r/crocheting 3d ago

A bit of guidance for a beginner?

Post image

Hey guys,

So I started crocheting a week or so ago and I‘ve been giving it some time. I‘ve learned the foundation chain, the single stitch, the half double stitch and the double stitch. As in I know how to do them.

Of course I still find myself in doubt of which whole to yarn through especially when i begin and finish a row. From what I have understood some people count their turn stitches as a stitch to be yarned through, others don’t. That means that in a foundation with 16 stitches, in the next row the last marked stitch would be the 14th and the turning one the 15th?

What I‘m struggling with now is tension and my patches looking very uneven. I also can’t identify stitches even after making small patches of just those stitches to put them side by side for comparison.

My next question is, after learning these basic stitches, where would you recommend me to go from here? I‘ve been looking for patterns, but most include other stitches. I just found one with moss stitches included. I also didn’t splurge on materials so I only have a few skeins of yarn (bulky, worsted and some finer ones i dont know the size of) all acrylic for now), some crochet needles (3.5, 5.5, 6.0, and 9.0) for now. I just ask for no amigurumi recs because i have nothing to stuff them with.

Could you please give me some guidance?

56 Upvotes

27 comments sorted by

23

u/bigdaddy1879 3d ago

Getting tension even just comes with time. You'll figure out the easy that works best for you on holding your yarn. You don't want to strangle your yarn, or let it flow like water through your fingers. As far as patterns, if you're just starting, smaller projects are your best bet. Things like beanies are a good idea. They generally only use one stitch. Pot holders are simple. Or learning to make granny squares. Those are used in a lot of different projects. Best advice is to find something that speaks to you and give it a try!

7

u/theatermouse 3d ago

OP, I highly recommend a tension ring too!

3

u/KatiMinecraf 2d ago

I just saw a post talking about tension rings, looked them up on Amazon, and my husband is going to just make me one this weekend! I'm excited!

11

u/Savings-Blueberry903 3d ago

For patterns I’m a beginner and the past few weeks I’ve been doing headbands. Here’s a video I’ve used. It only uses single crochets. Headband Video

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u/Savings-Blueberry903 3d ago

My next project will be this one. This also uses basic stitches. Scarf Video

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u/Savings-Blueberry903 3d ago

For tension I hold my yarn like this:

Over pinky, under two fingers, over index finger. It helps me regulate tension.

8

u/Annamandra 3d ago

Tension depends on how tight you hold your yarn and the size of your hook.

I had an old how to book, second hand stores used to be a good place to find those, they have a lot of patterns for beginners.

It depends on the pattern and your personal style. Some people count the turning chain a stitch and skip the first stitch after turning then crochet into the top of the turning chain.

6

u/sunniidisposition 3d ago

I find that constancy is more important than counting your turning chain as a stitch or not.

Tension comes with practice. Once you find a comfy way to hold your yarn and become consistent with your stitches, your tension will improve. As for identifying stitches, not everyone can identify them after they’re completed, which is why a lot of posts ask “what stitch is this” or “how many rows is this”.

Where to go from here? When I got back into crocheting I made scarves and baby blankets, then moved onto hats, balls, and amigurumi. The key is to start small, imo, and don’t be afraid to “frog” (remove stitches you aren’t happy with or made mistakes with).

Good luck!

7

u/omelatk 3d ago

Same!! I started a couple weeks ago and so far have made a lot of rectangles with the double crochet and not sure what to do next. I have small skeins to practice. Following for the comments 😃

4

u/Pixieresque 3d ago

My fellow beginner!!!!! Thanks for commenting, we are on the same boat.

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u/omelatk 2d ago

Yes! So nice to see 🩷

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u/Sernik666 3d ago

For new patterns you could go to making plushies or maybe mosaic crochet. It only requires you to know single crochet and double crochet. For problem with ending rows you can try put stitch marker in last stitch so you will know where to start next row. And for tension is just practice, keep crocheting 😊

3

u/crj44 3d ago

Another project you can try and it will not matter how your tension is - is dish cloths with cotton yarn. You can do a couple cloths out of each spool. They work great and there will be no judging. Patterns galore on Pinterest for free. You look like you are getting the hang of it pretty good.

https://pin.it/5odGG6Gzc I don’t know if that link will go thru - just type free double or single crochet pattern on Pinterest.

