Crocheting is one in a million ways in which you can express your creativity. There are endless projects and items you can make using just a hook and yarn. Crocheting can become your hobby or even a source of income. Learn how to crochet for beginners step by step, and kick start an adventurous and inexpensive craft in crocheting with just a hook and a skein of yarn.
But First, What is Crochet?
Crochet is a textile handcraft made using a crochet hook and skeins of yarn, thread or similar materials. The hook interlocks yarn to form crochet which can be designed to make items like garments, staffed animals, coasters, etc.
What Do You Need to Crochet?
When learning how to crochet for beginners, you will not need many tools. However, as you grow in experience, you will need much more crocheting accessories. The main tools for crocheting include a crochet hook and yarn.
Here is a list of must-have crochet supplies for beginners
Yarn
There are lots of yarn with great colors, texture, and weight. You will have a variety of choices to choose from.
Crochet Hook
You can find over 30 sizes of hooks made in different materials such as wood, metal, or plastic. It’s the main tool in crocheting since it’s used for interlocking looped yarn.
Scissors
It’s an essential tool to have for cutting thread or yarn.
Darning Needle
This is a blunt needle with a wide eye used to weave in the thread ends.
How to Start Crochet
A point to note before you start crocheting is that there are different hook sizes for various crochet projects. Some pattern guides will specify the size of hook and yarn to use.
As a beginner, it’s good if you learn how to crochet using standard yarn. Then, as you advance in your skill you can choose thicker and other kinds of yarn available.
When you have the hook and the yarn in place it’s time to start crocheting. You start crochet by creating a slip knot.
How to Create a Slip Knot
There are different methods you can use to create a slip knot.
Here’s an easy way to do it…..
Fold your thread at the tail leaving a 2 inches tail. Use your index finger at the middle of the fold pointing downwards.
Twist the finger upwards, here you will see that the thread forms an X shape. Use your thumb and index finger to pull the tail of your thread through the loop.
And there you just made a slip knot. Pick the crochet hook and insert it into the loop, then pull the thread to tighten it, leaving an allowance between the knot and the hook.
To start crocheting, First, learn how to hold your work in place for easy crocheting.
How to Hold Your Thread and Crochet Hook
There is however no standard way to hold your work. So you will just start off and then in the long run find which way is comfortable for you.
But here is the best way to get you started…..
You will hold your hook as if holding a knife. The other hand holds the yarn through the palm. Then pass the thread over your index finger.
Next, using the same index finger and your thumb, hold together the yarn and the tail of the slip knot. This helps you keep the work in place and also regulates the tension. And now you are ready to crochet.
The first step for crochet work is making chain stitches. It forms the foundation for many crochet projects.
How to Crochet Chain Stitches
Place the hook below the thread, twisting it away from you. Grab the thread and turn it towards you and downwards.
Pass the yarn through the allowance of your slip knot. And there you made your first chain stitch. The process of grabbing the thread and passing it through the loop is called yarning-over.
You will thus continue to yarn over until you make the required number of chain stitches. Each yarn-over makes a single chain.
When learning how to crochet for beginners, it’s good for you to count the chains as you yarn over to avoid missing counts after you make your chain.
Just in case you lost count, every chain is the V-shaped stitch you made. To count the number of chains, just count the number of V’s.
When you are done making the chain, it’s time to make your first row of crocheting.
How to Crochet the Chained Row
There are many crochet stitches you can use on your crochet projects. Some of them include; single crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, moss stitch, treble stitch, granny stripe, and many more.
However, the easiest of them is the single stitches that you can easily crochet as a beginner.
Here’s how you can single stitch on the chain you just made…..
Insert the hook in the second chain from your hook. You now have two loops on your hook. Grab the yarn and pass it through the first loop, you still have two loops on your hook.
Pick the yarn again and pass it through both loops. That is the first single crochet. Notice that you skipped the first chain stitch because it acts as a turning stitch.
Insert the hook on the next chain and repeat the process to all the chains. To make more rows, chain one stitch and turn over your work to start the next row.
If you ever mess your crocheting at one point, you just need to remove the crochet hook, pull the yarn to undo the work up to the point you want. Insert it and continue crocheting.
Bottom Line is,
The secret to learning how to crochet for beginners is never giving up. Practice until you get the hang of it, and keep learning new stitches and patterns.
You can always find inspiration for easy patterns online. In no time, you will be a pro in pattern reading and making bigger projects.
Recommended Readings:
Golden Rules For Teaching Kids To Sew
How to Embroider with a Sewing Machine – A Complete Guide
Mechanical Vs Computerized Sewing Machine – Which One is Good
