This is going to be short, sweet and to the point. If you are out there and want to learn to crochet, this is a great place to start!
(disclaimer: this tutorial is for right handed people)
First things first: How you hold the hook:
There are two main ways to hold a crochet hook, the pencil hold, and the knife hold. I switch back and forth between these while I am crocheting, because my fingers will start to hurt when held in one position for too long. Hold it in your hand both ways, and see which one feels more comfortable to you.
The slip knot.
The slip knot is how you begin your flat work, such as scarves, square hats, and pretty much anything that isn't worked in the round. It is also used for joining. There are many ways to make one, and here is how you make one of them!
First things first.
Wrap your working yarn (the yarn you will be using) around your index and middle fingers to make an X.
From the top, insert your hook under the first loop and grab the second loop.
Draw the second loop you just grabbed, under and up through the first loop.
Slide your fingers out. Pull the hook up while holding the ends of your yarn, gently pulling them down.
Pull the ends of the yarn to tighten the knot onto your hook.
Tada! You now have a finished slip knot on your hook! Time to start crocheting!
How I hold my yarn for working?
There are many ways to hold your thread. The most common is this way, which is the way I do it.
How to chain.
Chaining is the first thing any crocheter learns how to do. It is the foundation to your projects (much pun intended, as the first chain you make is called the foundation chain ðŸ¤)!
Holding the short tail of your yarn for control and tension (you can hold it with your right hand if you want to, I just prefer to hold it with my left), Bring the working yarn (the yarn you are pulling from the ball) over your hook from back to front. This is called "Yarning Over" (yo). Grab the yarn with the hook and pull downwards, through the slip knot loop on your hook. You will have one loop (chain) on your hook after this.
Repeat until you have the amount of chains needed for your project. :)
What should my chain look like?
Tension can be a big problem when first starting off. Too loose and your work will look sloppy, too tight and it will be very hard to insert your hook into the stitches. Here are some examples.
How to make the slip stitch:
The slip stitch is usually for crocheting hats and other such in the round. It is still an essential to know, for any type of crocheting.
Insert your hook into the second chain from the hook.
Yarn over, bringing the working yarn around your hook, from back to front, right to left.
Draw the yarn in the hook through both loops. You will have one new loop on the hook, like so. You do the same thing in the next stitch, so on and so forth.
How to Single Crochet.
Single Crochet can be used in every type of crochet, and is a very popular stitch to use for small, tight things.
So single crochet is kind of the same thing as a slip stitch with one extra step. You insert your hook into the second stitch from the hook, yarn over and pull through ONLY the first loop.
Now yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. This computer WILL NOT load the picture of the finished Single crochet stitch, so I guess you will have to do it yourself to find out what it looks like! 😂
Repeat in the rest of the chains.
Alright! That is all for Part 1, I'll be back as soon as I can with part two!
Until then! 🤗