Crochet at Play by Kat Goldin (I actually crocheted a thing!)

Long-term readers of my blog will know that crochet skills have all but eluded me. FOR FIVE YEARS. Val Celia and Gina valiantly attempted to teach me whilst stuffing me full of cake once. I'm afraid that I had such a bad case of addled baby brain and Littlest, being very little indeed at the time, needed such regular jiggling to put her to sleep/feeding with mushed carrot/tiny person ablutions that I failed to grasp the loopy code and my crochet flowers looked as though they'd contracted blight. Then came the Making Winter project. Crochet was on the list of good things to do in winter that Mrs Thriftyhousehold and I compiled We organised a workshop with Joanne of NotsoGranny and lo! -we made a coaster each. Success (ish). Then Mrs ThriftyH went on to the giddy and impressive heights of a cushion crocheted in string. Meanwhile any skills I'd gained seemed to evaporate through shameful neglect. My coaster lay in a basket-of-partially-finished-handmade-things and taunted me.

Fast forward 18 months and both Joanne and Kat Goldin made mind-bogglingly wonderful accessories for the Red Nose Day Dolls. Secretly I wanted a grown-up sized crochet owl hat and ballet outfit. Shortly afterwards I received a lovely email from Kat asking me to be part of the blog tour to celebrate publication of her book, Crochet at Play. I was honoured but secretly a little horrified. How could I break it to Kat about the gargantuan crochet fail? Surely I would be letting her down if I didn't make a thing. I hurriedly organised a refresher session at Joanne's house.

 First ever successful (slightly wonky) crochet in the round and first ever puff stitch.

Then a surprising thing happened. The hours of peering grumpily at online tutorials, instructions dimly remembered from the cake and crochet day, the partially-finished coaster and the unadulterated desire to learn all seemed to combine. I chose a pattern, the flower and bud cowl, and with Joanne's patient guidance it began to take shape (albeit a teeny one for monkey). Buoyed by my slightly wonky success I rashly bought some swoon-inducing Manos silk blend and began to hook a cowl for Littlest. It did not look like a tangly birds nest. It had puff stitches that look like little buds. Joy!

It was satisfying and soothing to make and the colours made my eyes very happy. I finished it (I wove in the ends and everything!) It was seized upon with glee and is often worn as a Bruce-Springsteen-style headband whilst doing busy four-year-old things.

What can I say about Kat's book? The premise of the pattern collection is crochet for dressing up, for playing in and to stimulate childrens' imaginations. There's a sleepy octopus to have naps with, a black-eyed Susan throw to snuggle under, witches' hats and a little wolf cardigan. The hedgehog mittens are to die for as is the little mermaid tail snuggle cocoon.  The images are seriously smile-inducing and make me wish I were five again. The photographer? Kat herself. The technical editor? Joanne of Notsogranny (they're quite a crochet team - have a peep at the The Crochet Project pattern lookbook). 

It's an utterly joyful book and my desire to make something from its pages was the final kick up the crafty bum that I needed to crack this crochet business.

Stop motion animation by Kat Molesworth

The final revelation is that it felt good to do the loopy thing with my hook. What's more I had some cowl envy so I scaled up Kat's pattern and made a flower and bud cowl for myself. Oh yes. I wore it to the car boot sale yesterday where it kept out the chill. It felt so snuggly and soft that I didn't take it off until bedtime. I crocheted a garment (a very small one)! It is a crafty miracle. Thankyou Kat and Joanne and Gina and Val and Celia. Your persistence has finally paid off. 

Right. I fancy some simple crochet wristwarmers next. Can anyone recommend a good pattern?