A Different Point of View

One of the wonderful things about going to the Knit and Crochet Shows has been the opportunity to learn from other crocheters.  I’ve learned new techniques and finishing tricks both in classes and just sitting stitching in the lounge with others.  I’ve also discovered ways of looking at crochet fabric that I had never considered.    

I’ve always thought of myself as an “outside the box” kind of thinker.  But one of my teachers at Chain Link this year showed me that she isn’t even thinking “inside the room”.  This would be the lovely, talented and brilliant Dee Stanziano.    

I had the pleasure this year of taking the class “Pushmi, Pullyu” with Dee.   She has an amazing eye for crochet fabric and an insatiable curiosity about how it is created.  Her understanding of how the fabric of crochet can be influenced by the way we hold our hooks and manipulate the yarn is a bit mind-boggling.     

Dee promised by the end of her class we would be forming new neural pathways and looking at our crochet in a whole new way.  She was correct in her predictions (and when she made us crochet with our non-dominant hand her promise that we would curse her name also came true).   I am now having a great time playing with different approaches to creating stitches in my crochet designs.    

Of course one of the benefits of taking this class for me is a better understanding of both the visual differences in fabric, as well as the way left-handed crocheters compensate with their grip and movements in crochet.  Since the majority of left-handed crocheters learn from right-handed folks, like myself, I’m hoping this will improve my skills in teaching them.  As well as giving me a look into hand-health issues for left-handed crocheters.    

In many ways Dee is contagious in her enthusiasm for Crochet, the CGOA and just life in general.  We should all be so involved and alive.  I strongly urge you, when the opportunity arises, take a class with Dee.  It will be money well spent and will gift you with the opportunity to see your crochet (and possibly even life) from a Different Point of View.