Many of my friends and customers are turning on to crochet and why not - it's a lot of fun.  So I thought I'd share some of the reasons I like to crochet.  Firstly, your project grows a lot quicker than knitting, secondly, you only have one stitch and so if you drop it, well, no biggie and another reason is that the crochet patterns for baby shawls and blankets are spectacular.
So would you like to know how to crochet? Well, I've included a series of videos below which will take you through all the basics - how to make a slip knot, how to hold the hook and how to make the most commonly used stitches.
Just remember, if you are using a US pattern the stitches will be created slightly different - for example - a double crochet in an Aussie pattern is slightly different from dc in a US pattern.  The video below teaches you How to Crochet using Australian/UK terminology.
Have fun and don't forget to check out the hundreds of yarns available in my store.

Check out these items in my store Bella Baby Bamboo Blend and Bella Baby Silk Blend and also see which yarns are currently on SALE.

As a seller of knitting yarn I see loads of stuff I like, some I love and some are just good sellers but every now and then I find something that comes under the "Wow" banner.  At the moment I can't find anything to top this beautiful yarn from Cherry Tree Hill - Supersock Lace Potluck.  The colour originally attracted me, and I like to stock up on lace weight yarns as they're popular with my buyers, so I thought I'd purchase a few skeins.  When I opened up my parcel I was pretty impressed as it looked even better than the photo but when I took it out and held it in my hands that's when I went "Wow!".  Made from 100% Superwash Merino it's so soft and light.  Just gorgeous.  So if you've got a shawl project in mind - you may just want to check it out in my store - click here.

Let me tell you what I know about mesh yarns.  I've knitted with 4 different types of Moda Vera brand scarf yarns - Honeycomb Mesh (similar to Panda Sashay), Rosie Mesh, Nelly Bobble and Fishnet (similar to Patons Allure - see photo to the left). You will need just one ball to make a scarf - even a long one (I usually work on 5-6 stitches and 6.5mm needles).  If it's your first time (and if you haven't got a friend who could show you) I would suggest you watch a You Tube video of someone knitting one - that's how I learnt and I certainly wouldn't have picked it up from the directions on the ball band (which didn't seem to make much sense to me).  The video below is very good - there's a short piece at the beginning about the types and colours available and then the video moves into the instructions (at 1:45).  I haven't tried with a crochet hook as yet though I would think that might be easier somehow, as you only have one stitch. Sitting in front of the TV - I can knit a scarf in a night.  I find the types of scarf yarn with bigger gaps in the mesh, like Honeycomb, are easier to knit with, than the Fishnet, though the Fishnet can often be softer in texture than the open weave types.  If softness is important to you, and buying on-line, you may want to ask a few questions of the Seller before purchasing.  When knitting, the bigger the gap between stitches, the more ruffled the scarf will be, for example, with open weave leave one to two “holes” before picking up another stitch.  The less distance between stitches will result in a more bell-shaped scarf.  I currently have a large stock of scarf yarns available in my store and I've also got a few of the finished product.