Reflections

The month of December is not only dedicated to the Christ Child and to the story of the shepherds, the stable and the Christmas tree.  In the Catholic Church, we will celebrate the Immaculate Conception on December 8th.  In truth, the month of December is dedicated to the Virgin Mary because of this high feast in the church.  The Immaculate Conception brings to mind the picture of a beautiful maiden, clothed in a blue mantle and veil, arms outstretched to welcome the world to Her Son.  This feast is about Mary as a baby as well.  We remember that all life is innocent, without the mark of sin.  Mary kept sinless her whole life.  She is the example of life.

Caryll Houselander described Mary in her work, the Reed of God, as an empty reed that was pierced and played the music of God, bringing all who surrounded the piper into the Body of Christ.  We also must empty ourselves in order to be Reeds of God along with Mary.  Though we will not play as sweetly.  You attain perfection in Heaven with God.

This Advent, let us persevere in clearing our minds and our hearts so that Jesus may live more fully in our hearts, our souls and our thoughts.   And on Christmas we shall rejoice in union with the Saints over the birth of the Savior and of the miracle that entered the world the moment Mary gave birth to the little King.

Half Double Crochet Beanie, free pattern!

Hello Everybody. 

I hope that you had a splendid holiday. I am back with a few patterns that use the stitch taught in my last crochet tutorial on the half-double crochet stitch. Here is a quick and easy project that you can use to practice your stitch and make sweet gifts for a baby at the same time.

Oombawka Baby Beanie
We have a very simple baby beanie pattern from Oombawka Design. The video tutorial shows you step by step what to do, and the pattern is so easy you will soon be able to churn out beanies while watching a movie or reading a book.

Adding a small pom-pom or a ruffled edge would be a great touch to make this hat a little more unique, and striping is always a fun touch. If you do make this project, post a picture in the comments to share your progress! As always, if you have any questions, post them in the comment section and I will do my best to help!

God bless, Magda

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope that this holiday finds you surrounded by blessing and family. If you are like me and enjoying a well-deserved break from school, I also wish you luck with any upcoming finals!

The holidays are a perfect time to spend more time in prayer for our unborn brothers and sisters, so I encourage you to send up an extra petition for Life as you enjoy your break.

Thank God for your life and blessings, and pray for the fortitude to continue the good fight for those who cannot defend themselves.

God bless you this holiday, and don't forget that every life is sacred. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Magda

Novena for Life Day 9

Dear Friends and Readers,
I apologize for not posting Day 9 of the novena yesterday. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I was unable to use a device to post, so I will be posting it today.

Prayer:  O God, we ask that our petitions be brought up to your heavenly throne in the hands of our loving mother, Mary Immaculate; and we ask that through her intercession, all of our requests may be answered speedily.

Mary Immaculate,
Intercede for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

I will be creating a brochure with the Novena for Life prayers. If you would like me to send you 5 brochures, please put your email in the comments box so that I can find your home address privately.

God bless,
Henry

Life Novena Day 8

O God, who gave St. Therese of Lisieux a great love of contemplation and prayer, help us to consecrate our work for the vulnerable to You through prayer and sacred reading.

St. Therese,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

About St. Therese of Lisieux:
Therese was born in Alencon, France on January 2, 1873 to saintly parents Louis and Zelie Martin (canonized 2015). Therese was a very sickly child, including having scruples for a year and a half. At the age of 14, Therese felt the call to become a Carmelite nun. Even at this time, 14 or 15 was considered a very early time to enter the religious life. As such, Therese was denied by the convent because of her age. After this, she traveled to Rome to ask Pope Leo XIII himself to allow her to enter Carmel. After hearing her impassioned cry, Pope Leo agreed to allow her to enter the convent. He sent word to the Carmelites, and she entered as a postulant. Her life as a Carmelite was one of completing little jobs and guiding the novices as the prioress' assistant. (prioress is the Carmelite version of the Benedictine 'abbess'). She called her way to holiness the 'little way', one of simplicity and service. She believed that it was not necessary to accomplish great works to become holy, but to simply "scatter little flowers of sacrifice". Therese caught Tuberculosis, and her final years were filled with sacrifice and suffering. She died in 1897 and was only 24 years old.

