Crochetology.net has two documents explaining basic crochet stitches. One is from “Corticelli Lessons in Crochet Book no. 1, Also a few new designs for knitting”, published by the Corticelli Silk Mills, Florence, Mass, 1916. This document sets the US Standard of crochet stitch terminology.
The other document is from “Beeton’s Book of Needlework” originally published in Great Britain in 1870 by Ward, Lock and Tyler. This document uses the British Standard of crochet stitch terminology. (Most of the instruction/charts in Crochetology.net use the US standard.)
Take a look at both documents and try making the basic crochet stitches – chain, slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet. Then try making basic shapes using the basic stitches: a circle, a square and a rectangle. Instead of fine cotton thread, use acrylic yarn and a suitable size crochet hook, perhaps an aluminum hook size 4/0.
The crocheted beade turtle purse.
The crocheted and beaded turtle purse was one of my first exercises in basic crochet. Using the simple stitches mentioned above, I made the different parts of the turtle, (1) turtle shell (carapace); (2) turtle underside (plastron); (3) head; (4) four legs; and (5) turtle tail.
Below is an illustration of these different parts.
The different shapes, black lines show areas that are sewn by hand.
I started with the carapace, which is a simple crocheted dome. The plastron of the turtle is almost exactly the same except that this one is a bit flatter. Not too flat though because you’d want the purse to have some space inside it.
A closer view of the turtle's underside.
Making these two parts involved making the basic round block – the plastron is flat while the carapace is a bit concave.
Start the round block with a short length of chain and join it into a ring. The ring is small and will leave a small hole at the center.
The head of the turtle is simply a crocheted rectangle that has a diamond shaped end and the edge of this end is folded in half and sewn together.
The tail is also a simple rectangle that tapers at the end.
The front legs are rectangles with an increase at the end so as to make the turtle claws. And then the back legs are simple rectangles.
After making all the parts, you have to do the beadwork first. You can refer to the photographs to have an idea about the beadwork. Generally, I used complimentary colors (green and red) to make the design interesting.
Detail of the beadwork on the turtle shell.
And when that’s done, you can sew the turtle parts together.
Put the turtle shell and bottom together and sew around, inserting the tail and legs as you go, and then leaving a gap for opening of the purse.
I decided that the gap/opening would be at the head. So I just sewed the turtle neck to the inside of the turtle’s underside.
Finally, make a loop of white glass beads and sew that to the inner side of the turtle shell. Then sew a button (close to the color of the turtle’s body) onto the turtle’s head near the back of the neck, just right for the loop to serve as enclosure/clasp for the purse.
A closer view of the turtle's head and the button enclosure for the purse.