Teenage Girls

I am the mother of a teenage girl. I didn't realize that I was that old that I forgot what it was like to be a teenager, but then again, times were different then. Bullying didn't exist like it does now. And certainly not in so many different ways. I guess I don't remember wanting so desperately trying to fit in that I would do things that are not necessarily the right thing to do. I thought that we raised a bright, intelligent, strong girl with strong Christian values. And we did, but we didn't realize that there is no self-confidence and that is what is needed in order to hold your own in this world of bullies and mean girls.

Trying to build confidence is like trying to swim across a crocodile infested pool.  It is a lot harder than it seems.  I am not sure that by repeatedly telling her that what she does is good and trying to build up her confidence that way is working.   Especially when she keeps on feeling that what she is doing is not good enough.  Especially when it comes to schoolwork.  Nothing less than an A is really good enough and even though we keep telling her that getting a B or a C is okay, she doesn't accept it.  She is really hard on herself, and when it is extremely hard for her to get A's, it makes it tougher.  I don't want to build up confidence by telling her she is beautiful (which she is) because I am not sure that is the right message to send.  So we are trying to build up confidence by listening to what she has to say, acknowledging what she says, and either agree with what she says or gently (tough word to actually do) telling her what is right and wrong.  In some ways she is still a child trying to navigate her way in a grown up world, dealing with self-confidence issues, and still come out ahead of the game.  I feel as long as we keep encouraging her, keep teaching her the word and keep being there for her that she will become a strong confident young woman.

The Double Crochet

If I thought the double half crochet was frustrating, then why did it take me so long to get the double crochet (dc) correct?  I hope I am doing it correctly because it certainly doesn't look like the pictures in the books that I am learning from.

I just don' think this is the double crochet.  But I am going to try master the treble crochet next and I will be comparing what they look like together.  Maybe then I can say that this one is the double crochet.

Mastering the Double Half Crochet

This has got to be, for me, a very frustrating stitch.  I am not sure I am doing it right.  The pictures that I have looked at in the books look very confusing.  I have the turning chains down pretty good, and also the single stitch, maybe I need to make the sample bigger.  In patterns it will be abbreviated “hdc”.  There will be a lot of memorizing for me, but after a while, I think I will get it down.  Just like anything else. 

I think that I have done this stitch sample about 3 times, ripping out after each time because it wasn’t right.

Below is my final sample.  I think I finally got it right, it looks so much better.

Beginning Crochet

Well, I think that I have mastered the chain stitch.  I have even gotten pretty good on turns.  This is my small swatch and the edges look pretty even.  The only thing that is hard to do is count stitches!  It was so hard to do because my stitches are a little on the tight side.  I have tried to make them looser, but I think the yarn has something to do with it.  Maybe a more thread count yarn would make a more looser stitch.  I am not sure if a fluffier yarn would make a more looser stitch, I think that it would make it more harder to see the stitches.

I am now going to try the half double crochet (abbreviated hdc).  I forgot to say that the single crochet is abbreviated "sc".  I guess it makes it easier in the directions, instead of writing out the words "single crochet" in a pattern to write down "sc", and the directions would be shorter.  

Beginning Crocheting

I am going to start learning how to crochet.  Actually, I am going to re-learn the art of crochet.  I was taught by my grandmother eons ago, but I chose to do needlework instead.  I felt, at that time, that it was more creative.  Little did I know that both are forms of art and both are very creative.  I need to do this because my daughter wants to learn.  She was taught a few stitches by my mother, then she forgot about it.  Now she wants to pick it up.  It would be very easy to have my mother teach her, but my mother lives 3 hours away and we don't go there as often as we would like to.  So, that means that I have to learn to be able to teach her.  My mother did buy her some books on crochet plus some needles and some thread. 

I went out and bought my own thread so that I could show her and wouldn't have to rip out the sample for her to try.

Now there are many different hook sizes, but after reading through the crochet book and looking at the paper sleeve that the yarn was wrapped in, I noticed that the needles have sizes on them in the middle where the flat area is.  It is also stated on the paper sleeve.

If you notice, the paper sleeve will also say "worsted" - 4.  Which I think means how many threads twist together to form one yarn.   (I did take the yarn apart and there were 4 threads.)  This particular brand of thread does not specifically say 4 ply, that is why I came to the conclusion that is what worsted meant.

Now I am not a professional, so some of my words may not be exactly the correct ones.  

This is my slip knot. 

After looking at the pictures in the book, which for me were very confusing, I remembered how to make a slip knot and then I showed my daughter.  It just seems so much easier than what the book described.

This is my Chain Stitch.  Not bad.  But of course I kept ripping it out and starting all over again to make sure that I knew how to chain correctly.  Then I tried to do a turning chain to make another row of chain stitches.  

 This one did not turn out correctly.  The turning chain was more of a round chain stitch and was not what I wanted.  Back to the drawing board.