How Hard Is It To Crochet?

BySarah Holloway
how hard is it to crochet

Crochet is not a hard craft to learn. Accessible to almost anyone, you just need a little muscle memory, patience and persistence. After that, I promise that crochet is easy to learn and quick for you to master. Anyone with a passing interest should give it a try!

How hard is it to crochet?

When I gave crocheting a try for the first time, I sat with a hook in one hand and yarn in the other, trying to put the two together and wishing I could grow a third hand. I dropped the hook, fumbled the yarn and made proclamations about how wrong it felt. Try crossing your arms with the wrong one on top. It’s the same odd sensation, but practice just a few times and you feels normal.

Crochet is based on looping a length of yarn around your crochet hook, then drawing it through a stitch already on your hook. That motion is hard the first few times you try, but when you have mastered it, the rest is just a case of building up patterns.

Is crocheting hard for beginners?

Crocheting is not hard to learn for most beginners, but it depends on your other experience too. You knitting experts, familiar with yarn and needles, have a head start. Lego, jigsaw puzzle fans, or hair stylists, that need dexterity and concentration for your regular activities, will be ahead of the curve too. But even novice crafters can pick up these skills quickly.

We all find different things difficult. I didn’t learn to drive until my mid-thirties. If you can’t crochet yet, but you got a driver’s license before turning thirty-five, I salute you. You can definitely learn crochet too!

how hard is it to crochet

Is crocheting worth it?

Learn something new is worth a go. Even if you hate crocheting, you won’t die wondering whether it was your calling.

You can pick up your crochet hook and a ball of yarn for a few dollars on Amazon or Joanns, or for cents in thrift stores. And if you don’t like it – quit! Keep hold of your crochet hook though, it’s got lots of other uses like doing up buttons, pulling snugs through to the inside of your sweaters, or yanking your hairs out of plug holes (yuck).

Can I learn crochet by myself?

Oh yes! As an introvert I frequently make life harder by refusal to engage human beings in conversation. I learned to crochet happily alone.

Crochet is an excellent solitary pastime, you just need a source of instructions:

  • YouTube videos
  • Books
  • Magazines
  • Blogs

YouTube videos

YouTube is the best resource for learning crochet techniques. The vloggers who spend hours patiently demonstrating and narrating crochet techniques, editing and uploading the footage are angels. From slip knots to stitches, and making whole cardigans, there is a video to demonstrate everything.

Books

There are plenty of crochet books for beginners, and you can check one out of your local library if you don’t want to buy. Static, two-dimensional images and captions aren’t always the best for learning techniques, but books are unbeatable when you are following a new pattern for the first time.

Magazines

There are several monthly magazines dedicated entirely to crochet, plus plenty of crochet coverage in more general interest craft magazines. Look out for editions which come with a free hook and ball of yarn to accompany an easy beginner project.

Blogs

Like this one – hello!

How long does it take to learn crocheting?

All crochet basically boils down to one action – pulling a looping of yarn through another loop of yarn. I’m certain you can learn to do that pretty quickly. And one of the best, most freeing things about crochet is that once you’ve mastered that action, you can basically make whatever you like. You don’t need to build up through unwelcome stages of making things you don’t want, just to get proficient enough to make the things you do want. Dive right in at the deep end!

My first make was a granny square blanket. My second was an amigurumi elephant with a questionable trunk. I still have both of them twelve years later, so their standard is not embarrassing in the slightest.

How hard is it to crochet a granny square?

Lots of beginners start their crochet career with a humble granny square. Whether you work outwards from the center or in rows, and whether you stop small or go big, the granny square is a great way to master your grip, work on your technique, and practice getting a steady tension. There are literally hundreds of videos online to help you, and a basic granny square is one of the easiest patterns you can possibly start with.

How hard is it to crochet a blanket?

There are lots of ways to make your crochet blanket. You can

  • Work in rows.
  • Make a big stack of granny squares and sew them together.
  • Work from the center out (effectively, one giant granny square).
  • Go wild and free form shapes together.

The first three aren’t difficult at all. Only the last option requires a good grasp of how to build up your shapes using crochet stitches, and a feel for how your evolving design is going to come together without a pattern.

In fact the hardest part of making a blanket is keeping going. Big projects take stamina, and if you want to use lots of colors or assemble your blanket from granny squares, you will have extra jobs like weaving in your loose ends. My top tips for staying motivated are:

  • Listen to podcasts or binge box sets.
  • Join an online or real life crochet group for company. Share your progress and be cheered on by other people.
  • Take breaks to complete quicker projects.

Is it easier to learn to knit or crochet?

Most people agree that crochet is easier to learn than knitting. I can do both, and it’s certainly my experience.

  • In crochet you only hold one hook, and only keep one stitch on the hook at a time. If you drop that stitch, your work can only unravel one stitch at a time too. And since the stitches are more knot-like than in knitting, they don’t tend to unravel too readily.
  • In knitting, you use two (or more) needles at once, and you hold all your stitches on those needles at all times – or so help you! If one of those needles slides out, picking those stitches up again is fiddly, and dozens or even hundreds of stitches can get lost at a time.
  • It’s also easier to go backwards in crochet if you make a mistake. You can literally ‘delete’ the stitches as quickly as text on a screen. Whereas in knitting you need to ‘unwork’ each stitch in turn.
  • And finally, crochet takes up less elbow room. So it’s easier to pick up and practice on trains, subways, buses and in waiting rooms.

Is crocheting an expensive hobby?

Alas, cost is crochet’s biggest downfall. Crochet uses about 25% more yarn per square inch than knitting. Which means in materials alone, it is the more expensive hobby. You can save some money by looking for supplies in end-of-batch yarn sales and thrift stores. You can even unravel old sweaters to repurpose their yarn!

Is crocheting good for your brain?

Crochet can be seriously good for you! Research has shown that:

  • Learning new skills improves memory in older people.
  • Tactile projects are physically soothing to work on, and relax your heart rate and breathing.
  • Finishing projects gives us feelings of accomplishment and improves self esteem.
  • Joining a crochet community in real life or online promotes a sense of belonging and relieves feelings of loneliness.
  • Some crocheters use their hobby to manage mental health conditions and life events such as grief, chronic illness and pain.

How hard is it to crochet? Summary

Crochet is one of the easiest and quickest yarn crafts to learn. It requires little investment in materials or equipment, and once you’ve mastered the basics you can progress rapidly to more complex projects.

Crochet guides for beginners:

  • Is crocheting slow?
  • Helping with tensioning.
  • Crocheting at speed.

References

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