My first attempts at crocheting… Hmmmm.

This is definitely not a tutorial (give me a year or two!), but inspired by the wonderful work of Dilly Tante, and in particular her crocheted butterflies, I’ve had a go at teaching myself a new craft: crochet. I picked up a hook for 10p from my local charity shop, used some wool I had left over from my Christmas decorations, and tried to follow some instructions from a crochet for beginners book. C’était une catastrophe! I could make chains, but beyond that, I didn’t have a clue. The pictures and instructions in the book (I shouldn’t name and shame it here, as I’m not being complimentary) were ridiculous for supposed beginners. Hook this and yarn that, miss a chain and make a round???!

I wondered whether the wool was to blame? (A poor workman blames his tools and all that! :D) and popped in to my lovely local wool shop to check  I’d got the right ‘sort’ of wool. Apparently what I was using was fine, but the lovely wool lady (not that she is made of wool, you understand) said she’d point me in the right direction if I could find a bit of time without all the Little People in tow.

Well, last weekend I finally got an hour to myself, so went back with my tail between my legs and begged for some guidance. Within half an hour, she’d shown me that the chains I’d been making weren’t the stitches themselves (the book failed to explain this, and I’d failed to grasp it myself. The Shame.), and she showed me the basics of a crochet stitch and a double stitch. With that knowledge under my belt, I tackled the book again with some of its more ‘simple’ patterns. They were not simple as far as I understand the meaning of the word.

But, in the spirit of honesty, here are the fruits of my labour. They’re slightly odd-looking fruits. A bit wonky and a few worm holes here and there and there are pips in places that juicy fruit flesh should be. But labour I did and I thought I would share them with you, before they (and I) unravel…

I’m not proud.

Be kind.

 

A plain flower. It’s supposed to have five petals. Now, I’m no mathematician, but…

My first bit of crochet. It is, (ahem) a ‘square’. Just 228 more to go and, hey presto, I have an ‘easy-to-make’ crochet blanket!??

My more successful creation ~ a red rose.

My second flower. Wonky, but at least there are five petals (of sorts!)

My red and white roses. A little bit proud.