Registration for this schedule starts on 12/01/2025 and ends on 04/24/2026
Participants must be 18 years to 120 years old when the program starts.
BEGINNER CROCHET
INSTRUCTOR: BETH BATTEY
Not your Mom’s crochet…no granny squares in sight. Students will learn about yarn choice, various stitches (chain, single crochet, double crochet, etc), and how to read a pattern. As the week progresses, students will complete projects in more complexity — from a simple pot holder to a small purse.
Class fee: $50.00 and
Materials fee: $100.00
Prerequisite: None
Beth Ann Battey
Although I was born and raised in New York, I consider myself a former Rhode Islander and current Kentuckian. I have been blessed to travel, explore new mediums, enhance my skills in my chosen crafts in this stage of life (retirement). I learned to crochet from my grandmother, Marie, when “I was knee high to a grasshopper.” She sits on my shoulder and is the reason I will “frog”(rip out) a mistake even if it’s several rows back. Over time I have picked up and put down my hooks to work on various projects. About 10 years ago I worked and developed my skills as a hooker and fiber artist and love to try new patterns and find various types of yarn. My mother used “Red Heart” and did granny squares. I made an amigurumi as a baby shower gift and my fiber world exploded to include so much more than simple acrylic yarn and squares!
As a school administrator, I had lunch duty every day. I began crocheting (or knitting) during this time and this led to several students asking me to begin a crochet club. What a positive experience! I got to see students in a completely different environment and they saw me as an adult they could count on. Each student came to the group with a different set of skills and knowledge. I had to determine their ability and skill level. We helped each other learn and grow. We made hats for the NICU unit and scarves for the homeless. A community developed, bringing different personalities and beliefs together within the school. Those relationships lasted outside the school.
I have added embroidery (with wool applique) to my passions and I have improved my knitting (thanks to my daughter's desire for various items). When I retired and traveled I began to “collect yarn” from the various locations I visited. When we were living in our motorhome, I used the top bunk for yarn storage (and beads). So it could be said I have a yarn addiction. This past summer I entered a piece in the county fair and won a blue ribbon, giving me the confidence boost I needed. I do not sell many pieces but give them away; however, I plan to expand my skills and perhaps find additional avenues for my work. I hope to bring others into the fiber world and to develop new passions.
Please contact William Holland School of Lapidary Arts if you have any questions.