This week I learned how to crochet! My mother in law taught me, and after some trial and quite a bit of error, I got the hang of it. I have to say, while I'm much better at knitting, crocheting goes so much faster, and is much easier to customize (at least what I've messed around with has been.). I picked up a set of hooks and some cotton yarn at Walmart (and was very pleasently surprised by their yarn selection, no wools, everything was synthetic or cotton blends, but they had some nice stuff, including some gorgeous and very soft yarn made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! I almost bought a few skeins cause it was so nice and in beautiful colors, but I don't have a project picked out for them (and am in the middle of my Central Park Hoodie) so I have to be patient...) and set about to crocheting a few little random projects. I made a little dishtowel and a headband out of one of the cotton yarns, and then decided to try my hand at making a hat for our friends son Tyler's first birthday (which is today, sadly I am not feeling well and can't make it to the party...). I found a cute pattern for free on
ravelry for a beanie with a little brim on it, though I didn't quite understand the pattern's terminology (it's quite different from knitting terminology), so I used the pattern as a basis for what to do, and customized it as I went for to make it right. I must say, for a first official garment, it turned out pretty damn cute! It's a 100% cotton variegated colored yarn, I had just enough to finish it with a little bit left over (it was a small 2oz skein). It's a bit big on Wyatt, and his head is pretty big, so I'm sure it will be too big on Tyler too, but it is damn cute, and could be shrunken if needed (or he'll just grow into it!). (once again, Wyatt wouldn't let me take a picture of him with the hat on, I managed to just catch him before he pulled it off, it's a great game for him!)
Since this hat was such a success, I've decided to crochet hats for all the Vallecito babies's first birthdays, (Tyler is the first in the stretch of five babies amongst our friends, Wyatt is next! Yikes!) all in different colors of course, but once they're all 1, the group picture should be super cute! Hehe! I just wish Wyatt liked to wear hats... Oh well, that's not going to stop me from making him one! Yay for crocheting!