Crochet Tutorial #3; Half-double crochet

Crochet Tutorial #3; Half-double crochet

This is one of the most popular crochet stitches for baby clothes because it works up quickly and creates a warm, springy fabric. It is very easy to learn as well, so you will be hooking up Half-Double Crochet projects in no time. In a written pattern, half-double crochet is usually represented by hdc.

Alrighty, let's get started

First, start with a slip knot and a chain of the required length.

Yarn over your hook and insert the hook into the third chain from the hook.

Yarn over and pull up a loop, leaving you with three loops on your hook.

 Yarn over and pull through all three loops on your hook. This is one half-double crochet.

Repeat the required amount of times for your pattern.

And there you have it! Super simple and a bit faster than a project made with single crochet, this is my go to stitch for baby projects.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I will do my best to answer them. Happy hooking!

God Bless, Magda 

Life Novena Day 7

O God, who gave St. Nicholas a great charity and love for the poor and needy of his society, aid us in our defense of the most innocent of lives in our day.

St. Nicholas,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas

St. Nicholas was a fourth century saint and a Greek bishop of Myra. St. Nicholas is also known as, “Nikolaos of Myra.” Nicholas was born in Asia Minor within the Roman Empire, as an only child of christian parents. Nicholas was brought up well by his parents, and followed in the footsteps of their good actions. Both of Nicholas’ parents died tragically during an epidemic when he was a young man. His parents left him well off, but to be raised by his uncle- who was the Bishop of Patara. His uncle mentored him and helped Nicholas to learn works of charity, to read, and later in Nicholas’ life his uncle had him ordained as a priest.

An opportunity soon arose for Nicholas to perform a work of charity. Nicholas became informed about a man who had lost all of his money and needed help to support his three daughters. Thus, Nicholas took a bag of gold and threw it into an open window of the man’s house during the night. At intervals Nicholas gave a dowry to each of the daughters, who all got married soon after. The last time Nicholas did this the father was watching for him, and was overwhelmed with gratitude for him.

St. Nicholas was chosen to be the new bishop of Myra during the time of persecutions in the beginning of the fourth century. Nicholas was the chief priest in the town, and preached the truths of the faith with a “holy liberty.” Nicholas was seized by magistrates, tortured, then thrown into prison and chained. When Constantine assumed the imperial diadem of the Romans, St. Nicholas, along with many other Christians, were released.

According to traditions St. Nicholas was present at the Council of Nicaea in 325, but while there punched the heresiarch Arius in the face. The council fathers deprived him of his episcopal insignia and committed him to prison. But our Lord and His Mother appeared there and restored to him both his liberty and his office.

St. Nicholas died and was buried in his episcopal city, Myra, and by the time of Justinian there was a basilica that had been built at Constantinople in honor of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas is celebrated as the patron saint of several classes of people, in the East, of sailors, and in the West, children. St. Nicholas became recognized as a saint long before the Roman Catholic Church began the current process of canonization; and therefore does not have a specific date of canonization. St. Nicholas’ feast day is December 6.

As St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children we can all pray for his intercession, that he may help all the unborn (and born) children of our world.

St. Nicholas, Pray for Us!

Life Novena Day 6

O God, who assisted St. John Paul II in defending the sanctity of human life during his heroic papacy, help us in our work in spreading the evangelization of life.

St John Paul II,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

St. John Paul II

St. Pope John Paul II

St. John Paul II was born in October of 1978 in a small city in Poland not far from Krakow, the city was called Wadowice. Karol Wojtyla and Emilia Kaczorowska were his parents, and at birth they gave him the name of Karol J. Wojtyla. John Paul II mother died in 1929, his eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932, and his father a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. The deaths of these loved ones was just the beginning of the great suffering of St. John Paul II. 

