How to learn to crochet

Have you been inspired and want to start crocheting? How wonderful! Crocheting is a wonderful hobby with many possibilities. From amigurumi to mandalas, blankets to coasters... There is so much fun stuff to crochet!

In this blog, I will explain how you can start crocheting.

Important to know

It is important to remember that there is no right or wrong in learning to crochet. There is no such thing as learning 'too slowly'. Or too quickly. Everyone learns and crochets at their own pace and in their own way.

In addition, there is no '1 simple formula' that fits everyone. Everyone learns differently. While a book works better for one person, a YouTube video is more pleasant for another. It is a matter of trying and practicing to discover what suits you best.

Step-by-step plan

I personally learned to crochet via YouTube. I therefore wrote this step-by-step plan based on my own experience. I want to remind you that it is good to experiment and find your own way. This step-by-step plan is merely a guideline to give you an idea of how to begin.

Step 1: information

First of all, it is good to inform yourself about crocheting. You can look for blogs, YouTube videos, social media posts, books, and so on. Look for information about:

- What do you need for crocheting? Search term examples: crochet supplies beginners, what do you need to crochet?

- Basic information about crocheting. Search term examples: crochet for beginners, starting to crochet, learn to crochet.

- Simple crochet stitches to master the basics. Search term examples: making a slip knot, chain stitch (ch), single crochet (sc).

- How to hold a crochet hook? Search term examples: holding a crochet hook.

I definitely recommend watching YouTube videos. The advantage of this is that you can see someone executing how to crochet. For example: you can see how someone crochets a certain stitch, like a chain stitch. Even though this is the simplest stitch in crocheting, it is always of added value to see how the movements and actions are performed.

Step 2: practice the basics

After reading some information about crocheting, it is time to start practicing.

It is useful to first master the basic stitches a little bit. You can start with a few simple stitches:

1: The slip knot: the knot you start with

2: Chain stitch (ch): the simplest crochet stitch, the starting chain

3: Single crochet (sc): the first 'real' crochet stitch where you crochet 'into' the previous stitches

My tip here is: search for a video on YouTube that shows these crochet stitches, or choose a true beginner crochet pattern. Make swatches and practice with the easiest crochet stitches. Be sure to follow the tips and advice from the beginner tutorials and blogs and take the time to discover what suits you well!

Although you would naturally prefer to start crocheting a lovely scarf today, I recommend that you first take a moment to get the hang of the basics. Start over a few times. Repeating something you have already crocheted might seem boring, but you learn a huge amount from it! It can save you a lot of frustration along the way (and therefore increase your fun!) to take your time in the beginning and work in small steps. Repeating and practicing are your great friends in learning to crochet.

Step 3: crocheting beginner patterns

Once you have mastered the basics a bit, it is good to start with easy patterns that are suitable for beginners.

For some people, diving into a difficult project can be the way to learn. If you love a challenge, there is of course nothing wrong with immediately crocheting more difficult projects! Everyone has their own way of learning new things.

The most important thing is and remains, regardless of the way you do it, that you have fun with your crochet project!

Choosing a crochet project: the options

There are many nice beginner crochet projects to be found. Always look closely at the level of the crochet pattern and read the information carefully. That way you know exactly what you are starting and what you need.

Option 1: complete kits. There are complete crochet kits where you get everything delivered in one package. The crochet pattern and the yarn you need for this are in one kit. A crochet hook is often not included, but you can always buy one separately. You only need to purchase this once and you can use it for years!

The advantage of a complete kit is that you don't have to search for which yarn, or how much, you need. This is ideal for beginners. Sometimes this can make the colors, or types of crochet projects, slightly more limited.

Option 2: separate pattern and your own yarn. These are projects where you choose a crochet pattern from, for example, a book, blog, or webshop. You then buy the yarn yourself (what you need is always indicated in the pattern) at a store of your choice.

The advantage of choosing your own yarn and crochet patterns is that you have complete freedom in the brand of yarn, colors, type, and so on. There are many beginner patterns, including free patterns, available on the internet. This gives you much more choice. You just have to pay a little more attention that you buy a suitable yarn for the pattern you have chosen. Read the pattern information carefully, because it often indicates exactly what kind of yarn you need for the project. You can then buy this yarn at a store.

Learning to read crochet patterns

There are different ways in which a crochet pattern can be written. For example, many crochet patterns are written out in crochet terms and abbreviations.

It is useful to read beforehand, or watch videos, about how to read a crochet pattern. That saves a lot of confusion while crocheting!

"I still clearly remember that the first time I didn't understand much of the crochet pattern I tried to make. Looking back, I could have simply searched 'how to read a crochet pattern' on YouTube to better understand what was meant."

There are also patterns in charts. A chart is a drawing with special symbols. Those symbols represent the crochet stitches. The advantage of this is that you can see exactly where which stitch should be crocheted. Especially in mandalas, for example, this is widely used and very useful. But for true beginner patterns, it is usually not necessary to learn this yet. Sometimes there is also a combination of the two available: a written crochet pattern combined with a crochet chart. This is common in our mandala crochet patterns, for instance. Once you have a bit more experience with crocheting, this is a perfect way to also learn how to read charts.

Step 4: practice and keep crocheting

You have already gained a lot of experience with your first crochet projects. How awesome!

Now it is time to keep practicing and continue crocheting. Don't understand something for a moment? Definitely look it up! Google and YouTube are very good places for this. Forgotten how to make a single crochet? Just rewatch the blog post or the video, and you can continue.

It might sound boring, but repeating and practicing are truly of great value in learning to crochet. Crocheting a project multiple times, like coasters or other small projects, teaches you a lot. For example, you can learn from past mistakes. You remember: oh right, that's how it went! And thereby gain more experience with the crochet stitches. You build experience, gain more confidence and muscle memory. And that can help you so much!

Of course, it is important that if you are going to repeat a crochet pattern, you choose a pattern that you already enjoyed crocheting the first time. After all, it's about having fun while crocheting. You can also learn a lot from other projects.

Some people don't find it challenging enough to make a pattern multiple times, while others love it. Here too it applies: discover what suits you. One way or another, you will get there!

Slowly you can start doing other projects, sometimes maybe a little more difficult. Keep on crocheting, choose projects you like and just try it out! Of course, it remains useful to check the level of the crochet pattern. As a beginner, a pattern with an 'advanced' or 'expert' level is likely to quickly cause frustration. That is why it is good to slowly work towards a more difficult level if you want to.

Regardless of what you crochet, regardless of your pace, the most important thing about crocheting will always be: having fun! Go experiment, take your time, and enjoy this wonderful hobby!