THE BEGINNER KIT
Make it
Everything you need to start crocheting, in a kit that will actually look good on your coffee table thanks to the thoughtfully chosen neutral color palette.
What’s included:
Two small cakes of yarn in different colors
Size I (5.5mm) crochet hook
Yarn needle
Stitch markers
Plastic case for tools
PU leather travel bag
Keep scrolling for a beginner-friendly written pattern that teaches a few foundational crochet skills to get you started.
Don’t have a kit yet?
About the Pattern
The first pattern I recommend using with this kit is the Small Granny Square Drawstring Bag because
A small bag to keep all your stitch markers and needles organized is practical.
Granny squares are small and quick.
This pattern introduces several common stitches (slip stitch, chain, single crochet, double crochet).
I wrote this pattern taking extra care to explain the individual steps needed to make each stitch type, keeping beginners in mind.
There are video tutorials for each stitch and a guide for how to hold your yarn and hook on my “How to Crochet” page under Making Your First Stitches.
Getting Started
You’ll make 6 separate pieces:
1 chain for the drawstring
1 flat square for the bottom
4 granny squares for the sides
How to make a Foundation Chain (Ch)
First make a slip knot
Wrap working yarn around hook (called "yarn over" in written patterns) and pull through the loop on your hook. This is a chain.
Make a total of X chains (aka do #2 X times). Try to make the chains all look the same size as you go. If you make a chain that you don't like, just pull your working yarn a little to undo the stitch and try again. When you have X chains that you are happy with, cut your working yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook to make a knot.
(picture)
How to Make a Square Piece of Fabric using the Single Crochet Stitch
This is a flat piece of fabric worked in horizontal rows using the single crochet (sc) stitch. Single crochet is a one of the simplest stitches in crochet and is very common.
Ch 12.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and it each chain across, turn your work. (11 total sc made - count your stitches to be sure you have the right amount).
Make a single crochet by inserting your hook in the "V" of the second chain from your hook, then yarn over and pull a loop of yarn through the V.
Picture
Now that you have two loops on your hook, yarn over and pull through both loops.
Make a sc in each ch across.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in next st and in each across (11 sc).
Repeat row 2, 10 more times (12 rows in total) or until work is just over 3 inches tall. Each side should be about the same length (making a square).
How to Make a Granny Square
This is a flat piece of square fabric worked "in the round" or continuously going around the work instead of turning at the end of a row (think about drawing a spiral)
You need to make 4 granny squares.
Ch 3, slip sitch (sl st) in first chain to make a ring.
Round 1: With Color A, Ch 3, make 2 double crochet directly into the center of the ring.
To make a double crochet (dc) first yarn over, then insert your hook in the center of the ring, yarn over and pull through. Now with three loops on your hook, yarn over again and pull through only the first two loops. Yarn over one more time and pull through the last two loops.
Once you’ve made 2 dc in the ring, then ch 2.
Next make (3 dc in the ring and ch 2). Repeat the steps in ( ) two more times. After than, sl st in the top of the first dc of this round (not the ch 3).
Round 2: Sl st in next dc, then sl st in to corner space.
Ch 3. 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in space.
(3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in each corner space around.
End with sl st in top of first dc.
Round 3: 2 sl st to corner space.
Ch 3. 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in space.
3 dc in next space. (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) corner space. Repeat this sequence around, making 3 dc in each normal space and (3 dc, ch2, 3 dc) in each corner space.
Ch 1 and cut your working yarn, pulling the knot tight.
How to Assemble
Tips for joining new colors of yarn