An introduction to crochet

On Friday, in conjunction with the International Women’s Day celebrations, they had a crochet workshop in the office.

We were supposed to make a flower brooch, but I didn’t manage to finish learning all the steps. The workshop was only for an hour, and I didn’t manage to stay longer because I had a meeting immediately after. Though staying might not have helped either, since my first attempt was quite bad…I doubt I could have learned much more in another half-hour; I might have only spent it finishing what I had already learned.

What I did during the workshop. It doesn't even resemble anything...

We started off with a chain, and then double-crochets on the chain. (those who know crochet will understand) My chain was way too tight…because I didn’t know it would be better to make it looser. (easier to work on later) When they taught me the second step (the double-crochets) which needed to be linked to the chain, I realized that it would be so difficult to see which chain to link to…

I took ages to just make the first chain, because I couldn’t figure out the mechanics of it at first. After I understood, it was easier…and I managed to understand the second step a lot more easily. So when I got home, I decided to start a looser chain and continue with the second step.

But first, there was a challenge of finding the other end of the yarn. 😂 (because I didn't want to undo the part that I had already done)

can you see it?

I can’t…so in the end I looped the whole yarn from the part that I had done in the office, until the very end. (when starting the crochet, I had found both ends…but somehow one end got hidden in the process :P )

Anyway, the chain looked a whole lot better when I didn't pull it so tightly. (this was how my neighbour's looked like, during the workshop)

top: what was done in the office
bottom: the completed chain at home

This is after doing a similar number of double-crochets at home (a little less than the one in office). Definitely looks better than the tight one!

after doing more (I was happy with this!)

finished the second step back to the beginning of the chain

Looking at the pattern, I think I might have miscounted some parts. And of course the tension isn't even all over. But overall at least it looks like a proper pattern!

I don't know how to continue since I didn't learn the following step...but here's the pattern they gave us, in case anyone is interested: 

A long time ago, I learned a bit of knitting (which I have basically forgotten how to do :P ).

I find that crocheting is rather similar to knitting, as in we are basically taking one long string and weaving it into a pattern. Though the tools used are different, and the different techniques probably yield different patterns.