How to Crochet: For Beginners
Welcome to the world of crochet. If you’re eager to expand your skill set or start a new hobby, you’re in for a treat. A versatile and enjoyable skill, learning the art of crocheting will allow you to create beautiful items for yourself and others. If you’re wondering where to begin, don’t stress. This handy guide will take you through everything you need to know to get you started.
The Essentials You’ll Need to Get Started
One of the fantastic things about crocheting is that you don’t need a lot to get started. In fact, you only need two items:
- A crochet hook
- Some yarn
Choosing the right hook and crochet yarn for beginners will make your journey easier. The right yarn will ensure that your finished item looks exactly how you want it. For beginners, a medium-weight yarn in a light colour is recommended because you’ll easily be able to see the stitches that you are creating. Choosing a smooth wool or acrylic yarn is equally beneficial because the smooth texture will also help you to see your stitches. Remember to check the yarn label when you are purchasing as this will tell you the right size crochet hook to use.
Crochet hooks come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but don’t feel overwhelmed. As long as you match the size of your hook to the weight of your yarn, you’ll do fine. And in terms of material, an aluminium crochet hook is a great place to start because the yarn will glide easily over the metal.
Here are some other tools that are useful to keep handy. Rest assured that you might not need these for every project though.
- Scissors, for cutting yarn and trimming loose ends
- Crochet needle, for weaving in any loose ends and sewing pieces together
- Stitch markers, useful for marking specific stitches in your work
Remember, you can often find crochet kits online that will provide you with a range of hook sizes and the other tools mentioned above. Now, let’s learn how to crochet!
Holding Your Crochet Hook
There are two common ways to hold your crochet hook and the style to adopt is simply the one that feels most comfortable. You could choose ‘the pencil grip’ technique, whereby you hold your hook between your thumb and index finger, with it resting against your index finger as you would a pencil. Or, you could adopt ‘the knife grip’ technique, whereby you hold the hook within your hand and support between your thumb and index finger. Crochet hooks have indentations where your thumb and index finger will lie so they’ll naturally find the right position. Just remember to ensure that the tip of the hook is facing you.
Starting Your Project with a Slip Knot
The first thing you need to learn when starting a crocheting project is how to do a slip knot. This is the way that you’ll cast the yarn onto the crochet for stitching. Pull a length of yarn - about 6 inches will do. Create a loop by laying out a small circle of yarn, crossing over the tail end. Insert the crochet hook into the centre of the loop, using the tip of the hook to grab the yarn and pull it back through the centre. Then pull on both ends of the yarn to tighten the loop around the hook.
Creating a Chain Stitch from Your Slip Knot
Your starting chain will serve as the foundation for your entire crochet project. You can create this chain to be as long or as short as you need, and the action is simple to master. Simply bring the ball of yarn over the hook from back to front, catch the yarn with the tip of the hook and pull it through the loop that’s already on your hook. This forms a new loop on your crochet hook which is your first chain stitch. It can take time and practice to make your chain stitches consistent in size, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
You can check how many chain stitches you’ve created by counting the number of ‘V’s that you can see.
Mastering the Various Crochet Stitches
There are many stitches to choose from for your project and each will create a different finish. One of the simplest stitches to learn is a single crochet stitch, and this makes it a great place to start for beginners. To master the technique, watching demonstrations on YouTube can be really helpful. Watch how to create a slip knot, chain stitches and single crochet and practice as you watch.
Be sure to check out how to make a turning chain as well. This technique will teach you how to transition into a new row of stitches, a valuable skill in the world of crocheting.
Top Tips for Beginners
Once you have had some practice creating a starting chain and a single crochet stitch, it’s time to get started on your project. Common projects to start with include scarves and baby blankets due to their straightforward rectangular shape.
Remember that every new skill takes practice so don’t feel frustrated if you are taking some time to come to grips with the right technique. Perseverance is key and have confidence in your abilities. Before you know it you’ll be crocheting like it’s second nature, mastering a range of stitches and creating a wardrobe full of jumpers, cardigans and hats!
Shop at Knitting Co for Your Crochet Supplies
Choose Knitting Co for a comprehensive range of crochet supplies. A soft grip is fantastic for beginners which makes our Clover crochet hooks a popular choice. From crochet kits to pattern designs, we have everything you need to get started. And our range of crochet yarn in Australia ensures that you have an ample choice of colour, weight and texture to bring the project you’ve envisioned to life.
With a price-beat guarantee, you can rest assured that you are getting the best price for your crochet supplies. So what are you waiting for? Your crocheting journey starts today.
