Every crochet beginner usually gets overwhelmed with all the new skills and knowledge they are picking up. If you’re anything like me when I first learned how to crochet, you’re staring at your project in complete confusion over how to do a particular stitch. Maybe your yarn has run away from you and you’re stymied on how to keep it from rolling across the room.
Or maybe your project is turning out wonky and you are near tears because you can’t figure out why for the life of you.
Well, I’ve got you covered! Below I have compiled a list of my best 5 hacks for every skill level, in particular every crochet beginner.
5 Super Easy Crochet Hacks for Every Crochet BeginnerClick To Tweet
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1. Make sure to eliminate obstacles before you get started
Every crochet beginner starts every project the same way. With so much excitement and passion that they sit down to start hooking and then soon realize that distractions are abundant. Make sure you clear your area before you start your next hooking session, and eliminate any obstacles that could crop up. A few of them that I’ve often encountered are:
Long hair: – I hook a bit of myself into every project…because my hair inadvertently gets stuck in my stitches! Make sure to tie your hair back before you begin working on your project
Jewelry – Same goes for jewelry. Remove anything that could impede your work like bracelets, long earrings (learned this one the hard way!), or bulky rings.
Pets – There is nothing cuter than your fur baby curled up next to you while you’re working on a project. But that fur baby constantly playing with the yarn or knocking the hook out of your hand…not so cute. Make sure your furry friend will remain distraction-free during your crochet session.
2. Make sure your yarn is positioned correctly
There is no right or wrong way to position your yarn per se, but there is a correct and incorrect way to set it up for you. Every crochet beginner will experience a learning curve of what works for them while they’re hooking. Some will need the yarn in a ball, some leave it in skeins.
Some need it in front of them, or next to them, or behind their heads! Find a system that works for you, and then make sure to set things up in that same format each time you pick up your hook.
3.Don’t be afraid to frog your work
I have written an entire blog post on the importance of frogging your work. Sometimes when you’re working on a project and it starts to go wonky and you can’t figure out why, the only solution is to “rip it” IE, frog your work.
Pulling out stitches can be painful, but it’s important to remember that it will make your end project look so much better. Every crochet beginner, and seasoned veteran, hates to pull out stitches that they so painstakingly put in, but it’s always the best solution.
4.Take some risks and experiment
If you’re a crochet beginner then you’re usually just following a pattern that someone else wrote to create your projects. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s how everyone learns! But once you get familiar with the basic stitches and are comfortable with reading a pattern, it can be fun to go “off script” as it were.
Try doing some free form crochet, or take a risk and use a different stitch than your pattern is calling for and see how things go! You can always frog your work later if it starts to go wonky. But taking risks, and having things go sideways is how we learn and grow as crocheters.
5.Pull those stitches up large so they don’t pull out!
It will happen, I promise. You will get interrupted, and you will have to set down your project. Before you set down your creation, make the loop on your current stitch really big. That way, if it gets jostled (or played with by pets or kids), the stitch won’t be lost. Learned that one the hard way! This is also a good idea when you are putting your project down for the night.
I hope these hacks helped give you some ideas of how to adjust to your crochet journey. These are some of the things that I do every time I pick up my hook, and they have become second nature to me by now.
You will find your own rhythm and your own way to do things as you go along in your crochet journey. These tips are just meant to be a jumping-off point for the absolute crochet beginner.
Did you like this list? Do you think I left something out? I’d love to hear your best hacks in the comments below!
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