Being brave

[Jade]

Hi all, I just joined and thought I'd be brave and post some of my drawings. I'm an avid crocheter already.

I'll soon be early retiring and am also getting back to drawing and sketching as well as art journalling (thanks to the unexpected gypsy on YT). I used to love drawing Garfield when I was a kid and still love drawing cats (amongst other things). Finding my way and style and learning things on YT as well we recognising that I like cute crochet and art even if it's not very technical. Also trying to keep reminding myself it's just for fun. I have fibromyalgia so it helps with this too.

 

[Artyczar]

I love all of these! Your crocheting is inspiring to me. I wish I could do that, but I can only make uneven scarves.

 

[Jade]

I love all of these! Your crocheting is inspiring to me. I wish I could do that, but I can only make uneven scarves.

Thank you so much! And honestly, if I can learn crochet, anyone can!! I learnt during the pandemic and it literally took me an hour to tie a knot the first time I tried again a few months later and something clicked. I find amigurumi more forgiving than scarves as I'm not very exact!!

 

[TK H-H]

Welcome!
I'm also a crocheter. A kind woman taught me when I was little. She was a friend of my grandmother and would often be crocheting while we were visiting. I found it fascinating watching her work away, not even looking down at it. By the end of the visit, she'd have a scarf or hat finished. So I started stopping by her house periodically for lessons, and I continued it through to my current age.

I always like doing amigurumi, and it's most of my crochet work anymore. I have a manatee on the go right now, and a penguin and dragon planned for afterward.

Looking forward to seeing more though!

 

[Jade]

Thanks TK H-H! I don't know any crocheters so I'm glad to find you here. I love how you learnt to do it. I look forward to seeing more of your work too. I've attached another piece I did recently (sonic the hedgehog) and am going to do that again soon for a family member.

 

[TK H-H]

Come to think of it, I don't know any crocheters anymore either. We eventually lost contact with the lady who taught me, and in all honesty... she probably passed away some time ago. I believe she was around 80 at the time she taught me. The first thing I ever made was a sloppy mint green triangle because I did a terrible job of counting my stitches and keeping my rows even. I remember she was so proud of me though. I think I still have it in an old crochet bag somewhere.

Great job on the Sonic! I used to love Sonic when I was a kid. The penguin I'm going to make soon is actually Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Gromit. It'll be the first character I've ever made. Up to this point, I've just made regular animals. My husband requested the penguin because he used to love that show growing up.

I don't have a lot of pictures of the animals I've made, and most are packed away right now. But I do have pictures of this goat I recently made. He was mailed to my mum as a gift.

 

[Artyczar]

I love those little animals! Both of you are very talented.

I only got a lesson from my mom-in-law many years ago, and maybe I can still make a chain, but I forgot everything else she showed me. She was visiting from MN. She passed some years later.

My Great-grandmother and maybe my nana knew how to crochet, but they never showed me. Maybe I didn't show interest back then.

 

[Jade]

Come to think of it, I don't know any crocheters anymore either. We eventually lost contact with the lady who taught me, and in all honesty... she probably passed away some time ago. I believe she was around 80 at the time she taught me. The first thing I ever made was a sloppy mint green triangle because I did a terrible job of counting my stitches and keeping my rows even. I remember she was so proud of me though. I think I still have it in an old crochet bag somewhere.

Great job on the Sonic! I used to love Sonic when I was a kid. The penguin I'm going to make soon is actually Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Gromit. It'll be the first character I've ever made. Up to this point, I've just made regular animals. My husband requested the penguin because he used to love that show growing up.

I don't have a lot of pictures of the animals I've made, and most are packed away right now. But I do have pictures of this goat I recently made. He was mailed to my mum as a gift.
View attachment 49225

My lovely husband listens to me talking about crochet and art so I think he'll get a rest now I've found this forum!

I have a similar first piece to your green triangle.. I tried to make a cat but it looks like a potato! It's a good reminder of progress tho and I share with others who might want to start to show how you can learn.

Thanks re sonic. Ooh I love feathers McGraw! Great character ..I look forward to seeing that.

That goat is adorable I haven't tried plushy yarn yet. The eyes are really cute too.

 

[stlukesguild]

I developed a dislike of fiber arts back in art school… along with a lot of other painting majors due to some political issues at the school that are far too complex to go into here. Perhaps the final straw occurred when the school administration decided force some cross discipline rapport by requiring very different majors to put together a joint exhibition that would count toward our grades. The painting department was first up and we were paired with the fiber department. The two departments were housed in different buildings and we had little or no contact with each other. As we began to work toward the exhibition the fiber majors made repeated snide comments about the pretentious painters. At one point, one of the painters yelled out, “Fucking craftspeople!”. The actual exhibition went over something like a middle school dance with the boys on one side of the room not talking to the girls on the other side… except it was painters vs fiber artists. Since then, I have come to admire a lot of works of fiber arts from fashion design to tapestries to Persian carpets. Not that I have ever had the desire to do such myself.

 

[Jade]

Like the west side story! But with yarn and paint stlukesguild

 

[Jade]

I love those little animals! Both of you are very talented.

I only got a lesson from my mom-in-law many years ago, and maybe I can still make a chain, but I forgot everything else she showed me. She was visiting from MN. She passed some years later.

