Your First Crochet Project

The little square I wish I had started with

When crochet is new, it is very easy to make the first project too ambitious. You see a cardigan or a beautiful blanket and think, I want to make that. I understand the feeling. But there is something lovely about starting smaller. A square gives you enough time to find the rhythm without asking you to spend a week wondering whether you are doing everything wrong.

This one is intentionally simple. You will make chains, work single crochet back and forth, count your stitches, and watch a piece of fabric appear. That is the whole lesson. The first few rows may look a little uneven. Mine do sometimes too when I am getting used to a new yarn. Keep going.

What I would put beside you

Use a smooth, light-colored worsted-weight yarn and a 5 mm hook. You will also need scissors and a tapestry needle for the ends. I would avoid black yarn and fuzzy yarn for this first project because you deserve to actually see where the hook is supposed to go.

You only need about 35 yd / 32 m. This is a scraps-on-the-table kind of project, not a shopping trip.

Let’s make it

Foundation: Chain 17. Try not to pull each chain tight against the hook. They should look like a relaxed little braid.

1. Row 1: Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in every chain across. You will have 16 stitches.
2. Row 2: Chain 1, turn your work, and single crochet across again. 16 stitches.
3. Rows 3–16: Repeat Row 2. Count at the end of each row. This tiny habit will save you from the mysterious triangle that almost every beginner accidentally makes.
4. Border: Chain 1 and single crochet around the outside, working 3 single crochets into each corner. Slip stitch to the first stitch.
5. Finish: Cut the yarn, pull the tail through, and weave both ends into the back.

If it doesn’t look square yet

If one edge is getting narrower, you are probably missing the last stitch of a row. If it is getting wider, you may be putting two stitches into the same place. Put a marker in the first and last stitch if that helps. There is no prize for making crochet harder than it needs to be.

If your stitches are very tight, loosen your grip before changing hook sizes. I used to think neat crochet meant tight crochet. It does not. The yarn needs a little room to move.

What to do with your first square

Use it as a coaster. Keep it in your yarn basket. Make three more and sew them together. I actually love keeping early pieces because months later you can put a new square beside the old one and see how much your hands have learned without you noticing.