Since starting up crochet over the last few months, I’ve learned a thing or two. There are things that come up as you’re learning and crocheting, and I’ve been crocheting a lot. In all my “spare” time I’ve got a crochet hook and yarn nearby. Watching TV, in the car, even when I just need some time to think. It’s very therapeutic!

Crochet Tips for Beginners

Here are 7 simple crochet tips that will help you as you get started. Read on, some of these things no one tells you!

7 Simple Crochet Tips for Beginners

1. Break for hand and finger stretching: Sometimes I’ll get in a groove and it will be 45 minutes of non-stop crochet. It’s usually paired with a show I’m watching, probably Parenthood or Grey’s Anatomy! I have found that I need to take quick breaks to stretch my hands and do some finger rolls, otherwise I’ll get a slight cramp. No fun! I highly suggest you take a mental note to stop for a bit and roll your wrists! Or you can also find these fun Stress Relieving Gloves from The Crochet Dude, so awesome :)

2. Watch your posture: As I crochet, I sit in a sort of recliner chair with my feet propped up. But I tend to slouch as I get going. My head is down looking at my work, then up looking at the tv, and my shoulders are now turning into a hunchback! Again, same as #1 and hand stretching, watch for posture and how you’re sitting as you crochet. We don’t need hunchy crocheters out there!!

3. Tension matters: Where you position your yarn in your left hand matters. As you pull the yarn through each loop for each stitch with the right hand, you are holding on to the other end with your left hand. It matters how tight or loose you hold that yarn in your left hand and you need to have consistency. Otherwise you’ll get a piece that has 2 rows in the middle that are super tight or super stretched, depending on how tight or loose you were holding the yarn. You’ll start to get into a groove and it will become natural. But just watch for this, it can make your work come out wonky, even if you did the right number of stitches.

4. Keep a bag or basket by the couch: I now have a dedicated crochet basket in the family room. It’s filled with my current projects, complete with yarn and hooks. Even a pair of small scissors is in there, so I don’t have to always find them from the junk drawer. Before I had it all spread out all over the place, some here, some there. Now it’s all in one handy spot.

5. Slow and steady wins the race: Once I get started on a project, I’m excited about how it will turn out and start to move too fast. Or I get thinking I have to get through this project quick as I have 20 other projects I want to complete. I get into a rush. And because of that, I start to get sloppy, getting into a groove and start going too fast. I’m trying to stick to even steady stitches, helping with my tension as well, mentioned above.

6. Fake it til’ you make it: I talked a little about this in my Finishing Your Project post. I still mess up all the time. I’ll get to the end of a project and see that I missed a loop or made a large hole, ugh! But give your work a little stretch this way or that, and it can often make it all work out, evening things up. If you catch it soon enough, you can always unravel it and start again from that point. Or just see if you can cover it up. Add a border, this always helps. Use chunky yarn, it hides a lot. And just have fun. Know that you will mess up, but you’ll only learn from it, and your next projects will be better because of it.

7. Practice makes perfect: Now it’s time to practice, practice, practice!