In 1939 the Nazi occupation forces closed the drama university that Karol was attending; and young Karol had to work in a quarry for four years and later in the Solvay chemical factory to earn a living and also to avoid being deported to Germany. During the year of 1942 Karol became aware of his vocation to the priesthood. Karol then began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, and at the same time was one of the pioneers of the “Rhapsodic Theatre”, which was also clandestine. 

After World War II he continued to study in the major seminary of Krakow, until his priestly ordination in Krakow on November 1, 1946. Karol was then sent to Rome where he worked under the guidance of a French Dominican, and finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the topic of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross. He then returned to Poland where he worked with the youth, became a professor of moral philosophy and social ethics in the major seminary in Krakow. A few years later he became the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow in 1958, then in 1964 he became the Archbishop of Krakow, and became a cardinal in 1967. 

John Paul became his pontificate on October 16, 1978. He had many accomplishments during his pontificate; including 14 encyclicals, one is by the name of Evangelium Vitae. Evanelgium Vitae is on the value in inviolability of human life. There are four chapters in the encyclical: Present Day Threats to Human life, speaking about how The Voice Of Your Brother’s Blood Cries To Me From The Ground, the second chapter: The Christian Message Concerning Life, often referencing John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”, the third chapter: God’s Holy Law, wish speaks of the fifth commandment, Thou Shall Not Kill, and finally the fourth chapter: For a New Culture of Human Life, in this chapter John Paul focuses on Matthew 25:40 “And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” We Pro-life supporters can often reference this encyclical. If any of you would like to read this entire encyclical and grow in your knowledge of the value of human life, it is available on the website of the Priest For Life. On their website the priests for life also offer many prayers and opportunities for sharing the Pro-life message.  Here is the link to their website: http://www.priestsforlife.org

John Paul II was beatified May, 1 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI and canonized April 27, 2014 by Pope Francis, both of these events took place in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City. The feast day of St. Pope John Paul II is on October 22. 

St. Pope John Paul II, Pray for us!

Life Novena Day 5

O God, who granted St. Gerard Majella great patience when accused, as well as a power to work miracles for the good of mankind, give us strength when we are faced with things that hinder our work for human life.

St. Gerard Majella,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

About St. Gerard Majella: St. Gerard Majella joined the Redemptorist order as a lay brother. His mission was to bring the Word of God to the poor and to the needy. During his life he became very close to the peasants living in the countryside near Naples, Italy. Two events during his life have made him famous as the patron of mothers and the unborn. First, he was accused of fathering a child with a young woman. Before St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorist order, he stayed silent. Eventually, this malicious rumor was proven wrong by the very woman that had accused him. Secondly, he was visiting a peasant family one day and dropped his handkerchief, but when the family had discovered that he had left it, he told them to keep it. Later when the mother of the family was pregnant, she began to have serious complications during childbirth, and she asked that the saintly lay brother's handkerchief be brought to her. She was immediately delivered from her pain, and her baby was spared. We should ask St. Gerard's intercession upon all mothers and the unborn.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe was born with the name Raymond Kolbe on January 8, 1894. St. Maximilian Kolbe asked Our Lady to appear to him, and she did. When Our Lady appeared she was holding two crowns, one was red, and the other was white. The white crown represented persevering in purity, and the red crown becoming a martyr. Our Lady asked Kolbe if he would accept these crowns, and Kolbe said he would.

One year after the vision, Kolbe and his eldest brother, Francis, joined the Conventual Fransiscans. In 1910 Kolbe was given the religious name Maximilian and in 1911 he professed his first vows. Kolbe received doctorates in philosophy and theology. He also organized the Militia Immaculata. His goal with the Militia Immaculata was to work for the conversion of sinners and enemies, specifically focusing on the conversion of Freemasons. The Militia Immaculata always works through the intersession of Our Lady.

Kolbe did many other amazing things with his life, including publishing and founding monasteries in Japan and India. In May 1941 he was transferred to the Auschwitz concentration camp. During him time in the concentration camp Kolbe went through many struggles, but never abandoned his priesthood. About two months after his arrival men were chosen to face death by starvations, so that fear would be struck into those who tired to escape. Kolbe was not chosen, but voluntered to replace a man who had a family. After staying alive for two weeks with no food or water and having praying constantly, especially to Our Lady, the guards gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid.

