21 Tips for Beginning Crocheters
We are going to cut loose and have a little fun. I have
put together some fun and silly tips for the beginning crocheter. Leave
comments and share your tips as well. Enjoy! This is meant to make
you laugh.
1. You can chain FOREVER, but until you learn to turn your work; the only thing you’re gonna make is a big snake.
Yup, thats right. When you learn to crochet, you start with the basic chain. It’s true, until you learn more all you can do is make a rope or a snake. Cute, right?!
2. If someone asks if you are a “Hooker”, don’t be offended.
We refer to ourselves as HOOKERS. Not the kind that stands on the corner; we work with crochet hooks, therefore, we are hookers.
3. Sometimes, the yarn you would really like to use is not compatible with the pattern.
It’s sad but oh so true. We all adore the feel of the baby soft cotton and love the look of the bulky yarn. Sometimes, we must accept that it just cant be used. I can’t really expect to make a baby vest out of SUPER BULKY frilly yarn. Then when it was put on the baby, it would look like a little pink elephant swallowed the poor thing.
4. If crochet was a sport, the seasoned crocheters would naturally have a “handicap” score.
Crochet can cause all kinds of pain if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Yes, we all love it. Yes, we all wish we could do it 24-7. We have to take a break every once and a while. Give your hands and wrists a break. The more you crochet, the more you will learn that incorrect posture and tense positioning can really affect your body. Seasoned crocheters can tell you all about the aches and pains of arthritis in the hands and carpal tunnel pains from hooking.
5. Posture is important, as in all things.
This tip kind of goes with the one right before. To avoid unwanted aches and pains, you really should focus on posture while you are crocheting. Obviously, laying down on the bed with your hands above you, working away on a project, is NOT going to benefit your body. Try to find a comfortable place to sit. I suggest the MIDDLE seat of the couch. You can cross your legs or let them dangle to the floor. Yarn and supplies to one side and your pattern on the other side. place your back comfortably up against the back of the couch for support and your project in your lap. Breathe a few times and take a relaxed but straight posture.
6. Expensive isn’t always best.
Cheap acrylic yarn can be crocheted into a beautiful project. Yes the expensive yarn is beautiful too. When you are aiming for a big project, such as an afghan, I find that the cheap yarn does just as well. If you have your eye set on the high priced yarn, just make sure that it is the correct type of yarn for the pattern. Price tags tend to blind me to beauty LOL
7. An iron can REALLY fry your nerves.
Blocking is a great way to get a completed, clean cut, nice look to your finished project. DON’T touch that iron to your work though. The iron will literally fry the yarn! Talk about getting on your nerves, after all that time you spent an making something and you are so close to being done, then you fry your stitches in one spot. PURE FRUSTRATION!
8. You can make a regular sized adult vest and MAGICALLY turn it into an infant sized vest in less than an hour.
Its really not magic. Sorry, if you were wanting a trick. This is more of a mistake and I know that most crocheters have GREAT stories about this. DON’T wash your projects in the washer unless you really want an infant size instead. One of our blog readers said:
9. Felting is fun!
Its true. You can make more than just a dishcloth or blanket with crochet. There are patterns for everything that you can imagine. After you have some practice under your belt, you can write your own patterns. With crochet, you can make handbags, pillows, felt anything, cozies, stuffed animals, pictures, shoes, jewelry, hats, on and on and on. Isn’t it exciting?!
10. There is no such thing as an obsessed crocheter.
Some of us LOVE crochet……we aren’t obsessed. We are twitterpated with crochet. Remember the movie BAMBI, if you seem a little confused by twitterpated. On the other hand, some of us fall into the natural ebb and flow of crochet, where we drop it for a while and become re-fascinated at a later date. You can really never meet an obsessed crocheter, because its just love for a hobby. We don’t stalk yarn…..we stash it. HAHAHAHA
11. “Thank You’s” and adoration of completed work are rare.
It’s a little sad I know. Don’t get your feelings hurt. Crochet is a craft that isn’t depended on so much anymore. In a world where every thing is fast-paced and “gimme gimme gimme”, manners are a dying art too. I have made, sold, and given away so many projects without a thank you or even “It’s nice”. Dont let this hurt you. It’s the others that dont see the beauty in crochet as much as we do. The best thing to do, share your work with other crocheters. They are ALWAYS willing to share and give gratitude.
12. Requests are ABUNDANT.
While not everyone appreciated the work that you have put into a completed project, you will always have someone see that you are crocheting and want what you are making. They request that you make them this or that. This is what I see as appreciation. When I have a request, it makes my heart skip a beat to know that someone (even for a brief moment) sees the beauty in it as I do.
13. It’s OK not to change color as much as you do your underwear.
Color changes are beautiful and spruce up projects. Don’t worry though. Some of the most beautiful projects that I have made are in a single color. Let color changes come when you are comfortable.
