Crochet - How To Begin

 Do you crochet? I have in the past and my mom and grandma both were quite good at it. I have not learned many patterns, but I can make a chain and I have done blankets and a few other small projects. I am learning more as I get older and find that I am more interested in it. 

 Crochet is from a French word meaning "little hook". How accurate is that because I have seen projects that required quite a small hook for the work. In crochet, each stitch is completed before the next stitch is started and that is why it is different from knitting. Crocheting is making something from interlocking yarn and is usually done with hooks. 

Learning to crochet these days can be much different than what I did as a child. These days we have the internet and sites such as crochet.com, the Spruce Craft, and You Tube to teach us if we don't have someone in the family that can show us. In the days I was learning, you needed someone to spend the time to show you what to do. It was a great bonding activity and something that I feel many kids these days miss out on. One of my favorites on You Tube is for beginners here. It offers quite a few tips of getting started in the art of crochet. 

Art? Yes, I believe crochet is a form of artwork as it is a craft that takes skill, patience, and a true love for it to be really great work. There are some masterpieces of crocheted items throughout the world. Look online for patterns and you will see some of those types of items. Beginning to crochet and being an artist are two completely different skill levels. 

What tools do you need to start? There are really only two things that you need to start to crochet. You will need yarn and a hook. Now crochet hooks come in many sizes and you may be confused as to what size you need. I prefer that a beginner use a G or H hook and I would recommend that you begin with a metal hook in order to make the stitches a little easier in the beginning. Yarn is another area where you will find so many different types, colors, weights, etc. Don't buy the best yarn on the market or any specialty yarn at first because all you need is an acrylic yarn that is easy to work with. I would also recommend that you have a simple pair of scissors that you are able to use to cut the yarn when you are at a stopping point and you need to knot it. As you learn to do more, you will find that you want to add a few accessories including a case if you begin to get more hooks to keep them organized, but that is later.  The simplicity of what you need to start is what I feel makes crocheting an activity that anyone can begin to learn. 

What should I learn first? One of the first things that I feel a beginner needs to know is how to make a slip stitch or slip knot as that is generally how you will begin all projects. It simply is to twist and loop the yarn onto the hook , then wrap the yarn under the hook and then pull it through the loop to tighten the stitch. It really is a simple process. The next thing to do is to make a chain and it is simply done by repeating the step above over and over until you have the length of chain that you prefer to work with. 

What's next? The next steps will be to learn to single crochet and double crochet. These are the steps to begin to have more of a project than simply a chain. These are stitches that will allow you to make multiple items and are the easiest for beginners. If you can single crochet, it is possible to make blankets and afghans without too much trouble. 

There are many other things to learn after you master these few things. Many sites online offer many tutorials on each of these and you can find multiple supplies out there. Here is a link to crochet hooks. It is an affiliate link and I would appreciate any help in earning money to keep this blog going that I get. Thank You!