From my first crochet heart to handmade gloves and hats

Have you ever figured something out and had that big “ah-ha” moment? Isn’t it the best feeling? I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I think I’m officially becoming a yarnie!

When I first started this blog, I wanted a place to share my crochet journey, a way to look back and see how far I’ve come. So, here’s a little look at what I made during my very first month of crocheting. Now, along with this, I also joined Ravelry. If you have not checked that out, then you are missing out! It has so many patterns, groups, and helps in a forum manner. I know a lot of people seem to hate it, but as a child who grew up with AOL chat rooms, it is very nostalgic.

My oldest son has a stuffed teddy dog, which he calls Abby. He got it not long after my mother-in-law's dog was killed by a snake bite. He loved Abby so much, and finding this stuffed toy was a real help in bringing him comfort. He asked me to make it a collar and to put her name on it. It ended up looking a little goofy, but he loves it, and that’s what matters most. This was made on the same day I joined Ravelry, Jan 1!

My first attempt at a crochet heart got a bit… large. I just kept going and going, trying to make it look better... So, it became a trivet instead! Made on January 13, 2013, using Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red. I didn’t have a pattern, just winged it and hoped for the best!

After that, I played around with different patterns until I found one I loved, a simple, easy heart from Little Birdie Secrets. It is called the Simple Heart Pattern, so if you see that mentioned later, that’s what I’m referring to. I used this to make some sweet little garland for the kitchen. I crocheted a bunch of hearts and strung them together with a long piece of yarn.

For the hearts, I used some vintage pinkish yarn my mother-in-law had, some white, and some of the Cherry Red from the trivet. I mean, the garland looked pretty sad, but it was a start. One I felt proud of... and it encouraged me to learn more. My parents have always taught me, it's not a defeat when we mess up; it is a chance to learn and do better the next time. 

Next up was a head warmer I started on January 5, 2013. This one gave me some trouble... That poor flower... do we even call it that???    I frogged it a few times before figuring things out. The original pattern came from AmyRay1976.blogspot.com (sadly, her blog isn’t around anymore). I ended up adjusting her version to make mine a little wider to cover my ears — perfect for when my thick, curly hair is up during the chilly months. I finished it on January 11th using Red Heart Super Saver in Charcoal. I was able to tack the flower down with the tail, that was its only saving grace, I think... it was even worse than that!

Aren’t these colors beautiful? The yarn is I Love This Yarn in Gelato Stripe from Hobby Lobby. This yarn is so much softer than the Red Heart! It is like night and day. I also love these colors. The yarn looks almost made, but it is 100% acrylic. These started out as owl gloves, but being new to crochet, I couldn’t quite figure out the cables. After three frogged attempts, I went with my own design instead. The gloves are double crochet up to the wrist, then triple crochet so I can fold them over. They took me about nine days to finish, and I adore how they turned out.

And this handsome guy? That’s my oldest son, proudly wearing the hat I made him in just five days! It is another I LOVE This Yarn from Hobby Lobby. I really love the yarn department there, I would love to find some more yarns to try one day. You can’t see the nose on it well in the photo, but trust me, it is there. He wanted a monster hat, and that is what I attempted to make him. The boy's love is so much, he and his little brother fight over that hat all the time. I really should make another one, but with summer right around the corner, maybe I’ll wait for next fall. Summers here are brutal, and this yarn is thick and makes my hands sweat when I use it, and somewhat itchy.... I wonder if that is normal? I need to look into that. 

This month was full of learning, laughter, and lots of frogging, but every project taught me something new. Those early stitches may not have been perfect, but they were the beginning of something beautiful... a lifelong hobby that I can pour love of yarn and creativity into.