My final reflection of my 20 Time Project.
So it took me 5 hours to finish the necklace and I made it only half as long as I originally intended. I had hoped to make the necklace long enough to wrap around my neck two times but the process took a quite a long time. At times, I found I was spending 15 minutes on one bead. The challenge was pulling the thread through the bead. I would gt stuck, snagged on the inside of the bead. I tried one of Grandma's techniques of putting three smaller beads together and by the second time I had figured it out. Once I had it long enough for one loop around the neck, I tied off the end and knotted the two end together. Weaving the end pieces together took another 30 minutes because I had to be very careful not to snag the twisted thread with the point of the crochet hook. I got it done and here is the final product. I think Grandma would be proud! I miss you Ann Ann. This has been the most challenging week of this adventure. Taking the hiatus from my 20 Time project caused me to need to relearn some of the basic skills I had acquired from week 3. It did not take long but I did need to re-watch the videos that showed me how to make the slip knot and chain stitch.
Getting started with the fine gold thread was was the most difficult part. The thread is made of two twisted strands and the point would invariable end up splitting the strands. The small diameter of the beads is what required the small point and throat of the crochet hook. It does not look like a lot of progress but these first 6 beads took me 3 hours. I restarted multiple times for a variety of reasons. Either I was not properly hooking the thread and the bead would fall causing the whole string of beads to unravel or the point of the hook would get stuck in the bead or split the gold sting. I crocheted the first three beads 8 times. Once I got passed the third bead, things started going smoother. It was easier to keep the tension, pull the string through the bead and previous loops, and add the middle chain stitches. At one point I was at 5 beads and when adding the 6th, which is the bell, the whole thing fell out of my hands and I ended up starting again with the second bead. This is as far as I can get this week. For next week I will try to complete the necklace.
Week two was more learning than progress. I started with a trip to Michael's to collect supplies for my test bracelet. I found that the materials for my test bracelet were not inexpensive. The volume of pony beads was more than I would ever use and the 5 mm size needle was not what I would use for the Jingle Bell necklace. I made a command decision to modify some of my purchases in the hopes of making a cost effective choice. My first change while in the store was to purchase a smaller crochet hook. I chose a sizes more appropriate for the jewelry string vs heavier yarn. I also made a change in the beads. Since I did not need a huge bucket of pony beads I chose a small string of jewelry beads that myself or my daughter might actually wear. While in Michael's I looked around for the beads that I would need for the Jingle Bell necklace. While there was a huge selection of beads, I was unable to find the beads that are used in the necklace. It turns out that the beads grandma uses are actually taken from strands of Christmas tree beaded garland. There seems to be one year round Christmas store in San Diego but in perusing their website I did not find what I need. I found a website for a store in New York. Their prices are pretty hefty; $8 to $14 dollars for a strand. Also, I would prefer to see the beads before I purchase them. I will be doing more investigation into how I can get a hold of the seasonal beads at a reasonable price. It seems my attempt to save money by not purchasing the 5 mm crochet hook was not so wise. Additionally, the beads I chose brought the entire project to a halt. The diameter of the opening in the center of the beads was too small for the yarn to get through and the crochet hooks that I purchased were too small to hook the yarn. I am going back to the drawing board, and the store, for next week. I did successfully make a slip knot to start the crochet process. This was much harder than I expected. I found that written instructions were not adequate. I needed to watch a video for a visual representation. So, the week did have some forward progress. So this week was about researching how to crochet. I was very overwhelmed by the volume of information. You can crochet so many different things from clothing items to jewelry. I found patterns for scarves, headbands, cell phone cases and even coffee cozies. These I will keep in mind for after I learn how to make the Jingle Bell Necklace. I began by narrowing my search to jewelry but that still provided to be an overabundance of information so I further narrowed it to just necklaces with beads. This was a manageable amount of information to sort through. The choices I make will be specific to the Jingle Bell Necklace I want to reproduce so for now I will focus on learning the basics of crocheting and then look further into the materials I need for that specific necklace.
I found a website for beginners to crocheting. It looks like the best place to start is to use yarn and pony beads to get the hang of crocheting so my plan for next week is to collect these supplies and make a basic bracelet. I will need a skein of yarn, pony beads, a tapestry needle and a size 5 mm crochet hook. I have made my decision for my 20 Time Project! I agree that ASL is too lofty of a goal for the 5 week time frame. I think I would prefer to take a structured class to learn ASL in the future. So, I will be learning to crochet the Jingle Bell necklaces. My family will be thrilled. I am excited that someone in the family will be able to make these traditional necklaces. I am even more excited that I get to learn to carry on the tradition and spend time with my Grandmother. I know the materials can be difficult to find because they are seasonal and each individual necklace can take an hour to crochet.
So, this is how I see the next 5 weeks evolving. Week 1: Research what materials, tools and techniques I will need. Week 2: Locate materials and tools I will need. Week 3: Interview Grandma and take a lesson. Week 4: Practice Practice Practice with Grandma Week 5: Final products and celebration of tradition with Grandma. Wish Me Luck! So, here are the two ideas I have been thinking about for my 20% project. My first thought was to learn ASL. This is something that I think would be very valuable as a teacher, especially if I transition into Special Education. My concern is that there will not be enough time to become proficient during the course and then I wont be able to let it go and focus on the edTPA. Which is of course the priority. My second idea came to me when I was trolling the Internet for ideas that might interest me. I saw a list where someone suggested learning how to crochet. Crocheting in general does not interest me but my grandmother has for many years crocheted holiday necklaces. It has been a tradition for all of my daughters teachers to get a necklace for their Christmas gift. My Grandmother is now 101 years old and has not been able to make the necklaces since she had a mild stroke at age 97. She is not doing well and this would give me a "school related" reason to spend time with her. Nobody else in my family of 50 cousins, aunts, uncle, nieces or nephews can crochet the necklaces. I would love for my grandmother to know that her tradition will be passed down before she passes on.
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AuthorThis is my 20% project page. I look forward to honing a new skill and sharing my journey with everyone. Archives
May 2016
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