Despite my skill at making bath puffs, it has become increasingly clear to me that it should be possible to crochet other things – it’s just that I have been unable to make this transition. So, yesterday, I took my first step to rectify this and went on a beginners’ crochet course at the wonderful Denmark Farm Conservation Centre.

OK, I accept that this was cheating a bit, because I’m not a beginner, but I felt that being able to make a chain and a bath puff hardly constituted being anything more than a beginner.

Everyone produced a granny square – here are three of them

I learnt such a lot, though. All those on-line resources and books are great, but you can’t beat a face-to-face lesson – particularly to help get to grips with a skill you’ve been struggling with for ages. The other people who were there could not crochet at all, so I was at a bit of an advantage, but by the end of the morning, we had all produced a granny square and after lunch everyone made at least one more and learnt how to crochet them together.

By the end of the day, I’d made all these!

Being the obsessive that I am, and being on a roll, I got carried away and produced a total of four and a half granny squares, two joined together, plus a circular coaster. I made the latter using a pattern that the tutor supplied – I really wanted to find out if I could follow a written pattern and it turns out I could (although it was really simple). We had a chat about following a chart and what the terminology means (including the difference between UK and US) and so now I feel ready to embark on something more challenging… I’m thinking fingerless mittens, which the tutor also gave us a pattern for, before I attempt a crocheted snail… well, the knitted ones need a friend!