New CGOA Blogger - Caissa McClinton @artlikebread

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Hello, CGOA!  I am honored to join the team of Crochet Guild of America bloggers!  

Hi!

I have been a member since 2011 and I am happy to serve my professional organization in this way.  I learned about the CGOA through the Yarn Thing Podcast with Marly Bird.  In fact, I owe my entire yarn crafting life to podcasts!  The only reason I ever picked up a crochet hook was because I was inspired by an episode of Craftypod with Diane Gilleland.

Before crochet, I was mainly a paper crafter, garment sewer, and jewelry maker.  I couldn't figure out why someone would want so much yarn!  My, how things change!  After realizing I would actually be making fabric by crocheting, I was in!  I had already sent in my request to join Ravelry (yes, it was in the invitation days) and as soon as I was approved, I ran out to the library and got a couple of crochet books.  I asked my mom for a crochet hook (a blue, plastic 3.75mm hook with a "Bates-style" head) and picked out some blue eyelash yarn from Michael's.  I was able to chain but quickly realized that it was really hard to see the stitches.  I still made a chain bracelet, though!  
It was 2008!  I wore the bracelet with pride!
So I went over to Jo-Ann's and (yikes!) spent over five dollars on a ball of maroon acrylic yarn, then went back to the book.  I then discovered that while I could make the chain, I couldn't advance any further because the directions said insert hook into stitch  I didn't know where in the stitch they meant!  By my estimation, there were three possible places to do that and I just wasn't sure what to do.  I don't remember how it came up, but I learned that a lady at my work named Evelyn could show me how to crochet.  She patiently showed me the double crochet stitch and from there things started to make sense.
Thanks to Evelyn for showing me the double crochet!
 Crochet really took off for me after I read Stitch N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.  After doing all of the activities in that book, I felt equipped to make almost anything, and indeed, I was.
I am glad to have found the CGOA and I am looking forward to becoming more involved as a blogger.  I have started (and have yet to finish) the Master's Program.  Maybe y'all can cheer me on in my progress!  I am the founding President of the first Mexican Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, but I currently live in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Metro.  If you need help starting a chapter, please let me know!

I'm very interactive, so let's keep the conversation going.  How did you discover crochet?  What was your first crochet project?  

Please leave a comment here on the blog, and let's connect on social media!  I can be found on facebooktwitterPinterestInstagramTumblrGoogle+,  and YouTube.  Join my monthly newsletter about crafts, crochet, and education.

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