Learning Path

Crochet for Complete Beginners

This course is for anyone who has never held a crochet hook, or who tried once and put it down. You learn five things in order: the magic ring, single crochet, double crochet, a small crocheted heart, and the five basic skills behind every amigurumi stuffed toy. By the end you will have a finished heart and the know-how to start a little plush of your own. To begin, you need a 5mm (H/8) crochet hook, one ball of smooth worsted-weight yarn in a light color so you can see your stitches, a pair of scissors, and a blunt yarn needle for weaving in the ends. The amigurumi lesson also uses a slightly smaller 4mm hook, a handful of polyester stuffing, a pair of safety eyes and a few stitch markers, so you can wait to buy those until you get there. The hands-on time adds up to about an hour and a half across all five lessons. You can do it in one afternoon or spread it over several short sittings. Take the lessons in order, and repeat any stitch that feels shaky before you move on. When you finish, Amigurumi Animals from Scratch is the natural next course: it builds on the same stitches and ends with a chunky turtle and a soft cat.