May
Getting Started With Basic Supplies
So the first thing is you need a hook and some yarn obviously. I started with a 5mm hook because that’s what my neighbor had lying around and honestly it’s still my favorite size. You can see your stitches really clearly and it’s not so small that you’re squinting at everything.
For yarn I’d say grab some Red Heart Super Saver or Caron Simply Soft. The Red Heart is cheaper and comes in like a million colors but it’s a bit scratchy. I made my first dishcloth with the Grey Heather color in summer 2022 while binge-watching Love Island and my hands got kinda tired because that yarn has no give to it. But it holds up really well. The Caron is softer and I actually prefer it now but it’s a few dollars more per skein.
Don’t buy the fancy merino wool or anything expensive when you’re starting out. You’re gonna mess up and probably unravel things multiple times and it’s just not worth spending $15 on one skein when you’re learning.
The Chain Stitch and Why It’s Annoying
Everything starts with a chain. You make a slipknot on your hook and then you’re pulling loops through loops basically. The annoying thing about chains when you’re new is that they twist around and you can’t tell which side is which or where you’re supposed to insert your hook for the next row.
I probably started and restarted my first project like eight times because I kept losing track of which loop was the “right” one. There’s the V shape on top and then there’s this bump on the back and people have different opinions about where to put your hook but honestly just go through the top two loops and call it a day.
Practice making chains that are even. Mine were always super tight at first and then loose and then tight again. Your tension gets better over time you just gotta make a lot of chains. Make them while watching TV or whatever.
Single Crochet Is Your Friend
Single crochet is the most basic stitch and also the most useful. It makes a tight dense fabric that’s good for dishcloths, coasters, bags, anything that needs structure.
You insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over, pull through (now you have 2 loops on hook), yarn over again, pull through both loops. That’s it. The problem is that everyone explains it slightly different and some tutorials say “yarn over” and some say “wrap” and it’s like okay we get it just pull the yarn through.
I made a whole set of coasters in spring 2024 using Lion Brand Pound of Love in Antique White because I was moving apartments and needed to use up yarn. Single crochet squares, nothing fancy. They turned out kinda wonky because I wasn’t counting my stitches properly but they work fine.
Counting Stitches Sucks But Do It Anyway
This is the thing that annoyed me the most about learning crochet. You have to count every single stitch in every single row or your project starts looking like a trapezoid instead of a rectangle. I hate counting. I lose track constantly especially if my cat jumps on my lap or something.
Get some stitch markers. The little plastic ones are like $3 for a pack of 50. Put one at the beginning of your row so you know where it starts. I never did this at first because I thought I could just remember but you can’t. You really can’t.
Easy Beginner Projects That Actually Work
Okay so here are the projects that are actually good for beginners and not the ones that pattern websites claim are easy but actually require you to increase and decrease and read charts.
Dishcloths and Washcloths
Make a square. That’s literally it. Chain like 25 stitches, single crochet in each chain, then single crochet back and forth until you have a square. I used Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for these because it’s meant for dishcloths and it’s cheap. The Sage Green color is nice.
The cotton yarn is way easier to work with than acrylic when you’re starting because it doesn’t split as much. Your hook just goes right through. I made probably fifteen dishcloths before I tried anything else because I kept messing up the edges and wanting to practice.
Simple Scarf
Same concept as the dishcloth but longer and skinnier. Chain 15-20 stitches depending on how wide you want it, then just keep going until it’s scarf length. I made one during a breakup in winter 2023 using some Red Heart Super Saver in Burgundy and it was actually really calming to just do the same stitch over and over without thinking.
You can do single crochet for a dense scarf or half double crochet for something that works up faster. Half double is just slightly taller than single crochet and once you get the hang of it it’s basically the same motion.
Granny Squares
People say granny squares are beginner friendly but honestly I found them confusing at first. You’re working in the round and you have to do double crochet stitches which are taller and chain spaces and it’s just… it’s a lot of stuff happening at once.
But once you make one square successfully you can make a hundred of them and turn them into a blanket or a bag or whatever. I used Bernat Blanket yarn for my first granny square attempt because the yarn is so thick you can really see what you’re doing. The Mallard Wood color is this pretty dark teal.
The trick with granny squares is that you’re not actually crocheting into stitches most of the time, you’re crocheting into the chain spaces from the previous round. That was the thing I didn’t understand from written patterns. Video tutorials helped way more.
Reading Patterns vs Just Winging It
Written crochet patterns are like another language. They use all these abbreviations like sc for single crochet and dc for double crochet and ch for chain and then they have parentheses and asterisks and it looks like math homework.
I still don’t really read patterns properly. I look at pictures and kind of figure out what’s happening and make my own version. This works fine for simple stuff but if you want to make something structured like a sweater you probably need to actually follow the pattern.
There are tons of free patterns on Ravelry and YouTube. The YouTube ones are better when you’re starting because you can see exactly what the person is doing with their hands. I probably watched the same “how to single crochet” video like twenty times.
