Happy 2015!

Yay - first post of the New Year  -  hopefully the first of many.

I thought I'd start the New Year off with a look back over my shoulder - I started this blog with the intention of being able to look back and see how far I've gone, what mistakes I've made, what I could do better etc, etc, etc so what better than a glance back at my first attempts at crochet and photographic evidence of my wonky shaped journey.

I was given a book about crochet as a Christmas present back in 2009 and having had to give up knitting (due to my tennis elbow, which is still a problem, sigh) I decided to really try and give crochet a go.

I picked up my new hook on the 28th December 2009 and made my first proper chain...a couple of days later I was trying to make sample squares of different stitches...

I hope that you can see an improvement over those three photos in my tension and evenness of stitches.

I moved on to trying more complicated things in January....

 wonky chevrons -- I later mastered this and have made several scarves using this pattern (see photo below)

Then I thought I'd try my hand at motif, which all seemed to come out a bit wonky!

I cringe now when I look back at these - I've actually kept the red and green one and still use it as a wonky shaped coaster.

I decided to step away from the motifs and go back to practicing the stitches and patterns in the rest of the book.

By the middle of January I was feeling brave enough to make my first proper crochet 'item' - a baby bib for a friend who had just became a grandmother again. I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but it's meant to be an owl ;)

By the 19th January I had made this baby cardi! I made it just using scraps of yarn in contrasting colours.

 In February I decided to make something for me - I was so proud of myself - it took me quite a while to make!

I loved finding out cute patterns for little things to make - Peter still has his crochet cactus and the little chickies are egg cosies that I made for friends.

By March I had made my first handbag - I still love this bag, it's pure wool from the Kerry Woolen Mills, just outside Killarney.

 and I started on my first ever crochet scarf (with help from my parents' cat)

all finished - I still wear this scarf...