So, basically, I have been trying to learn how to crochet for some time. My sister had been crocheting for a while and then I went to college and met my roommate, an avid crocheter as well. As I watched these people twirl this yarn up and down, around and in, outside and inside of this hooky thing, I was entranced. I could not understand HOW it was POSSIBLE to make some plain-ass yarn into something like a blanket or even a coaster. The way people crochet has always looked insane to me. After you've been crocheting for a while, it looks like your throwing stitches down at the speed of light. While having a completely normal conversation, my roommate would crochet like nobody's business and not have the slightest problem with focusing on her stitches or the conversation at hand. Crocheting is an art, and I wanted to know its ways.

So, long story short, I wanted to learn how to crochet like a bad-ass grandma.

Attempt 1 was a flop. Crocheting was HARD. I tried to teach myself with the help of some YouTube videos and some spare yarn my sister had around. The video went way too fast and the abbreviations that kept popping up on the screen made ZERO sense. To this day, now knowing how to crochet, I still am irritated that terms like "double-crochet" are abbreviated to "dc" and that EVERYTHING ELSE is also abbreviated for crochet patterns. Also, chains suck. They just do and they are not fun to do. Anyhow, I gave up after attempt one.

A crocheted "chain"Gabby Sheets

Then came attempt two, which was also a flop. My roommate decided to teach me as well as a bunch of our friends how to crochet late on night. Each of us had our own yarn and hook, and she went on with the makeshift crochet workshop. Our friend that had experience knitting picked it up in minutes but the rest of us just kind of gave up. I'm a perfectionist and the fact that my crocheted chain looked like crap was overwhelmingly annoying to me. So, I just quit. Great philosophy to have, I think.

A chain PLUS the bean stitch over and over and over againGabby Sheets

However, then we have attempt three. This is where I actually learned how to crochet, still with the help of my wonderful roommate. This time, I learned first how to make a granny square instead of a regular chain. Granny squares are much harder, but I think by starting with something more difficult I was able to understand the basics much better when I went back to them. My granny square ended up looking like crap, but then, I undid it all and made a funky-looking coaster.

My funky-looking coaster for my boyfriend's coffee tableGabby Sheets

Now, I have successfully made a bow tie for my sister's small dog, and have two blankets and some washcloths in the works, all of which look pretty good if ya ask me.

A dog bow-tie for my sister's dogGabby Sheets

Overall, I'm just really excited to have another old lady activity to add to my interests. Now, instead of trying to read like an old lady as my boyfriend watches football, I CROCHET like an old lady or, as I said, like a bad-ass grandma.