Crochet

One of the needle crafts that I enjoy is crochet. I learned crochet from my grandmom during summer vacations, a coveted period in student life. Swatches were crocheted as my grandmom patiently took us through various patterns. Come school the projects were suspended to be picked up again in the holidays. This practice continued till work and my own family took priority and the crochet needle was forgotten altogether.
In 2012, after a long hiatus, I wanted to revive my skills and so with a visit to the craft store and armed with a beginner's guide to crochet I got started.
Two crochet projects later - I am thrilled to have invested my time in a hobby. I love the way the mind remembers what I thought it had forgotten. Besides, its fulfilling to get into flow as you focus on getting the pattern right. And finally the sense of accomplishment when the project completes is worth the time spent on crocheting.

Here they are: 

With yarn, a cap with a little flower for style

With thread, a doily

Howie the Penguin, design from www.freshstitches.com

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting or knitting stuffed animals. This art seems all the rage in the crochet world and many blogs have sprung up offering instructions, design, some free others paid. This form of crochet appeals to me because of  3 reasons: simplicity - basic easy stitches, quick - ideal for a project that can be done over a weekend, and endless possibilities.


Useful links:
http://www.freshstitches.com/beginneramigurumi/
http://allaboutami.tumblr.com/post/8476868368/amigurumiforbeginners
http://freeamigurumipatterns.blogspot.in
Some history and collective knowledge about crochet
Crochet resources that I subscribed to