My Great-grandmother and maybe my nana knew how to crochet, but they never showed me. Maybe I didn't show interest back then.

Sorry I missed your lovely reply Artyczar.

I learnt the basics from Jayda In Stiches on YT.. a very fun channel and she's a good teacher. I mentioned earlier in the thread, it took me over an hour to work out how to do a knot in the early days but then once it clicked I was away...

 

[Hermes2020]

I developed a dislike of fiber arts back in art school… along with a lot of other painting majors due to some political issues at the school that are far too complex to go into here. Perhaps the final straw occurred when the school administration decided force some cross discipline rapport by requiring very different majors to put together a joint exhibition that would count toward our grades. The painting department was first up and we were paired with the fiber department. The two departments were housed in different buildings and we had little or no contact with each other. As we began to work toward the exhibition the fiber majors made repeated snide comments about the pretentious painters. At one point, one of the painters yelled out, “Fucking craftspeople!”. The actual exhibition went over something like a middle school dance with the boys on one side of the room not talking to the girls on the other side… except it was painters vs fiber artists. Since then, I have come to admire a lot of works of fiber arts from fashion design to tapestries to Persian carpets. Not that I have ever had the desire to do such myself.

Your anecdote made me laugh out loud! Fibre arts and politics would make an excellent theme for a short story by PG Wodehouse.

 

[TK H-H]

My lovely husband listens to me talking about crochet and art so I think he'll get a rest now I've found this forum!

I have a similar first piece to your green triangle.. I tried to make a cat but it looks like a potato! It's a good reminder of progress tho and I share with others who might want to start to show how you can learn.

Thanks re sonic. Ooh I love feathers McGraw! Great character ..I look forward to seeing that.

That goat is adorable I haven't tried plushy yarn yet. The eyes are really cute too.

I'll definitely post up Feathers once I'm done. Finally nearing finishing our bedroom overhaul, so I can maybe get back to crochet soon. Should probably draw and paint again too, but I'm taking a sort of hiatus on that.

I used chenille yarn for the goat. First time using it. It was actually really nice to work with, and it makes a lovely fabric. I used a bit too large a hook, so my holes were larger than I wanted. But it still worked out. Really nice yarn to work with though. I think most of my plushes will be made with it from now on.

 

[Jade]

I'll definitely post up Feathers once I'm done. Finally nearing finishing our bedroom overhaul, so I can maybe get back to crochet soon. Should probably draw and paint again too, but I'm taking a sort of hiatus on that.

I used chenille yarn for the goat. First time using it. It was actually really nice to work with, and it makes a lovely fabric. I used a bit too large a hook, so my holes were larger than I wanted. But it still worked out. Really nice yarn to work with though. I think most of my plushes will be made with it from now on.

Look forward to it! Sometimes a hiatus is good isn't it?.. you don't want things you do for pleasure feeling pressured.

I like chenille. I've never used it for crochet, I'll have to try. It gives that soft, cuddly feeling and look which is great for toys. I think the holes still look tight and well formed on your goat though. I'm quite addicted to a 2.5 hook, I do everything on that. I'm making another ice cream van at the moment. It's a nice big project that is good to do whilst watching you tube.

My hubby just organised two containers for me.. one for yarn and one for art supplies so there's not yarn spilling out of our wardrobe now!

 

[Jade]

For TK-HH x
Xposted from journalling

 

[TK H-H]

Love it!

 

[TK H-H]

Thought I'd share. I picked up some of the big blanket yarn to try out. Made a bed for one of my kitties with it. She likes sherpa, and it feels similar. So I'm hoping she'll like it.

She watched over almost the entire process.

 

[Jade]

Thought I'd share. I picked up some of the big blanket yarn to try out. Made a bed for one of my kitties with it. She likes sherpa, and it feels similar. So I'm hoping she'll like it.

View attachment 49580

She watched over almost the entire process.
View attachment 49581

That looks so cosy! I love that she supervised.

 

[C-her]

I developed a dislike of fiber arts back in art school… along with a lot of other painting majors due to some political issues at the school that are far too complex to go into here. Perhaps the final straw occurred when the school administration decided force some cross discipline rapport by requiring very different majors to put together a joint exhibition that would count toward our grades. The painting department was first up and we were paired with the fiber department. The two departments were housed in different buildings and we had little or no contact with each other. As we began to work toward the exhibition the fiber majors made repeated snide comments about the pretentious painters. At one point, one of the painters yelled out, “Fucking craftspeople!”. The actual exhibition went over something like a middle school dance with the boys on one side of the room not talking to the girls on the other side… except it was painters vs fiber artists. Since then, I have come to admire a lot of works of fiber arts from fashion design to tapestries to Persian carpets. Not that I have ever had the desire to do such myself.

I wished things might have changed but…. It is still pervasive. I have been fighting this in my small town.

Currently I thought that if I framed my pieces it it might be better received. After showing it to galleries I’m still struggling to be shown.

So I took a few framed pieces and was told it would be better received if I did not frame them but backed them in wood or foam core and felted the backs. So I have spent a great deal of time reformatting them. I have mixed feelings about the way they look, however the person I previously spoke with evaluated them now that they are reformatted and they liked them much better. Here is framed and unframed.

 

[Jade]

Mm, it's an interesting conundrum. I wonder if unframed helps the tactile element?