🙋♀️ : I am not crafty at all! Do you think even I can make those popular crochet items?😅 👩🏫 : Of course, you can! Let's see how to do it together now.
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Recently, I bought balls of colorful yarns and a crochet hook to decorate my sofa in the living room with a large motif blanket this winter. It's my first doing crochet since middle school, but I'm a little proud of myself for doing better than I thought. 😋
When I continued stitch after stitch imagining the completed blanket, it reminded me of my childhood. My mom was such a crafter, and she used to make many things and decorate our house. I remembered how she was knitting whenever she had time, and I was interrupting her by playing with yarns next to her. When it got cold, she knitted sweaters and scarves for me. And when spring came, she made pretty crochet laces with cotton thread and a crochet hook to decorate TV, shelves, and so on. My love for home styling and craft skills probably is from mom. 💕
So! We're going to learn about the hand-knits that have been loved since a long time ago, especially crochet. We've prepared lots of basic crochet stitches and helpful websites. So please read this post until the end.
What is Crochet?
Crochet is a knitting method that weaves thread or yarn using a crochet hook or textiles made in that way. Some of you may have noticed from the pronunciation, but the name crochet comes from the French term "crochet," which means "small hook." In fact, knit textiles have been known to have existed since the 11th century, but evidence that there were crochet textiles emerges in Europe in the 19th century.
19th-century crochet from Orvieto, Italy.
This crochet was resurrected as home craft projects from the 1940s to the early 1960s after World War II, especially in the United States, with creative designs in various colors, such as doilies, potholders, and other home items. Then, it faced a new generation with the popularities of granny squares and colorful round motifs between homemakers, but the popularity gradually subsided. However, entering the 21st century, there is a lot of interest in handcrafts and DIYs, and it is getting more interest again. These days the quality of yarn has improved, and the variety has become more diverse. Also, many new pattern books have been published, and crochet classes have become more open.
Granny Square Patterns
What Do I Need for Crochet?
There are many materials for crochet, but with only two things, a hook and yarn, we can start to do it right away!
🧶Crochet Hook
The crochet hook comes in various materials, from aluminum to bamboo, steel, and even light-up crochet hooks.
The size of the needle is classified by the diameter of the hook's shaft, and you need to choose a certain size for specific crochet patterns and sizes. Each country has a different size notation, so it's better to buy it by referring to the size table of each country. (In Korea, we follow the Japanese size.)
🧶Yarn
The thickness or weight of the yarn in crochet are significant factors in determining how many stitches and rows are required for a pattern.
Yarns are normally divided into animal fibers, plant, and synthetic fibers. Animal fibers include silk, wool, angora, cashmere, and plant fibers include cotton, linen, and jute. Also, the most common synthetic fibers include acrylics, polyesters, nylon, etc. Besides them, there are so many types of yarn, but let's find out the three kinds of yarn used the most for crochet and are suitable for beginners to use.
Wool It is a typical animal fiber made from sheep, alpaca, cashmere, etc. Some people have wool allergies since it is animal fiber, which makes it a little tricky to take care of, but it's one of the best choices for crochets with its warmth and elasticity.
Cotton Yarn
Cotton yarn might be a challenge for beginners to do crochet, but it is used to make especially children's products and lace items since cotton absorbs well and is breathable. It suits summer the best with its lightweight, but it is also great for any season since it is durable.
Acrylic Yarn
The most popular synthetic fiber used in crochet is acrylic. It's less durable compared to wool and cotton, but it's easy to use for beginners. Above all, it comes in various colors and is one of the more affordable choices for yarn, so it is a popular fiber among crocheters.
So, What's Next?
Once you have a crochet hook and yarn, you are all set. No, wait! you need to learn basic stitches first.
Also, since all of the patterns are printed with abbreviations and symbols, it would be better to be familiar with crochet quickly if you learn abbreviations together.
With this abbreviations chart, here are some of the basic stitches. You can make many things with these basics, so let's not take too big steps at first and start from the basics.✊
Crochet Terms and Abbreviations (from www.annknitting.com)
🧶Chain Stitch (ch(s))
Chain stitch is the most basic of all stitches, and most patterns begin with chain stitches. It is a must-learn stitch since almost all simple designs for beginners start with it.
from JOY of CROCHET
🧶Slip Stitch (sl st)
Slip stitch is a stitch that you should know as well! You can use a slip stitch to join pieces together or add decorative elements on top of the finished project. Adding slip stitch edging to a project helps smooth the edges and gives it a more finished look. If you finish with a contrasting colored yarn on the edges, you can add another decorative effect.
from JOY of CROCHET
🧶Single Crochet Stitch (sc)
Single crochet stitch is one of the most used stitches you need to know since almost all patterns include it. It's one of the easiest stitches to learn, so you can quickly catch it. There are so many patterns that you can do using just single crochet stitches, so make sure to learn it.
from JOY of CROCHET
🧶Half-Double Crochet Stitch(hdc)
Half double crochet is versatile and one of the basic crochet stitches that a beginner should master.
from JOY of CROCHET
🧶Double Crochet Stitch (dc)
Double crochet stitch is also one of the essential basic stitches.
It's no exaggeration to say that you can make almost any crochet pattern once you master it. Practice a few times, and soon you'll do it like a pro, so don't be afraid to follow this tutorial.
from JOY of CROCHET
🧶Treble Crochet Stitch(tr)
Once you've mastered double crochet stitches, it'll be very easy to do treble crochet stitches. So, it is frequently found in crochet patterns for beginners.
from JOY of CROCHET
Granny Square for Beginners!
Now that we've learned basic stitches, shall we start to crochet? There are various patterns, but granny square, a basic one, would be great to learn quickly for those who are new to crochet.(Granny Square Tutorial) A classic granny square includes chain stitch, slip stitch, and single crochet stitch, among the basic ones mentioned earlier. Not only is it easy to do, but you can also make various items from bags to tablecloths and blankets. Using many colors of yarn and crocheting with different stitches allows you to make lots of different styles. This pattern is perfect for the cottage style of home styling, which is part of the fall home decor trend. (Home Styling in Cottage Style)
So here are some granny square patterns that you can do right away. Try to decorate your home with your crochet this fall.
🧶Crochet Table Runner (from Dear crochet)
🧶Crochet Coasters (from rmd crochet)
🧶Crochet Blanket (from RaLee Hands)
🧶Crochet Wall Hanging (from Sandy Crochet)
Wanna Know More about Crochet?
We have learned about crochet, which will be great home styling accents. I'm sure some people want to know more details and advanced skills since this post focused on people who are new to crochet or don't have much experience. Therefore, here are websites where you can learn various crochet patterns that I couldn't include here. Now I'm going to work on my motif blanket. Bye~⭐
🧶SLOWFLOW YouTube
It is SLOWFLOW that provides house-produced yarns and offers crochet workshops and certificate training programs.
You can watch crochet tutorial videos of professional knitting designers who hold Vogue certificates from the Japan Handicraft Instructors Association.
🧶SEVY Knit&Crochet YouTube
They offer hand-knitting content from simple knitting techniques to the techniques that knitters are curious about.
🧶Knit.Seasons YouTube
Knit.Seasons is an online shop specializing in hand-knit kits. You can also find ways to reform household waste into new creations.
It is one of the largest home craft websites in the United States that teaches various home craft and DIY projects. In the "Crochet" section of the "Needlecrafts" category, you can find almost everything about crochet, from basics to how to make a lot of household items.
Ravelry is the world's largest hand-knitting community website, and you can find millions of patterns shared by members all over the world, including crochet, knitting, and weaving.
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