If you are here then you are considering learning to crochet or are already learning the skill but need some tips here and there.
I am a self taught crocheter, so there are some things i learnt the hard way. I am here to make your journey smoother.
10 tips for crochet beginners
1. Know your yarn and Hook Size
Understanding the weight of yarn and knowing your crochet hooks in the early stages of the crochet journey will save you a tone of stress and confusion along the way. Knowing your guide to yarn weight helps you allocate the correct hook size to the project you want to work on.
Some yarns work best for particular projects while another tpe of yarn will not give you the same result. Understanding your yarn and it’s yarn weight will help you plan you crochet projects properly and reduce that stress, because trust me, it is stressful.
2. Remove all obstacles
If you cannot keep your phone down, you sure do not want to have it anywhere near you as you crochet, trust you me. You can easily forget where you stitch was going and the row you are workin on.
Long hair (even the short hair that reaches your eyes) must be tied back with a scrunchie or a headband to reduce the stress. It is annoying to keep removing hair out of your face.
If you have pets around e.g dogs, cats etc… it is best to keep them as far from you. Cats do not like to see anthing move,! they will chase your yarn and unravel your blood and sweat LOL
3. yarn storage
f you have decided to go hard with this hobby as a beginer and got yourself the whole crochet set, then it probably came with a case which you can use to store your crochet set. However, if you do not have a fixed place to crochet and tend to move around, i find buying a makeup brush organizer is easy to place your hooks when you are not using them
4. Counting long chains
you may be working on a project that requires a long chain, eg a long cardigan, blanket and you dont want to keep recounting a hundred plus stitches, then you can plact yout stitch marker on every tenth stitch, that way, you dont have to start over counting when you lose count.
5. make guage swatches
These help a bunch. If you do not know what a guage swatch is, it is a measurer of tension. Assume you are working off a crochet patter, assuming you know how to read a crochet pattern, and the pattern designer used a specific number of yarn balls to achieve their finished look, it may not be the same for you. You might need less if your tension is tighter….more on this later
6. Alternative stitch markers
Stich markers are a must have, unless you want to count at the end of each and every row. But, if you do not have stitch markers around or in your nearest store, check if you have hair bobby pins, if not, some paper clips can also do the trick. If that is also not available, check if you have metal safety pins. If none of these are available, then use some scrap yarn, just cut them into 4 inch long strips.
7. Double yarn for thickness
Living where i live, i do not have acess to all the yarn in the world so i have learnt to improvise. If you do not have the exact yarn that you need in your stash for a project, then consider doubling lighter yarns to achieve the guage that you need.
2 strands of lace yarn equal fingering
2 strands of fingering equals worsted
2 strands of worsted equal bulky and
2 strands of bulky equal super bulky.
8. ask for help
Do not be afraid to ask for help. You are learning and need all the assistance you can get. There are a lot of faceBook groups you can join that will offer so much help to newbies.
If you have a friend who can crochet, bug them! I have never come across a crocheter who didnt love to help a fellow crocheter in need of assistance. I’ts like crochet brings the good in people LOL!
9. mark stitches to maintain stitch count
You know that situation when the work tends to decrease on some rows and increase on other rows or it increases on ones side and decreases on the other, well to be honest, the last and first stitches can be confusing and hard to see, so the best trick is to have stitch markers with you, place one in the first and the last stitch of your work and be sure to replace the stitch matker after you place the first or last stitch.
10. store unfinished projects to save from unraveling
If you have kids or pets running around the house and youre scared they may unravel your project while left on stand by, just pull up a long loop and set it aside, however that will not keep it 100% safe, so, place a stitch marker on top of it and set it aside.
Ready to start to crochet? watch some crochet tutorials on Youtube that should help you master the skill, or get yourself a pattern.
