Crochet A to Z: Questions Every Crocheter Receives

(How is it that I’m an English major in my fourth term of college and I STILL don’t know how to spell “receives”?)

I’m doing the A to Z Challenge for the month of April with the theme “Learn to Crochet A to Z.” For more details, and to see previous posts, click on the page at the top of my blog!

It was really hard to think of a letter for “Q.” I wanted to do something about frequently asked questions, but this whole post series is meant to address frequently asked crochet questions, so that would be sort of redundant. So instead, I thought I would write about questions I get all the time…and from talking to other crocheters, I’ve learned that many of them get the same questions!

My title isn’t entirely accurate in that not every crocheter receives all these questions, but they are pretty common. 🙂

Q: Where did you get your felted purse/octopus hat/Yoda coffee cup cozy/ratty fingerless gloves/other creative item?

Whenever you leave the house in a crocheted item, people are bound to ask about it – especially the stranger it is! To which I tell them truthfully: “I made it!”

Q: Really?

Yes, really. (Usually accompanied by nervous shuffling of feet, tugging at a strand of hair, and eyes darting around and failing to make eye contact: do they think I’m bragging? Do they not believe me? Do they think it’s the ugliest thing in the history of the world and are trying to come up with something nice to say?)

Q: That’s so cool! I can’t even knit a scarf!

-inwardly wincing-

Now, there’s nothing wrong with knitting – knitting is awesome! But it does get a little old having crochet constantly be mistaken for its two-needled cousin. I usually reply with something like: “Me neither! This is crocheted.” Said with a smile so they know I’m not being snarky. 😉

Q: Ooh, you crochet? You should open an Etsy shop!

I’ve gotten this one dozens of times, and it’s very flattering! It makes me happy that people like the things I make. My problem is that making any profit from an Etsy shop is tricky when you’re selling handmade stuff – people do it for sure, but I haven’t figured out how yet. 😛 I’m not a natural businesswoman, haha. Sometimes when people tell me this I want to ask them if they have any idea what handmade stuff would cost if you factored in the labor and materials involved. I doubt anyone would buy an amigurumi Rey for $50, even if that’s what I should be charging for my time involved, and all the yarn and accouterments!

But people really do mean well, and it’s nice to have support from random strangers who took a minute to compliment my crocheted scarf. 🙂 If any of you guys have experience with opening an Etsy shop, I’d absolutely love to hear from you – I’m still trying to get mine off the ground!

Q: Ooh, you crochet? Will you make me something?

I’d love to!

If I can afford the yarn! 😛

I’m mostly kidding. I will always happily make stuff for someone who asks, unless it’s a random person I don’t know very well, in which case I will definitely make them pay for the yarn. 😛 I mostly use Red Heart Super Saver, which is scratchy and sometimes unpleasant, and I feel a little funny about giving that to another person. 🙂

I’ve done some really fun commissions for people, and I love doing that, so I’m always happy when someone asks me to make something for them. There’s no greater compliment!

Q: Claire, why is there a yarn scrap in the driveway/bathtub/dog’s mouth/open-air tipi/your hair?

Okay, maybe not every crocheter gets this question. But yarn scraps have appeared in all these places before. XD

***

What’s the strangest place you’ve ever found a yarn scrap? Do you have any questions that people ask you all the time?