C wheel

The Catherine Wheel crochet stitch, for the longest time, eluded me. I don’t know if I had a mental block on it, had psyched myself out over it, or was just looking at oddly-written patterns, but I could not get the hang of it. I asked my crochet instructor to include it in this semester’s syllabus, and she taught it this week.

I ended up ripping out more often that I usually do, and as you can see in the sample swatch, a few wheels do look like they might have hit a large pot hole. Regardless of the errors, I finally feel as though I have an understanding of the construction of the stitch.

While it is amazing to live during a time when there are so many instructions and tutorials available online, sometimes getting some help or guidance from a more experienced crafter in person can’t be beat. Some of the newer crocheters in the class constantly apologize when they ask for help with something. Perhaps that comes with learning a skill as an adult. I don’t think children think twice about asking questions.

What I have found, through my years of trying new things, is that most people are gracious in sharing their crafts and skills. It’s the way these things were passed on for many years before the internet came along. It’s being part of a crafting community.