May we count your visit with Google Analytics? It uses cookies and sends visit data to Google. You can change this any time under Cookie choices. Privacy

crochetguide

Find what you need

Search this site. Press Escape to close.

Is crochet hard to learn? What the first week looks like

Crochet is not hard, but the first hour feels awkward: holding the yarn with steady tension takes practice. A good first evening is a chain and a row of single crochet; a small washcloth makes a good first project to finish over the next week or two of short sessions.

US terms
A practice strip: 10 single crochets across and 5 rows.
A practice strip: 10 single crochets across and 5 rows.

What feels hard at first, and why it passes

Tension: the yarn hand has to feed the yarn evenly. It feels clumsy for the first few rows and settles with practice; a smooth, light-colored medium yarn and a 5 to 6 mm hook make it easier.

Seeing where the hook goes: the top of each stitch is a small V. Light, smooth yarn shows the Vs clearly. Fuzzy, dark or very thin yarn hides them, so save those for later.

Counting: rows grow or shrink when a stitch is missed or added at the edges. A stitch marker in the first and last stitch of the row solves most of it.

A realistic first week

  1. Evening 1: make a slip knot and a chain of 20 that is even and loose enough to work into.
  2. Evening 2: work rows of single crochet on a short chain until the edges stay straight.
  3. Evenings 3 to 5: try half double and double crochet, and read a simple pattern line.
  4. By the end of the week: make a washcloth or a small square, start to finish.

When it is not you

Some things make crochet harder than it should be: a hook too small for the yarn, a splitty or fuzzy yarn, a chain pulled tight, or a pattern in UK terms read as US. If a lesson is not working, change one of those before deciding crochet is not for you.

What to do next