Inspiration can come from anywhere! Where does yours come from? Maybe through charity work or just out of thin air?

The Casual Girl Purse, which was added to the store during it’s grand opening, was designed to be compact, cute and suitable to hold a woman’s essentials. After a reader requested a larger version of this purse, The Casual Girl Version 2 was designed! This purse is slightly larger than the original Casual Girl, and also features a pocket inside for small items such as a cell phone, keys or loose change. This felted purse pattern is now available in the Crochet Spot Store. Skill Level: Note: You can learn how to felt, if you don’t already know how! Finished Size: Not felted: 10” (25.5 cm) tall, 19.5” (49.5 cm) wide, 4” (10 cm) deep Felted: 7 1/2” (19 cm) tall, 14 1/2” (37 cm) wide, 3.5” (9 cm) deep Note: felted size may vary based on yarn used and felting method Main Materials: Medium Weight Yarn Note: yarn must be 100% wool or other natural animal fiber in order to felt. 450 yards of main color 220 yards of contrasting color Crochet hook I (5.50 mm)

By purchasing this pattern, you will be helping to support Crochet Spot in continuing to make tutorials and patterns that you enjoy on this site! Visit the Crochet Spot Store to purchase, become a Premium Pattern Member, or check out other patterns!

When I was in middle school, I saw one of my closest friends crocheting and I thought it was so amazing! The way a ball of yarn was being turned into a piece of cloth was definitely stare worthy. I ended up going home to ask my mom how to crochet and if I remember correctly she taught me how with a chopstick. Yea, we didn’t have a crochet hook and I really wanted to learn how.

I learned the basic foundation chain, single crochet and double crochet. At the time technique and making things look perfect wasn’t a priority so I learned those skill as I went along. I was just so excited about all the things that I wanted to make!

Today I’m pretty sure that I know more about crocheting than my mom who taught me, since I’m always learning something new from people, books and crochet tutorials online. So if you’re just learning to crochet, here are some basics to start with:

How to Hold a Crochet Hook
How to Hold Yarn in Crochet
How to Crochet: Slip Knot
How to Crochet: Chain (ch)
How to Crochet: Single Crochet Stitches (sc)
How to Crochet: Double Crochet Stitches (dc)

Don’t worry too much about perfection, it’ll come with experience. But here are “7 Tips to Establish Consistency in Crochet” if you feel you need them. Also, feel free to dig into the Crochet Tutorials Archives for more How-To’s!

Do you have a crochet learning experience to share?

If you love fish, water, and reading books, then this bookmark if perfect for you! The little goldfish will keep you company as it dangles from the pages of your book. This bookmark is a fast, small project, so feel free to use your scrap yarns!

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 6″ (15 cm) long (not including fish), 2 3/4″ (7 cm) wide
Note: this bookmark can be made into any size you desire by following the directions within the pattern.
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Tunisian crochet (also know as afghan stitch) curls, it’s natural. If you’re curious, here is the easy answer to why Tunisian crochet curls:

Tunisian crochet curls because of physics! Unlike ordinary crochet where the stitches are located on the top of the work, Tunisian stitches are located on the front of the work. Every time you make new stitches, they are slightly forward and not exactly on the top of your previous row. This is why your work will end up curling forward.

To uncurl Tunisian Crochet, here are some helpful tips:

1. Blocking. In my opinion this the best thing to do. Blocking crochet is the one simple step to “mold” your work into the way you want it. Whether you choose to steam it with an iron or wet it and let it dry, blocking can be fast and easy to do. Learn more about Blocking Crochet.
2. Use a bigger hook. Larger hooks reduce the amount of tension in your work. The less tension, the less curl there will be.
3. Alter foundation chain. Try turning your foundation chain upside down and pull up your loops into the back ridge of each chain instead. The back ridge is located behind the two loops of the chain that makes the “V” shape.
4. Use different stitches. Purl stitches are know to create less curl than other Tunisian stitch. By varying the types of stitches that you use, it can reduce the curl.

In my experience, blocking works the best! Do you have a tip to share?
If you want to learn Tunisian crochet, get started by learning How to Crochet Tunisian Simple Stitch.

Designed with warmth and style in mind, the Pretty Lady Scarf is great for the cold winters but still dainty and delicate for a pretty lady’s style. This scarf is fast to crochet and simple to wear. The Pretty Lady Scarf is now available in the Crochet Spot Store for download. Skill Level: Finished Size: 61” (155 cm) long, 4” (10 cm) wide Materials: Light Weight Yarn Crochet Hook H (5.00 mm)

By purchasing this pattern, you are helping to support Crochet Spot in creating more tutorials and patterns you love. If you are a Premium Pattern Member, you may download this pattern for free without additional charge by logging into your store account. Visit the Crochet Spot Store and have fun shopping!

All support is greatly appreciated and if you need any help with crocheting this scarf, let me know and I’ll be glad to help!

These days, who doesn’t multitask? When I crochet I end up listening to music at the same time or watching a TV show. Actually I listen to the TV show. I’m not brave enough to crochet without looking. I’m afraid if I turn away, and then look back down, it’ll look like I crocheted with my feet.

But if I’m in deep concentration with a pattern that needs a tone of stitch counting I would crochet in complete silence. There’s something about crocheting that is so soothing that just doing crochet and nothing else is still satisfying.

Funny thing I can’t do while crocheting is talk, unless it is rows and rows of double crochet. I think it’s because I’m secretly talking to myself about what to do next in the pattern.

What about you? What do you do while you crochet?

Here is a quick yet dainty change purse! Make it is as a gift or just for yourself. Since this is a small project not much yarn is needed. The change purse is large enough to fit dollar bills when they are folded in half and also credit cards. Feel free to attach a key ring for additional functionality if desired.

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 4 1/4″ (11 cm) wide, 3″ (8 cm) tall
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Stitch markers are really helpful in keeping track of a particular place in your work. A marker can be a scrap piece of yarn, safety pin, paper clip, plastic ring, or just about anything else that can easily be placed into the loop of a stitch.

Markers in the Round
If you are working in the round markers are used to keep track of where the round ends and the next round begins. When you crochet around in a circle, it is very easy to lose track of where to stop and start a new round if you don’t use a marker. To place a marker, just insert it into the loop that is on your hook to mark the beginning of the round. At the end of every round, you should move the marker and put it into the new loop that is on your hook. You know you are at the end of the round after you make a stitch into the stitch right before the stitch with the marker in it.

Markers for Sewing
If you are reading a pattern, it may tell you to place a marker so that you can refer back to that location in your work later. Often times this will be a place where you will need to sew together with another part of your work.

Markers as References
Markers can have a unlimited amount of functions. They can be used to help you count stitches if you place then every 10 or so stitches. Markers can even be used to indicated where you are suppose to increase, decrease or do a set of stitches.

Do you have a question or info about stitch markers to share?