Have you ever wanted to take up a new hobby, but you’re unsure how to get started? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The following is a beginner’s guide to crochet! Crocheting is a great hobby to have – it’s fun, practical, and, best of all… you can do it while watching your favorite TV show.

You can even learn to crochet here at DePaul Prep! Every other Wednesday, the Crochet All Day colloquium meets to work on all things crochet – flowers, hats, blankets, and much more. You can sign up for this colloquium at any skill level. “Students decide where they want to go with it,” says Mrs. Dravillas, one of the teachers running the colloquium. 

Ms. Miller, who has been crocheting for years, says that her favorite part of crochet is “how simple it is compared to knitting, because with crochet you can make anything with just a hook and yarn.” 

Many people may feel overwhelmed at the thought of starting something brand new, but not to worry! While it may not look it, crochet can be very simple. Anyone can learn how to do it; whether you want to be able to make sweaters, crochet cute animals, or even come up with your own patterns, it’s all doable! 

Mrs. Dravillas and Ms. Rosin agreed that a good rule to follow when first starting out is not to give up. Ms. Rosin started learning to crochet during the pandemic, and now uses Crochet All Day as a way to get back into the hobby. 

The first thing you will want to do is get the right supplies. For beginners, larger yarn and larger hooks are the best – they’re the easiest to learn with. I’d recommend something like Bernat Blanket yarn, for example. You might have to do a little research on what size of hook is the best for the yarn you’re working with. Also make sure you have things like stitch-markers and darning needles, as these will play an important role in your piece coming together. You’re going to want to have scissors handy, too. 

The second thing you’ll want to do is to learn how to read basic patterns. They look daunting at first, but once you learn the abbreviations, you’ll be fluent in stitch terms! They’re pretty easy to remember: SC = single crochet, CH = chain, F/O = fasten off, to name a few. In this regard, there are hundreds of YouTube videos that are helpful for learning how to crochet each kind of stitch. Even advanced crocheters use them sometimes! 

Now, here’s the most exciting part: picking your first pattern. You want to be realistic, so don’t pick something that is going to take months to finish. Make sure that your first pattern is for beginners, and only includes basic stitches. It is easy to get discouraged  if your piece doesn’t come out exactly like the example… that’s part of learning! You will get a lot better with practice, trust me. And there are so many things you can crochet, it’s up to you! Do you want to make a sweater? A blanket? A cute animal? Gloves? These all make great gifts, too.