My First Try at Crocheting

I’ve always wanted to make something out of simple yarns - scarf, blankets, socks or clothes. After some research, I decided that crochet is best for me. Before I get into the details of crochet, I want to give a quick summary on the different crafts in this area.

1. Crocheting: Creating textiles using only one hook.
2. Knitting: Creating textiles using two hooks.
3. Weaving: Creating textiles using a weaving loom.
4. Embroidery: Decorating textiles using a needle and threads.
5. Sewing: Joining two textiles together using a needle and threads.

The main reason I chose crocheting is that it won’t hurt my fingers. Furthermore, the barriers to entry is very low - I only need a crochet hook and a ball of yarn. After I got my supplies, I follow Youtube tutorials to get started. Most of the tutorials are very similar in the instructions they give, but I find simplydaisy has the clearest video for me to follow.

At the beginning, my hands have awkward positions and I can’t identify the stitches. It took me some time to realise that my hook size and yarn size does not match. I bought a yarn suitable for 2.5-4mm size hook but my hook was 6.5mm! Therefore, I bought a thicker yarn that fits a 6.5mm hook. Following the tutorials is much easier after this adjustment.

I decided to make a blanket for my buddy Mocha as my first crocheting project. The stitches are simple once you are comfortable with it, but to make a blanket still requires time and patience. I don’t really want to spend my free time at home to crochet since there’s usually more enjoyable things I can do, so I’m thinking of those idle times where I can’t really do anything productive.

Turns out, commuting is a good choice! Whenever I’m on the bus or MRT, I’ll take out my project and start crocheting. They are really quick to setup after you sit down, and also very quick to pause and keep in your bag if you are about to reach your destination. Before crocheting, I used to read during commute, but I can’t really focus. I have to be aware of my surroundings, and I can’t stop at any random word in the book or I’ll end up re-reading that paragraphs anyway. Hence, I find crocheting the best thing to do during commute.

Time to showcase my project! Here is the blanket I made for Mocha, but it is slightly longer than what he requested because I do not want to waste any yarn.

But he finds it good enough to share with his new friend Ion when they are cold.

In case you are wondering, yes I only use one ball of yarn. The yarn has a mix of two different colors.

What’s next after this? I plan to invest in a darning needle and stitch markers. A darning needle is used to weave off the ends of the project so that it looks prettier. My current solution is to tie a huge knot so that it will not loose. A stitch marker is used to mark important positions when doing more complicated patterns, and useful to pause active stitches without it unravelling. After that, my next project is to learn how to crochet a flat circle so that I can make a cushion that looks like a Pokeball. If I prefer more mentally demanding work, I will learn how to read crochet patterns.

That’s all for today! Hope you find my beginner journey to crocheting entertaining, and that it inspires you to start crocheting too.