New/Old Hobby or Baile Rochel Returns to Crocheting

"Baile Rochel" is my alter ego, or maybe she's the real me. Click "Baile Rochel" to read more of her writing.

Yesterday, when I was walking around the Talpiyot shopping aka industrial area, I found myself walking into a crafts store. I usually just walk around the Hadar Mall and then trek to Matan for a 12 noon class. But yesterday, I had been dropped off on a different street.

I love to window shop, always have, but suddenly I was attracted to yarn. It got a hold on me and pulled me in.

Before I realized what I was doing, I had picked out two packages of yarn and a crochet hook and announced to the salesman that I was going to crochet a scarf.

Of course, I've never crocheted a scarf before. I haven't a clue how to do it. The only thing I've ever crocheted has been hats and kippot (skullcaps.) There's a big difference between crocheting something round and crocheting something long which is supposed to have the same width all its length. Crocheting round things is very simple; it suits the technique.

Please don't tell me to follow a pattern, because I don't know how to do that either. I've always crocheted by "instinct" or common sense or just plain guesswork. And sometimes I've made a mess out of things.

There are two reasons I was pulled into this little/insane challenge. One is that I have a new jacket, the same dark blue as the yarn, and it needs a scarf. Two is I've been wanting to do something to help keep me awake and alert while at classes/lectures. Years ago, I did needlepoint pictures, but then I ran out of wall space. After that I kept myself happily busy crocheting hats. But after a few years I stopped wearing them. I prefer covering my hair with scarfs.

Of course, since I'm Baile Rochel, I didn't do any research, no google searches to try to find out any tricks to crocheting a scarf. I didn't ask anyone either. As the lecture began, I took the yarn and hook and tried to remember how to start. In all honesty, I was surprised at how long it took me to figure out what to do. And the start isn't exactly the same as for crocheting something round. But it's like what people say about riding a bike,You never really forget. Only crocheting is much safer. I wouldn't dare try to ride a bike after all these years/decades. If I goof up the crocheting, I can always undo the stitches or throw the mess out.

I crocheted a few rows and stayed awake during the lecture. That's good. There's no chance the scarf will be perfect, but I don't really care. As I tell my friends during my mosaics class, when they ask me what I'm making:

"It's the journey that's important."

What harm would it do to wear a crooked misshapen scarf, especially if the act of crocheting had helped me stay awake during expensive classes?

PS If you have some tips to help me crochet a scarf that doesn't look totally ridiculous, please write them in the comments, thanks.