SaveEvery beginner guide covers the stitches. Almost none cover the five things below, and they are the ones that actually decide whether the first fortnight is enjoyable or miserable.
Part of our learn to crochet library.
1. The yarn you learn on matters more than the hook
Dark yarn hides the stitch. Fluffy yarn hides it completely. Textured novelty yarn hides it and snags. Almost every beginner who says “I cannot see where the hook goes” has bought a lovely yarn and is fighting it rather than learning.
Plain, smooth, light-coloured worsted acrylic. It costs three pounds and it is the single biggest thing you can do to make week one work.
2. Your first row is always the worst
Working into a foundation chain is genuinely harder than working into stitches, because a chain is floppy and has no structure. It gets easier from row two onward, permanently.
Chain with a hook one size larger than the one you work the body with, then swap back after the first row. It removes most of the difficulty and stops the bottom edge pulling in.
3. Tension is a yarn-hand job
Most people try to control tension by gripping the hook harder, which does nothing except make their hand ache. The tension comes from how the working yarn runs over the fingers of the other hand. The hook hand should be almost relaxed.
4. Counting is not optional at the start
Experienced crocheters can feel when a row is wrong. You cannot yet, and you will not for a few weeks. Counting every row for the first ten rows of every project sounds tedious and takes about fifteen seconds.
The alternative is discovering the mistake twenty rows later, which means either living with it or undoing twenty rows.
5. US and UK patterns use the same words for different stitches
A UK double crochet is a US single crochet. If you follow a UK pattern using US stitches, every stitch is the wrong height and the piece comes out entirely the wrong size. If the pattern uses the word “single” anywhere, it is US.
What to buy before you start
| Item | Spend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 mm soft-grip hook | 5 to 9 pounds | The size most patterns assume |
| Light worsted acrylic | 3 to 5 pounds | You have to be able to see the stitches |
| Blunt yarn needle | 2 pounds | You cannot finish anything without one |
That is ten to sixteen pounds, and it is everything you need for the first fortnight. Resist the twelve-piece hook set until you know you are staying.
Questions
What do I need to start crocheting?
A 5.0 mm hook, one ball of smooth light worsted yarn and a blunt needle. About twelve pounds.
Why is my first row so difficult?
Working into a foundation chain is genuinely harder than working into stitches. It gets easier from row two and stays easier.
How do I control my tension?
With the yarn hand, not the hook hand. The hook hand should be nearly relaxed.
How do I know if a pattern is US or UK?
If it says “single crochet” it is US. UK patterns have no single crochet.
Should I watch videos or read patterns?
Video for the first two stitches, written patterns after that. Written patterns become far easier once you can already make the stitch being described.
How long before crochet feels natural?
About a week of short daily sessions for the basic motion, and a month before patterns stop looking like code.