Rib-look newborn baby hat and a FREE PATTERN

I've been whining for the last 3 years about how I want to learn how to follow a crochet pattern, so I finally decided to do something about it.  Because Crochet for Dummies wasn't really helping me out (I'll save that story for another post), I decided to browse the web, and Etsy for patterns.  I purchased a pattern on Etsy that had a description reading "Easy". Guess what?  NOT easy.  So instead of wasting anymore money on patterns that I obviously wasnt going to get the hang of until I learned more terminology.  I browsed some more and realized that the web has lots of free patterns that I can get practice with. 

I found this pattern super Easy and user friendly. I was able to follow it all the way through without having to unravel even one time.  That's saying a lot for me.   Here's the deal.  If you how to Double Crochet, single crochet, and know what "through back loop only" means, the only thing left to do from there on out is count to 25.   This FREE PATTERN is listed at  http://www.piece-by-piece.net/Patterns/fp49.htm along with many others.   When you visit the website, please be sure to read the terms of use.  The designer is extremely gracious to share her knowledge for free, and  these should only be made for personal or charitable use.  

You can also see more information on this by visiting Character Crochet on Ravelry.com

How it all started

If your a veteran crochet artist, you'll be familiar with a lot of the stuff you'll see me posting.  I'm not entirely new to the blogging world, I've been keeping a blog for the last 3 years showcasing and featuring my own crafts and some tutorials.  Feel free to check out my other blog at http://SophisticateStyle.blogspot.com

I believe I'll keep it because there are some tutorials , and it was initially created to focus on my jewelery designs, as well as everything else hand crafted.  I thought this blog would be good to take you along some of my crochet adventures.   Eventually, I'll have all of my crochet posts transferred to this new blog as well.

I began crocheting (dare I say), about 30 years ago.  I wanted so badly to make my baby sister a blanket for her 3rd birthday.   Grandma was always sitting with a crochet hook in hand, and yarn by her side creating something, so I asked for her help.    She had me start by using yarn and no hook to create a chain, she made me keep re-doing the chain.

If you will , imagine a karate kid style of learning this art....  wax on... wax off... wax on... wax off.  For those of you aren't old enough to remember this during the 1980's, you  might not have a clue as to what I'm talking about, so imaging this scene in the NEW Karate kid movie where Jaden Smith is told to "pick up the jacket, hang up the jacket, put the jacket on, throw the jacket on the floor, pick up the jacket, hang the jacket up", you get the picture.

Eventually I graduated to the crochet hook and was able to make the blanket.  Guess what? 30 years later, my mom still has the blanket I made.  I went to her house today and asked her to bring it out of the closet so I could take a picture of it.  Low and  behold, here's the blanket..... 30 years later.