I now consider myself to be an intermediate crocheter but when I made this coat I was most definitely a beginner! This was the first garment I made when I had got bored with scarves.
I learnt how to do the basic stitches from the Lion Brand Yarn website. Their tutorials were so simple and clear and I loved that they had videos and drawings you could go back and refer to.
They have thousands of free patterns to choose from and the pattern I used, the Country Car Coat is still there.
It was a great project for a beginner, once you mastered the V-stitch you were set! The yarn recommended is quite a thick one so it crochets up quite quickly and you have a finished coat before you know it. As it was a very open pattern I didn’t think it would be warm but the thickness of the yarn does make it toasty to wear.
The yarn I had on hand to use was the Lincraft Veronica and it was tricky to work with as it was fluffy and kept separating. It has been worn and washed (in the machine) for four Winters now and it has pilled but still looks great.