crochet

I love to watch people do hand work. If you have a grandma who knits then you know what I mean. I have known people who grow instantly more beautiful and interesting with a crochet hook in hand. I love the needleworkers who get so good they can knit and carry on conversations at the same time. I love the way a person's brow will furrow when they miss a stitch or are counting an intricate pattern. Hands always look so potent. Some people stick their tongues out in concentration.

The four photos above were taken at the end of another day of crochet. They were taken in quick succession and I wanted to include them together because they say more than I can about how special it is to observe the art club learning a new finger craft. Watching the kids' faces today as they concentrated and began to flow with the granny stitch was really captivating. Their hands looked more potent and their faces more beautiful than I can remember.

To a one they all agreed that granny squares were easier to learn than the straight double crochet square. Maybe it's just another week of practice, but I feel like we turned a corner. Art Club will spend at least one more week on crochet and see how we feel after next session. We split the group in half today so that each teacher worked with two students at once for an hour and then we switched off. The alternate group was working on a drawing/collage project that was basic and playful in contrast to the brain strain of learning crochet. I think a two student to one teacher ratio is ideal for the initial learning stages of crochet.