Getting started with Crochet...

I am a crochet addict. I have several projects on the go and have about a million more things I want to make. I have been regularly posting some of the things I'm making on Instagram and have had a huge amount of questions on the subject. Hopefully todays post can answer some of those questions.

I learned the basic chains of crochet and how to make a circle years ago as my mum had taught me. However, I never really made anything other than headbands for Esra, I never took the plunge to make larger projects. I became more interested in crochet after discovering Pinterest and purchased a few books to inspire and teach me. I have also watched a few YouTube videos and became more confident and experimental with the things I make.

Here are a few things I have made....

I started a beautiful blanket which looks like a popcorn flower. The pattern can be found HERE and it's 'Something Pretty' from Millie Makes. I don't really like reading patterns and prefer a picture diagram so don't be worried if you get confused at first, because I did. Just take a deep breath and read it slowly! :)

I'm using 'Sublime'egyptian cotton for this project. I would also recommend watching THIS video to get the technique.

 

I also made a cushion with the same concept of the popcorn flower and then turned it into the traditional granny square. I made a cardigan for Esra, a blanket for her dolls and some flowers for potential headbands.

I made her a warm cozy hat with 'Sirdar' Indie yarn/wool using single crochet, a beanie embellished with a flower and a bear hat using the 'puff stitch' see similar pattern HERE, but I only did it 3x. The bear hat was made using bamboo cotton which was from Turkey and the brand is 'Nako'. I don'thave any patterns for these as I like to make things up as I go along. But I will try to jot things down in the future.

My most recent project is this traditional grannysquare blanket for Winter! The possibilities for Granny Squares are endless!

If you are serious about wanting to learn how to crochet then follow these steps...

1. Buy yourself some cheap yarn and a crochet hook. (You can get these from Craft shops, department stores and 'Bits &Bobs' shops. 
2. Click onto YouTube and watch some basic tutorials and get practicing
3. If you know anybody who knows how to crochet, see if you can sit with them for an hour as it REALLY helps to grasp the basics.
   
4. Pick a project, I would strongly recommend doing a giant traditional granny square blanket, like the one I made HERE. It comes together really quickly and it's constant repetition so perfect for beginners. Follow THIS pictorial to make life easier.
5. Watch THIS tutorial on YouTube to help you master the granny square. Infact, type in anything, crochet hat, crochet blanket, crochet cushion etc to get inspired. Good ol' YouTube!
6. Check out some blogs! I recommend, Millie Makes, Home Bird, Shopaholic Jo, Bunny Mummy and why not checkout my Pinterest 'Crochet' board for extra inspiration.
7. Maybe go to your local library or click on Amazon for some crochet books. I only own 3, pictured below...

1. 200 Crochet blocks for blankets, throws and afghans - Jan Eaton
2. Crochet Workshop - Erika Knight (My favourite from the bunch)
   
3. 100 Flowers to knit and crochet - Lesley Stanfield.

Hope that helped!

Don't give up and keep practicing!