More often than not, when people think of crocheting they think of an old lady in a recliner or rocking chair crocheting the rest of her life away. But in reality, it is so much more than that. It can be a way of relaxation, or even something you can do for fun. For some people, it’s their source of income.
Crocheting is a type of needlework much like knitting, except it requires a hook instead of two large needles. In order to begin crocheting you need the basic materials – a hook and some yarn. From then on you can make almost anything, going from simple things like coasters to more complex things like clothes.
Materials can range in price, yarn usually goes anywhere from $3-10. On the other hand, crochet hooks are usually $1-5, depending on the material it is made from. Before starting a crocheting project you have to learn some of the basic terms like chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), slip stitch (ss), half double crochet (hdc), and magic circle (mc).
The chain can be considered the most important term. This is because to start almost any project, if not all, you need a chain. 
This can include projects that require a magic circle. Magic circles can easily be replaced by chaining three or four times, connecting it at the end and working within the inside of the now created circle. As for the magic circle it is typically used when making or starting something in the shape of a circle or sphere. 
The slip stitch is the smallest stitch you can work with as it requires very little yarn, followed by a single crochet, half double crochet, and double crochet. There are more crocheting terms, but these are just the basics and the more important ones since they are the ones used the majority of the time. Other types of stitches can also be used, but those are mainly seen in more advanced projects that require more time, skill, and detail. 
As for me, I’ve been crocheting since I was eight, so I’ve been doing it for about nine years now. I got into it because I would constantly see my mom making hats of different characters and animals that she would sell for about $10-12 each. At first I would do it to be like my mom, so I would pretend I knew what I was doing but in all reality I was just tangling the yarn. As I got older and actually started to pay more attention to what my mom would do, I began to ask more questions about the whole process and asked my mom if she could teach me some of the basics, so she did.
The first thing she taught me to do was how to chain. This was because you have to know how to chain before starting any type of crocheting project. If you don’t do it correctly your project can be messy and the chains can be difficult to tell apart. It is very important to learn this step before anything else.
If I’m being honest, I struggled a lot trying to learn how to chain properly because whenever I would do it the loop I was chaining from would get bigger and bigger every time I would chain so I constantly had to pull on the yarn to make the loop smaller. After a lot of practice I was able to chain decently so my mom taught me how to single and double crochet. Somehow, single and double crocheting was a lot easier than chaining, I got the hang of it quite fast.
It took me about four years before I actually completed a project, before that I would just crochet squares and then undo them once I got bored. Looking back this helps me see how far I’ve come. Going from someone who only did it because her mom did, to someone who actually enjoys doing it more often now.
Completing that first project, a scarf, was what made me realize how much I actually enjoyed the whole process even if it was just a lot of double crocheting. Making the scarf brought me a lot of calmness and just made me feel really peaceful. It helped me understand why my mom might’ve been doing it all this time since she always sat in silence when she would do it.
Whenever I start a new project, I like to think about what I want to make instead of jumping straight into it with no thought in mind. I usually scroll through Pinterest or Instagram to see what other people have made and go on from there. It might seem like it’s as simple as that but it’s actually not, at least not for me.
Before you start a new project you have to take into consideration two things – skill and material. This is important because you have to know what your capability is. Believe it or not, some things can seem super simple but in all reality can be more complicated. Usually if I don’t know the type of stitch being used I look it up on YouTube.
Also, material, am I going to have enough yarn to finish the project or will I have to buy more? I know I’ve been excited to start a project, like the first blanket I made, and then be disappointed when I realized I didn’t have enough yarn. Though it might seem like an easy fix, it’s not always like that. Yarn comes in skeins and though the color on the label might be the same the actual yarn could be two different shades. It’s important to take into consideration the amount of yarn you have when starting a project, especially if it’s something big.
Usually, it is easy to tell the amount of material you’ll need because one skein of yarn can go a long way. Sometimes if you’re following a pattern or YouTube video it will tell you how much material you’ll need as well as the weight size of the yarn, though most projects call for a weight size 4 (you can find the information on the label). For example, when making smaller things like, coasters, hats, scarves,and bags you usually only need one skein of yarn. However, for larger things like clothes (cardigans, tops, and pants) and blankets you can expect to need about 2-6 skeins of yarn, depending on the size you decide to make it.
I would recommend going to your local craft store to buy your supplies. Personally, I like going to Joannes since they tend to have a wide variety of the different types of yarn and the amount you can buy. However, typically most projects call for either cotton and acrylic yarn. Both types of yarn work the same since their only difference is the material they are made from.
If you’re trying to learn how to crochet on your own I would recommend looking it up on YouTube. This is because you can look up how to make almost anything. You can also learn the basic terms and beyond that. I would recommend Tamara Kelly’s “Learn to Crochet” playlist on YouTube for some help on the basic terminology of the different types of stitches and how to make them.
One of the biggest things I’ve made was a blanket made out of granny squares. I made this blanket for my grandma so she could have it when she went back to Mexico. It took me around four months to make, but it was worth it in the end.
Aside from that, some of my favorite things to crochet are ear muffs. I started making them after I saw a picture of Lee Know of Stray Kids wearing some cat ear muffs, so I decided to recreate them. I’ve also made some bags and hats that I don’t actually wear, but more or so just have for fun. Flower bouquets are something that I make a lot. I usually give them to my mom for her birthday or for Mother’s Day so she’s got some displayed around the house. As for any type of plushie, I’m not the best at making those. However, I have attempted to make all seven of the BT21 characters, they weren’t the best but they were also not that bad.
Crocheting is something I do not just for fun or when I’m bored, rather it is something that brings me calmness and the feeling of achievement once I’m done with the project. It is something that has helped me stay busy for a while and to me it’s worth it since I’ll have something new in the end. I would recommend trying it out for anyone looking to start a new hobby. With some patience and practice anyone can start their own crocheting journey.
