crochet poncho

I have never crochets any thing beyond little flowers and granny squares.  When I saw this poncho I loved it but couldn't talk my talented friend Kathy into making it for me in the time I wanted it to be done, so I did it myself.  It was quick, easy and turned out great.  There a plenty of great sites on the web with free crochet and knitting patterns.
This one started out with a chain, one row of half-double crochet and the rest of the rows were double crochet.  It called for 600 yards of bulky yarn that works up fast.  Even as an amateur I did this in three evenings while watching TV and only tore out two rows where I made mistakes.  The color in the picture looks pink but is really a dark burgundy.
Don't be afraid to try something new, yes you might fail, but you can always start over, ask a friend for help, or give the unfinished project to someone else.