Crocheting for Beginners 101

Great, I’ve decided on crocheting as my project… Now what? I have a rough idea of what I need, but I have no idea where to start- What type of yarn do I need? What size of crochet hook? This beginner crochet guide I found proved to be very helpful on my trip to get supplies. I went to Walmart to get all the necessary items for beginning my project. My entire trip costed less than $20.

After some research, I learned that acrylic yarn is the best option for beginner-level crocheting. It’s also recommended that the yarn be a solid, light color so the stitches are easier to see. Additionally, the weight of the yarn should be a 4 or 5. If you’ve never crocheted before, you’re probably like me, wondering what the weight of a yarn is. Well, I learned that the weight refers to the thickness of the yarn. I found this article to be more in-depth about yarn weights if you’re curious.

So, I choose a weight 4 blue colored acrylic yarn and a couple of crochet hooks. I discovered that the label on the yarn will tell you the weight of the yarn, and the size of crochet hook that’s recommended for that particular yarn. The yarn I chose recommended a 5mm crochet hook. However, I also learned that it’s a good idea to get one smaller hook and one larger hook, just in case one works better. So, I ended up purchasing both a 5mm and 6mm hook.

Now, I’m finally ready to start crocheting! I’m referring back to the video I posted last week to start practicing. In this video, I’m learning how to:

• make a slipknot
• hold the hook
• crochet a chain
• crochet a single stitch
• weave ends

At first, I struggled to figure out how to hold the yarn and hook simultaneously. It’s a bit of a learning curve trying to figure out how to hold the yarn with a good amount of tension. I know this will come with practice! I was so excited when I crocheted my first chain:

After some practice, I was able to complete a single-stitch crochet square! The square on the left is my first attempt; it’s very uneven and curled at the ends. I believe this is a tension issue, which I’m hoping will get better with more practice. You can already see the improvement on my second attempt, pictured on the right:

With this basic stitch, there are many possibilities to create. Here’s a list of single-stitch crochet projects I found. Next week, I plan to practice another single-stitch square and learn the double-stitch!