Kolbe died on August 14, and his remains were found on August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Kolbe was canonized by St. Pope John Paul II on October 10, 1982, and was declared a martyr. St. Maximilian Kolbe is the patron saint of drug addicts, prisoners, families, and the pro-life movement!

St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pray for us.

Life Novena Day 4

Prayer: O God, who has given us an example of martyrdom for human life in St. Maximilian Kolbe, help us to be willing to give up our lives in defense of innocent life, and to be willing to resign ourselves to your will.

St Maximilian Kolbe,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

Life Novena Day 3

Prayer: O God, who has given us a wonderful example of the defense of life in St. Gianna Beretta Molla, grant us the courage to defend human life against all the threats it faces in the world today.

St. Gianna Molla,
Pray for us

3 Our Father
3 Hail Mary
3 Glory Be

About St. Gianna Beretta Molla:
St. Gianna Molla was a pediatrician and a mother of three young children. During her fourth pregnancy, a tumor developed in her womb. Gianna was presented with three choices by her doctors: remove the area in the womb with the tumor (this would indirectly kill the baby, and she would not be able to bear children in the future), have the tumor surgically removed and have the child aborted, or the tumor could be removed while trying to save the pregnancy, which posed serious threats to her life.  Gianna chose the third option, to save her child, and instructed her surgeon to remove the tumor, and to save the baby at all costs. The tumor was safely removed, but her delivery would be very dangerous. Before the birth, she told the doctor, "If you have to choose, there should be no doubt. Choose - I demand it - the life of the baby." Her daughter, Gianna Emmanuela, was born on April 21, 1962. Gianna Beretta Molla was beatified on April 29, 1994, and was canonized on May 16, 2004. Both her canonization and beatification were attended by Gianna Emmanuela.

How to Knit a Baby Hat

Knit a Baby Hat

As Life Supporters we need to be able to contribute to the mothers who choose life. One way to provide for them is to give them items for their baby. In the current season that we are in, knitted baby hats are a simple yet effective option. 

Steps to knitting a baby hat: 

In one of my previous posts I went into more detail on the basics of knitting, so if you need a reminder you can reference to that post. 

1. Select your yarn and needles. 

• You could buy soft and light yarn, it would be more comfortable for the baby.
• On most yarn labels they will have the option of buying superfine (1) or fine (2), one of these would be the best.
• In this season there are many great yarns options and there are even some new yarns that will form a pattern while you knit, having this yarn would add a professional element to that hat, but is optional.
• Using the correct needle size is important in knitting and for a baby hat size 6 needles would work the best

2. Cast on your knitting (cast on about 50, more if it is for a baby one month or older)
3. Knit about 5 inches (knit more for the older the baby is)
4. Begin to decrease your knitting

• Instead of knitting through one stitch, knit two stitches
• Continue the decrease until there is only one loop on the needle

5. Cut off any extra yarn 

• Leave a “tail” of about four or five inches for sewing the sides of the hat together
• Tie the tail in a simple know before you begin to stitch with it

6. Sew the hat 

• Use a big sewing needle (or if you don’t have one you can use a bobby pin, although that more difficult
• Sew the sides of your hat together
• Weave the extra yarn into the hat and then out the sides
• Tie off the end

7. Turn the hat inside out 

• This will create a more professional element because the stitching wont be seen

Have a blessed Sunday everyone! - Kristi

Life Novena Day Two

Life Novena Day Two

Prayer: O God, who has brought about a time of great mercy for the Church and the world, through the intercession of St. Faustina, grant pardon to those who sin against the dignity of life.

