You know that feeling — you get a brilliant idea and, in your head, it’s epic!
This is going to be bigger than Ben Hur (or that’s the saying, I think?).
You map it out in your head, and the sheer magnitude of just how brilliant this idea is makes your head a few sizes too large for the gorgeous crochet beanie you made last week!
Of course, in your head, this design works per-fect-ly... Every stitch lines up, and it all falls into place to create a piece of crochet that a queen would wish to have adorning her in some manner or other.
Then you begin working on this masterpiece. You try one yarn, and it doesn’t work that great — maybe the texture is too rough. You try another, and it’s way too soft. Then you try a third, and it seems just right.
You grab your 5mm hook and do a few rows — turns out it’s too big.
You work a few rows with your 4mm and, you guessed it, it’s too small. By this time, you can hear your 4.5mm grumbling from the hook storage: “Told you I was the right size. You should have picked me in the first place.”
Sure enough, the 4.5mm is just right — and it did have a point. You should have listened.
Single Crochet
You think you’re now ready to whip up this masterpiece and begin using single crochet (US). You work up a large portion of the design, but the further you go, the more you start to think this stitch might not be right for it.
Maybe this just isn’t going to work.
You slow down, partly so you can ponder how you could possibly be wrong. After all, it worked so well in your head! Eventually, you’re down to one stitch a minute. Your brain is shouting loud and clear: IT WILL NOT WORK.
The realisation dawns — it just ain’t gonna work — and off you go a-frogging.
But then your vision begins to shift. This new idea will work — it will be super fabulous for sure. How could you have missed this before?
Half Double Crochet
Half double crochet may well be the way to go with this. This will work! This will be great! Fantastic! Fabulous! You may even be awarded Queen of the World for this design.
Butttttttttt… you get to about the same point you were at with the single crochet and just know it is NOT SO!
By this time, the new, fabulous, incredible design has been given the gift of flight — you chuck it across the room and leave it there for a few hours.
Waistcoat Stitch
This is it! This is the one!! This stitch will be raised above all others and become legend in this design. People will queue for hours to admire the crochet artistry you’ve created with this stitch.
As you work, you realise it’s true — it does work. It’s right. Wonderful, even. You crochet harder and faster, knowing those queues of crochet fans will soon be waiting to view your masterpiece.
Once again, your head has grown a few sizes too large for that beanie, and before you know it, the day is gone. It’s late, and suddenly you feel an overwhelming urge for a large bowl of porridge. You must have one! After all, you’ve been working very hard all day and thoroughly deserve it!
You’re now so exhausted from your day of frogging that you also require a nap.
You go in search of a bed — but of course, it has to be one that’s just right!
The Goldilocks Method of Crochet Design is a patented technique used exclusively by Auburncraft Crochet Design.
No bears were harmed in the making of this crochet method — although several bowls of porridge were definitely eaten.