Learn to Crochet

I was maybe 13 years old when my Grandma tried to teach me to knit. It didn't take. I had much better things to do with my time like attempting to record the latest song from my radio onto cassette. It was all about perfect timing. You finally had everything set up, radio close enough to the cassette recorder but not too close, you pushed record at just the right moment and then... the DJ would interrupt with something not nearly interesting enough to justify screwing up your mix tape!  Kids these days have no clue how rough we had it!

Twenty years later I am feeling pretty confident that I can figure out this crochet thing. I opened up Google and started my search for any website that would get me started.

I stumbled upon the Crochet School series by Crafty Minx and though I didn't sign up for the whole series, learned everything I needed to get going. Her videos are amazing! They are clear, concise and in slow-motion exactly when you need them to be. It is definitely worth completing every lesson to get a good knowledge of the basics of crochet. If you have Apple TV you can even airplay each video on your husband's 60" TV and make him watch too! Glen knows a lot of more about yarn then he ever wanted to.

I wasn't blogging or even thinking of blogging when I started to crochet so I have no in-progress photos. I also am way too impatient to practice on swatches so I got straight to work trying out various tutorials I found interesting on Pinterest, Ravelry and Google.

Slippers/Wristwarmers

These slippers I made for my kids, using a pattern for Slipper Socks from The Crocheting Comrade. This was a very easy tutorial to adapt for my kids and they are IN LOVE with their slippers. The wrist warmers were a gift for my 9 year old niece. I used a free pattern from Lion Brand, called "All Season Wristers".

Fat Bottomed Bag 

Another favourite of mine is the "Fat Bottomed Bag", originally designed by Samanta Maragno.  I used the tutorial by Cindy Coleman of A Little Loopy, but I'm Hooked because her version is an all over bigger bag, which means it will hold all the randoms a mom carries around. The black bag I made for myself, adding a button closure, a key ring inside and an inside pocket. The cream bag was requested for an auction at the school affiliated with our church. I changed the button closure slightly and I recruited an uber-crafty friend of mine to line the bag for me (in my pre-sewing machine days). I love the bright blue fabric remnant she chose! She's a stinker though - she chose it knowing that she was absolutely going to buy this bag. No one even stood a chance at the silent auction!

Did you know that crochet can be so much more than granny square afghans? I get so many comments on my bag, it's one of my favourites for sure. One day I'll reveal the granny square bag I am working on...as soon as I can find a YouTube video on how to seam granny squares...