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Hi there! I am betting that if you found this blog it is because you are wanting to learn Crochet but, you don't know where to start. Well, have no fear! I am here to help. In this article I am going to go over some very basic crochet techniques that should help you get through any beginner friendly pattern. Make sure your pattern is specified as this otherwise there might be more advanced techniques in it. If you aren't following a pattern, that is perfectly fine too.

Now, who am I and why should you be listening to me teach you how to crochet? I have been crocheting since I was a young child. I can remember my grandma sitting in her chair with a ball of yarn beside her (although she sometimes cross-stitched or knitted too) crocheting up a piece. I got my love of the fiber arts from her and all of her tools when she passed too. So I use them with love and care remembering how she taught me when I was little. Since then I have gone on to make quite a few things, I have many WIPs (work-in-progress) which I believe is a trademark of an artist. Will they ever be finished? Time will only tell. Maybe I just tell myself that to excuse all the unfinished projects😅! I have also begun my journey as a pattern designer. So I have learned a thing or two over the last several decades that I would love to share that knowledge with you!

So let's dive in. What you will need:

* crochet hook

* yarn

* hands

* a little bit of patience (okay maybe a lot 🤷🏼‍♀️)

* optional : a pattern for this tutorial

* optional : tapestry needle (recommended)

If you are using a pattern, make sure that your needle and yarn match your pattern. Matching the weight (thickness) of the yarn with what the pattern uses is important so that you get the same (or as close to the) result as the pattern. It is important to understand that a yarn may labeled "worsted" but that different brands and sometimes even the same brand but different skeins might have different widths. This is where tension and making a sample swatch of your pattern ahead of ACTUALLY making your pattern come into play. There is typically a section in the pattern that will tell you how many stitches make up a 4in X 4in block. If it isn't 4x4 measurements then it is usually specified. The measurements will tell how many stitches in a row and how many rows. This is helpful for several different reasons. You can tell if you tension is off, too loose -less stitches than the pattern or, too tight - then too many stitches, or you are using a different yarn and you can adjust to see if the yarn itself is the difference. If this last is the issue, then you will need to take account how many stitches compares to how many of the sample pattern swatch that way you can adjust the pattern to suit your yarn.

So what if you are using a different yarn? How will you know how much to get? My pattern only tells me how many yards of yarn needed. Going up or down in a yarn weight changes a lot, not just how much yarn is used as it will be different than what the pattern specifies but how the pattern will look in the end. If you uses a higher weight yarn and don't adjust the pattern, it will come out much larger than you had intended. The reverse is true for a lower weight yarn. It will come out MUCH smaller. The yardage required to obtain the size will vary as well. A higher weight will need less yarn to work up the same size swatch as a lower weight yarn which will need a lot more. BUT one ball of yarn for a lower weight has significantly more yardage than a higher weight yarn. This is why, when as a beginner it is highly recommended that when following a pattern you uses the same yarns that are used. If the yarns have been discontinued usually the designer will have specified alternative yarns. If not, feel free to reach out to the designer for clarification. We are a community and are always willing to help out budding crocheters!

Below I have included a chart that has some common information in like approximate yardage. There is typically a recommended hook size. As will the yarn this is also adjustable but again, unless you are having tension issues I would stick with the hooks recommended in the pattern.

What did I say about tension? Oh! That if you are having issues you can adjust your hook? Yes! If your swatch comes out with either too many stitches then this means your tension is too tight, a way to "fix" this is to go up in hook size. But why did I say fix that way. Well, because tension is how tight you are holding the yarn in your hand. Holding your yarn properly will allow you to have the correct tension. What is properly? Ha! Well that is a matter of preference. You basically want to be able to adjust your hand position to adjust the tension and easily have the yarn flow as you work. There are several ways to do this. One option is to wrap around your pinkie then go under your ring finger and back up over your pointer. Another way wraps around the pinkie but goes over the ring finger and back over the pointer. Some don't wrap and just pass over the ring finger the back over the pointer. Some heathens don't wrap the yarn at all. J/K. But seriously don't do this. Its a bad habit and doesn't allow you to control the tension very well (if at all).

The other ways (I'm sure I was not exhaustive) allow you to tighten your hand or loosen it by spreading out your fingers to allow the yarn to flow more freely or by tightening it closing your fingers together. The looser the yarn flows the looser your stitches will be and the reverse for a tighter tension. You will have smaller, tighter stitches with a tighter tension. This is where understanding your tension and how you have it comes to play.

