When first learning to crochet it can feel very overwhelming. There are so many different kinds of hooks and yarn, then the number of tutorial videos to chose from, I can see why some people just don’t bother.
I hope that this post will help you to narrow things down and be able to make choices, quickly and easily, so that you can begin your crochet journey.
Hooks come in different kinds of materials and can be acquired from many places, craft stores, super stores, even dollar stores often carry hooks. The material doesn’t matter too much and is more about personal comfort and preference. Some people don’t like metal hooks because they are cold and make a loud noise when dropped on hard floors. Wood is nice and smooth, as are many of the plastic ones. You can get skinny or fat handles, this again is personal preference. Many think that the thicker handlers are easier on the hands, but that isn’t my experience. To get started in crochet and see if it is going to be something you want to pursue I suggest going to the thrift store or a box store and picking up a metal hook.
I like Boye hooks best, those will now be thrift store find, because the hook part of the hook is beginner friendly and the flat place on the shaft is ideal for the knife hold or the pencil hold, more on that in another post and an upcoming video. Hold the hook however is comfortable for you.
Hooks come in sooo many sizes! Some are letters, some are numbers and some have both! In the US the letters are what we use when writing the majority of out patterns. As a beginner that’s what we’re going to talk about here. The ones with numbers, that aren’t millimeters, are for when you have some basics down. Look for anything from F through I or even J. You will notice that the further into the alphabet you get the bigger the hooks get.
Yarn has many more choices and will be an area of continuing education throughout your stitching journey. For this beginner project, choose a worsted weight yarn, see links below for examples, ask at the craft or yarn shop if you’re unsure. Choose a lighter, solid color. I know it isn’t much fun but it will help you see the stitches better and you’ll understand more of what you are doing. I suggest not using cotton or bamboo to begin with because it has no give and has a tendency to make stitchers frustrated.
Right or left handed? Doesn’t matter, you can crochet with either hand! The videos listed in this post all show right handed crochet, however I am in the process of making left handed crochet videos. Subscribe to this blog so that you don’t miss that post! You can crochet with either hand. Some patterns. those with pictures or that aren’t symmetrical for example, will look different, backwards from what is shown in the photo. The pattern in the beginner file below will work just fine crocheted with either hand. There is chart for right hand and a chart for left hand to help you get an idea of the difference.
If you are already a knitter then you probably understand about yarn. I will tell you that the hooks with letters, numbers and millimeters coincide with the knitting needles of the same number. For example a size “H” crochet hook has the number 8 on it and 5.00mm. US size 8 knitting needles are 5mm. If as a knitter you hold your yarn in your left, I suggest that you try to crochet right handed. If you hold your yarn in your right hand, I recommend first trying to hold your yarn in your left hand and crochet right handed. If that is something you can’t get your mind around, then try crocheting left handed.
Which videos, creator or influencer? I know there are a lot of great videos out there to choose from on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, which might be banned by the time you read this. Please go find someone who teaches in a way that speaks to you. But to get you started I have shared some links below to my beginner crochet videos, in the order I think you should watch and learn them.
It’s like learning a new skill AND a new language at the same time! Use the pdf in the link below to learn how to get a handle on the language and techniques at the same time. Use the video links above along the way and of course if you have any questions, please email me and let me know! sara@azariahsfibrearts.com
HERE is the link to the Left Handed version of this post!
Happy Making!
Azariahs Fibre Arts 
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