It’s no secret that the art of crocheting appears to be a dying art. Although within our crocheting community it is ever growing and changing, to the general public crocheting isn’t a common hobby. Being a crocheter, especially a crocheter from a very young age, I frequently get asked a lot of questions. I decided what better way to address those questions than writing up a blog post to help people interested in learning how and/or learning more about crochet. Listed below will be multiple questions that I get asked about this “hooklife.” While reading this, if you think of any more questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I’ll answer them as soon as possible.
Question 1: How do I begin? Like where do I start to learn the basics?
Answer: What I was told years ago when I wanted to learn was that it is impossible to learn how to crochet from a book. I tend to agree. So I will always say if you know someone who crochets, asking them to show you is probably going to be the most helpful and quickest way to learn. At least if they can show you the very minimal basics of how to crochet in person. For example, to show you how to do a simple chain and how to hold your hook. Things like that when you have no experience at all with it is much easier to learn when you are in person with an actual instructor.
When I was probably in 1st or 2nd grade, a lady in my church sat with me at a Children’s Quiz meet and showed me how to chain and do double crochet (thanks Pam!!) I did that stitch for years and years. I made countless scarves because that’s all I knew how to do. I got some books but from that point on when I was in elementary school, I couldn’t learn from the books and I couldn’t read patterns. It wasn’t until I was a little older that I got much more into the art of crocheting.
Then entered YouTube. I cannot stress enough how helpful YouTube has been. I can’t even give you certain YouTube accounts that have helped me the most. There are hundreds of YouTubers out there that can teach you any and every stitch, pattern, project or technique you could ever dream of learning. As soon as I dove into the world of YouTube for crochet, my skills have multiplied ten fold. From just doing basic stitches, to learning intricate stitches and techniques, to finding fun patterns to make and to just watching for refreshers on certain stitches, I am constantly YouTubing for crochet.
So that would be my suggestion. Ask someone you know to show you some basics and then use YouTube to go from there. But if you don’t know anyone that can teach you, YouTube would be such an awesome tool for you to use to learn about anything you want to learn.
Question 2: What yarn should I use to start?
Answer: I will always suggest plain, simple acrylic yarn for any beginner. You need to learn the fundamentals before you can delve into any fun, fancy yarn. Pick yourself up some cheap yarn from Walmart and a cheap hook from there as well and just practice and practice and practice until it becomes muscle memory. You might just be making a square or practice making a scarf, something very basic, until you have the stitch down and engrained in your head.
Yarn comes in many different sizes, shapes, materials, and textures. You name it, there is a yarn like that. That’s why learning on basic acrylic yarn is so important. Some yarn is hard to work with. Some yarn you can’t see the stitches you are making. Some yarn is so thin, it will take you eighteen years to make a scarf. Some yarn is so big it won’t fit on your hook. Once you learn the basic fundamentals, then it will be time to experiment with all the different kinds of yarn. And let me tell you, it will SO be worth the wait. This is the best/worst part of being a crocheter. Yarn comes in so many pretty and wonderful options and you have to try them all, regardless of what your bank account is telling you.
Question 3: What size hook should I use?
Answer: This question depends on if you followed my instructions for question number two. 🙂 So as mentioned in the last answer, each yarn has a different weight to it. That weight depends on what hook size you should use. It took me quite a few years to realize this. When picking out your yarn, look for a little square box on the back of the label. You will see a little crochet hook that has a number in millimeters next to it. That is the suggested hook size for that specific yarn. This isn’t a set in stone number, which once you get more into crocheting, that will make more sense. But for a beginner, this is a good suggestion to go with when picking out your hooks.
Another feature about crochet hooks that you should be looking at is whether you get an inline or tapered hook. This honestly comes down to personal preference so once you get a hook and get familiar with it, you can always try the other kind and see what you like better. I personally like tapered hooks better. I think the round edges make me crochet faster and smoother because the yarn doesn’t get separated as much. But some projects I like the inline hooks better because I need the point and deeper groove in the head of the crochet hook. There honestly is no right or wrong. Some crocheters love inline and some love tapered. So you will just have to find what works best and is more comfortable for you.