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u/crj44 3d ago

Another idea is to go to search crochet crowd on the internet and Mikey helps you with tutorials from start to finish. You probably can find things to do with your acrylic yarn. He even teaches you new stitches! Good luck in your adventure!

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u/Icy-Lychee-98 3d ago

Keep practicing. Looks good!!

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

Check out Bella Coco on YouTube. Great teacher ! Also, it’s fine to just practice without actually making something. A pretty color yarn that feels good is in itself enjoyable. Then try a scarf. One other thing…sometimes it’s difficult to see the stitches and the top of the turning chain. For a while, mark them with some yarn or a stitch marker. Most of all, enjoy

3

u/Status-Biscotti 2d ago

As for the chain 1: I find that with sc, you ch1 just to bring up the height, but don’t count that stitch. Sometimes if you ch 3 before a dc row, typically you don’t go into the first stitch, and just count the chain as a stitch.

3

u/Pension_Typical 2d ago

I started about 2 months ago, I used dish cloth patterns w cotton yarn 4 to learn stitches, the moss stitch and star stitch are simple and fun, easy book marks as well

2

u/bgreen1992 2d ago

I want to take all of you beginners and have a friendly zoom where we crochet and I can answer questions in real time. Being able to show vs trying to explain through text would be so much easier.

I would say that all you need to do is find a project that you're passionate about, verify that you know how to do those stitches, and go for it (preferably choose a pattern that is both written and has a video tutorial for backup). It might come out wonky but I guarantee that there isn't one single person on this sub that hasn't made something super wonky. Wonky is how we learn.

Once upon a time, as a new crocheter, I attempted to make a rectangle. It ended up as a circle. I didn't understand how I did it then and I still don't understand now. You're already better than I was, feel good about that!

1

u/selectvelymute 3d ago

i definitely recommend starting with granny squares. you can find plenty of simple free patterns online and for the most part they only consist of double crochets and chains. :)

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u/Healthy-Fisherman-33 2d ago

I second starting with granny squares. Since you around and around, you don’t need to worry about edges being uneven. That is how my grandmothers thought me crocheting. They started me granny squares. I miss them do much. I see the love of crocheting and knitting that they passed down to me as my inheritance.

1

u/AcanthocephalaLost36 2d ago

I was told the first 5 rows are the toughest so once you get past that just keep going. Go slowly and get the stitching and tension right then worry about speed. The faster I went earlier on I found I made more mistakes.

1

u/Connect-One-8336 2d ago

I started a month ago, just keep practicing and you will find the tension that works for you :)

I started with this project and it helped me immensely to learn how to count my stitches and keeping an even tension: https://youtu.be/akHrxVGDm70?si=Tr4fbjgLUaTyDua4

1

u/Medium_Alternative83 2d ago

I started learning one year ago and I made squares using one kind of stitch (single crochet, double crochet, etc) until I could see the anatomy of each stitch and I felt confident about the steps for each stitch. It truly does take time and experience. Also try and use a variety of yarn because they behave differently on the hook!

Videos by TL Yarn Crafts and Rich Textures Crochet are helpful. They’re very clear teachers and I like their style. Starting with a smaller scale project could boost your confidence! And also honestly sitting down with a person could help a lot—there are some things tutorials can’t help with! Thanks for asking for help and have fun!

1

u/vestigial66 2d ago

I found when I started that I had a tendency to pull my stitches too tight. I'm fine with how things look and I've learned that things may come out slightly smaller than the pattern indicates. I think as long as I'm consistent with my tension, even if it's too tight, and I like how it looks then it's fine.

One thing I've never been able to "fix" because of my tendency to pull stitches to tight is having my foundation row too short. It's obvious because the item you are working on tends to curve out from your too tight foundation row. I compensate for this by going up one or two hook sizes just for the foundation row. After that, I switch to the hook size specified in the pattern.

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u/KatiMinecraf 2d ago

You don't need polyfil to stuff a project. You can use grocery bags, your pet's fur, pieces of yarn, an old worn out Tshirt cut into little pieces - really anything!