They Love Yarn!

Marie Segares • Underground Crafter

 

Name: Marie Segares
Title: Proprietress, Underground Crafter/Owner, Creative Yarn Entrepreneur, LLC
Blog: Underground Crafter

Why do you love yarn?

I love yarn because it's beautiful and it allows me to create functional things, pretty things, things to wear, things for the home, things to gift, and things to donate!

How did you learn to knit or crochet (did you teach yourself or did someone else teach you)?

I learned to crochet from my maternal grandmother back in 1984. She was a very talented needle artist and was skilled in all the needle crafts. She tried to teach me to knit, too, but it didn't take. In 2010, I conquered my lifelong fear of knitting with The Complete Beginner's Guide to Knitting DVD by Nici Beason.

What was your favorite part about learning to knit or crochet?

I don't really remember learning to crochet, but I loved that it was always something I could share with my grandmother. It definitely brought us closer together and it helps to keep her memory alive. My favorite part about learning to knit was realizing that I had been psyching myself out all along!

What is your go-to project suggestion for beginners?

I know a lot of people recommend scarves or dishcloths for beginners, but my recommendation is to find a beginner-friendly version of a project the beginner is actually interested in making. I think being interested in the project gives people more of a desire to struggle through the difficult parts of learning.

What tips do you have for teaching others to knit or crochet?

When teaching a beginner, patience is critical. You may need to prepare more than when you're teaching other skill levels. It helps to break down every stitch and technique into multiple steps and then to plan at least three different ways to explain each step. Readers that are interested in teaching crochet for side income may enjoy my book, which shares many more tips for planning for classes (http://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/mmtc).

What advice do you have for someone learning to knit or crochet?

My biggest advice is to be kind to yourself! It's easy to get frustrated when you're learning something new, especially for adults who are mostly used to being "experts" in everything they do. My other tip is not to rip everything out. A lot of beginners want everything to look "perfect" and they will tear out every project. That often leads to frustration (because you don't finish as many projects) and it's also hard for you to learn from your mistakes when your mistakes have disappeared!