So, progress report time. I can crochet. As the next photo will attest, it didn't start well.

Yes, that was supposed to be a square. The chain across the top I did on purpose though, so that Miss Four's Barbie could use it as a cape. I asked my mother what I was doing wrong, and it turned out I wasn't chaining up, or stitching to the very end of the row. So I tried again.

Yep, that's my second attempt at a square. At least one edge of it is square this time. It's now Barbie's picnic blanket.

But now I am confident enough to start on the blanket squares. I figure any small wobbles can be hidden with the border stitch when I connect everything together at the end of this project. I knew I had to start on this quick while I still had enthusiasm about it.