How to Crochet for Beginners

Step 1: How to Crochet for Beginners

An instructable to teach a beginner how to crochet.

Get some fat yarn and a size N crochet hook.

Step 2: Make a slip knot.

Begin the slip knot by laying the yarn down and looping it as in pic. 1, making sure your short piece (tail) is on top of the long yarn.

Next, flip the whole thing down, onto the longer yarn, see pic 2.

Grap the middle yarn between your thumb & forefinger (pic 3).

Pull the middle yarn out gently (pic 4).

Hang on to tail and pull the loop tight (pics 5 & 6).

Step 3: Begin the chain.

Begin the chaining by picking up the loop in your left hand (pics 1 & 2).

Slide the hook into the loop and tighten the loop around the hook (pics 3 & 4) (not too tight, there should be some give).

Note: I started out life left-handed and am now ambidextrous. I prefer to teach the way my nana taught me because it's how all the books are published.

Step 4: Crocheting the chain.

The following short video called CrochetMovie1 will show how to crochet the starting chain stitch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXbVil5hS-k

Step 5: Begin the first row of single crochet

In the 2nd chain from the hook (see in pic 1 how I have the 2nd stitch sort of pinched between my thumb and forefinger), insert the head of the crochet hook (pic 2).

Now catch the yarn in your left hand with the hook (pic 3) and draw or pull it through both loops of the stitch (pic 4). This will leave you with 2 loops on your hook (pic 4).

Catch the yarn in your left hand with the hook again (pic 5) and draw or pull it through both loops on the the hook (pics 6 and 7).

Repeat these steps until you get to the end of the chained row. Then, chain one stitch and turn your crocheted row over.

Here is CrochetMovie2 demonstrating how to crochet to the end of row 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLv1VNbefF8

Step 6: Finishing row 2 of the single crochet stitch.

The following video, CrochetMovie3 will show how row 2 finishes up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldIl4nWjl44

At the end of this short clip, you will see me do the chain one stitch at the end of row 2 and turn it over before I set it down.

Remember to chain one stitch at the end of each of your rows and turn your crocheting over to start the next row.

Continue repeating steps 4 and 5 until you are doing it smoothly and evenly.

Remember, it doesn't matter what you're crocheting, it only matters that you're doing it!! :)