Double Crochet For When You Want To Go Faster
Double crochet stitches are taller so your project grows faster. You yarn over before you insert your hook, then it’s yarn over and pull through, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops. Three steps instead of two.
It makes a looser fabric with more drape which is good for blankets and shawls. Not good for things that need structure like bags unless you use a really tight tension.
I made a baby blanket for my sister using double crochet and Caron Simply Soft in Soft Pink. Just rows and rows of double crochet. It’s boring but it works and you can zone out while doing it. I had The Office playing in the background for that whole project.
Tension Issues and How Your Hands Will Hurt
Your tension is gonna be weird at first. Too tight means your fabric is stiff and your hands cramp up. Too loose means everything looks floppy and the stitches are uneven.
There’s different ways to hold the yarn and the hook and people get really specific about it but just do whatever feels comfortable. I wrap the yarn around my pinky and over my index finger. Some people wrap it around multiple fingers. Some people don’t wrap it at all they just hold it.
Your hands will hurt when you first start. Take breaks. I gave myself some kind of repetitive strain thing in my right hand from crocheting for like four hours straight when I was making that breakup scarf and had to stop for a week. Don’t be dumb like me.
Fixing Mistakes Without Crying
You’re gonna make mistakes. You’ll skip stitches or add extra stitches or lose track of where you are. The good thing about crochet is that you can just pull the yarn and unravel back to where the mistake happened.
This is way easier than knitting where the stitches can fall and run like a ladder in tights. With crochet you just pull and it comes undone. I’ve unraveled entire projects multiple times because I messed up the stitch count early on and didn’t notice until I had a wonky triangle situation happening.
It’s frustrating but also kind of satisfying to redo it correctly. Or you can just accept the mistake and keep going. Most people won’t notice if you have an extra stitch somewhere unless it’s really obvious.
Joining Yarn and Weaving In Ends
When you run out of yarn or want to change colors you need to join new yarn. I just leave like a 6 inch tail on the old yarn and start using the new yarn and then weave in the ends later with a yarn needle.
Weaving in ends is the worst part of crochet. You have to thread the tail through a needle and weave it through the stitches on the back of your work so it doesn’t come undone. It’s tedious and I always have like twenty ends to weave in because I procrastinate on doing it.
Some people join yarn with fancy invisible knots but I never learned how to do that properly. My method works fine.
Blocking and Why I Never Do It
Blocking is when you wet your finished project and pin it out to specific measurements and let it dry so it looks neat and professional. People who enter projects in fairs and stuff block everything.
I have never blocked anything in my life. I just don’t care that much and also I don’t have blocking mats or pins or space to lay things out flat for days. My projects look fine without it. Maybe not perfect but fine.
If you’re making something like a lace shawl with a specific pattern you probably should block it so the pattern shows up properly but for dishcloths and scarves and basic blankets you really don’t need to bother.
What Hooks To Actually Buy
You can get a whole set of hooks for like $15 on Amazon. They come in a little case with sizes from 2mm to 10mm or whatever. The cheap aluminum ones work totally fine. I used those for years before I bought nicer hooks.
The ergonomic hooks with rubber grips are easier on your hands if you’re gonna crochet for hours but they’re not necessary when you’re starting. I have a Clover Amour hook in 5mm that I bought on sale and it’s definitely smoother than the cheap ones but it didn’t magically make me better at crocheting or anything.
Don’t buy wood hooks when you’re learning because they can snag on the yarn. Stick with metal or plastic.
Stuff Nobody Tells You
Your first projects will look wonky and that’s fine. I still have my first dishcloth and it’s shaped like a parallelogram because I didn’t understand about turning chains adding height.
Acrylic yarn squeaks sometimes when you work with it and it’s weird.
You’ll develop a favorite way to hold your hook and yarn and it might not be the “correct” way but if it works for you then whatever.
Crocheting in dim lighting is hard because you can’t see your stitches. Use a lamp.
You don’t need to buy patterns when you’re starting. There are thousands of free patterns online and most simple projects don’t even need a pattern just a basic idea of what you’re making.
The terms are different in US and UK patterns. A US double crochet is a UK treble crochet. It’s confusing. Most patterns say which version they’re using at the top.
Cotton yarn is better for summer projects because it breathes. Acrylic is warm and good for winter stuff but it doesn’t breathe at all so don’t make summer tops with it.
When To Move Beyond Basic Projects
Once you can make a consistent rectangle with even edges and you understand how to increase (add stitches) and decrease (skip stitches basically) you can make almost anything. Increases and decreases let you shape things.
I’m still not great at following complex patterns but I can make bags and simple stuffed animals and blankets with stripes and basic wearable things. That happened after maybe six months of casual crocheting.
Don’t rush into complicated projects. Make boring stuff until your tension is even and you can count stitches without losing track. Then try something with shaping. Then maybe try something with a stitch pattern like shells or clusters.
I tried to make an amigurumi bunny too early and it looked deformed because I couldn’t maintain consistent tension while working in the round. Now I could probably make it fine but back then I just wasn’t ready. Know your skill level and work up to things gradually instead of getting frustrated.
