By: Bridget Maddux
I learned how to crochet for cheap, and here’s how! This is budget-friendly, and you can use this tactic to learn almost any hobby you want. I picked up crocheting with my mom probably back in 5th grade because we wanted to make these blankets we saw online. Well, it was quite a big task because the pattern was just constant rows of crochet stitches. I don’t think I would take on the feat of making a blanket like that even now unless I wanted to finish it next year. We were beginners and didn’t start small, so we gave up soon after.
Earlier this year, I was inspired by things I saw on the internet and social media, and I decided to pick it back up again. I went to YouTube, clicked on the first video I saw, and started. I grabbed my old crochet hook from 5th grade and went to Walmart to get some yarn. It was like $4 for a medium skein* of yarn. I started making the “granny square” and then kept practicing making those until I figured I should make a bag with them. A granny square is just a crochet square. I looked up a tutorial, and after that, I immediately went to YouTube for a video tutorial if I wanted to make something. Now I also look on other social media platforms, websites and blogs.
Before we get into what you need, here are a few basic terms to get you started:
*Skein of yarn: is your “ball” of yarn.
MM: millimeters.
Yarn weight: yarn has weight to it, and you can find it on the label of your yarn. It usually ranges from 1 being the thinnest yarn to 4 and higher, getting thicker the higher the number. Size 4 is the standard and easiest for beginners, which is medium weight.
The main two kinds of yarn are cotton and acrylic. Cotton will be more breathable, while acrylic is like wool and will keep you warm. You can also buy yarn that has mixed fibers.
Here is a guide to what you will need to get started:
The standard hook size is 5 mm or 5.5 mm, and they can get small, like 2 mm or bigger, like 15 mm. Next, you’ll need yarn. If you don’t have any old yarn from middle school, I suggest going to your local craft store or Walmart and grabbing one skein of yarn for about $4 and a crochet hook for about $3 if you don’t have one of those, either. You will also need access to the internet and YouTube. If you don’t have a laptop, smartphone or tablet, I suggest going to your local public library. They should have computers that have access to free Wi-Fi, and you can take a bag with your yarn and hook, find a nice quiet spot in the library and learn how to crochet.
Once you find a project that you want to start, a tip is to pay attention to the hook size, weight, and fiber of the yarn the tutorial uses. Different crochet hook sizes can change the thickness or density of your stitches as well as different weights or fibers like cotton or acrylic yarn which can make your project look unlike what you expected.
A shorter 8-minute-long video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAxGTnVNJiE.
Another video I found that is over an hour long that I didn’t watch when I first started, but if you need a more in-depth explanation of everything, I recommend this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k4br-KUYiI.
Here is a fantastic website I found for people who prefer to learn by reading https://easycrochet.com/crochet-for-beginners/.
Crochet has been one of my favorite hobbies I’ve picked up, and here I help others who might not be sure where to start. Not everyone can pay for or go to classes to learn crochet. You can use this tactic to begin almost any hobby you want, but I have included helpful tips and links for those looking to learn how to crochet on a budget.
