Starting with the basics.
Recommended Tools
Fundamentals (Getting Started)
Reading Patterns
Recommended Tools
These are my recommendations for getting started, with Amazon links included so you can see what the items look like.
Shop around and have fun with finding your supplies from other places too! There may be some really cool local craft shops where you live that have these items if you’d like to support small business, or free materials to borrow from your local library.
Don’t want to go shopping? I’ve put together some kits with everything you need.
GET A CROCHET KIT HERE
BY THE WAY - I’m an Amazon Affiliate and Premier Yarns Affiliate Associate and will earn a small commission (at no cost to you) from purchases you make through the links I provided below. I only recommend products based on my own research and experience, and only those I believe will be valuable to you.
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Hook Size
Measured in millimeters (mm) and correspond to a letter/number system.
Smaller hooks (ex: C-2.5mm) create tight, small stitches, perfect for lace.
Larger hooks (ex: L-8mm) create looser stitches, ideal for bulky yarn and quick projects.
The yarn label will recommend a hook size but you can adjust as needed.
Hook Shape
Ergonomic Hooks: Have a cushioned or bigger round handle to reduce hand fatigue, especially helpful for long projects and beginners.
Tapered Hooks: The shaft gradually narrows towards the head, making it easier to work with finer yarns and create smoother fabric (see red hook pictured below).
Inline Hooks: The most common type. The hook shaft is the same width as the head, creating a fabric with more consistent stitch definition. I find that inline hooks snag yarn easier so I don't recommend for beginners (see pink hook pictured below).
Hook Composition
Aluminum: Lightweight, smooth, and affordable. A good all-around choice for beginners because it won't snag the yarn and isn't expensive.
Bamboo: Warm and comfortable to hold, easy to grip.
Wood: Another natural option, similar to bamboo but less flexible.
Plastic: Affordable and lightweight but breaks easy.
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Acrylic is the most economical yarn type, and worsted weight (or bigger) will be the easiest to work with.
Standard Yarn Weight System (Thickness): Yarn thickness is organized into categories ranging from 0 (lace) to 7 (jumbo). Patterns will give you approximate measurements based on recommended yarn thickness. An easy way to think about how yarn weight will impact a project is if you compare yarn to paint brushes. A tiny brush (like a 0 weight yarn) will create very fine lines. A large, thick paintbrush (like a 7 weight yarn) will create broad strokes and cover a lot of surface area quickly. Five strokes with the tiny brush will be much smaller than five strokes with the large brush.
Yarn Shape: This is just a fun FYI in my opinion. Yarn lengths have different names based how they are wound (see photo to right, top to bottom: ball, cake, skein, hank).
Yarn Composition: This list is not comprehensive, but is a good starting point for some of the most commonly available types of yarn and their benefits. I recommend acrylic for beginners because it’s affordable and can take some abuse from having to unravel work.
Acrylic: Synthetic (plastic), affordable yarn but usually pills easily. Best for beginners.
Wool: Warm, slightly elastic, water-repellent.
Cotton: Soft, absorbent, durable, best for summer clothing.
Linen: Strong, durable, best for summer clothing.es here
Yarn Size (length): Written patterns indicate how much yarn you need in yards (yds) or grams (g). The labels on the yarn indicate the total length or weight.
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Embroidery or travel scissors are small and precise. Frayed edges are hard to weave in when the project is finished, so a clean cut is important.
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You'll need to weave in your loose ends when the project is finished. These have an eye big enough for the yarn to fit through.
Needle Size: Since yarn comes in different thicknesses, you may need a few different-sized needles.
Needle Shape: Some needles are straight and some have a bent tip. Both work about the same for me.
Needle Composition: There are metal and plastic yarn needles. I find the metal needles immensely easier to work with. The plastic needles bend easily and personally, hurt my fingers.
It also helps to have a container for storing the needles so they don’t get lost.
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Your dominant hand holds the hook and your non-dominant hand controls the tension of your yarn. Tension in crochet refers to how tight or loose you hold the yarn while working.
Why is tension important?
Consistent Fabric: Uniform tension creates a constant stitch size and density, making your work look even and neat.
Accurate Sizing: If tension is too tight, your project will be smaller than expected. Too loose, and it will be larger. Accurate tension is crucial for projects that need to fit (like clothes). If you know you tend to crochet tight or loose you can adjust your hook size to accommodate.
When practicing, experiment with different ways to hold your hook and yarn to see what feels best. There are several methods and it’s largely about personal preference! The tutorial below from Sigoni Macaroni shows the most common methods.
Fundamentals
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There are thousands of amazing YouTube Tutorials for each of these stitches. Search the names provided so you can see them in action!
The first loop you put on your hook to get started.
Make a loop and reach into it, pulling the longer tail through.
Foundational stitch that all other stitches will build on. Abbreviation: (ch).
With your hook inside your slip knot, wrap the longer yarn tail (the working yarn) around your hook and use the hook to pull the yarn through the slip knot loop.
Small stitch often used to begin building on the foundational chain. Abbreviation: (sc).
After making chain stitches, insert your hook into the “V” of one of the chain stitches and use the hook to pull a loop through the chain. Now you have two loops on your hook. Wrap yarn around the hook and pull through both loops on the hook.
Small stitch used to make a smooth join or transition. Abbreviation: (sl st).
With one loop on your hook, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch and pull that same loop through the loop on your hook.
Slightly bigger (taller and more dense) than the single crochet. Abbreviation: (hdc).
Yarn over hook, then insert into chain or stitch, yarn over hook again and pull through. Yarn over hook and pull through all three loops on the hook.
Taller than a half double crochet. Abbreviation: (dc).
Yarn over hook, then insert into chain or stitch, yarn over hook again and pull through. Yarn over hook and pull through first two loops on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through final two loops.
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Item descriptionFlat work (worked in rows)
Rows are started after you’ve made a chain. You then begin a single crochet in the second chain from your hook. You’ll work back and forth in a linear pattern, turning the work when you finish the row.
Round work (worked in rounds)
Rounds are made by making a slip stitch in the first chain made (not the second chain from your hook). You’ll continue working around and around as the work gets bigger.
Reading Patterns
Patterns may look like a foreign language but once you understand the abbreviations it’s smooth sailing! The Craft Yarn Council has provided a
full list of all abbreviations, and patterns often include explanations for less common stitch abbreviations too.
Here’s an example:
Row 1: In the 5th chain from the hook, work [3 DC, 1 CH, 3 DC], skip 3 ch’s, 1 SC in the next ch, *skip 3 ch’s [3 DC, 1 CH, 3 DC] in next ch, skip 3 ch, 1 SC in next ch, repeat from * to the end of the row.
Translation:
Brackets [ ] mean do all of these steps in one single stitch or chain.
3 DC means work 3 double crochet
1 CH means make 1 chain
1 SC means make 1 single crochet
* to * means repeat everything between the *’s
When starting out, it may help to use colored pencils or different colored highlighters to show the different steps to take within the row, so you don’t get lost in the alphabet soup.
Row 1: In the 5th chain from the hook, work [3 DC, 1 CH, 3 DC], skip 3 ch’s, 1 SC in the next ch, *skip 3 ch’s [3 DC, 1 CH, 3 DC] in next ch, skip 3 ch, 1 SC in next ch, repeat from * to the end of the row.
Crochet Lessons
Need some 1 on 1 time to get the hang of it? No problem!
I offer in-person crochet lessons and would be happy to crochet with you.