Guest Post by Claireabellemakes: Getting Started With Crochet

I'm taking a little break this week so please give a hearty welcome to the first of my guest bloggers, Claire of Claireabellemakes. Talented multi-crafter, Claire is here to talk about a world I'm so excited to get stuck into...


Hello all! I’m Claire and I’m delighted to have been invited here to guest post on Anna’s wonderful space.

Getting Started with Crochet

Today I’m going to talk to you about crochet. A discovery of 2012 for me, the hooky craft was something of a revelation. I’d been a knitter for years, but the versatility and creativity of crochet grabbed me.

Anna tells me she is keen to learn how to crochet and many crafty types on Twitter have said the same. I thought it might be useful to share with you a few things I learnt along the way.

·       Hunt down your local yarn shop

I am a big fan of supporting local businesses so when a yarn shop opened close to my house I took beginners classes in crochet and am continuing to learn at the shop and buy yarn here when possible. You may find that the small independent shops offer lessons or knitting/crochet groups in small numbers and often with cake! I’m sure that helps me to learn more quickly....

·       Obtain good quality hooks and yarn

I ordered a basic set of aluminium hooks to get started and found these were the best for manovering the yarn on the hook when learning. 100% acrylic yarn wasn’t great to learn with, so I tried to use yarns with some cotton in so they were able to slide on the hook more easily. There are some great places selling ergonomic hooks which can be popular, but I prefer the wooden Knit Pro Symfonie hooks. Finding the hook that’s right for you is quite personal and it can take a while to find one you are comfortable with.

·       YouTube is your friend

We are lucky to live in a world where people share their skills for free online. You can find anything on YouTube (after wading through the cat videos) and there are a few I would recommend for tips and advice. I’m very much a visual learner, so I’ve found this to be invaluable when I get stuck in a stitch or pattern. Have a look at Crochet Ali and Crochet Guru although the latter is in US terms.

I found a few books with basic stitches very helpful too. Simply Crochet, a new magazine from the publishers of Mollie Makes, has some great beginners diagrams in the back pages of each issue.

·       Identify US and UK terms from the start

One of the things that confused me the most at the beginning was the difference between UK and US terms. My first class was with an American tutor and I left feeling rather confused, even though she had tried to explain. I quickly learnt the terms and for a while used this fantastic cheat sheet by the Stitch Sharer.

·       Join Ravelry

This is a must for anyone interested in yarn crafts and is a well constructed site offering a pattern database, social networking via forums, stash records and project sharing. You won’t be stuck for inspiration and can even search for projects to make with particular yarns should you so wish. There are many groups to join via the site too.

·       Practice makes perfect

Crochet has a wonderful meditative quality, with patterns often offering repetitions and rhythmic elements. I sat for hours on end repeating stitch after stitch until the ‘click’ moment happened. I promise, it does happen and when you get it, you won’t be able to put your hook down. It is addictive.

·       Stay Inspired

I absolutely love reading blogs and the crochet ones are by far the prettiest online! Here are some of my favourites with most of them offering beginners tutorials:

Attic 24

According to Matt

Lulu Loves

One Sheepish Girl

I hope these tips have helped you if you are considering learning, or perhaps they have inspired you to learn! You can find me on Ravelry using the name Claireabellemakes and follow my yarn projects Pinterest board here.

Happy Hooking!

Thank you so much, Claire! Learning to crochet is high on my list for my little break, and I'm feeling really inspired. I happen to know that my local haberdashers serves cake with their crochet lessons too, so I'll definitely be heeding that tip, and I'm already finding Simply Crochet magazine really helpful.

Do you crochet, and if not, do you have plans to learn?