My First Crochet Project

My first attempt at crochet 2, originally uploaded by starlitafternoon.

This is a snapshot of my first work in progress. Soon, this will be a gorgeous felted bag in my fave colour, teal.

The pattern can be found on page 33 of The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet by Nancy Queen and Mary Ellen O'Connell, and is entitled, "Chicks' Slit-Top Felted Bag."

I have chosen Lion Brand 100% wool that is "perfect for felting." The weight is medium (four), and the colour is "Dark Teal." I was so pleased when my Mom found a stack of it on sale, because teal and turquoise are my favourite colours.

Because this will be my first project, I wasn't going to spend too much money on it. I kept joking that I'll be walking around with a homely little craft bag as my badge of honour as a beginner.

I've actually spent some time playing around with chaining and the single crochet, although my first "piece" was just a chain with a few rows on top of it using some leftover acrylic yarn from my Mother's stash. It looked all right, although I later found out that I was doing it, well, not wrong, but I was crocheting into the back (?) loop only, rather than through both.

I also had a habit of losing stitches.

After some extremely unsuccessful attempts at playing around with the 8.00mm hook that I am using for this project, I thought, why not just start? It'll sort itself out.

I'm so pleased that I did! My stitches are prettier than I could have imagined, and I feel like a pro. All of the things that I had been practicing that hadn't quite clicked yet, such as stringing the yarn along through my left hand, just fell into place. I can't wait to get more of it done.

I am also finding myself quite addicted already! I'm anxious to start connecting with other crocheters, and developing my skills so that I can try different patterns. First, of course, I have to finish this bag!