I taught myself to crochet from YouTube videos on my living room floor. No classes. No grandma guiding my hands. Just me, a hook, some cheap yarn, and a whole lot of pausing and rewinding.
And honestly? That is one of my favorite things about crochet. You do not need anyone's permission to start. You do not need to be "crafty." You just need to be willing to try, mess up, and keep going.
If you have been thinking about learning but feel overwhelmed, this post is for you. I am going to walk you through everything you need to pick up a hook and start making stitches today. No jargon you have to Google — just the basics, explained the way I wish someone had explained them to me.
What Supplies You Need
One of the best things about crochet is how little you need to get started. Here is your beginner shopping list:
A crochet hook. I recommend starting with a 5mm (size H/8) hook. It is a great middle-of-the-road size — not too small that you are squinting at tiny stitches, not too big that the yarn feels floppy. You can find one at any craft store for a couple of dollars. Ergonomic hooks with cushioned grips are wonderful, but a basic aluminum hook works perfectly fine for learning.
Yarn. Grab a skein of medium weight acrylic yarn (look for "4" on the label — that is the weight category). Acrylic is affordable, easy to work with, and forgiving. Pick a light color so you can see your stitches. Dark yarn looks gorgeous but it is genuinely hard to see what you are doing when you are learning.
Scissors. Any pair will do. Nothing fancy.
That is it. Three things. You probably already have scissors, so really it is two things. No excuses.
How to Hold Your Hook
There are two main ways to hold a crochet hook, and neither one is wrong.
Pencil grip means you hold the hook the same way you hold a pencil — between your thumb and index finger, with the handle resting against your hand.
Knife grip means you hold the hook from above, like you are holding a knife to cut food. Your whole hand wraps around the handle with the hook pointing downward.
Try both. I personally use the knife grip, but I know plenty of crocheters who swear by the pencil grip. There is no correct answer. The best grip is the one that does not make your hand cramp after ten minutes.
Your other hand is your yarn hand. It controls tension by weaving the yarn through your fingers. Tension takes time to develop, so do not stress about it right now. It will come with practice.
How to Make a Slip Knot
Every crochet project starts with a slip knot. It is the very first thing you put on your hook.
Here is how to make one:
- Make a loop with your yarn, leaving a tail of about six inches.
- The working yarn (connected to the skein) should cross over the tail, forming a loop.
- Reach through the loop and pull the working yarn through to create a new loop.
- Slide that loop onto your hook.
- Gently pull the tail end to tighten the knot around the hook. It should slide freely — snug but not tight.
If the knot does not slide, you probably pulled the wrong end. The working yarn should tighten the loop, and the tail should release it. Everyone fumbles with this the first time.
How to Chain (ch)
The chain stitch is the backbone of crochet. It is how you create your starting row — called a foundation chain — and it shows up constantly in patterns.
With your slip knot on the hook:
- Wrap the working yarn over the hook from back to front. This is called a "yarn over."
- Pull the yarn through the loop on your hook.
- That is one chain. You will see a small V-shape.
Repeat those two steps — yarn over, pull through — to make as many chains as you need. Each little V counts as one chain.
When you are practicing, try making a chain of about 15 to 20. They should not be so tight that you can barely get your hook through them, and not so loose that they look like big floppy loops. Aim for that sweet spot in the middle.
Count your chains by looking at the front. Each V is one stitch. The loop on your hook does not count as a chain.
How to Single Crochet (sc)
Single crochet is the first real stitch you will learn, and honestly, it is the foundation of everything. Once you know how to single crochet, you can make scarves, dishcloths, blankets — so many things.
Starting from your foundation chain:
- Skip the first chain from your hook. Insert your hook into the second chain, going under both loops of the V.
- Yarn over (wrap yarn over the hook from back to front).
- Pull the yarn through the chain. You now have two loops on your hook.
- Yarn over again.
- Pull through both loops on your hook. You are back to one loop.
