When I was pregnant with my son more than 16 years ago, I wanted to learn to knit. He was my first baby and I figured all good moms should know how to make baby blankets and booties. I tried to teach myself… what a disaster! I prayed my lack of knitting skills didn’t predict my mothering ability. A few years later I asked my husband’s grandmother – likely one of the greatest knitters of all time – to teach me. Though she could whip up the most gorgeous blankets and sweaters you’ve ever seen, she had no success in transferring that skill to me. A few years later when I recounted these past failures to a friend, she suggested I try to crochet instead and told me about some YouTube tutorials that might help.
That’s how I discovered Michael “Mikey” Sellick. Mikey is from Canada and, at that time, created crochet tutorial videos as his time allowed. Now, crocheting, running “The Crochet Crowd” website and Facebook page, and being the spokesman for several brands is his full time job. If you want to learn to crochet, learning online with Mikey is absolutely the best way to do it. With his guidance and some practice, I was able to go from brand new beginner to intermediate-advanced crocheter in a matter of months.
Why Learning Online is Great
1. Lessons can happen at any time of day on your schedule. I watched tutorials in the middle of the night on a regular basis!
2. Learn at your own pace! Live classes can be fun, but moving at group pace can be frustrating if the class moves faster or slower than you need.
3. Your teacher will never get frustrated with you! You can rewind as many times as you like to see the same instruction over and over again if you need.
Why Crochet Skills Should Be in Your Prepper “Arsenal”
1. The ability to make socks, hats, gloves, scarves, clothes, blankets, and more is not only beneficial for your own family, but it’s a barterable skill as well.
2. It’s a skill that can be easily taught to children.
3. You can save money buy making your own items instead of buying, or giving hand made items as gifts to others. The money saved can be used for stocking up on other preparedness items.
4. You can earn money selling your creations. Money earned can be used to reduce your family debt or used to become more prepared.
5. Knowing how to crochet will allow you to create new items of clothing or other items when times are tough. When your child outgrows a sweater it can be carefully unraveled and remade into hats, scarves, dish towels, etc. Did your husband stain his sweater? Turn it into a sweater, booties and hat for a baby!
Join The Crochet Crowd
There’s no better way to learn to crochet than this 24 video tutorial series that will walk you from the very beginning of crochet into completed projects in no time! (Actually, after Lesson #9 you will be able to complete 90% of the patterns out there!) And best of all… It is 100% free!
The Crochet Crowd website is chock full of patterns, inspiration, and guidance for the beginner to expert crocheter.
If you want to enter the social media world of crochet, join the Facebook Crowd! With more than HALF A MILLION followers, there is plenty of help and inspiration for the crochet community.
Another great online resource is Ravelry. It’s a forum, a source of patterns and products, and so much more. There is also a Ravelry phone app, Stash2Go.
Some of My Favorite Patterns
Never Ending Granny Square Afghan
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/never-ending-granny
Arches Cowl by Mary Beth Temple
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/arches-cowl
Any dishrag! (They are easy, useful, and make great gifts and 100% cotton yarn is very affordable.)
http://www.allfreecrochet.com/Dishcloths/15-Free-Crochet-Dishcloth-Patterns
Broomstick Scarf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oIOR-uuyEU
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