Now that you’ve decided to start crocheting, where do you start?
The first thing you’ll need to do is gather your supplies. You need only four things to start to crochet: a crochet hook, yarn, instructions, and a pair of scissors.
Crochet hook: Choose a hook in the medium size range. In the United States the sizes are letters, so an I, J, or K hook is a good starter hook. (In my experience the smaller crochet hooks and the larger crochet hooks tend to split the yarn, and that’s something you don’t want to deal with when you’re first learning.) Approximate price range: $1.29- $2.79 each.
Yarn: Choose something that appeals to you both in color and texture. Don’t make the mistake of over-buying- a lot of projects require only one skein of yarn or less. Sometimes I get over-excited in the yarn aisle, especially when there’s a sale, and now I have a ridiculous amount of surplus yarn. Start with one skein- you can always buy more. Approximate price range: $2- $5 a skein.
Instructions: You can find instructions on how to make crochet stitches in any crochet pattern book. Before you blindly invest in any money into a book, I would recommend checking a crochet book out of the library. You should be able to pick up on the stitches during the three-week loan period. You can also photocopy the instructions and a pattern or two from the library book.
If the library isn’t an option for you, craft stores have crochet pattern books that start at around $5.95. (My all-time favorite book for crochet instruction is Teach Yourself Visually: Crochet.) Even if you have someone teaching you, it’s good to have a visual to fall back on when you’re working alone. Approximate price range: free- $29.99.
Scissors: There’s actually not a lot of cutting in crochet, but sometimes when you’re learning there are a lot of knots! Don’t worry about any of that at this point. If you have a big tangle just cut it off and start over. Remember, it’s all part of the learning process.
Now that you’re ready, start with the easy things first. Once you’ve gathered your supplies you can start to learn how to crochet!
The first stitch you’ll need to learn is called a chain. From there, teach yourself one or two stitches- there’s no need to overload yourself at this point. Next, practice, practice, practice until you feel comfortable and confident making the stitches.
Now look for a pattern that’s rated “easy” or “beginner”. A couple tips here:
1. Find a pattern that only has the stitches you know how to do. Once you’ve decided on the pattern, buy the required crochet hook and yarn for it. I recommend starting with a pattern that’s highly repetitious. This way you’ll be able to follow along with what you’ve already done as opposed to having to count multiple sets in every row.
2.. Start with a small flat project, like a dishcloth or a scarf. Dishcloths and scarves are relatively quick to make. (It might take a long time at first, but after a while you’ll be able to whip one up after dinner without even having to stay up late!) For a really easy (and free) crochet dishcloth pattern click here. For a really easy (and free) crochet scarf pattern click here.
A lot of people like to start with Granny Squares because you can finish each one relatively quickly. If you decide to start with Granny Squares remember that there are a lot of variations, so make sure you choose “easy” or “beginner”.
3. Crochet is very forgiving. If you find that you’ve made a mistake, just rip out the yarn to right before the mistake and continue crocheting from there.