That is one single crochet. Move to the next chain and repeat.
When you get to the end of the row, chain one (your turning chain), then turn your work so the other side faces you. Now work your single crochets into the top of the stitches from the previous row instead of into the chain.
It will feel awkward and slow at first. That is completely normal. I remember my first rows looking like a tangled mess, and now I can do them without even looking. Practice is everything.
How to Double Crochet (dc)
Once single crochet feels comfortable, double crochet is your next step. It creates a taller stitch, which means your projects grow faster.
Starting from a foundation chain:
- Yarn over before inserting your hook. This is what makes it different from single crochet.
- Insert your hook into the fourth chain from the hook (you skip three because double crochet is taller and needs a taller turning chain).
- Yarn over and pull through the chain. You now have three loops on your hook.
- Yarn over and pull through the first two loops. Now you have two loops.
- Yarn over and pull through the last two loops. Back to one loop.
It might feel like a lot of steps, but once your hands get the rhythm, it becomes one smooth motion.
For subsequent rows, chain three at the end of a row (your turning chain), turn your work, and skip the first stitch. The chain-three counts as your first double crochet of the new row.
Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
If you are running into problems, you are in good company. Here are the mistakes I see most often.
Your rows are getting wider or narrower. This almost always comes down to stitch count. You are accidentally adding stitches (usually at the edges) or skipping them. Count your stitches at the end of every row until it becomes second nature. Seriously — every single row. It saves so much frustration.
Your tension is all over the place. Some stitches are tight, others are loose and loopy. This is the most normal beginner problem in the world. Your tension will even out with practice. If you are gripping the hook like your life depends on it, your stitches will be too tight. Loosen up, take breaks, and trust that consistency comes with time.
Your edges are curling. If your piece is curling inward, your stitches are probably too tight — try going up a hook size. Curling outward or ruffling usually means loose stitches or extra stitches at the edges.
You cannot find where to put your hook. This is why I recommend light-colored yarn for beginners. Each stitch has a V-shape at the top. You insert your hook under both loops of that V. If you are losing track, try using stitch markers (or even bobby pins) to mark the first and last stitch of each row.
Your foundation chain is too tight. Try using a hook one size larger just for the foundation chain, then switch back to your regular hook for the first row.
Your First Project Ideas
The best way to learn crochet is to actually make something. Practicing rows is useful, but working toward a finished project keeps you motivated.
Start with something small and flat — basic stitches, quick to finish, and that satisfying feeling of completing something you made with your own hands. Here are a few beginner-friendly projects from the shop that I designed with new crocheters in mind:
The Meadow Wash Cloth is my go-to recommendation for a first project. It is a simple square worked in rows, so you get tons of practice keeping your stitch count consistent. Plus you end up with something you will actually use.
The Flower Coaster is a great next step if you want to try working in the round instead of rows. Small enough to finish in one sitting, and there is nothing quite like completing your first crocheted flower.
The Meadow Bookmark works up fast and makes a great gift — fair warning, once people find out you crochet, they will start asking for things.
All three use the basic stitches we covered here. No complicated techniques — just clean, simple projects that let you build your confidence.
You Have Got This
Learning to crochet feels impossible for the first hour and then suddenly clicks. One minute you are fumbling with loops, and the next you are chaining without thinking about it. That click will come. Just keep going.
Do not compare your first attempts to social media. Every crocheter started with wobbly, uneven stitches. That is part of the process, and it makes the progress so much more rewarding.
Once you are comfortable with chaining, single crochet, and double crochet, the whole world of crochet opens up. You will be reading patterns, learning new stitches, and picking out yarn for projects you are genuinely excited about.
When you are ready for that next step, I wrote a whole post on How to Read a Crochet Pattern that covers all the abbreviations, symbols, and formatting so patterns stop looking like a foreign language.
But for now, just grab a hook and some yarn and start making chains. That is all you have to do today.
Happy stitching.
-- Ashley