What the Craft?: Crochet 101 at Workshop SF

Is there anything better than a basket of yarn?

I recently attended my first DIY class at Workshop, an indie establishment in San Francisco that offers unique and affordable classes to the public. Screen printing for newbies, anyone? Glass jar terrariums? Basic bicycle maintenance? These are just a few examples. All the classes are a couple hours long and cost around $30-$40. Materials are included, and you usually go home with an (almost) finished project!

My sister lives in LA, and on a jaunt around South Pasadena last year she took me by Common Thread Studio, a beautiful, inspired space that offers sewing classes and machine/workspace rentals with a retail shop in front selling lovely handmade wares. Upon seeing it, I cried a little inside knowing I would never have time to utilize the studio as an out-of-towner, and had been wondering ever since if San Francisco had something similar to offer.

Enter...Workshop! Somehow I had never known about this magical place (that is, hallelujah, cheaper than Common Thread) until chancing upon it on a friend's Facebook. The world-rocking began and I immediately signed up for last month's Crochet 101.

Now, I wasn't brand new to crochet, having learned last year and made a couple of projects. See below.

Exhibit a. Crochet hooks and other tools enclosed.

Exhibit b. Baby blanket I made for my niece. Isn't her crib nook adorable? Giraffe spots and tissue paper flowers courtesy of my talented sistah.

However, my skill was limited, and as hard as I tried with Youtube tutorials and books, I could not get beyond the basic single stitch crochet. Wah wah. I figured joining some other eager yarn fools to get tips from a pro could be worth it, and boy was I right! There were only three of us in the class, and the teacher worked with everyone closely as we moved at our own pace to make a bottle koozie/pouch. I learned how to crochet in the round, do a double stitch (success!) and, sort of, read a pattern. The space was cozy and inspiring, and the instruction was accessible and non-scary. Behold:

Not too shabby, eh? (It's unfinished, of course.) Now the trick will be remembering how to do all that stuff. If you live in San Francisco (or want to come visit me) and like to make stuff, let's take a class together! I'm thinking I'll try out the glass jar terrariums next.

Happy crafting!