Learn to Crochet....and Mile-a-Minute links

Here are a couple links for the Mile-a-Minute stitch. There are as many 'types' of Mile-a-Minute's as there are Granny Squares, but not all are detailed.

Several Mile-a-Minute Projects

Little Fancy Mile-A-Minute

A Collection of Patterns for just about everything crochet

another Collection of patterns, including a Mile-a-Minute

I'll post my directions as well...don't know where they came from, just what I've always done for a simple mile-a-minute:

chain 7, join with sl st to beginning chain to form loop.
chain 3 , work 3 dc in loop, chain 3, work 4 dc in loop
chain 3, turn and work 3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc in chain 3 space of previous "shell"
chain 3 and turn....repeat working pattern of "shell in shell" to desired length. End off.

With a different color, attach yarn at edge of shell, ch 3 and work 12 dc in center of end shell (this forms your curve...) the work 3 dc in each turning chain space along edges of panel. Work 12 dc in bottom loop space (to form the curve at that end of panel...) and work 3 dc in each chain space up other side of panel. End off.

From here it's sort of up to you how to proceed. You can add another color, working in a half-double stitch in each dc of previous rows all around....you will work 2 hdc in each of those 12 stitches around the curves. Or you can skip straight to connecting the panels.

You can sl st or sc the panels together using that color, or the original color (that you made those shells-on-shells with). You are only stitching together up to the curve stitches...the edges of the afghan are scalloped by those curved panel ends.

LOL...I'm not a very technical crocheter really. It's probably sounding far more difficult to someone new to crocheting than it really is. There aren't a lot of stitches in crocheting....chain, slip stitch (which is really just a chain), single, half-double, double and then triple (or treble). That's it. There are hundreds of pattern stitches with crocheting, but they all breakdown to those original stitches and how you group them together. For example, a shell is merely 3 to 5 doubles put together, depending on the design of the pattern. In this one, there are chain stitches in the middle...in a traditional shell, there are 5 doubles and no chains in the middle. A traditional Granny Square uses groups of 3 doubles along the sides, and a 3 dc-ch 2-3 dc to form a corner.

It's all really easy. It's just a matter of getting into the rhythm of the pattern you are working.

Here are a couple of tutorials to help you learn:
NexStitch Tutorials for Traditional Crochet and Tunisian Stitch they also have some good tutorials for changing color yarns, ending and weaving in stitches, etc.

and a really good one from Lion Brand Yarns

And several good pattern sites to check out once you get the hang of it:
Crochet at Pattern Central
Fun Crochet they have a great sidebar full of helpful information on hook sizing, yarn types, etc.
PurpleKitty Yarns has some great patterns listed
and of course, Lion Brand Yarns has a great searchable pattern index...and some very easy Christmas Stockings listed now