5 Things all Crochet Beginners Should Know!

 

Firstly, Happy New Year! I can't believe its 2022 already! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I was so spoilt this year and was got a Cricut Maker from my amazing husband. I feel so lucky to have a new craft toy, which I am definitely still learning to use and that will no doubt inspire a future post or two 😉.

 Ok, lets get in to this!

The first thing you need to know - It takes time to learn any new craft and crochet is no exception! 

I started crocheting when I was 10 years old and 23 years later I am still learning new things all the time!

There are lots of things to learn when you are beginning your crochet journey, one of which is the difference between US and UK Terminology. (See my post 'THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CROCHET TERMINOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS' here.)

Also, that amazing crochet project you found to begin your crochet journey with will most likely NOT turn out like the picture, at least not the first time. You may not even be able to finish the project and that is ok! You will get frustrated and you may even feel like giving up but I promise it is worth it if you stick with it!

Second - you need to hold your hook and yarn in a way that is comfortable for YOU! 

Don't get caught up in the tutorials and videos that tell you how you SHOULD hold your tools, the bottom line is every crocheter is different and everyone holds they hook and yarn differently. For example, I hold my yarn in a very awkward way and I usually get a lot of funny looks from other crocheters but it is comfortable and it is the only way that works for me So that's what I do.

When it comes to holding your hook, there are many different grips, none of which are 'right' or 'wrong' and I stand by my previous statement about what works for you, but, there seem to be two main grips that I have generally come across. The first is the 'knife grip' which I use and, just as it sounds, it means we hold our hook like we would hold a knife. The other grip is called the pencil grip, can you guess why? Yep, it means you hold your hook like you are holding a pencil. If you choose to hold your hook a different way though, don't stress, it is perfectly fine. Just remember, do what feels comfortable, not just what people tell you to do!

Third - yarn type matters! 

Every crochet project you find should have a recommended yarn type/weight/ply. Now the difference between yarn types could honestly become an entire post on its own but for now I will summarise.

Here in Australia yarn is classified by ply, as in, the number of strands that are spun together to create the desired thickness. The most common ply to work with is 8 ply but yarn can range anywhere from 1ply to 14ply (though you will very rarely find a pattern requiring less than 4ply). 

Then there are the different materials the yarn can be made from and the type and size of the yarn you use will depend entirely on what you are making. For example, a lot of toys are made with acrylic yarn as it is cheap, washes well and is durable, and it doesn't matter so much what it feels like. 

Items designed to be worn however, are normally made with cotton as it is breathable, is designed to absorb liquid (aka sweat!) and feel much more natural against your skin (acrylic is more scratchy!).

Fourth - items can sometimes take a long time to make!

Like i said earlier, crochet takes a long time to learn, but more than that, even when you are a seasoned crocheter it can still take many hours (or even days and months!) to complete a project. 

Many factors can contribute to a lengthy project - the size of the yarn, the size of the hook, the length of the item (clothing, blankets etc), the intricacies (toys, specialised items), the type of yarn (acrylic, cotton, polyester) etc.

A blanket to fit a cot might take you 10 hours in a basic stitch but with a delicate or fancy stitch pattern it might that triple that. When you are starting out you need to be prepared to spend a lot of time working on your project!

And last but not least - mistakes happen!

One term you will hear in crochet circles a lot is 'frogging'. This simply means to rip your work back to a previous point. 'Rip it, rip it' (ribbit), get it?

No matter how experienced you are, I can guarantee you, every single crocheter has had to frog there work at some stage, and if they say they haven't they are lying!

Mistakes happen! You need to be prepared to find that mistake and pull out your work to fix it OR be satisfied with the mistake there. I know many crocheters, myself included, who hate frogging but hate knowing there is a mistake in their work more, even if no one else can see it!

You need to try not to get disheartened, which can sometimes be easier said than done! Like when you realise that you made a mistake 10 rows back and have to pull out over 1000 stitches. Yes this happened to me, and only a few years ago!

The bottom line - take a break if you need, don't push your yourself (your hands WILL get sore in the beginning!) give yourself time to complete your projects, take pride in the little achievements and overall just enjoy the journey!

Anyway, bring on 2022! Until next time.

Mel x