St. Faustina,

Pray for us

3 Our Father

3 Hail Mary

3 Glory Be

Today’s saint that we are asking the intercession of is St. Faustina. Faustina was born on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland, of a poor and religious family of peasants, the third out of ten children. She was baptized with the name Helena, and began at the age of seven to feel stirrings of a religious vocation. Helena made her first communion at the age of nine and attended school for three years. After finishing school, she wanted to enter a convent, but was not given permission by her parents. Helena felt a strong calling to go to a church one night and she did and there she heard God tell her to leave and fulfill her vocation. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy on August 1, 1925 and took the name Sr. Maria Faustina Kowlaska of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Lord Jesus chose Sr. Faustina as the Apostle and “secretary” of His Mercy, so she could tell the world about His great message, which Faustina wrote in a a diary she titled Divine Mercy in My Soul. Sister Maria Faustina, consumed by tuberculosis and by innumerable sufferings which she accepted as a sacrifice for sinners, died in Krakow Poland at the age of 33 on October 5, 1938. On April 18, 1993 St. John Paul II raised Faustina “to the glory of the altars”. She was canonized on April 30, 2000. 

Novena For Life

Novena For Life

O God, through the intercession of St. Teresa of Calcutta, put an end to the scourge of abortion, as well as all disrespect to the sanctity of human life.

Prayer is followed by:

St. Teresa of Calcutta,

Pray for us.

3 Our Father

3 Hail Mary

3 Glory Be

If any of you don’t know how to pray a Novena or the history of why Catholics pray Novenas, here is some more information.  The word novena is taken from “novem,” the Latin word for nine. A novena is made up of nine days of prayer and meditation to ask God for prayer requests or petitions. Novenas are usually used to ask saints to pray for us. Novenas are an ancient tradition that go back to the days of the Apostles. Jesus told His disciples to pray together after His ascension into heaven, so they went to an upper room along with the Blessed Virgin Mary, and joined constantly in prayer for nine days. Those nine days of continuous prayer by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary to Jesus led up to Pentecost. This pattern of 9 days of prayer is the basis the novenas we pray today. So, the novena is an imitation of the Lord’s command to the Apostles when they prayed for 9 days in anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit. If you are interested in praying more Novenas you can go to this website, http://www.praymorenovenas.com/novenas/ and on the website they offer many Novenas and give you the ability to receive regular Novenas through email. Novenas are a great way to grow closer to God, and can help lead us all to Sainthood. I hope that you all will join me in praying this Novena For Life! 

            Thanks and God Bless,

Simple Baby Bonnets

Hello All! I will be posting a new stitch tutorial soon, but for those of you with some background in crochet I thought that I would post a compilation of simple baby bonnets to help get us geared up for a very first mail in that will be announced soon! I will explain all of the mail in detail in a separate post, but until then it would be a good idea to start building your stash of homemade items to send off.
Baby bonnets are some of the greatest gifts because they are so lovely, delicate, and useful! Any mother in a crisis situation would feel loved if she received a lovely handcrafted bonnet from one of us!
Below you will find five tutorials for baby bonnets, and I have ensured that the patterns are free. I have found as many as possible with video tutorials to make it as simple as possible for you all, but it is a good time to find a simple pattern and start to work on your pattern reading skills.
Alrighty then, Let's get started!

1. Eloise Bonnet by Moogly

This is bonnet number one, and what a lovely one it is! The pattern makes easy modifications to adjust the size as well. Using half-double crochet and post stitches it is a little on the complex side of beginner crochet, but with patience and careful adherence to the pattern you should be just fine.

2. Thick and Thin Bonnet by Allfreecrochet

This is a mice one because it works up so quickly, using super bulky yarn and long stitches you can make this one in no time. The skill level is pretty simple, but again it uses stitches that I have not covered yet. If you don't want to wait for my tutorial, look up some stitch tutorials on youtube.

3. Winter Pixie Bonnet by Wooly Wonders Crochet

One of my personal favorites, I have a hard time thinking of something cuter than this bonnet! Perfect for a little one and absolutely precious, this tutorial is great because she also gives very clear instructions for the stitches she is using. It looks complicated, but thanks to Wooly Wonders' clear instructions, this bonnet is yours for the making.

4. Easy Newborn Baby Bonnet by Charmed by Ashley

A simple and quintessential baby bonnet tutorial with step by step instructions. The ties on this one are very simple to make. Again, some trickier stitches, but it shouldn't be a problem if you watch the tutorial carefully.

