By: Godfreyna Canja
Did you know that March is actually the National Crafts month? There are a lot of craft projects you could try and create this time and maybe gain a new hobby! One easy project you can try out this season is crochet! Crochet is a handiwork that is made through looping yarn and working through the loops to make different stitches with a hook. Crochet may seem to be a difficult project but is fun and easy to do once you get the hang of it! If you happen to be a beginner at crochet or you have decided you’d like to try something new this month, you’ve come to the right place because here are 5 crochet tips for starters!
Master the basics
In every new skill you’re going to learn the first tip anyone ever gives is usually to master the basics. Crochet is no different, you must learn to master holding the hook and yarn in place and of course doing the chain stitch. Fun tip, when starting out make sure to always count the stitches you’ve done, this would help you make straighter edges and would help you focus on your stitches!
Photo source: Pixabay
Get the right hook size and yarn type
When starting your first crochet project, you will be following a crochet pattern or a guide to what you will be making, it is important to make sure that you get the right hook size and yarn type when creating from a pattern. This will make sure you get the right look you’re expecting when you finish your project.
There are many types of yarns, they vary in fiber type and weight. There are natural fiber yarns and synthetic fiber yarns, the most common yarn used for beginners are worsted weight acrylics, these are synthetic yarns and are inexpensive. For this type of yarn, a 4.5mm to 5.5mm crochet hook is best used.
Photo source: Pixabay
Know how to correct your mistakes
Making mistakes are normal especially for beginners! If you make a mistake during stitching, like adding too many stitches or missing stitches, just take out your crochet hook, pull the thread to undo the loops until you get to the stitch you need to or to the first stitch, if you’re starting over.
This is where counting will help you as well, getting the number of the stitches per row will help you determine if you’ve missed a stitch or added to many stitches.
Photo source: Pexels
Keep your yarn and hooks organized
When you’re starting out it’s easy to get a little crazy and buy a lot of different colored yarns for your projects. Yarns especially when unspooled can get tangled and become difficult to untangle, you should be careful not to pull hard and ruin the fibers of your yarn. What you can do is place your yarns in separate containers like an empty tissue box or an empty cleaning wipes container where the opening can be where you pull out a thread of yarn. You may also use a paper clip or a hair clip to pin the strand of yarn in place when you’re no using it. You can also put your crochet hooks in a pencil case or a pencil holder so that you don’t misplace any of them.
Photo source: Unsplash
Remember to rest your hands
When you’ve just started at crochet, the repeated hand movement can make your hand stiff and you might get cramps. It is important that you take a break once in a while and rest your hands for a bit.  Contracting your hands can help, also a stress ball can also help your hands relax. You will also be sitting for long periods of time when you’re working on your project so make sure to do a little stretching once after every hour you spend crocheting!
Starting a new hobby and learning a new skill are usually overlooked given our busy schedules and hectic lives, but crochet is such a slow-paced and relaxing skill that you can easily learn at your home whenever you have free time! It is also fun to be a beginner learning a new skill, you make a lot of mistakes starting and end up learning a lot during the process.
What new skill are you learning right now? Why don’t you try out crochet and share with us below what your beginner tips are!