It’s all arrived! I now have the course materials for Part 1 of the International Diploma in Crochet and with it the realisation that there’s a lot to do! I’ve been looking through the course materials over and over again, familiarising myself with the content and getting organised on a practical level with a box file (to keep it all together), envelopes and address labels (for the submitting and return of work) and thinking about which yarn to use for my first pieces (yes, that’s a difficult one!)
This really is self-directed learning at its best with no deadlines to meet which means I’m going to have to try to be really disciplined and organised otherwise it will never get done! And just look at this envelope….
There are a total of 35 compulsory samples to crochet (from ‘a square of triple trebles’ to ‘a piece of broomstick crochet removing loops in groups of four’) as well as four practical projects. It is advised that as all the work is submitted in its entirety at the end of the course, the samples are worked in colours that complement each other.
So which colours to choose?
I love colour, especially bright colour combinations (as you can see from the triangle bunting I crocheted at the top of this post), but I’ve decided that for the samples I will probably use the same colour so that I can see the difference in stitches and be able to make real comparisons. And as the inspiration for my blog is the sea and coast, the colours I’ll start with are blues.
This is a photo of our local beach this afternoon and as you can see there’s a lot of blues out there…
And what type of yarn?
I love to use cotton but in her book, ‘Beginners Guide to Crochet’, Pauline Turner (who devised the course) recommends using mixed fibre to start with. I spent a long time in my local yarn store at the weekend trying to find a yarn in the right colour with the right fibre content.
And this is what I decided upon…
So now I have everything needed to begin and I’m feeling ready to embark on this learning journey. I’m still tempted by my own little crochet projects that are already on the go but I really must get cracking on some of those samples…
Happy crocheting everyone!
It really is an exciting time, isn’t it? But I’m sure Pauline has written somewhere “All work and no play..” so while you get cracking on those samples, don’t neglect your own little crochet projects. They’re very handy to re-invigorate when you get stuck on a sample or bigger project.
Ps. I just about managed to resist the temptation to open that envelope!
Thanks for the advice! Yes, some light relief between samples sounds like a plan!
Hi Eleonora!
Maureen and Josephine (the cat) here. I crochet, too! And quilt. My great-niece has asked for a blanket in sunset colors; no blue, no green; with the colors of her late, beloved, orange, rust, and white tabby cat running through. Boy! that was a hard one to but the yarn for! Then I started it, got maybe 6 inches done and frogged it. Oh Dear. Maybe if you had had the course already, you could have helped me solve my dilemma. LOL! Oh well!
I was a nurse for 30 years and n acupuncturist for 15. Finally, though, I’m learning how to take care of my self!
Hope you enjoy the course through and through.
🙂 m & jb who will gladly unwind yarn for you -all around your furniture legs
Thanks for getting in touch and your kind words! Great to hear from you!
A cat must go beautifully with crafting- purring by your side. We have a dog- Salty a Miniature Schnauzer and she just wants me to get up and walk her! Even less time for crochet!! xx