5. Baby in Bloom Bonnet by Moogly

This one is for my more advanced crocheters but I couldn't top myself from posting this. The delicacy and lacy texture make this bonnet a winner. Change up the color scheme and it could easily be hooked for a baby boy as well. A baby sporting this lovely bonnet would feel special indeed.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that I was able to give you some ideas for a cute gift to let the mothers and unborn children know how loved they are! I will be posting my next stitch tutorial soon, so if these patterns seem out of your reach now they won't be for long!

God bless, Magda 

Abortion; Having to Live with Regret.

Many times I hear Pro-choicers saying that women who go through an abortion feel relief that a problem is eliminated, that there are no psychological aftereffects. We know, however, that this is simply not true. According to a study done by bioethicist Dr. Gregory Pike for the British pro-life group, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) For more information, please click here for Dr. Pike's actual report. 

According to his research, Dr. Pike says that many prospective parents express regret and longing for their lost child after an abortion, discarding the impersonal terms of "fetus" or "embryo" and using words like "baby" and child." In a 2013 Canadian study among college students ho had had abortions, all of them said that they felt some form of regret. 
Abortion has also been tied to depression, substance abuse, and post traumatic stress.

 Because of new medical technology women and their partners know exactly what a fetus is, despite the pro-choice assertion that it is just a mass of tissue. The damage goes on and on, and the evil of abortion is not content with the death of a child. 

Women must be made aware of all of the harm an abortion does, even outside of taking a life. 
I pray that those suffering from the aftereffects of abortion can find peace, self-forgiveness, as well as the strength to raise up their voice to protect the unborn.

God Bless, Magda

St. Mother Teresa Miracle Story

Miracle Through the Intersession Of St. Mother Teresa Of Kolkata 

We recently celebrated the one year anniversary of the cannonization of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta! One of the miracles that led to the canonization of St. Mother Teresa occurred in West Bengal, India. An Indian woman’s abdominal tumor had become so severe that her doctors had lost hope of saving her. The women was brought into the care of the Missionaries or Charity. She continued to worsen and went through such agony that she was not able to find sleep. On the One year anniversary of Mother’s passing the sisters placed a Miraculous Medal (which Mother had high faith in and often gave to the people she met) that had been touched to the body of St. Mother Teresa on the woman’s stomach. The suffering woman fell asleep and when she awoke her pain had diminished. Doctors examined her and found out why: The tumor had disappeared completely. Medical specialists studied the miracle and determined that the healing was medically inexplicable. Pope John Paul approved the miracle on December 20, 2002, barely five years after Mother’s death. We should all be turning to St. Mother Teresa for help, especially when we are in need of growing in the virtue of humility. St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata, Pray for Us! 

Crochet Tutorial #2 - Single Crochet

Crochet Tutorial #2 - Single Crochet

Hello Everyone! I am back with our second crochet tutorial, and I will be demonstrating the single crochet stitch. This is used very often, producing a tightly woven fabric and is a common stitch for patterns that require shaping, like baby booties. 

This stitch is pretty simple, and hopefully the pictures below will help as well. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments and I will get back to you as quickly as I can! 

I am also going to post a link to a simple tutorial for for a baby beanie at the end of the post. 

Alright, let's get started. 

You will start with a slip knot and a chain of the required length for your pattern. If you are unfamiliar with these, you can see my tutorial for those stitches here. 

Insert hook in the second chain stitch from the hook. As you can see in the photo, I am using my left thumb and forefinger to keep the chain stitches in one place as I push my hook through.

Yarn over, remember to keep the hook in front of the yarn!

Pull the yarn through the first loop on your hook, ending up with two loops on your hook. Remember to angle the hook into your stitch for a smoother stitch. 

Yarn over again.

Draw that yarn through both loops on your hook.

 And Viola! You have a single crochet stitch. 

I hope that this was helpful, and again, if there any questions feel free to post them in the comments. 

Click here for a super simple baby hat tutorial that only uses the stitches that I have covered so far, and will help you get used to reading a pattern as well. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

God bless, Magda