First Crochet Creation: A Beginner's Journey from Yarn to Finished Project

I wanted my toddler to have real wool slippers without the price tag typically attached to real wool items - thus I learnt to crochet slippers / booties / shoes for her.

This was my very first crochet creation!

Toddler wool shoes

I knew absolutely nothing about crocheting when I decided to embark on making these shoes for Elba and I am so proud that the final product was wearable and what I wanted for her! So, if you're looking for a beginner friendly crochet project - this is definitely beginner friendly.

My unique approach

There are a few things I value that factored into this creation that made my crocheting creation slightly more challenging, but all the more rewarding. First up is that we choose to wear wide toe box, barefoot shoes. I struggled to find toddler socks that aren't toe squashing. It is why I wanted to make them myself and learn to crochet - so that I could widen the toe box to allow for natural healthy toe spread. During the summer months Elba does not wear socks, and I wanted something for the colder months (we live in Canada) that does not interfere with the natural development of her feet. Again, why I decided to learn to make slippers / socks / shoes.

Next up is that I value health and a part of that is what fibers are touching our skin (our skin is very absorbent). It is important to me that we wear natural fiber clothing - which is why I want real wool or cotton (ideally organic) for my family.

And closely related to using natural fibers is that I value living in harmony with our environment - i.e. sustainability. Hence my Instagram @sustainabilityC - I started it years ago when I embarked on my sustainability journey, and I still share stories daily. Valuing sustainability played into my creation in two way - one the use of natural fibers. I do not think synthetic fibers (plastic) are good for the environment. I prefer to use fibers that will naturally degrade (cotton, bamboo, hemp, wool, etc.). Now in addition to natural fibers I love shopping second hand. I try to buy or get as much as possible second hand. Part of learning to crochet for me was that I would thrift wool and use that for projects - thus making it more eco-friendly and also more budget friendly!

And the final thing is wholesome living - I absolutely find value in making something with my hands that serves my family and when Elba plays and looks up at me - I love that she will see me being creative, making things with my hands and learning new things. She will grow up seeing me be creative and continue to love learning. And while I love that, it isn't just about what Elba sees - it is also that being creative or simply doing something without hands is a meditative act. It is a slowing down in a busy world. It is so good for me and how I can then show up as a person for the people in my life.

Barefoot, wide toe box, real wool, thrifted and me learning to make the slippers*.

That was my approach.

*I am going between calling them shoes, slippers and socks - I am not entirely sure what they are. Comment down below what you would call them please.

Where to start

The first place I started was going to the thrift store to buy some wool.

Real wool thrifted

And look at what I found - Real virgin wool for $2.50!

I already had a crochet hook from a previous thrift purchase (it came in a packet of sewing items I thrifted). Bytheway I 100% recommend thrifting creative project supplies. It is fun and cost saving.

One thing I would do differently if I were to start over though is that I would buy proper crochet hooks or thrift them. I used what I had which was a random plastic crochet hook and I cannot tell you what size it is, because it doesn't have a size on it. It kind of looks like a 5mm one. I think it is a good idea to know what size crochet hook you are using since it impacts the size of the shoe. I now have a pack of 14 crochet hooks I got from Amazon that are fantastic and affordable.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only share links to products I’ve personally used, loved, and genuinely recommend. Thank you for supporting my crochet journey! See my Disclaimer and Information page for more.

If you are starting out or curious about the basics, be sure to check out my Learning to Crochet page! 🧶 It’s filled with helpful tips, beginner-friendly advice, and everything you need to begin your crochet journey with confidence.

My learning to crochet page covers a bit about yarn weights. I knew nothing about that when I started, and I didn't know how the yarn I was going to use compared to the yarn used in the pattern. I was just excited that I found real wool on my first day of thrifting wool.

In my defense though, this yarn does not have the information typically displayed on a yarn label. You can typically find the yarn weight or description of the weight (e.g. bulky or light) and recommendations for a yarn hook size to use with the yarn.

Looking back, I am really amazed that the slipper fit Elba given that I just used the crochet hook size I had on hand and the first wool I found at the thrift store not knowing the weight of it.

The stitches used in this pattern

Like most patterns this one starts with a slip knot and doing several chain stitches.

Most of this pattern uses a double crochet. The only other stitches to know how to do is a half double crochet and increasing using a double crochet. You can learn these while making these shoes.

So proud of the sole of this shoe I made

The pattern used

So, I am 99.9% sure that the pattern I used is the easy children's shoe / booties for beginners' video by WoolyWonders. My 0.1% doubt is that maybe I skipped doing the final touches on these shoes. Or they just look slightly differently because it was my first project.

This isn't technically a written pattern. It is a follow along Youtube video. I find when I used Youtube videos to make items I liked having the written pattern. Often creators will provide a link to the written pattern or include it in the description, but in cases where it isn't available I recommend using NoteGPT to transcribe the video and turn it into a crochet pattern.

I did find that Wooly Wonders does a fantastic job of explaining what you need to do, and she makes it easy to learn while making her pattern. I have made 3 different creations from her Youtube videos, and I found she explained things really well.

toddler crochet slippers

I made the slippers nonslip

After making the slippers and Elba wearing them downstairs (not carpeted) I very quickly discovered they were definitely not safe to wear because they were very slippery. Upon discovering this I searched for ways to make slippers nonslip.

I didn't really like many of the suggestions I read. It included:

• Stick little things on the shoes (not sure where I'd find these, but also, I'd be concerned they would come off)

• Use a glue gun and make a glue pattern on the bottom. I didn't like this idea because it would make the texture weird when walking on it.

And then the option I did decide to go with - is to have a suede bottom for the shoes. Now in an ideal world I would have loved to buy some real leather suede and make a sole for these slippers, but realistically it seemed a bit crazy to buy real leather suede to experiment and learn how to do something I've never done before. So, to save money and reduce the stress of learning (it would have been stressful to learn and potentially make a mistake with real leather) I bought faux suede patches/paper on Amazon.

I also bought a leather hole punch (I could have thrifted this, but I was eager to finish up my first project). I used a thick thread that I had thrifted as my embroidery thread to attach the faux suede to the shoe. I also used a yarn needle to attach the sole to the shoe.

It worked perfectly! The slippers were no longer slippery, and Elba could safely walk and run wearing these.

And that is the story and details of my first crochet creation!

You’ve Got This! 🧶✨

It might feel a little tricky at first, but don’t worry—you’ve got this!

Every stitch you make is progress, and every little mistake is just part of the learning journey (I make many mistakes). Take your time, be kind to yourself, and remember: no one starts out perfect and enjoy the process!

You can do this, and I’m so excited for all the beautiful things you’re going to create. So pick up your hook, grab some yarn, and let’s make something amazing—one stitch at a time. 💛

Carmen

Remember to follow me on Instagram if you want to see real time insights into my projects or just random things I do in my day.