LEARN TO CROCHET! JOIN AAA CLUB-BING!
THE WONDERS OF CROCHET! LEARNED THROUGH AAA CLUBS!
by Ana de Villa – Singson
I learned to crochet only 2 weeks ago, and already I have crocheted a basket, a bucket-cum-tote bag, round coasters, fringed mug rugs, leaf trivets. I am getting ambitious and am now planning to crochet woolen infinity scarves for my husband and sons…a uniform of sorts for our upcoming trip to Paris. Recently isolated for Covid, crochet helped me with my healing and isolation during quarantine. When my oxygen dipped to 89, I refused to panic and did breathing exercises and grabbed my crochet basket. I needed to focus on something, anything to keep myself from worrying. Overnight, I crocheted an organizer for my medicines! Stuck in my suite of rooms, I would create different nooks and corners in different parts of my bedroom, foyer and study…then I would crochet. Truly, crochet was my Covid partner!
So how did my crochet journey begin? I joined AAA Club-bing! The Crafts Club offered Crochet classes by Rea Gomez, a self-taught crochet guru who took it up during the first long lockdown in 2020. Through Zoom, Rea taught us, her intrepid students, the basic stitches then challenged us with homework. To make it more exciting, the best-rated homework ( a set of basic square, basic round, leaf coaster and a cozy ) would win a prize: a gorgeous peach-colored infinity scarf crocheted by Rea! I found myself panicking because I could not produce a single stitch during the class. I couldn’t even make the starting knot! Other club-bers were amused. Cynthia Tinsay Gonzales, who sits with me in the AAA Board ,exclaimed “ It’s so amusing to watch Ana struggling. She is usually good at so many things!” Well, I was horrible …I ended up laughing so hard because I was all thumbs and couldn’t even hold the hook and yarn properly! Never one to concede, as soon as our Zoom session ended, I read all the materials that Rea posted in our Craft Viber group. I practiced every single one of her exercises. When I produced 1 inch of 2 rows of single stitches, I was jubilant! It took me 2 hours…but I was so proud of my precious little swatch… until I saw everyone else’s work. They were posting miles and miles of beautifully clean and even stitches. Never one to quit, I applied myself yet again to the exercises Rea gave us. My stitches were slow and painful, but repetition is a good teacher. I don’t know when it happened, but at one point, my fingers turned nimble and must have retained the memory of repetitive hand movements. Suddenly, I was crocheting…suddenly I could do several inches, several rows, then an entire coaster, a basket, a bag. I am not looking back!
After learning the basic stitches, we were able to crochet these projects!
The bokit bag by Jayz Gonzaga and Jenny Silayan
I call it my Regatta bag! Crocheted on and off over 2 days while I was quarantine. Blocked in regatta colors, it can be worn as a bucket bag or as a tote! I can hardly beleive I crocheted this just 12 days after our first AAA Club-bing session on Crochet!
The round bag, the fringed bag, boho bags inlaid rounds, the table runner made out of crochet squares and the doggie beret are by Rea Gomez, our very accomplished teacher!
I made this multi-colored basket to house my medicines while on quarantine. Crochet helped me stay calm and productive while isolated in my room.
Our Crafts Viber group is thriving. We are proudly posting our work. Cynthia, vaulted straightaway into complicated projects. Eschewing the easy projects…she graduated immediately to making an infinity scarf for her husband and a skirt for her daughter. Jenny Silayan and Jazy Gongora made gorgeous bags! There are scrunchies, cosies, coasters galore. A doggie lover, one of my favorites is a doggie scarf complete with monogram that Jazy crocheted for her doggie, Benito. Throughout Rea guides us, answering questions even close to midnight and encouraging us to “ Just Keep Making!”
My homework…all done! Multi-color leaf coasters, enlarged as trivets. The basic crochet round made into coasters. The glass cozy, enlarged into jumbo size to wrap around bins of munchies. And the basic crochet square, jazzed up into a mug rug with fringes.
Watching the group chatter and all the productive juices churning, I cannot help but feel fulfilled and happy. When I first thought of these clubs and proposed them to the AAA Board, I had envisioned exactly this: a forum to meet old friends, make new ones and learn something new, fun and useful along the way.
So join us! Have fun with us! Let’s go Club-bing!
P.S. It’s easy to join AAA CLUBS. Just click the link above to join. Open to all AAA registered member! Not yet a member? Just pay the Php 500 AAA annual membership fee and you can join all the Clubs of your choice. 2 ways to pay:
1. Deposit to ASSUMPTION ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION, Union Bank Account # 034030018335. Please send a copy of the deposit slip to aaafinance@assumption.edu.ph and to 0917 5372066 (Ana). Please indicate your name, batch and label as AAA CLUB-BING!
2. Gcash to 0917 5372066 (Ana D Singson). Please send a copy of the deposit slip to aaafinance@assumption.edu.ph and to 0917 5372066 (Ana). Please indicate your name, batch and label as AAA CLUB-BING!
Not yet ready to commit to a full membership? You can join individual sessions for Php 200/ session. Same payment options as above!