3KCBWDAY6 – Improving Your Skillset
I’m an advanced crocheter, but there’s always more to learn – and more people to learn it from. As a crochet teacher, I consider it part of my own continued development to learn from other teachers. Since last July, as part of the Year of Projects hosted by the Come Blog-a-long group on Ravelry, I’ve also been crocheting my way through the book Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today’s Top Crocheters
The one crochet method which I’m still apprehensive about is Hairpin Lace. In all honesty, I have no real reason to fear hairpin lace. But there seems to be a cloud of doom hanging over me whenever I try to learn it, which only increases its mystique. On two separate occasions, I’ve attempted to take hairpin lace classes. For the first class, held at the library, the teacher went off on a tangent about other lacemaking techniques and only taught broomstick lace and Tunisian lace, which I already know how to do. The second class, with hairpin lace diva Jennifer Hansen, was supposed to be at Vogue Knitting Live but was cancelled 
. I will definitely tackle my fears of hairpin lace before the end of this cycle of YOP in June, though.
As for my knitting, well, that’s another story. Although I have a good command of the basics and even teach beginner knitting, there are many gaps in my knitting skills. I don’t feel as motivated to expand these skills, though, since I don’t find knitting as pleasurable as crocheting. I’m also the world’s slowest knitter, so it would take me too many lifetimes to tackle all the major knitting skills in depth.
I would like to knit a pair of socks at some point, if only because I don’t understand why everyone is so fascinated with knitting socks. Surely, there must be some exciting thing that happens when you make them?? I have two books in my collection that have inspired even me to consider knitting socks, which are Socks a La Carte: Pick And Choose Patterns To Knit Socks Your Way
You’re definitely one of the people who is most dedicated to improving their craft that I know, I’ve loved watching you progress through your year of projects. And there really is something magical about turning a heel on a sock and seeing it become an actual thing, I just can’t explain it!
Thank you, Emma! That’s interesting – I guess I’ll have to try it to see if I feel the magic
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I think the reason socks are so popular is that they are very portable and take up no room when you are on the move. They really only have a couple of sticky bits (the toe and the heel) where you have to concentrate and the rest of the time you can just chat away while going round in circles. Socks that are for yourself are also really wonderful. You can choose fabulous yarns to pamper your feet with and you feel like you are really treating yourself when you put on your hand knits. That’s my opinion anyway.
You make a persuasive argument for the love of sock making, Stitched Together. This is probably the most compelling explanation for sock mania that I’ve heard
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