Learning to Crochet

I have wanted to learn how to crochet and knit for years and years.  Well, the time has finally come!  I've signed up for a beginning crochet class at Renaissance Yarns at Kent Station with my girlfriend, Darlene.  It came about because we are trying to make sure that we stay in better contact.  Our lives have gotten busier and busier with kids, sports, husbands, housework and jobs that we deciced that we needed to try to make more of a conscious effort to schedule time together.  So, that's how the crochet lessons came to fruition!  We are both loving it and have become quite addicted.  Nancy, the owner of Renaissance Yarns, is our very patient and encouraging instructor.  

The yarn shop is absolutely gorgeous and filled with beautiful colors and textures...

I hesitated to post this photo... it's so unflattering, but it definitely shows the concentration that we need at this stage of the game!

A display of my first chain!

A shot of the first four rows of my practice piece.  For those of you who are crochet novices... it's not supposed to curl up like this.  This happens to be loaded with mistakes and wouldn't lay flat!

This next shot is the homework that we had for the first week.  I stopped when I ran out of yarn.  You can see that the sides of my sample are uneven.  All week long I didn't realize that I should've been counting my stitches!  :)

Another shot of the gorgeous yarn that's keeping me motivated to keep trying and learning!

Class #2:  more confidence, learning new stitches, and starting an "official" project... a scarf!

Just starting my scarf....

It's Sunday night and I finished the first half of my scarf.  I'm quite pleased with the outcome!  I only stopped because I ran out of yarn.  I'm kind of stuck at this point because I haven't learned how to incorporate another ball of yarn.  I may have to stop into the shop this week to have Nancy help me get going again!  I don't think I can wait until my Friday class.  :)