Question 4: What project should I make first?
Answer: This is probably dependent on the teacher. I always suggest a square or a very basic scarf to learn. Although it might be boring to just do a square, I think learning the fundamentals is extremely important before jumping on board with some project that is more difficult and overwhelming for beginners. The most important thing to do after learning how to make a stitch is learning how to count your stitches. This is something that even extremely experienced crocheters must do. And it’s also one of the most common mistakes of beginner crocheters.
Each row you make must have the same number of stitches in it. At first, this is extremely easy to miss and mess up. (Hence the reasoning behind starting with basic acrylic yarn. It’s easier to see and count your stitches compared to other yarn.) This is why I always say start with a basic square or a scarf. Something that is narrow enough to be able to easily count from row to row and get used to going into the last stitch of a row. Once you master this, then you won’t have to worry about your edges zigzagging all the way up your project. But if (and when) that happens, there’s no reason to be discouraged. Every crocheter has been there and experienced that. It’s all part of the practice makes perfect for crocheting.
Question 5: Isn’t crocheting for old ladies?
Answer: ABSOLTELY NOT. When I was growing up, I always felt like I was from the wrong era. I loved to crochet and craft and do all these things that most kids my age didn’t do. When I hit college I discovered I was craving to crochet and work on new projects. It didn’t dawn on me until a few years ago that crocheting is literally my therapy. When I get stressed about life, the thing I want to do most is crochet. Which explained why when I was nearing graduation from my bachelor’s degree that’s all I wanted to do and when my wedding plans were getting ripped apart because of Covid that’s all I wanted to do; crochet my stress away.
Fiber arts’ hobbies are making a come back. When I started getting into crocheting more I just randomly decided to look up crochet on Instagram and my whole view of the art changed. There are thousands upon thousands of women and men that have thousands and thousands of followers on their accounts solely based on crochet. When I thought my whole life I was in the minority, I quickly realized I was not alone. People are designing and making businesses all based on this hobby. And not just crocheting projects but creating designs and creating and dying yarn. The possibilities are endless with this art. There are literally so many people that use crochet as a hobby, outlet, stress relief and their career!
So I guess my answer is no. It’s not just for old ladies, old ladies are the smart ones to use this as a way to create and destress. It’s not just for old ladies, it’s not just for women, it’s not just for adults. There’s children learning and there’s men learning. This art is taking off in a whole new direction. It’s no longer just the ripple afghans that your great aunt made your parents when you weren’t born yet. It’s not just about the granny square blankets that every house had lying on their couch in the seventies. This is about creating modern, beautiful pieces that are functional and unique.
I can go on and on about crochet, but I will save more questions and answers for a part two of this blog someday. Until then, I want all you beginners to know that if you ever want any help, just ask me! I’m trying to make this website a place where beginner crocheters feel comfortable. I write my patterns very beginner friendly because I want all crocheters to be able to create something they are proud of. Check out all my patterns and see if there’s anything that you might want to try to make. And keep checking back, because I have a lot of pattern ideas floating around in my head.
If you aren’t a beginner crocheter, this website will also contain fun projects for you to mindlessly do as well as highlight other patterns that I’ve tested for people over the years that aren’t quite at a beginner level.
Regardless of what skill level of crocheting you are at, you are welcome here and I am so happy to have you go along this journey with me.
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment on here or email me at [email protected]. If you want, feel free to follow me on Instagram. Also, feel free to use the hashtag #madisonsmakings on Instagram if you start working on something or are getting started crocheting. You can check out my Pinterest board to see what all I’ve been making or working on by clicking here. Or if you would like to purchase any patterns, feel free to check out my Etsy page by clicking here. While you are on any of these social media platforms, you can search through my accounts and see how many hundreds of fellow crocheters are out there.
As always, happy crocheting friends! 🙂