{"title":"How to Crochet for Absolute Beginners: Part 1","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/crafts/how-to-crochet-for-beginners","category":{"slug":"crafts","name":"Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"simplydaisy","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUTuOCgFBGp2yag_FtVh-bQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE"},"tldr":"Learn to crochet from scratch. This step-by-step guide covers the slip knot, holding the hook, chain stitch, single crochet, and weaving in your ends.","totalDurationSeconds":516,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["Crochet hook"],"materials":["Yarn"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Gather Your Materials","text":"You only need two things to start: yarn and a crochet hook. Any basic acrylic yarn works fine for learning, since it is easy to work with and inexpensive. For the hook, a set of aluminum hooks in sizes 3.75mm to 5.5mm will cover most beginner projects. The tutorial uses a 5.5mm hook, which is a good middle-ground size that is not too fiddly."},{"number":2,"title":"Make a Slip Knot","text":"Hold the yarn with your index finger pointing down. Twist the yarn upward to form a loop, then put your thumb through that loop. Grab the tail end of the yarn with your index finger and thumb and pull it through, creating a new loop. Slide your crochet hook into that loop and pull the yarn to tighten it snugly around the hook. The loop should be firm but still able to slide along the hook."},{"number":3,"title":"Hold the Hook and Yarn","text":"Hold the crochet hook in your right hand using your thumb and fingers, resting on the indent on the hook handle. Hold it like you would hold scissors. With your left hand, thread the yarn through your fingers with your index finger pointing out and the yarn wrapped around it. Grip your work with your left middle finger and thumb. Bring both hands together so you have control of the tension."},{"number":4,"title":"Learn the Yarn Over","text":"The yarn over is the fundamental motion behind every crochet stitch. Start with the hook facing away from you. Place it on the left side of the working yarn. Rotate the hook toward you and then slightly toward your left hand. Pull downward and draw the yarn through the loop on your hook. That is one chain stitch. The yarn over is just: face away, go left, turn toward you, pull through."},{"number":5,"title":"Crochet a Foundation Chain","text":"Repeat the yarn over and pull through motion to build your chain. Each chain looks like a V shape with a top loop and a bottom loop. For practice, chain 11. Count the Vs as you go: skip the loop on your hook when counting. The chain gives you the foundation row that your single crochet stitches will work into."},{"number":6,"title":"Work Your First Single Crochet","text":"Skip the first chain (that is your turning chain) and insert your hook into the second V from the hook. Yarn over by going behind the working yarn and pull through, so you have 2 loops on your hook. Then yarn over again and pull through both loops. That is one single crochet. Insert into the next chain and repeat all the way across. You should end up with 10 single crochet stitches across the row."},{"number":7,"title":"Build More Rows","text":"When you reach the end of a row, do one chain stitch and then flip your work over. Now work back in the other direction, inserting your hook under both loops of each V stitch. Do 10 single crochet per row. Keep going until you have as many rows as you want. The tutorial does 12 rows to make a square swatch. If you make a mistake, just pull out your hook, tug the yarn to unravel back to where you went wrong, and reinsert the hook."},{"number":8,"title":"Finish Off and Weave in the Ends","text":"When your swatch is done, do one final chain stitch. Pull the crochet hook out of the loop. Cut the yarn leaving a few inches of tail. Pull the tail through the last loop and tug tight to secure. Thread that tail onto a tapestry needle with a large eye. Weave the needle in and out of several stitches along the back of your work to hide the end. Trim the leftover yarn with scissors. Do the same for the starting tail."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T13:34:49.422Z","published":"2026-04-10T20:41:59.121Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}