Chains are the building blocks of crochet. Without them, nothing happens. No afghans, no scarves, no amigurumi (crocheted animals and other creatures). The chain is essential. It’s the foundation.
It’s fairly easy to chain; any seven year old can be taught to do it, as I was by my grandma. I could chain and chain and chain. What took mastering was the turning and joining. Getting those right was and is one of the main challenges, not to mention getting the number of chains right. Each pattern has its unique count. To disregard it is to put the work in peril.
Simple things, but they’re as foundational as the chain itself. They require an attention to craft and detail. They may not be glamorous—who wants to make sure all 264 chains are accounted for?—but the nitty-gritty details are what make way for the fun of creation. To ignore them means tearing out stitches and often going back to the very beginning: the chain.
Other work is the same. Writing has essential elements. So does marketing. They aren’t glitzy. They won’t hog the spotlight, but they do increase the odds of getting into it. Without subjects and verbs, without quality control of products and services, without creative briefs and checking of assumptions, no further work is warranted. To move forward without addressing the basics is a fool’s errand.
To be successful, the foundation has to be set first. The work may take a long time. It may put a crimp in one’s style or delay the time to market, but it’s time well-spent. Abraham Lincoln may have said it best, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Exactly, so count the chains, learn the subjects and verbs, address the quality issues. The hard work put in at the outset always pays dividends at the conclusion.
Like the sound of my approach to marketing and writing? Let’s talk.
Image: Denise Krebs (Creative Commons)
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