I had a bit of time recently, so I went around the shops browsing the stuff they had (and stuff they had on sale!). One of the sections I always visit is the haberdashery department, and this time I happened to glance at a stuffed toy crochet kit. Since I had some spare time and wanted to keep my hands busy, I decided to buy this kit and try it out for myself.
My experience in crocheting is not that bad as I learnt how to do it in school. I was 12 and with the exams over, our teacher decided to teach us crochet! I was in an all boys school and most of my classmates complained that this project was too feminine but it was a ‘make’ project and I was super excited. At the end of the project, I managed to crochet a beautiful side table-cloth. My parents were super impressed at my skills and especially the speed that I manage to complete this project (I think it only took me half the time)! I loved crochet so much that I took up my classmates offer of making his table-cloth.
Decades later, I am now looking at youtube videos to refresh my memory of the techniques. Needless to say, my technique was still there but my ability to read the instructions was horrible. I am slightly dyslexic so instructions can sometimes be quite confusing. In fact, I had to take my first few tries apart as I got them wrong. 12-year-old me was much better at this, which led me to think – how did I cope with the instructions then? Saying that, 12-year-old me could create amazing things without any instructions.
I gave up on the first day and left the crochet kit on the table for a week before I attempted it again. Procrastination is such a horrible thing as it makes you doubt yourself and creates confusion, so this time round, I just winged it and it actually worked. Within one day, I had the arms, legs and tail completed.
I was watching the England vs Croatia match while crocheting and it helped with the nerves. Although I was a bit disappointed England didn’t win, I felt a sense of accomplishment at what I had done instead.
Practise makes perfect! The next day, I was back to my 12-year-old speed and completed the body and horns in an afternoon. All the parts were then sewn together and this little monster was completed!
So am I cuddling this toy to bed? Well, no. It’s funny that most items that are crocheted or knitted tend to be for someone else. After all, a lot of effort is invested in this handicraft as a gesture of love to the recipient. Even if it’s that sweater that your aunt has made for you for Christmas!
Stephen Yong 