Dear Crochet Noobs
First, I’m so happy you are looking into a new hobby. I crochet daily and can’t tell you how happy crochet makes me. I’m so glad I stuck with it! As you may have read in my last blog post, crochet and I have crossed many times but we didn’t officially start dating seriously until about 2020. There are so many things I wish I would have understood when I first started. If you want to be my new yarn buddy, I hope to pass on some advice and save you some time with this blog.
The Bad and the Ugly
Now I’m about to be real with you. You need to know (unless you are a crochet prodigy) that this is going to be hard, frustrating, awkward, and you’re going to learn how to read a new language. I don’t care how crafty you are, you probably won’t pick this up immediately. You are not going to crochet a blanket or an amigurumi on your first try! You will be lucky if you can crochet a chain. You will make lopsided things that are unrecognizable and are too big or too small to wear that look nothing like the picture. Make peace with this now and it will be ok.
Still here? Still wanna give it a try? GOOD! Believe me I’m working on being a more positive person, but I don’t want to sugarcoat it. I’ve seen (and been) people that go to Pinterest, fall in love with a pattern, and decide they are going to attempt to make it. They excitedly go to the yarn store pick up some random yarn they like the color of and some hooks and then sit down to make the pattern. They take one look at the pattern and realize they don’t know how to read it. They may even try some YouTube videos, but don’t always get very far. After some attempts, sadness, and frustration, the yarn and hooks go into your craft room never to be mentioned again.
The Good
Ok, on to the good news! You can learn how to crochet! It takes time and patience. Once you get past the basics, you will be able to make beautiful, useful things. You will learn a hobby that you can take anywhere with you, that helps your brain, and anxiety. Not to mention you will make some pretty gnarly handmade gifts. People will stare at you in awe like you are a wizard because you are. On to the advice!
Learn to Read a Pattern (TLDR ADVICE STARTS HERE!)
Patterns are written using abbreviations to save time and space. Many patterns repeat stitches or steps and this way of writing makes it easier to understand. Plus you’ll feel cool once you can.
The beginning of a pattern usually contains important info so make sure to read it thoroughly. Confirm which hook size they recommend and which yarn size or type they used. I recommend you go to this link and start familiarizing yourself with Basic Stitch Abbreviations so you won’t feel like you are reading a foreign language when you run across your first pattern.
https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/how-to-read-crochet-pattern
https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/crochet-abbreviations
What Should I Crochet?
Save yourself the headache and make sure the pattern is beginner friendly. I even, to this day, haven’t attempted anything past intermediate. If you notice that the pattern gets bigger and smaller in areas, changes color, joins pieces together, you might not be ready for that quite yet.
I would always recommend a beginner start with a dishcloth, a coaster, a headband, or an easy beanie. The smaller the better. I know it sounds boring, but it’s best to start with something easy than to never finish the project.
Which Yarn Do I Buy?
To start with, I would recommend a simple worsted weight acrylic yarn, size medium 4, in a light color ( to see stiches better). It is one of my go-to’s because it is popular and easy to work with. Big Twist, I Love This Yarn, Red Heart, Lion Brand, Caron, and Bernat are some of my favorite brands.
Only because of the inconvenience/lack of patience, I still stay away from anything smaller than a size 3 and avoid any yarn that looks too frilly to work with. You can take a look at the chart below from All Free Crochet to see what different types and sizes of yarns are typically used for. More about yarn here.
Which Crochet Hook Should I Buy?
I personally started using Clover crochet hooks and I have been able to tell a difference immediately. The ergonomic handle has saved my hand. I have also used Boye crochet hooks and prefer these over Susan Bates because Boye’s has a more pointed top with a tapered throat that makes it easier to slip off the yarn. It really is about preference though. Some beginners may like Susan Bates because of of its inline hook with a rounded top. The size H crochet hook is a popular size. It might be best to also get a size G and I so you can play with tension. Sometimes it comes down to the way you hold your hook.
How Should I Hold My Crochet Hook?
There are usually two popular ways to hold a hook. It just depends which one feel more natural to you. I personally use the pencil grip. A pencil grip is when you hold your hook like a pencil. It rests in your hand as a pencil would as you are writing. A knife grip is when you hold your hook as if you were going to cut a steak.
Practice and repetition is key. Every time you pick up your hook and yarn you will improve. You will need a lot of practice getting your tension just right. Not too tight or too loose. Eventually you will use the gauge at the beginning of the pattern to see what size hook you will need to use. If you crochet too loose, you will need to go down a size or two. If you crochet too tight, you will need to go up a size or two.
More about gauge here: https://www.yarnspirations.com/how-to-measure-crochet-gauge.html
Do You Have Any Beginner Friendly Crochet Patterns or Resources?
Yes! I taught myself how to crochet by following along with Laura from Happy Berry Crochet on YouTube. The Ribblr website is such a neat place to find patterns. I especially like that they save your spot for you where you are in the pattern in case you come back to it later and they have embedded crochet stitch videos in case you need a reminder on how to do a particular stich. I’ve included some of those videos below. Check out these other beginner patterns as well.
https://www.happyberry.co.uk/
https://jaydainstitches.com/resources/Hair_Scrunchie_Very_Easy_Pattern.pdf
https://jaydainstitches.com/resources/Ribbed_Hat_Pattern.pdf
https://jaydainstitches.com/resources/EarWarmer_Headband_MossStitch.pdf
https://dabblesandbabbles.com/easy-3-strand-crochet-headband/
And you Happily Crocheted Ever After…
Honestly there is still more, but this is plenty to keep you busy for a while! Learn and become familiar with the basics. My biggest advice is just keep trying! Take breaks, come back to it, but don’t give up.
How to Chain Courtesy Ribblr
How to Slip Stitch (Sl St) Courtesy Ribblr
How to Single Crochet (SC) Courtesy Ribblr
How to Half Double Crochet (HDC) Courtesy Ribblr
How to Double Crochet (DC) Courtesy Ribblr
How to Make a Magic Ring (MR) Courtesy Ribblr
How To Front Loop (FO) Courtesy Ribblr
