Crochet Basics
Start here: how to hold the hook and yarn, make a slip knot and a magic ring, and read your first pattern line by line.
4 lessons, best read in order
Lesson 17 min readReading Your First Crochet Pattern, Line by Line
Crochet patterns look like code until someone reads one with you. We take a simple washcloth pattern and translate every line into plain English, so the next pattern you open makes sense on its own.
Lesson 25 min readHow to Hold a Crochet Hook and Yarn (Without the Hand Cramps)
There is no single correct way to hold a hook, but there are a few ways that make learning much easier. Here are the two common grips, how to control the yarn with your other hand, and how to stop your hands from aching.
Lesson 33 min readHow to Make a Slip Knot for Crochet
Almost every crochet project starts with a slip knot: an adjustable loop that sits on your hook. It takes a few seconds once you know it, and getting it right makes your first chain much easier.
Lesson 44 min readHow to Make a Magic Ring (Magic Circle) in Crochet
The magic ring, also called a magic circle or adjustable ring, starts round projects with no hole in the middle. It feels fiddly the first few times, and then it becomes second nature. Here's how to make it and how to keep it closed.
Related Educational Guides & Tutorials
Crochet Hook Sizes Chart: mm, US Letters and UK Sizes Explained
Why millimeters are the only size you can trust, a full conversion chart, steel hooks, which hook suits which yarn, and how hook shape and material change the way you crochet.
US vs UK Crochet Terms: Conversion Chart and How to Tell Them Apart
A UK double crochet is a US single crochet. Here's the full conversion chart, why the systems differ, how to spot which one a pattern uses, and how to convert without mistakes.
How to Read a Crochet Pattern: The Complete Guide
Every part of a crochet pattern explained, from skill levels and multiple sizes to repeats, stitch counts, shaping language, charts and schematics, plus what to do when something seems wrong.