Crochet for beginners: how to get started
Crochet is one of the easiest crafts to pick up. All it takes is a hook and a ball of yarn, and unlike knitting you only ever have one active loop to keep track of. If you drop it, you simply pick the loop back up and carry on. That makes crochet a forgiving place to start a crafting habit.
This guide walks you through the tools, the basic stitches, and the most common beginner mistakes, so you can crochet your first dishcloth within the week. The stitch names below use US terminology, which most English-language patterns follow.
What you need
Everything you need to learn to crochet is a hook and a ball of yarn. The hook size should match the yarn: the yarn label lists a recommended hook size, and that is a good place to start.
- Yarn: pick a smooth, light-colored yarn in a medium weight, such as cotton or a classic plied wool suited to a 4-5 mm hook. Smooth yarn shows the stitches clearly, and light colors make them easy to see.
- Hook: an ordinary metal or wooden hook in the size the label recommends.
- Extras: scissors and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Tip
Avoid dark, fuzzy, or glittery novelty yarn while you learn. It hides the stitches, and you need to see exactly where the hook goes.
Holding the hook and the yarn
There are two common ways to hold a crochet hook: like a pencil or like a knife. Neither is more correct than the other, so try both and keep the grip that feels most natural.
The yarn goes in your other hand. Most people drape it over the index finger and let it run between the other fingers, so it feeds out evenly as you work. It feels clumsy for the first few evenings. That is completely normal, and it settles with practice.
The foundation chain
Almost every crochet project starts with a row of chain stitches, the foundation chain. You begin with a slip knot on the hook, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. Repeat until you have as many as the pattern asks for.
Aim for chains that are even and slightly loose. If you chain tightly, the next row becomes a struggle to work into, and the bottom edge of the piece will pull in. Many crocheters therefore make the foundation chain with a hook half a size or a full size larger, then switch back for the first row.
The basic stitches
Patterns use short abbreviations for the stitches. One warning before you start: UK and US patterns use the same names for different stitches, and Norwegian terms follow the UK logic, so a Norwegian fastmaske is a US single crochet. Good patterns state which system they use, so always check before you begin.
- Chain (ch): the stitch everything starts with.
- Slip stitch (sl st): the flattest stitch, used to travel along an edge or close a round.
- Single crochet (sc): a short, dense stitch and the first one to learn properly. Called double crochet in UK patterns.
- Half double crochet (hdc): a little taller than single crochet, called half treble in UK patterns.
- Double crochet (dc): a tall stitch that grows quickly and gives a softer fabric, called treble in UK patterns.
Turning chains and the art of counting
When you turn the work to start a new row, you first have to climb to the height of the stitches you are about to make. That is what turning chains are for: usually one chain before single crochet, two before half double crochet, and three before double crochet. The pattern will tell you whether the turning chain counts as a stitch.
The most common beginner problem is a piece that grows wider or narrower with every row. It almost always happens at the edges: you skip the first stitch after the turning chain, miss the very last stitch of the row, or work an extra stitch into the turning chain from the row below.
- Count your stitches after every row on your first projects. If you started with 20 stitches, every row should have 20 stitches.
- Mark the first and last stitch of the row with a stitch marker or a scrap of contrasting yarn if your edges keep going wrong.
- Look at the fabric now and then: slanted edges mean you are losing or gaining stitches, and ripping back a few rows beats carrying the mistake onward.
Good first projects and building even tension
Choose a small, flat project with no shaping to begin with. A cotton dishcloth is the classic: it is finished in an evening or two, slightly wonky edges do not matter, and you get plenty of single crochet practice. Potholders and a simple double crochet scarf are good next steps.
Even tension, meaning stitches that are the same size all the way through, does not come from concentrating harder. It comes from repetition. Your first rows will be uneven, and your first ten dishcloths never have to be shown to anyone. Crochet a little every day, and your hands will find the rhythm before you know it.
Tip
Do not rip back every time a stitch looks slightly off. Small flaws disappear in the whole, and you learn more from crocheting many rows than from crocheting the same row perfectly ten times.
Related guides
How to read crochet charts
A crochet chart shows the entire pattern as symbols. Once you know the reading direction and the most common symbols, charts are often easier than text.
How to choose the right yarn for your pattern
The right yarn decides both fit and look. Here’s how to read the ball band, compare meterage, and substitute yarn without unpleasant surprises.