14. The last few rounds or rows of your project take longer than the project as a whole.
It is like an episode of Dr. Who?!, time has slowed down to a crawl. If your hands moved any slower, you would be frogging (undoing stitches or going backwards)! It’s just the anticipation and it happens every time. Sorry.
15. Though some disagree, crochet is NOT better than knitting or vice versa.
One craft can never be better than another craft. This is the GREAT DEBATE between the two though. Knitting vs Crochet: Which is the best? I say neither. I do both. They are completely different from one another just as the people of this world are. If you fall in love with one or the other, I am just glad that you fell in love with a form of art!
16. A.D.D. is common when crocheting.
Attention Deficit Disorder. We don’t technically get diagnosed with it. I seem to find that I have a hard time focusing when I am picking out patterns, yarn, hooks……..it’s not really lack of attention. It’s excitement! I get so excited that I have so much to chose from! LOL
17. Counting becomes natural.
In the beginning, counting your stitches can be a nuisance. You loose count easily and forget where you were. Or you completely ignore counting. DON’T!! Counting your stitches is a benefit to you. It keeps your work from “growing” when it’s not supposed to. Pretty soon, it will become second nature to count each stitch. Patience young padawan. LOL
18. You can learn crochet if you’re old, young, man, woman, clumsy, OCD, etc.
Literally, anyone can learn crochet. That’s the bottom line. No matter who you are, if you want to learn crochet, you CAN!
19. Blood, sweat and tears can REALLY go into your projects.
This is fact. Some projects take a lot more out of you than you expect. Sweat: when you are rushing to get a project done before a deadline. Tears: when you have to undo or frog rows upon rows. Blood: self-explanatory…..scissors, needles, and fingertips really don’t agree with one another.
20. Crochet attracts every type of hair or fur imaginable.
Unless you are completely bald and own a hairless cat, you will have this problem. Its inevitable. Get a lint roller and some Febreeze to spruce it up when you are finished with the project.
21. WARNING: Crochet can become addictive!
It should be required to put a Surgeon General’s Warning on all yarn and hooks. HAHAHA Wait and see…..it does become quite addictive.
So my questions to you are:
Leave me your comments below on any other tips you may have? Also, if you have another topic you wish for me to investigate, leave me a comment sharing your ideas too!
1. You can chain FOREVER, but until you learn to turn your work; the only thing you’re gonna make is a big snake.
Yup, thats right. When you learn to crochet, you start with the basic chain. It’s true, until you learn more all you can do is make a rope or a snake. Cute, right?!
2. If someone asks if you are a “Hooker”, don’t be offended.
We refer to ourselves as HOOKERS. Not the kind that stands on the corner; we work with crochet hooks, therefore, we are hookers.
3. Sometimes, the yarn you would really like to use is not compatible with the pattern.
It’s sad but oh so true. We all adore the feel of the baby soft cotton and love the look of the bulky yarn. Sometimes, we must accept that it just cant be used. I can’t really expect to make a baby vest out of SUPER BULKY frilly yarn. Then when it was put on the baby, it would look like a little pink elephant swallowed the poor thing.
4. If crochet was a sport, the seasoned crocheters would naturally have a “handicap” score.
Crochet can cause all kinds of pain if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Yes, we all love it. Yes, we all wish we could do it 24-7. We have to take a break every once and a while. Give your hands and wrists a break. The more you crochet, the more you will learn that incorrect posture and tense positioning can really affect your body. Seasoned crocheters can tell you all about the aches and pains of arthritis in the hands and carpal tunnel pains from hooking.
5. Posture is important, as in all things.
This tip kind of goes with the one right before. To avoid unwanted aches and pains, you really should focus on posture while you are crocheting. Obviously, laying down on the bed with your hands above you, working away on a project, is NOT going to benefit your body. Try to find a comfortable place to sit. I suggest the MIDDLE seat of the couch. You can cross your legs or let them dangle to the floor. Yarn and supplies to one side and your pattern on the other side. place your back comfortably up against the back of the couch for support and your project in your lap. Breathe a few times and take a relaxed but straight posture.
6. Expensive isn’t always best.
Cheap acrylic yarn can be crocheted into a beautiful project. Yes the expensive yarn is beautiful too. When you are aiming for a big project, such as an afghan, I find that the cheap yarn does just as well. If you have your eye set on the high priced yarn, just make sure that it is the correct type of yarn for the pattern. Price tags tend to blind me to beauty LOL
7. An iron can REALLY fry your nerves.
Blocking is a great way to get a completed, clean cut, nice look to your finished project. DON’T touch that iron to your work though. The iron will literally fry the yarn! Talk about getting on your nerves, after all that time you spent an making something and you are so close to being done, then you fry your stitches in one spot. PURE FRUSTRATION!
