How to crochet for beginners

Learn the crochet basics

Crochet needs three things: a hook, a ball of yarn and about twenty minutes of being bad at it. That's not a joke about patience — the first ten chains genuinely come out like rope, because everyone grips the yarn too tightly while they're thinking about what their hands are doing. By the third row your hands stop gripping and the stitches even out on their own. If your first attempt looks tight and uneven, you haven't done it wrong; you've done it for the first time.

Below, we take you from an unopened ball to a finished first project: how to hold the hook, a slip knot, a chain, the two stitches that between them make almost everything, and how to stop. Each step has a video from our own tutorials, filmed close-up on the hands, because crochet is one of those things where one look beats three paragraphs. At the end there are five free patterns we'd actually hand a beginner, each with the exact yarn it needs ready to add to your basket.

We’ve got lots of helpful crochet guides and tutorials to teach you how to crochet, from picking the right tools to step-by-step crochet tutorials. When you’re ready to level up your skills, you can explore our more advanced tutorials such as the star stitch, how to back post treble crochet and so much more!

This video uses US terminology, but just in case you get a little confused or working with a pattern with UK terminology, we have a super handy crochet conversion table to help.

1. Get to know your crochet hooks

Crochet hooks are the essential tool you need in your stash. They come in all sizes and materials, including metal, plastic and wood. Every crocheter has a different preference, and there’s no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a hook. Some people prefer the smoothness of a metal hook, while others like the warmth of a wooden crochet hook. Soft grip plastic hooks are gentle on sore hands or for those who suffer with arthritis.

2. Grab your yarn

The best thing about crochet is exploring the wonderful world of yarn! Crochet yarn comes in a whole range of different weights, fibres and shades. Different yarns work better for certain crochet projects, for instance, chunky yarns are brilliant for cosy scarves and blankets, while lighter weights like DK and lace are better for intricate shawls and wraps.

3. How to hold a crochet hook and yarn

While there is loads of different of ways to hold your crochet hook, pencil grip is often the comfiest and most popular. 

Hold your hook between your thumb and forefinger, just like you would a pencil, hence the pencil grip! This gives a nice, comfy grip as you loop and swoop your yarn. The hook end is used to pull the working yarn through loops to make stitches, and will be facing towards you rather than up or down. 

4. How to tie a slip knot for crochet

Tying a slip knot is the very first step in any crochet project. It creates the essential adjustable loop, that you then slip onto your hook. Holding the yarn in your hand, quickly create a loop by folding the short end over the long end. Pull the short end through the loop, before sliding it onto your hook and tighten. Practice a few times to get used to it. You’ve got this!

5. How to crochet the chain stitch

Once you’ve mastered the slip knot, the next step is to learn how to crochet a chain stitch. With the abbreviation “ch” or “chs”, the chain stitch will be the first stitch you learn - an essential crochet stitch you’ll use time and time again. Usually, the pattern will tell you how many chain stitches to make by adding a number after “ch”. 

6. Double crochet stitch

When you feel comfortable with the chain stitch, it’s time to move onto the double crochet stitch. A double crochet is abbreviated to "dc" in UK terms. This may differ depending on the pattern's language. In the US, a double crochet is a single crochet, abbreviated to "sc". Keep our crochet abbreviations list on hand for whenever you need!

7. Treble crochet stitch

The treble crochet stitch (known as the double crochet stitch in the US) is taller than the double crochet and an absolute essential for any crocheter. The treble crochet stitch can be used in pretty much any crochet project you can imagine, from irresistible scarves to squishy hats! 

Your first swatch

Before you start anything shaped, make a square. Chain 16, then work 10 rows of double crochet (US: single crochet). It takes about fifteen minutes and it tells you three things a pattern never will:

• Are your edges straight? If the square is narrowing as it grows, you're missing the turning chain at the start of each row — the single most common beginner fault, and the reason your blanket would end up a trapezium.
• Is it curling? Curl at the bottom edge usually means the hook is too small for the yarn. Go up half a millimetre before you blame yourself.
• Can you count? 16 stitches on row 1 should still be 16 on row 10. Count every row for the first week; after that your hands will notice before you do.

Keep the square. Two months in, it's oddly satisfying to compare it with what your tension looks like by then.

8. How to fasten off your crochet design

When you’ve finished crocheting, fastening off is the final step to secure your yarn in place. Make sure to cut your yarn, leaving a long enough tail to sew in. Pull the tail through the final loop and tug tight to secure. Sew in your loose ends or follow the instructions on your pattern for the next steps. Now you’re ready to experiment with more crochet stitches!

Learn more crochet stitches and techniques with our guides and tutorials

Now that you’ve completed the first steps on your crocheting journey, it’s time to level up your skills and have even more fun! We will guide you through countless stitches and techniques from how to crochet in the round and double crochet decrease to using popcorn stitch and more! You'll be creating fabulous projects in no time, whether it’s a warm crochet scarf, a beautiful crop top or the cutest crochet baby blanket with stars. Explore how to Tunisian crochet, how to crochet a flat circle, our magic circle tutorial and so much more.

What to make first

Five free patterns, in the order we'd give them to someone who learned the chain stitch this morning. Each one lists the yarn it needs, and the kit builder on the pattern page loads those exact shades so you're not translating a materials list into a shopping trip.

1. Sweet Dreams Sleep Mask — one evening, one ball of Paintbox Baby DK, from £2.44. It's your first go at working in the round, but the result stays flat: an oval built out from the centre, so you learn to join rounds and shape gently without anything curling up on you.
2. Colourful Mini Dino — you've worked in the round on the mask; now the rounds build upwards into a 3D shape. That means the magic circle and continuous rounds, and it'll look like a bottle cap for the first four. Keep going.
3. DJ Set Bucket Hat — the first thing you'll actually wear out of the house, and one ball of Sirdar Stories DK does it.
4. Round and Round Baby Blanket — the self-striping Paintbox Prints yarn changes colour for you, so a beginner's blanket comes out looking deliberately designed.
5. Crochet Granny Square Blanket — a weekend, three shades of Hayfield Bonus DK, and one motif you'll have memorised by the fifth square. This is the project that turns learning into a hobby.

Want more before you commit? Our free beginner crochet patterns and free crochet hat patterns collections are both entirely free downloads.