Have you ever had that moment when someone asks “What are your hobbies?” and you have no idea what to say? Creative hobbies have always been somewhat of a challenge for me, but I decided to learn how to crochet as a way to challenge myself outside of school. While crochet can seem daunting to learn, many beautiful pieces can be made from basic crochet stitches.
One of the great things about crochet is that it’s a very accessible hobby. To start, all you need is a set of crochet hooks and a yarn skein. While working with cheap yarn can be more cost-effective, bad-quality yarn can make it difficult to accomplish even the most simple stitches. I learned this the hard way during my first attempt at the single crochet stitch. The yarn I started with was scratchy and had a tendency to split, which is exactly what you don’t want to deal with as a crochet beginner I recommend starting with a good quality and inexpensive brand, such as Lionbrand yarn, and getting a few different colors to try out. Most straight crochet hooks are very inexpensive and can be purchased from Amazon, Walmart, or any craft store.
After gathering all of my materials, I watched as many YouTube tutorials as possible to learn the basic stitches. Most tutorials recommend starting with the single crochet stitch and making a simple shape, like a square, just to get used to the feeling of holding the yarn and manipulating the hook. Learning how to comfortably hold the crochet hook and go from a foundation chain to a complete row of stitches is probably the most difficult skill for beginners. There are several ways to hold a crochet hook and start foundation chains and everyone has their own way of doing this. It will take time to find the techniques that work best for you, but some channels I recommend for beginners are Bella Coco and TL Yarn Crafts.
Once I learned a few common stitches, (single crochet, double crochet, half-double crochet, etc.) I decided to try and make a wearable mesh sweater. There are many video tutorials for crocheting sweaters, but it is important to make sure the pattern is easy to follow to prevent you from becoming confused and having to scrap the project. I was able to complete the sweater and the process helped me learn how to count stitches and utilize stitch markers for making sleeves. While I was not especially happy with the final result, every hour-long project is a learning experience that will only strengthen your crochet skills for the next project. Finding a crochet project that you are passionate about will make the learning process more enjoyable and eventually your technique will improve enough to follow patterns more easily.
Crochet is an extremely versatile art form and learning the basics will expand your skills enough to complete a variety of projects including sweaters, blankets, plushies, and more.