8. You can make a regular sized adult vest and MAGICALLY turn it into an infant sized vest in less than an hour.
Its really not magic. Sorry, if you were wanting a trick. This is more of a mistake and I know that most crocheters have GREAT stories about this. DON’T wash your projects in the washer unless you really want an infant size instead. One of our blog readers said:
Just a little funny story…my mom crocheted me a vest when I was young…about 11 years old. It was an event as we weren’t wealthy & she wasn’t a daily crocheter by any means (she had severe arthritis)…I remember feeling so special when she took me shopping at the yarn store & I got to pick the colors. I remember how her arthritic hands stitched away & felt so “loved” when Mom finished my vest…well, you get the picture, right? Then you might appreciate my deflated feelings & my shame (I can laugh about it now) when I went running to her with my freshly washed (just learned skill at age 11) with my new vest that was now sized for a 12 inch baby doll!! I had never seen my mom in a totally speechless state (complete with mouth hanging open) before…Epilogue…the vest disappeared & the incident was never mentioned again…Thanks to yayamama56 for sharing that story with us. I am still giggling!!
9. Felting is fun!
Its true. You can make more than just a dishcloth or blanket with crochet. There are patterns for everything that you can imagine. After you have some practice under your belt, you can write your own patterns. With crochet, you can make handbags, pillows, felt anything, cozies, stuffed animals, pictures, shoes, jewelry, hats, on and on and on. Isn’t it exciting?!
10. There is no such thing as an obsessed crocheter.
Some of us LOVE crochet……we aren’t obsessed. We are twitterpated with crochet. Remember the movie BAMBI, if you seem a little confused by twitterpated. On the other hand, some of us fall into the natural ebb and flow of crochet, where we drop it for a while and become re-fascinated at a later date. You can really never meet an obsessed crocheter, because its just love for a hobby. We don’t stalk yarn…..we stash it. HAHAHAHA
11. “Thank You’s” and adoration of completed work are rare.
It’s a little sad I know. Don’t get your feelings hurt. Crochet is a craft that isn’t depended on so much anymore. In a world where every thing is fast-paced and “gimme gimme gimme”, manners are a dying art too. I have made, sold, and given away so many projects without a thank you or even “It’s nice”. Dont let this hurt you. It’s the others that dont see the beauty in crochet as much as we do. The best thing to do, share your work with other crocheters. They are ALWAYS willing to share and give gratitude.
12. Requests are ABUNDANT.
While not everyone appreciated the work that you have put into a completed project, you will always have someone see that you are crocheting and want what you are making. They request that you make them this or that. This is what I see as appreciation. When I have a request, it makes my heart skip a beat to know that someone (even for a brief moment) sees the beauty in it as I do.
13. It’s OK not to change color as much as you do your underwear.
Color changes are beautiful and spruce up projects. Don’t worry though. Some of the most beautiful projects that I have made are in a single color. Let color changes come when you are comfortable.
14. The last few rounds or rows of your project take longer than the project as a whole.
It is like an episode of Dr. Who?!, time has slowed down to a crawl. If your hands moved any slower, you would be frogging (undoing stitches or going backwards)! It’s just the anticipation and it happens every time. Sorry.
15. Though some disagree, crochet is NOT better than knitting or vice versa.
One craft can never be better than another craft. This is the GREAT DEBATE between the two though. Knitting vs Crochet: Which is the best? I say neither. I do both. They are completely different from one another just as the people of this world are. If you fall in love with one or the other, I am just glad that you fell in love with a form of art!
16. A.D.D. is common when crocheting.
Attention Deficit Disorder. We don’t technically get diagnosed with it. I seem to find that I have a hard time focusing when I am picking out patterns, yarn, hooks……..it’s not really lack of attention. It’s excitement! I get so excited that I have so much to chose from! LOL
17. Counting becomes natural.
In the beginning, counting your stitches can be a nuisance. You loose count easily and forget where you were. Or you completely ignore counting. DON’T!! Counting your stitches is a benefit to you. It keeps your work from “growing” when it’s not supposed to. Pretty soon, it will become second nature to count each stitch. Patience young padawan. LOL
18. You can learn crochet if you’re old, young, man, woman, clumsy, OCD, etc.
Literally, anyone can learn crochet. That’s the bottom line. No matter who you are, if you want to learn crochet, you CAN!
19. Blood, sweat and tears can REALLY go into your projects.
This is fact. Some projects take a lot more out of you than you expect. Sweat: when you are rushing to get a project done before a deadline. Tears: when you have to undo or frog rows upon rows. Blood: self-explanatory…..scissors, needles, and fingertips really don’t agree with one another.
20. Crochet attracts every type of hair or fur imaginable.
Unless you are completely bald and own a hairless cat, you will have this problem. Its inevitable. Get a lint roller and some Febreeze to spruce it up when you are finished with the project.
21. WARNING: Crochet can become addictive!
It should be required to put a Surgeon General’s Warning on all yarn and hooks. HAHAHA Wait and see…..it does become quite addictive.
So my questions to you are:
- Did you enjoy the tips?
- What other advice for this would you share with others?
Leave me your comments below on any other tips you may have? Also, if you have another topic you wish for me to investigate, leave me a comment sharing your ideas too!
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