Ladies and Gentlemen...My Crochet Protegé!

I actually dreamt about my blog the other night.  Is that the sign of a growing fascination or what?  I dreamt that I found this (admittedly ugly) quilt that I had made and I was beside myself with confusion over why I hadn't already posted photos of this FO in in cyberspace.

With Christmas on the way, it has been a prolific yarncrafting month, for sure.  I have finished a few projects recently, of which I can provide some sneak peaks, but first off, let me showcase the work of my wonderful friend, Jenny who became a student of crochet this very weekend. (Yay, Jenny!)

Here is Jenny's work, as of last night.  (The cat sure loved it!  Yes, that's her husband sharpening his crochet skills in the background.)

And here is Jenny's work before she left today.  What a fast learner!

Jenny is making a hat to fit a one-year-old.  We picked out a bulky yarn so that the pattern works up quicker and her choice of variegated yarn makes a simple project look a little bit more sophisticated.  (The yarn is Loops & Threads Charisma in "Northern Lights.")

Someone once told me that your first crocheted object should be something you give away and I like the idea of starting small, with something that doesn't require a lot of materials or a complicated set of skills.  I opted to use the First Fall crochet hat from Lion Brand as a general guideline.  This is a simple pattern that's easy to adapt for different sized heads and only involves crocheting a rectangle.

Jenny was an excellent first student, but we faced two dilemmas:

1.  We have a long-distance friendship and only get to see each other on a few weekends per year.

2.  I'm a leftie.  I crochet everything backwards!

Both problems were solved with the help of YouTube.  We found some great little two-minute video clips to watch, and Jenny can refer back to these when she needs a refresher.

• How to make a chain stitch.  (ch)
• How to make a single crochet stitch.  (sc)

I am so pleased to have helped someone else to start a hobby I love.  (And who knows?  Maybe I'll have her blogging about it soon, too. ;)