Nourishing A Daughter's Talent for Crochet

My oldest daughter Seriah amazes me each day.  Over the last couple of months her self-discovery in the crafting world has been full of bumps frustration, and fortunately success.  In the beginning of April just after my second surgery she decided she wanted to learn how to crochet while her Nana was here helping me out with childcare and recovery.  She tried patiently to listen as her Nana went over the basics and got her started; and I listened to words I knew nothing about like slip stitch, single and even double crochet.  Once she got the hang of it she wanted nothing to do with an actual pattern and set off to create her own masterpieces.  These included: a variegated rainbow sleeping bag & pillow for her stuffed kitty cat, a bracelet, ring, and hat for her four month old baby sister.  She even designed a play toilet and made up her own stitches.  I will never admit to understanding what goes on in her head I mean a toilet???  I can't explain it, but she was creating and discovering a love for crafting.
Can you believe for not following any kind of a pattern my daughter was able to create something so cute and interesting for her sister? 

So I asked her if she could learn to make anything in the world she wanted to what would she like to make.  Her answer as some of you with girls yourself might guess:  Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Disney's Movie "Frozen".  Which she has been in love with ever since the movie came out last year.  So I hit pinterest and tried to see if there was anything out there that would help with this request.  You can check out my Disney Movie Frozen Board here for tons of costumes, crafts and party ideas.  I found 3 patterns that looked pretty good for a novice crocheter like my daughter and were reasonably priced.  You can find those patterns by Sahrit Freud Weinstein on Etsy here:  Olaf, Elsa & Anna Patterns.  I think they are some of the cuter patterns available and for a great price, I couldn't beat that someone else had already done the design work and directions.  She was stoked and went on a Nana-granddaughter date to go buy the supplies she would need for them.

Immediately she set to work on Olaf.  Choosing the largest crochet hook I own and with her loose stitching I predict he is going to be pretty big when he finally gets finished, but she insisted that she wanted him big so I "Let It Go"  HaHa.  Then the frustration set in.  Her Nana showed her how to read the pattern and sat next to her for the first several rounds.  Once it was dinner time the evening filled with normal things like meal prep and clean up, bath time and bed time for the kids.  When all was said and done Nana and I didn't get back to checking on Seriah until the next day.  Where lo and behold she had finished off and stuffed the bottom snowball for Olaf.  This left much to be desired, since she had quit reading the pattern and hadn't bothered to try decreasing as she was supposed to, she just zigzagged her yarn across the opening and called it good.  I spent at least fifteen minutes trying to help her understand why following the instructions was important and ultimately had to take out about half the work she had done and find her place on her pattern again.  My poor girl was completely deflated and her Olaf project has sat in her crafting basket ever since.  But when I ask her about it she continues to promise me to finish it after her next project so I continue to hope.  Otherwise I will probably make one of them for her come Christmas time in the hopes of inspiring her again.

In the Bible we are taught:  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

I firmly believe this goes hand in hand with the parable of the talents.  Which if you missed that post you can read it here.  I remember growing up as a kid dabbling in or watching my mom dabble in so many different crafts.  I think it gave me the confidence to be willing to try most projects at least once.  And I am truly enjoying trying to nourish that willingness in my own children knowing that if they see it and learn it now it will stay with them when they are adults.