One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2025 is to spend more time doing the things I love, and finding new hobbies has been a big part of that. My latest hyperfixation has been crocheting. About a year ago all of my friends decided to try and learn how to crochet because we were bored and looking for something new to try.
I have never been a creative person, so I quickly became discouraged when I didn’t instantly understand it while all of my friends did. I ended up giving up and became the only person in my friend group who couldn’t crochet. This past fall, I reattempted to learn and to my surprise this time it stuck! Now I have been more obsessed than ever and am constantly starting new projects.
Here are the materials you need to get started:
- Crochet hook (5 mm)
- Scissors
- Yarn (acrylic or cotton)
- Stitch markers
- Needle (optional)
- A bag or pouch
The most important materials to have to get started are a crochet hook and yarn, but there are lots of different options to choose from for both of those things. A 5mm hook is universal and is the size that is recommended for beginners, I only recently started using a 4 mm hook this past month to make granny squares.
For yarn, I started off using acrylic but have recently switched to cotton because I like the softer feel of it a bit better. Any color or brand of yarn works fine, whatever you have access to or like best. Scissors are also important to have because you will constantly be cutting the yarn to end a project or when you change colors, and stitch markers help you keep track of your stitches in more complex projects.
I listed a needle as optional because if you’re not doing any projects that require sewing you don’t really need one, but they are definitely good to have just in case. Lastly, I highly recommend having all of your crochet materials in a bag and having a smaller bag within it to hold the small things like crochet hooks or stitch markers.
It is so easy to lose the smaller materials, but if you’re organized you won’t have to worry. Speaking from experience, I lost my first crochet hook for almost six months and had to go buy a new one before I eventually found it in my laundry bin. It is safe to say I keep everything in a small zipper pouch now.
Now that you have all of the materials, it is time to start learning! If you know anyone who knows how to crochet, definitely have them try to teach you first, but if not there are plenty of great YouTube videos and TikTok’s out there to help. When I’m stuck on a specific stitch, for example, I usually just search the name of the stitch followed by the word tutorial and thousands of videos will come up.
The first three things that I think are the most important to learn are chains, single crochets and double crochets. Most projects start with a chain which is great because it’s pretty simple, and single crochet along with double crochet are also in most projects.
My biggest tip when learning is to not become discouraged and give up if you don’t understand something the first or even 10th time. I’ve been there and I promise you eventually you will understand it even if it takes three different videos to explain it to you.
Once you get the hang of it, crocheting is such a peaceful and relaxing hobby. After a long day, I look forward to coming back to my dorm, turning on a show and crocheting. One of my favorite things about crocheting is that you can make anything you want because most likely there will be a YouTube tutorial on it.
I recently finished a tote bag out of granny squares and I am so happy with how it came out. If someone had told me a year ago that I crocheted myself a tote bag I would have told them they were crazy. I have learned that it’s never too late to start a new hobby and college is the perfect time to do it. Happy crocheting!