Something You Made

Day 2 of BEDN and the suggested topic is Something You Made.  Well, that's a tough one.  During my life I've made loads of things, including mistakes, but which one to choose?

I've always wanted to be artistic.  The idea of taking some paint or clay and turning it into something beautiful.  However, I don't have an artistic bone in my body - give me paint and I'll blob it on paper making nothing but a mess.  I have a picture in my head but for some reason it doesn't translate into art on the paper.  The same with clay, I can't get my fingers to do what I want and end up with a lump of nothing and a feeling of frustration.

So I moved towards crafts rather than art.  I can follow a pattern and produce something reasonable.  It doesn't feel very artistic - the artist has created the pattern and I'm just a follower.  But I think it's the closest I'm likely to get so I'm grateful for small mercies!

A few months ago I decided I wanted to learn how to crochet.  I've been knitting for  as long as I can remember; I learnt to embroider and sew; I tackled a patchwork and can do cross stitch but crochet was a skill that passed me by.  So I got  a book and tried to teach myself - with varying degrees of success!  I mastered chain stitch with no problem - well how hard can that be?  Then came double stitch; my first attempt at that turned into a triangle as I didn't work out which stitch I was supposed to use on the turn.  My second attempt was better and looked more like the picture in the book. 

Then my copy of Mollie Makes arrived and the free craft kit was a teal crochet brooch in the shape of a bow.  I was really keen to give it a go but my courage failed me.  I put the kit away, resigned to the fact that I'd never complete it.

A few months passed and I looked at the kit a few times wishing that I could crochet!  So I plucked up all my courage and made a start.  The chain stitch was fine - I could still manage that!  Then I had to turn and tackle double stitch - this was the moment of truth!  The first attempt seemed to be going triangular again so I unpicked, had a cup of tea and tried again!  Success!  I had worked it out and it seemed to be behaving.  I followed the pattern, took it slowly and soon I was sewing the pin on the back.

I played around with crochet for a few weeks and managed a free form piece which is as near to 'art' and the act of creation as I've ever come - I'm insanely proud of it but no-one else knows how precious it is.  It doesn't look like much but it's my baby.

I still can't crochet - half treble defeated me.  I think I need someone to show me rather than trying to follow the book (maybe I'm crochet-stupid!)  But the Mollie Makes brooch is a success and the free form crochet will turn into another brooch when I get round to buying a pin for it.  I'll wear it with pride but no-one else will know how special it is.