the crochet guide
with pictures and instructions to help you follow a written pattern!
what I hope this guide can do for you
When I first started crocheting, I had no clue where to begin. I really wanted to start making, but a lot of the patterns I came across seemed too complicated or difficult to understand. It wasn’t until I’d started my first project that I realised there was a lot I wished I’d known beforehand.
I’ve created this handy guide for absolute beginners, as well as anyone who thinks they might like to learn a bit before they decide whether or not to jump in. It doesn’t include everything I know, but it’s definitely enough to get you started. If there’s anything you think I should add, please send a message to @jinmadethis on instagram and I’ll update the guide.
Not every crochet pattern is beginner-friendly, but I hope that with this you will find a wider range of patterns accessible to you, whatever your skill level.
Tumblr’s formatting can be a little weird. If you want, you can download the PDF version of this guide here.
tools & materials
what you need to get started
The great thing about crochet is that you don’t need many tools to begin. For an absolute beginner I’d recommend:
a H-8 or 5mm crochet hook
a light or medium weight yarn
That’s it!
The size of your crochet hook and the weight and material of the yarn you use will depend on a few things. If you’re following a pattern, a certain yarn and hook size might be recommended by the designer. You’ll come to understand which hooks and yarn you like working with over time, but for now we’ll keep things simple. If you already have some yarn and you’re not sure which hook to match it with, you can refer to the chart below.
what you don’t need but might like
The pattern you’re following might call for some extra tools. Here are the things I like to have at hand whenever I crochet:
small scissors
a tapestry/darning needle
a sewing needle
a tape measure or ruler
stitch markers
terminology & abbreviations
Crochet patterns can be intimidating at first, especially when you consider all the different abbreviations they typically include. Generally, a book or pattern will come with a list of abbreviations used, but there are some things they might forget to address. I will try to cover the basics here.
Patterns can be written using US or UK/Canadian terminology. The difference is pretty big, so it’s important to check which one the pattern you’re following uses. I’ve included a basic conversion chart below.
what does “yarn over” mean?
Yarn over, typically written as yo, yoh, or yarn over hook, is a phrase used to describe wrapping the working yarn around your hook. It’s important to know when following a pattern as you might need instructions for certain stitches.
what is an increase/decrease?
An increase is when you work more than one crochet into a stitch, and a decrease is when you crochet 2 or more stitches together. For example, if you’re working an increase into a row of 10 stitches you will end the row with 11 stitches. Similarly, if you are working a decrease into a row of 10 stitches you will end the row with 9 stitches.
how to hold your hook
pencil grip
Hold your hook the way you would hold a pencil, with your thumb and index finger holding the thumb rest and your middle finger nearest to the tip of the hook.
knife grip
Hold your hook the way you would hold a knife, with your hand over the crochet hook. The handle should be against the palm of your hand and the thumb rest between your thumb and middle finger. You can place your index finger near the tip of the hook.
It’s about working out what’s most comfortable for you, so feel free to experiment a little with how you hold your hook until you get familiar with it. I’m right-handed, so the images above reflect that. You should hold your crochet hook in your dominant hand.
how to hold your yarn
but first, what is tension?
Tension refers to how tight or loose your yarn is when crocheting. It’s important to maintain consistent tension in order to achieve a finished product of the right size and shape. If your tension starts out tight and finishes loose, you’ll end up with stitches that gets bigger towards the end.
Tension is important because of it’s relationship to gauge, which refers to the width and height of your stitches. Gauge is measured by number of stitches and rows per inch or centimetre. Looser tension means a fewer number of stitches and rows per inch of centimetre, while tighter tension means a bigger number.
most common yarn hold
While there’s no one right way to hold your yarn, I’ve outlined the most common way to do so below. Try it out to see how you like it, and remember that it’s about testing different things and finding whatever’s most comfortable for you.
Flatten the palm of your non-dominant hand and spread your fingers slightly, with the back of your hand facing towards you. Feed your yarn under your pinkie finger, over your ring and middle finger, and under your index finger. Loop the yarn once around your index finger and close your fingers. You can now hold the short tail of your yarn between your thumb and middle and ring fingers.
how to start
slipknot
Pinch the end of your yarn between the thumb and 1st 2 fingers of your non-dominant hand, with your palm up and the long end of your yarn trailing away from you (fig. 1)
Take the long end of your yarn and wrap it under and over your 2 fingers, creating an x (fig. 2)
Twist your hand so that you can see the backs of your fingers, and slide your hook under the 1st loop and over the 2nd, grabbing it with your hook (fig. 3)
Slide your fingers out from the loop and pull on the working yarn to tighten. You have a slipknot (fig. 4)
magic ring
Repeat steps 1-3 of slipknot
Pull the 2nd loop through the 1st loop and twist towards you (fig. 5)
Take the long end of your yarn and yarn over (fig. 6) before pulling through the loop on your hook to secure (fig. 7).
You may need to tighten your working loop. You can pull on the tail to tighten the ring as necessary
foundation chain
Create a slipknot (fig. 8)
With the slipknot on your hook, yarn over and pull through (fig. 9 & 10). You have one chain
Repeat as many times as required (fig. 11)
turning chain
At the end of your foundation chain, you’ll need to chain a few more to reach the height of your stitch. I’ve included a handy chart written using US terms to help you figure out how many more you should chain at the end of your row.
stitch guide
single crochet
Insert your hook into the 2nd chain from your hook
Yarn over and pull the loop through
Yarn over again and pull through both loops. You have a single crochet!
Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach the end of your chain
half double crochet
Yarn over and insert your hook into the 3rd chain from your hook
Yarn over and pull the loop through
Yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. You have a half double crochet!
Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach the end of your chain
double crochet
Yarn over and insert your hook into the 4th chain from your hook.
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops
Repeat step 2. You have a double crochet!
Repeat steps 1-3 until you reach the end of your chain
treble crochet
Yarn over twice and insert your hook into the 5th chain from your hook
Yarn over and pull the loop through
Yarn over and pull through 2 loops
Repeat step 3 twice. You have a treble crochet!
Yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops on your hook
Repeat steps 1-5 until you reach the end of your chain
how to finish
what does “fasten off” mean?
Fastening off, also phrased as tying off or finishing off, is a way to ensure your work is secure and doesn’t unravel. You can fasten off by chaining 1, cutting your yarn, and pulling the loop through to secure once you’ve completed the last stitch in your row or slip stitched your work when crocheting in the round.
slip stitch
When crocheting in the round, you’ll join the last crochet of each row into the first crochet of the row using a slip stitch. Slip stitch can also be used as an alternative to sewing, or as a decorative element. When finishing a row in the round, you’ll slip stitch by doing the following:
After completing the final crochet in your row, insert your hook into the top of the first one, as if you were going to crochet on top of it.
Yarn over and pull the loop through everything on your hook, leaving you with just one loop. That’s a slip stitch!