10 crocheting tips for beginners

10 Crocheting Tips for Beginners

Here are some great starting points for crocheting that I wished I had known when I had started. In my blog I have links to supplies and tools to help you along your journey, I am an affiliate of the stores that my links take you to, and I may receive a small fee if you choose to use and purchase from the links I’ve provided below. Thanks for reading I hope this helps.

1. Start with the Right Tools

   • Use a medium-weight yarn (like worsted weight) and a size H-8 (5mm) hook. These are easier to handle and see your stitches.

   • Try these yarns to start https://amzn.to/47Ol1XR

   • This beginner set is great and affordable for anyone starting out https://amzn.to/47hRfKZ

2. Learn the Basic Stitches First

   • Focus on mastering the chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet. These form the foundation of most patterns.

3. Practice Consistent Tension

   • Try to keep your yarn tension even. Too tight or too loose can make your project difficult to work with or look uneven. This takes time and lots of practice to get right, too tight and your project will pinch together, too loose and it won’t hold its shape, or it’ll be full of gaps.

4. Use Light-Colored Yarn

   • Light colors make it easier to see your stitches, which is helpful when you're just starting out. I learned this lesson the hard way, I was using black plush yarn to make a dog stuffy. I ended up having to switch yarn colors after starting over multiple times, because I couldn’t see what I was doing, and it was very hard to keep count of my stitches.

5. Count Your Stitches

   • Always count your stitches at the end of each row to avoid accidental increases or decreases.

   • This crochet hook does the counting for you! and it comes with multiple heads for different projects; it is a little pricier but definitely worth it. https://amzn.to/4n21Wpz

6. Don’t Skip the Gauge Swatch

   • It might seem tedious, but making a small swatch helps ensure your finished project will be the right size.

7. Keep a Crochet Journal

   • Track your projects, yarn types, hook sizes, and notes. It’s super helpful for future reference. The one I have, has written patterns in it so I don’t have to search for the design, I can just make it if I don’t remember the pattern.

8. Watch Video Tutorials

   • Sometimes seeing a stitch in action is easier than reading instructions. YouTube and crochet blogs are great resources.

   • Here is a quick video for the most basic stitches you need for most projects and she makes it really clear about what she is doing, and her camera work is on point. https://youtu.be/RVjvNc4qfo8?si=FR_Nz0aIdZEB9WqK

9. Take Breaks

   • Crocheting can be hard on your hands and wrists. Stretch regularly and take breaks to avoid strain.

   • When I first started my wrist got really sore, my husband got me theses and they are a wrist saver. They’re fairly priced and there are others like them but I liked the way they fit my hands. You can take a look here and see if this is what’s best for you. https://amzn.to/47RpQQd

   • Also, I highly recommend a crochet pillow, you will get a sore neck and shoulders when working on projects so having one will save you a lot of pain in your new craft.

   • this one is nice it has a pocket on the side for storage https://amzn.to/3JyKP0d

10. Be Patient and Enjoy the Process

• Mistakes are part of learning. Don’t be discouraged—every crocheter has frogged (ripped out) a project at some point! I still do.