Crochet for beginners: where to start? What is the easiest stitch to learn? What crochet hook to choose? What is the easiest crochet size for beginners? What type of yarn is best for beginner crochet? What materials should I use to start crocheting? What can you do with crochet? Is it easy to learn to crochet?
These are the questions I often get when I teach crochet classes in Bordeaux, where I liven in the south-west of France. Today I will try to answer all these questions you have when you are a beginner in crochet.
What crochet hook to choose to get started in crochet?
Crochet beginner: what is the easiest stitch to crochet?
What is the easiest crochet size for beginners?
What type of yarn is best for beginner crochet?
Crochet beginner: what are the best hooks to start?
What materials should I use to start crocheting?
Crochet beginner: how to crochet quickly?
Is it easy to learn to crochet?
What crochet hook to choose to get started in crochet?
You will discover that there are hooks of all sizes, from the smallest (hook #1) to the largest, (hook #12 or #14). Each hook is adapted to a particular type of yarn and a particular type of work. For example, a n°3 hook will be used to crochet a cotton amigurumi like this lovely bunny cuddly toy, and a n°12 hook to crochet a large basket to hold all your balls of wool!
Below a small range of different hooks:
What is the easiest crochet size for beginners?
To start crochet I recommand using a #5 hook, and wool adapted to this size. Why this size? Because it’s easier to start with a big enough hook, which will make big enough stitches, rather than with a very thin hook which will make very small stitches, more difficult to see and count!
Of course, if you already know you will LOVE crochet, you can buy a complete set of hooks, with all the most used sizes. In my beginner icecream crochet kit you find a complete set of 9 crochet hooks so that you have all the available sizes for your future projects!
You may wonder: how do I know if the wool is suitable for my hook size? On each ball you buy, the label specifies the recommended size for the knitting needles and for the hook. For instance, here is a wool adapted to a 3,5 or 4 hook:
Crochet beginner: what is the easiest stitch to crochet?
The chain is the easiest stitch to learn in crochet, and it is essential. You will need it to start many crochet projects. But it is not the stitch that is most used. The most used stitch in crochet is the single crochet, which is used in all types of works, whether it is to crochet comforters, bags, mittens, hats…
After a few rows of tight stitches you will see that it is a super easy stitch 🙂
In this article I explain how to chain and how to crochet single crochets: click here.
Crochet for beginners: I recommend to start learning chains and single crochets. Learning the magic circle is also useful, to start project thet crochet in rounds.
What type of yarn is best for beginner crochet?
I find big wool very practical to begin crochet: it is thick so you can easily count the stitches, and it usually slips nicely on the hook, it facilitates the learning process.
But it obviously depends on the project you’re about to start: a scarf, a coaster, a pot holder, an icecream, a crochet rabbit, a blanket, a flower bag? For a bag, kids dinette or a cuddly toy, a 8/4 cotton yarn will be perfect.
Crochet beginner: what are the best hooks to start?
There are so many hooks on the market: metal hooks, glittery plastic hooks… But also bamboo hooks, metal hooks with a rubber insert… You can get a little lost when you want to buy your first hook, I agree!
If you already know that you will love crochet (and I understand you!!), I advise you to invest directly in ergonomic hooks. These are metal hooks with a soft rubber insert, like the ones in my beginner crochet kit. They are much more comfortable to use than their all-metal cousins!
What materials should I use to start crocheting?
To start crocheting you will simply need a hook, some yarn, a pair of scissors, and a tutorial!
The material to crochet is often indicated at the beginning of a tutorial. Some tutorials will advise you to also bring a row marker, which allows you to know where your row starts. This is especially useful when crocheting in a spiral. A wool needle is also very useful, to bring in the threads at the end of the project.
You will find all this material in my beginner crochet kit.
As for scissors, you can use a pair of small embroidery scissors, or a thread cutter.
The big advantage of crochet is that crochet material doesn’t take up any space and you can take it everywhere! A small pouch with your hook, a ball of yarn and a pair of scissors, and you can take your work with you, in the doctor’s waiting room, on the streetcar, on the train…
What can you do with crochet?
This is a question I am often asked during crochet initiation workshops! My answer? EVERYTHING! You can do absolutely everything with crochet! I will try to give you ideas:
- With crochet you can make decorations,
- super cute Christmas ornaments,
- lovely bags for kids
- but also purses for grown-ups (like this granny squares bag, my favorite),
- a vest, a hat,
- clothes for dolls,
- a dinner party with apples, cherries, icecreams…
- a snake,
- hair scrunchies,
- zero waste accessories like tawashi…
The list of crochet ideas are endless! Explore the DIY crochet section of this blog, you will find lots of ideas and easy tutorials for beginner crochet!
In this video I show you my 12 most beautiful crochet creations of 2022, maybe it can inspire you 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmruO7Xp9z3
By the way feel free to subscribe to my Instagram account, I often share free tutorials and crochet project ideas there!
Crochet beginner: how to crochet quickly?
This is a question I am sometimes asked during crochet initiation workshops… And I have two answers!
The first is that crocheting fast is not necessarily the goal of the game, the objective is above all to do an activity that relaxes us and makes us happy (that’s my opinion). The second answer? Practice and training… as for everything, for knitting, but also for drawing, cooking, sports… it’s by practicing again and again that our hands will almost know how to crochet by themselves and that we will go faster and faster. I crochet every day, because I love it, and it is sure that I crochet today much faster than when I started.
A few tips though, for crocheting quickly:
- have all your tools at hand: row marker, scissors, balls of yarn, tuto, needle…
- unwind a few meters of yarn so you don’t have to pull on it to help it unwind* or use a yarn dispenser
- take a moment for yourself (I tested crocheting with small children, it’s the best way to be constantly interrupted :))
* did you know that it is better to catch the yarn hidden in the center of the ball, rather than catching the yarn on the outside of the ball ? so the yarn unwinds easily as you work…
Is it easy to learn to crochet?
Yes, it is easy to learn to crochet, if you are motivated. In the 18 months I’ve been teaching crochet workshops, I’ve seen people come in who are very interested in crocheting but doubt they’ll be able to crochet… and you know what? They all leave the workshops with their little piece of work (often a rainbow for the beginner workshops) and the knowledge of the basic crochet stitches, ready to crochet at home!
It’s like everything else, if you want to and try, you’ll succeed. And what pride!
During the crochet workshops I organize in Bordeaux, I am here to teach you the basics, share my tips and tricks, and guide you in learning to crochet, whatever your pace. Click here for more information.
I hope all these tips and tricks for crochet beginners helped you! What would you like to see for the next articles? Tell me in comments!
