Woolcraft thread

[Ponybookworm]

I'm so sorry you had such a bad teacher HOM xxx
Nimble Needles shows backwards knitting, which might be easier for you, & there are many ways to hold the yarn.
Hooked By Robin is left-handed too, & I'm sure if you look up left-handed craft tutorials, you'll find some which work with you instead of against you xxx

[Griffin]

Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement! 

I was really bad at crafts at school because my teacher didn't know how to teach me (or I felt like she didn't even want to) because I was the only left-handed person in my class. I started to hate those classes and crafts because of that. 

Samesies, high five! I never learned how to knit or crochet. When I was a kid (before school age), I loved crocheting long chains, haha. But I never had an idea of how to proceed from that first step. At school I had to learn, I think we made a bookmark or something, and mine was super uneven, after all these years I still remember how frustrating it was. At home Mum always expressed how difficult it was that I was left-handed so she couldn't teach me. And it was the same at school, everyone was like, should we use a mirror to teach her?? I also didn't like our crafts teacher so as soon as I was able, I took wood and metal working classes instead of textile crafts.

As an adult I've come to realise it's an entirely new skillset, nothing is stopping me from learning right-handed knitting. I can eat with chopsticks using either hand although holding a fork or a spoon in my right hand just feels weird and wrong. I think that's because I didn't grow up with chopsticks, I was a teenager when I first tried them, so it was a new motoric skill to learn, just like knitting. I started learning some basics of knitting with my Mum and sister and with the help of some video tutorials a number of years ago, but I didn't keep up with it and forgot how to do it. I guess I should start again but I barely have time for all the other crafty hobbies I have!

[BlackCurtains]

I'm right handed but had an art teacher in 9th grade that I did not like at all. She was very strict with what she wanted us to do. You had to do the project HER way, not your own way. It was very frustrating and the only time in school I didn't like art class.

HoM, you should get back into needle felting If you can find your supplies. But I also think your drawn artwork is very good

[Heart Of Midnight]

Ponybookworm, thanks for the tips!

Griffin!  Oh, you have almost the same experiences as me! Thanks for telling me about it. So I'm not the only one to whom this has happened.
I certainly would have liked wood crafts too, but I was afraid of saws and other machines that were used there.. and I would have been the only girl among boys. (Thinking about it now, it wouldn't bother me, because I'm not afraid of saws/machines anymore and I get along better with men than women!) It's sad that I didn't have the courage as a child.

BlackCurtains, thank you!

[Shaiyeh]

yes, +1 at NimbleNeedles (he's great, so sweet ;_;) and Hoooked by Robin! My first actual crochet project was an amigurumi cat mermaid, that I just followed along with a Hooked by Robin video to make.

I'm so sorry both of you had bad experiences though, HoM and Griffin. That's awful

[BlackCurtains]

Question... what's the main difference between knitting and crochet? My mom and grandma would crochet. They mainly made doilies, but my mom did crochet a cute little hat that she decorated and it hung on the wall. I know her big project was a shawl but she never finished it. My other grandma knitted. We had one of those afgans on the back of the couch that she made. Everybody had one of those in the 80s

[Ponybookworm]

Crochet is usually denser than knitting. Also, with knitting, you work with two points at a time. Crochet you just use the hook & your fingers. I've now crocheted in squares & circles, knitted on two needles, on five needles, & on circular needles, as well as the crochet.
Knitting seems faster, but can be less forgiving. When you knit, if you mess up, you either have to go back to a lifeline, or frog the lot & start again, unless you get REALLY lucky.
With crochet, if you mess up, you only need to go as far back as that mistake & bam, sorted.
Another thing I've noticed is with crochet, it's best not to use too fancy a yarn. I can crochet well enough with my binky, but I HATED doing it with the eyelash yarn for more than a simple border trim. Knitting I can do with any yarn.
I could go on, but each has its advantages & disadvantages, & both are really fun, producing some cute stuff!!!

[Shaiyeh]

Knitting seems faster, but can be less forgiving. When you knit, if you mess up, you either have to go back to a lifeline, or frog the lot & start again, unless you get REALLY lucky.
With crochet, if you mess up, you only need to go as far back as that mistake & bam, sorted.

nah, you can easily tink back, or rip back a few rows and pick up your stitches, or if it's just a dropped stitch, you can use a crochet hook to re-do the stitch by hooking through the ladders it creates
It does take a bit of knitting experience though, but is completely doable ^^

[BlackCurtains]

Ah, I see.

Frog. That's something I first heard on your podcast too, Shai. I didn't know what it meant at first but I figured it out Why is it called that?

I bought myself some knitted socks from a seller on Etsy. I had asked if the socks would fit a 13+ and she said it would be tight but they should fit. Thankfully, they do! ...but only on my left foot. My right has some sort of issue and is swollen most of the time. I can't get the socks to go past my heel and that's the case with the majority of my socks. I love playful, colorful socks but I rarely buy them anymore. I took a gamble with these socks because they were so nice

This is the main reason I want to learn to knit. It would be great to make my own custom socks with a bigger size for my right foot.

[Ponybookworm]

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Fingerless gloves!!! And the same technique I used to make the thumbhole can be used for buttonholes

[BlackCurtains]

Ahh! Those are so cool! Love the autumn-ish colors.

[Heart Of Midnight]

Ponybookworm, wow, those are really lovely and will definitely warm your hands! 

[Ponybookworm]

PONY-SIZED DOORMATS!!!
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I've also been making rugs but they are simpler, being just crochet rectangles & circles trimmed with eyelash yarns. The doormats have embroidery on them (I did that myself with yarn)

[BlackCurtains]

Those are so cute! I like the one on the bottom with the flowers the best.

[Heart Of Midnight]

A great idea and they look cute! Wipe your hooves!- doormat is great!