Just as a baby takes his or her first steps, crafters take their first steps in the creative world. And like a toddler falling over and over eventually learns to navigate with their new mode of transportation, a crafter learns by making mistakes over and over until eventually she masters a craft. With practice the toddler is on his way to explore a new world and the crafter opens up to herself a new world of creativity limited only by her imagination.
I wanted to share with you a couple of first steps for me in the yarn world. I learned to knit and crochet when I was young but put away the needles and hooks to raise a family. Back in 2006 a devastating ice storm hit our area of the country and the needles and hooks came back out for good. Below is my first attempt at knitting socks. I am very pleased at how they turned out but if you look close, the heals do not match. I really didn’t understand the instructions for the first sock and then figured it out for the second sock. No, I wasn’t about to rip out the first sock to correct it. I am not that much of a perfectionist. Besides nobody knows my error except you and you won’t tell, right.
![First Socks - Self-Striping](http://graceelizabeths.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/sonya-stiping-socks.jpg?w=700)
My second first is what they call a CAL, short for crochet along. This is where you and several other crochet enthusiasts join a group online and crochet the same pattern. You have the option to crochet it as instructed like I did or you can put your own twist on it. Being my fist CAL I thought I better follow the rules. I don’t do that anymore but love to be in a group doing the “almost” same thing.
![First CAL-Crochet Along](http://graceelizabeths.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/first-cal.jpg?w=700)
Have you ever done a CAL (crochet along) or KAL (knit along)? Would you like to? Let me know and maybe we can get one started.
Happy Crafting!
Sonya Kay
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Entrepreneurship flows in Sonya’s blood. Some businesses include an artistic rubber stamp manufacturing business, opening and running a bed & breakfast, having a fabric and yarn shop, and currently growing her professional longarm quilting business. As a serial entrepreneur, she loves to mentor and coach small businesses. She misses farm life, loves to travel, and enjoys her husband, children, their spouses, and of course the grandkids.