed out on a great opportunity but like they say, it's better late than never. Last year was the beginning of a whole journey for me. Even if this post wouldn't be part of the accepted posts for the just concluded contest, I would still like to share my crochet journey with everyone.
While contemplating on the things I had achieved last year, I realized that I had tilted so much towards art. It felt like I delved deep into the artistic part of me; a part I never knew existed. I picked up a few new hobbies last year, some of which included; painting, diy and craft making, mobile photography and Crocheting. These hobbies came rather spontaneously because I never sat back to plan them. I just tried them out and I realised that they were fun and they were for me.
My Crocheting Journey.
In January 2023, I made my very first crochet project which happened to be a blue coloured beanie. I didn't have any formal tutor(or maybe I just wanted to learn on my own) but one thing I'm certain of is the fact that my first project was a mess. Nonetheless, I shared it with the hive community and the hive community reminded me that no one was perfect and that mistakes were bound to happen.
I got really heartwarming compliments and corrections from the Hive community. This alone was enough to keep me going because I knew that my mistakes would be corrected by kind people and somehow, I knew that I was going to eventually get a hang of it amidst the frustration. Yes, frustration.
Some highschools in my country taught crochet craft but my highschool was more concerned with winning medals for educational intellect, so we got only a handful of craft activities–and crocheting wasn't part of them. Moreso, the first time I picked up a crocheting pin and a yarn in a bid to make a simple chain, I got so frustrated.
I tried and tried but I just couldn't get it right and with this frustration, I dropped the pin and went off to do something else. A month later, I saw myself crawling back to the craft of crocheting for reasons I don't still know. If the crocheting pin could speak, I bet it would have said something like 'look who came crawling back'.
I knew that I required patience in order to master the art and so I indulged. I tried for two days and eventually, on the third day, I could make a simple crochet chain that was worth looking at. My joy knew no bounds.
After my very first project which turned out not so well, I decided to make another and another and soon enough, I found myself trying out new things each week courtesy of the needleworkmonday community.
At the beginning of my crochet journey, I didn't come across the #needleworkmonday community until a very kind fellow, @tengolotodo, introduced me to the community and asked me to check it out. And I did.
I checked out the community and after scrolling through a few posts, I was certain that I had found a community for me. A home. I went through the community rules just so that I didn't break any of the set out rules.
At first, I was really worried that the community wouldn't accept a newbie crocheter. I thought it was for only experienced needleworkers but the love and warmth I received from @crosheille after making my first official post in the community cleared my doubt. I knew I was here to stay.
After my first post, I decided to take a break and actually engage with other needlework lovers. It was then I realised that we have a lot of talented souls on the hive Blockchain. People who could actually make something outstanding from waste materials. A real delight.
Day after day, I kept engaging and this was my favourite part of it all. Getting to see what people did, learning a few tips from them and also creating meaningful connections. Again, a delight.
Ever since then, the needlework community has been one of my favourite communities. I know that I have made a couple of friends courtesy of the community and I hope to make many more moving on.
Before making this post, I thought I didn't have so many crochet items to show but a tour through my gallery surprised me. During the course of the year, I had made loads of crochet items which I shared with the hive community. I categorised them and I would share these categories briefly with you.
Headwears
In this category, I made bucket hats, scarfs, berets, beanies and headbands. The bucket hats are my favourite from this category. This could be because I made the bucket hats with granny squares; which I love making
Footwears
In this category, I made only a pair of socks and till date, I can't get over them. This pair of socks came in very handy during the few cold days we experienced in December.
Tops
I made a handful of halter tops and a mesh top. These halter tops usually come in handy on very hot days. I put them on with a pair of jeans and I'm good to go.
Bags
I made drawstring pouch bags, a mesh bag, a heart motif tote bag and a phone bag. All these bags have really come in handy because they are of different sizes.
Accessories
This is the category with a lot of content. Here, we have: crochet chokers, book markers, pet collar, scrunchies,phone pouch,wallet, flowers, hearts, etc. This category really surprised me because I literally made things that I never thought could be made with yarn, take the phone pouch for example.
Biggest Achievement
My biggest crochet achievement for the year 2023 would be the full outfit I made. This outfit was a game changer for me because after making it, I knew that I could achieve great things if I put my mind to it. I say this because there were so many bad occurrences during the period I was making the outfit. At some point, I had to pause for a week or more because the colour of yarn I used was out of stock in the whole region. I had to ask someone who was travelling out to help me purchase the yarn just so I could maintain the consistency.
The whole outfit included a skirt, a top, a pair of gloves and a beret. It is certainly an invention that I wouldn't forget in a long while.
This Year
I look forward to making more crochet crafts this year. I can say that I have gained some ground in the crochet world and I can try out more difficult projects. It may be hard but it would be worth it in the end. I had a plan to commercialise this year; start making crochet items for people. I hope this plan works out.
Appreciation.
From my heart, I would love to thank everyone who had in one way or another been a part of my crochet journey. Those who encouraged me, supported me, corrected me and praised me when I did well. Thank you so much and I love you all. I look forward to more encouragement and corrections this year:)
For those who are still undecided. They do not know whether or not to take the bold step into the world of crocheting. My little advice would be "just do it". Crocheting is therapeutic and there is a whole lot to learn from the art. If you eventually feel like it isn't for you, then you can drop it and search what is truly for you. But you wouldn't know until you try.
With this, I would love to wish everyone a happy and very prosperous new year. Do not hesitate to make the most of your 2024.
All images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device except stated otherwise
Love, Wongi 🤍