So now you know about the yarn, the hook, and the tension. What is left? The stitches. Starting out generally you will be using some basic stitches. The two most common ways to start out a pattern is to make a chain of stitches or to start a magic ring. The Magic Ring is used when making things that are circular like baskets, some beanies, amigurumi, and more. The Chain is typically anything that is straight or has an edge. Below I will go over how to start both. From there we will dive into the four most common simple stitches used in patterns. Once you have mastered those, most other stitches are generally some modification or combination of these stitches.

Magic Ring

In order to start a basic magic ring, hold the tail of the yarn in one hand (right handed crocheters this will be the left hand and vice versa for left handed crocheters). Wrap the yarn, while still holding the tail, around your index and middle finger to make two loops. Make sure there is space between the too loops and that you are wrapping toward your nails. From there grab your crochet hook slip it under the second loop (nearest your nails). While continuing to hold the tail, hook the first look and pull it under the first loop. Then yarn over and pull through. Slip the hook back under the ring on your fingers making sure to go under the tail as well, yarn over the hook and pull through. There should now be two loops on the hook. Yarn over again, and pull through both loops. You will do this 6 times making sure to keep the tail accessible but also crocheting around it as if it were a part of the loop. Once you have the 6 stitches done, you can pull gently on the tail and it should tighten the loop up. You will slip stitch into the first loop that was made. To do this, put the hook through like normal, yarn over and pull through. Instead of yarning over again, just pull the loop through the original on the hook. From here you may or may chain one. This depends on the pattern. Congratulations! You just made a Magic Ring!

*It should be noted that some MRs utilize other stitches and other number of stitches. This is just a basic MR to get you to understand the concept.

The Chain

Take the yarn, starting with the tail and lay in down making a circle where the longer connected yarn fold over on top of the tail of the yarn. Then you will place the yarn straight down underneath the circle, making it look like an old fashioned pin or like some trailer connectors that are rings with a bar down the center. Take your hook and lay it over the outer loop of the circle, opposite the tail of the yarn. Then weave it under the middle line of yarn and back over the out ring. Lift it up and grab the two lines of yarn coming down but not the parts that were part of the circle. Pull and this should tighten the knot.

Woot! You just made your beginning loop of the chain! I know the loop might be VERY loose. You can tighten it up by separating the two strands and gently pulling them to work the knot closer to the hook. From here, loop the long connected yarn over and through your fingers of your non-hook hand. Then take your non-hook hand and pinch the knot with two fingers, just under the hook. Yarn over the hook and pull the hooked yarn through the loop you just made. That's a chain! Now, you just do that however, many more times you need to for the pattern to create your foundation chain. If you are not following a pattern and are just following me, chain 10 more times. This makes 11 chains.

For the visual learners:

Learn to Crochet | Foundation Chain/Chain Stitch

Single crochet stitch

Often seen as SC in patterns, this is a fundamental stitch, the basis of many different stitches and is seen all over.

From the end of the chain where the yarn is hooked over the hook, skip the loop right next to the hook. Make sure your chain is flat and not twisted. Push the hook through the top of the loop of the second chain stitch. Yarn over and pull through. You should have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through both. Congratulations! You just made your first single crochet stitch. Continue to the end. You should have counted 10 stitches. You will want to chain one. You will turn the work so that you are working now in the same direction as you were. Now, if you look at the top of the work, looking at the thin side of the work. You should see a line of what looks like lips. Each of the lips are a stitch. The lips are the Back loop and the front loop. Which is which is relative to you while you are working. To make a new row of single crochet stitches you are going to pass the hook under BOTH of these. There should be a hole underneath each. So just like before, push the hook through, yarn over, pull through, yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. Do this for the next 9 stitches. The last stitch will be into the end chain that you made (the 11th chain). Remember to chain 1 and then turn. And that is it! That's how you single crochet.

For the Visual Learners:

Learn to Crochet | Single Crochet

Weaving

When you are done, make sure that you leave a long tail, at least several inches long. You will want to weave this into the work. There are needles that are made just for this otherwise you can use your hook. I recommend the crochet needle. Make sure that you weave back the direction you came several stitches and then double back. THIS is the important part. Going in one direction will not secure your yarn. I personally get paranoid (I have young boys who like to pick at the finished products) and doubly make sure the yarn in secure. I tend to go forward, back, forward, down, around, over the bridge and through the woods to grandma's house before I feel good. BUT you don't need to be like me. In fact, in this case, you really shouldn't. Forward and back weaving into the stitches should be enough as long as your tail was long enough. Once you are done, snip the tail and you are finished! Congratulations! You finished your first crochet piece and learned a lot in the process. You should be able to complete simple patterns now.

I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you haven't yet subscribe so that you won't miss a post. Sometimes, I will post patterns, even free ones and you won't want to miss out!

Congratulations again! You did it! Have a wonderful day. Thank you for sticking it out this long and Happy Crocheting!