Handmade Challenge; Item 1 Complete

Bam! One week in, and my 2015 Handmade Challenge is officially underway (please note, I've started at number 7, just to keep you on your toes) In the New year, I jumped at the chance to sit down with my Suzanne Houghton Designs make it yourself Crochet Cake Kit.

I read the instructions, I watched online videos, I read through other books, and I tried, and tried again until finally something clicked... I was crocheting and there was no stopping me!

A not quite perfect work in progress

No it doesn't look like the picture on the kit. It got wider at the bottom as I worked my way down the sides, I did the frosting wrong on the top and ended up using the top at the bottom, but hey! For my very very first ever crocheted item, I'm pretty thrilled with the results. The kids can tell it's a cake, and it's still in one piece after they've all had a play (even the baby).

My cake on the left V's the packaging on the right

In terms of the kit itself, it is lovely, however I wouldn't recommend it to beginner beginners (like me). I made quite a few mistakes and felt there wasn't enough guidance. I got most of the way through practicing the first piece, when a change of instruction made me realise I had been doing it wrong the whole time.

I would have benefited from some photos showing how each piece should have looked. Also the instruction cards weren't numbered so I managed to get myself in a bit of a pickle with that too!

I can't tell you how thrilled I am though. The New Year has hardly begun and I have already completed one item on My Handmade Challenge List, and ticked off my Handmade New Years Resolution of learning to crochet, although I still have quite a way to go before I would consider myself proficient!

1 down, 11 to go.

Now... what should I do next? Remember, you can join in any time and create your own Handmade Challenge for 2015.