Ruth Sandra Sperling
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ARTFIRE and
ETSY
I'll be honest -- I don't remember the exact date, or even the exact instance, of when I first picked up a Crochet Hook and some Yarn -- and proceeded to make something -- it was just some time in my teens, I believe the late 1960's.
I had been making "things" with my hands since very early childhood - including those potholders made with loops of yarn on a small loom. It was always fun for me -- and I have always, always enjoyed working with different Colors!!
Oh - through my teens and college years, I made a variety of things -- I mostly remember scarves and sweaters -- then later a Granny Square bag I gave to a friend -- then a Sweater even and a Poncho -- it was kind of a gradual thing that I just did when I felt like it!! But I always got patterns and followed them exactly, which I can do!! I don't remember when I actually "learned" -- never took any classes, just did patterns -- and I am positive that at some point in my teens I even made a small doily in thread and gave it away -- all just for fun and some craftiness!!
In late 2001 though I got serious -- got interested in larger, more complicated projects - I started an afghan and planned out a top. This continued on into 2002, where I got into more bags, table mats, lapghan, baby clothes -- and even toys, including a stuffed Giraffe (my first stuffed animal), which I donated for a Holiday party! Then some Hats and Scarves and Pillows to sell even!!
Still though I was following patterns exactly.
---->>>> Then in early-to-mid 2003, something happened that was to change my Crocheting and making things with Fibers forever.
Someone asked me if I had ever done Doilies in Thread Crochet -- and would I be willing to make a bunch to sell.
It was something totally new for me -- I was going to have to learn how to do more than Basic Crochet and follow complicated patterns for complicated designs, but never having a problem with any Crocheting, I just thought "why not"!
So I acquired some Steel Crochet Hooks for Crocheting with Thread -- some size 10 Crochet Thread -- and found some patterns online. And I just picked up a pattern and started doing it -- the emphasis here, folks, is on the DOING!! Still just following patterns, I found this wonderful world of complicated designs unfolding as you Crocheted - some Graphic, some Floral -- and then I discovered Filet Crochet and the ability to make Images and Pictures by Crocheting with Threads (I have blogged about this some in the past)!!
This has been going on for years -- about 8 now to be exact -- and in the last Year to Year-and-a Half, I have reached a new level in my Crocheting!!
--->>> Now it is no longer just following patterns -- it is, OK, this is this pattern, but I want it to look "this way" not "that way" and how do I go about doing it??? And it has become more than just adding Colors to a One-Color pattern.
It has become a matter sometimes of taking one type or technique of Crochet and adding something else to it -- or, OK this design does this, but I need it to do this, so how do I go about getting what I want????
---->>>>
TODAY, in fact, I had another one of these moments -- I am getting towards the end of finishing a rather large round centerpiece Doily of 41 rounds per the original pattern. On large patterns, like this, I still use patterns for the basic design, but I can rarely resist making some kind of "modification" or "adjustment" to it.
I had already planned a change before even starting, because the original pattern was all white and I wanted Color in it -- with some Contrast - so that required some minor changes along the way, though I was staying pretty much true to the basic design of the pattern. But more than that -- I had always thought the Edging for it was rather boring, so I have come up with something new!!
I had this pattern in mind from an earlier Doily I had make (pictured above) -- a much smaller project, granted, but this was the kind of Edging I wanted -- something more complicated, more interesting!!
So out came that pattern -- and then the computing and counting -- and I had it and knew I could do it -- I could add an Edging somewhat similar to this (couldn't be the same, as the project is much, much larger and quite different - tho still round)!!
Thank You, Thank You to one of the Great Ladies of Crochet Design,
Elizabeth Hiddleson -- which was where I saw this type of Edging originally in one of her books!! You have to see her books to understand -- she has all kinds of patterns and edgings -- and she encourages Creativity in her books -- I wonder if she would laugh at me -- taking an Edging pattern from one Doily and "modifying" it so I can use it on another!!
But it is working!! The new, rather large project - of course always somewhat different from the original pattern -- should be done within a few days and I will have to show it here on my Blog!!
Moral: Getting Creative has made my Crocheting even more fun than ever to do!
And some of what I make, people even love to buy!!
Get Creative!! Your Way!!
(And, Oh, by the way, the photo at the top - the Tree - well that is a Crocheted Tapestry and has become my "Brand" -- created, charted and done by me in all kinds of Colors -- and Thanks there to DMC for having the variety of colors in Pearl Cotton and Cebelia!!)
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