Lessons in Making :: Crochet

Lunch hour crochet lessons... that's what I've been up to, on Fridays, sometimes Monday's too. As word spreads, the class has been growing, and that's sweet. In the beginning, Mrs. B and I were teaching Morea, India, and Maria... my favorite part to observe is that when new students show up and want to "try," one of the original three girls, happily, steps in to begin the lessons, with finger crocheting. This peer to peer teaching is what I've learned to encourage through experiences with Benevolent Order of Makers. Teaching builds confidence and reinforces our understanding of subjects that we are sharing; its not necessary to be 'older,' and you don't have to be absolutely 'authoritative' to be a dependable and helpful mentor. It might have been a daunting thing to welcome new students every week, starting over with every beginner, but we are adding as many teachers as students, and everyone is adding and building skills. This hour has become one of my favorite of the week... sitting in a (growing) circle together, exchanging ideas and skills, observing and praising each participant's progress, even feeling at ease and amused about frogging! I love how calming it is to be in that room, surrounded by thoughtful, kind, curious, and enthused crochet-ers, who set such a comfortable and encouraging tone.

And! Maria "made a thing!" I love that she loves what she made. It's not that she doesn't see the inconsistencies, the gradual slope, it's that she is thrilled with the prospect of getting better! She is delighted with the texture, the feel of those double crocheted rows that she made, herself. She has decided on a practical use for it, and she's started practicing the shell stitches for crocheting a shawl. And... ohmygosh, I just love her harvest gold square!

This reminds me of a funny thing about making... if I buy something from a store, I expect it to be square, or hold water, to be uniform and "perfect." But I love the affection, the almost romantic thrill of holding something homemade, our own, so that no matter that it tips, or leaks, or is lopsided, or not-quite-perfect, we love it, adore it, keep it for always. I love that Benevolent Order of Makers celebrates tinkering, creating, failing, trying again, success, sharing, cooperating, teaching and learning, across ages, across disciplines. We don't have to be "perfect," we only have to want to keep trying to reach our goals, and be thrilled with the journey. Inch by inch, row by row... this is how we learn and grow.