New Addiction

Like I said in the post Our Second Home http://teresazuehls.blogspot.com/2012/01/our-second-home.html Jennie showed me how to crochet a bit. I thought I would share how I am coming along.
It was a bit challenging for us as she is a lefty and I'm a righty but between her,the book she had and what little I remember from watching my grandma crocheting when I was a little girl we got it figured out.

This is the piece I made while practicing:

Not a very pretty piece but it helped me learn how to control the thread tension, the hook and holding the thread till it finally felt comfortable after crocheting so many rows. Believe me it all felt so awkward that I thought I would never enjoy the craft of crocheting. Now I can't put it down. I just keep on working row after row.

Here is the dishcloth I am working on now:

Sorry the photo is a little dark. This is piece is much better. The thread tension is even and I am using a smaller hook. The first two rows I worked on before I had practiced on the white yarn and bigger hook. It was sooo hard to work with the smaller hook so Jennie had me switch to the larger hook. When I switched back to the smaller one after working on the larger hook it was much easier.

You can see the stitches are a lot more even now. It's not perfect but it's getting there.

I am almost done working the rows. Only 3/4 of an inch to go. Next I will have to learn how to finish the edges. I am excited to get this far and have so much more to learn.

Do any of you crochet? What stitches should I learn next and what would be a good next project? A scarf?