Want to find out how to improve your crochet skills? Here are five simple steps that you can easily incorporate into your crochet routine!
No matter where you’re at in your crochet journey, there is always more to learn! Whether you’re a beginner looking to build your crochet skills or an experienced crocheter looking to learn something new, there are always new techniques and tips to explore.
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It can seem daunting when you feel like you need to learn EVERYTHING at once, but that isn’t necessary! The best way to improve your crochet skills is simply by practicing. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become with learning new techniques. Patience is key!
My story
Throughout my crochet journey there have been times when I didn’t want to learn a new stitch or technique that was totally out of my comfort zone. Sometimes I just want to sit on the couch and mindlessly stitch away, and that’s totally okay!
Learning new things always requires more time and energy, but that challenge can be exciting too! We might not always feel like taking the leap to learn something new, but once we finally do, it can open up a whole new world of possibilities!
When I first started my crochet journey I found my comfort zone and I stayed in that zone for YEARS. If one of my projects required me to do something that I wasn’t familiar with, I would just come up with my own solution instead of doing some research. Once I finally started reaching out of my comfort zone, doing more research, and trying new things, my skills started improving so much faster!
So, now I’m here to share a few tips that helped me take my crochet abilities to the next level. These 5 steps can easily be worked into your routine and are great things to try when you’re looking for a fun way to improve your crochet skills.
Here are 5 simple things you can do to improve your crochet skills:
1. Try a new stitch
Learning a new crochet stitch is always fun! You may find a stitch you fall in love with and want to use all the time. You don’t have to create a whole project just to learn a new stitch; I love making swatches when I’m learning new stitches and keeping them for future reference. My favorite way to find new stitches is through crochet stitch books! You can check the arts & crafts section at your local library or find books online. I’ll link some of my favorite crochet stitch books below.
Looking through stitch books is especially beneficial because you can see a bunch of different examples and photos of what the stitches will look like. My best advice is to look through some books to find the stitches you want to learn, and then you can always look them up on YouTube to find a tutorial.
My favorite crochet stitch books:
Our Favorite Crochet Stitches by Daisy Farm Crafts. They also have a ton of stitch tutorials for free on their website!
The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs by Linda P. Schapper.
Scroll toward the end of this post for more crochet stitch, pattern, and technique book recommendations!
2. Learn a new technique
While there are tons of different crochet stitches to learn, there are also hundreds of different crochet techniques you can try. You can make beautiful projects with even just the basic crochet techniques, and the more you learn, the more you will be capable of!
If you’re new to crocheting, some simple techniques you can try are crocheting circles or granny squares. Knowing how to crochet a circle, or “crochet in the round,” is a useful technique to add to your repertoire. Granny squares are also worked in the round and can be made in a countless number of shapes and styles!
One example of a unique crochet technique is corner-to-corner (C2C) crochet. C2C crochet gives your work a unique appearance, and can be used to create beautiful colorwork patterns or even artistic imagery (typically referred to as graphgahns).
There are so many different types of crochet techniques. Some can help you learn basic skills – like shaping your projects and changing colors, while others can teach you how to crochet with entirely different tools and types of stitches – like Tunisian crochet.
3. Get inspired by a new pattern
I’ve learned SO MUCH just from using other designer’s crochet patterns. I used to prefer to freestyle everything I made and only create my own designs. But now I realize how much that was preventing me from learning new things that I never would have created on my own.
Of course, free-styling and coming up with your own designs will definitely improve your skills and nurture your creativity. However, trying out another creator’s crochet pattern might help you learn something new or show you a new skill that you’ve never heard of.
For example, when I was pregnant with my first baby I wanted to make so many things for her, but I had no idea where to start or what to make. Sure, I had tons of experience making bikini tops and beanies, but I knew my little baby probably wasn’t going to need a crochet bikini top. So, I turned to the internet and purchased a few cute patterns for baby clothes!
Through the patterns that I used to make clothes for my baby, I learned so many new things like how to crochet raglan style sweaters, how to make shoes/booties, and so many things about sizing garments!
Another plus is that I always get great new yarn recommendations from crochet patterns! While I always try to use a suitable yarn that I already have in my stash for new projects, I love looking up the yarns that designers recommend in their patterns, and I have found some of my favorite yarns that way.
4. Make something that’s out of your comfort zone
I’ll start off by saying, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a very specific crochet niche. We all have different preferences, and there are so many opportunities to make things that you really WANT to make!
While I definitely prefer to make certain things, I’ve found that anytime I branch out and make something out of my comfort zone, I inevitably learn new skills that I can apply to future projects. For example, I’ve always been into making clothing and accessories, but I don’t have as much experience making amigurumi and plushies. I really don’t like making anything that requires a lot of sewing or a bunch of extra details. But I wanted to make some cute baby toys, so I decided to try my hand at making some simple things like this rainbow teether.
Even just practicing a small, simple project helped me learn a lot of new tricks, like how to crochet a perfectly round circle (without getting pointy from the increases), and how to manipulate the shape of an item. I now feel more confident about assembling and shaping crochet pieces.
Maybe you’re on the opposite side of the crochet spectrum – a professional amigurumi maker wanting to branch out and crochet some garments for yourself! My best advice is to take any inspiration you have and go for it!
Now, this definitely doesn’t mean that you have to make everything imaginable, or that you should take every custom order request, or every request from friends and family. The point here is to make the things that you WANT to make, but to also not be afraid of trying something new or different.
5. Study up on some crochet tips & tricks
If you’re having any specific issues with your crochet work, you may want to do some research! For example, for a long time I didn’t know if I was starting my rows correctly. Do I chain 2 or 3 when starting a row of double crochet? Do I skip the first stitch after my chain?
I finally did some research and found out that I had been doing things all wrong! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having your own style or method of crocheting. But if you use a lot of patterns, or if you are designing your own patterns, it’s important to know the standards.
Here are some examples of useful tips & tricks you might want to learn (if you haven’t already mastered them):
- How to change colors
- How to count your stitches and rows
- How to increase and decrease in crochet
- How to create a gauge swatch
- How to weave in your ends
- How to block a crochet or knit project
And there are so many more things to learn that can help improve your crochet skills! These are just a few of the essentials. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to sharing crochet tips & tricks, and I try to update it regularly. Feel free to browse the board below!
Want to save this post for later? Pin it on Pinterest:
In conclusion, there are so many simple things you can do to improve your crochet skills, from learning a new stitch to diving into a new crochet pattern. Start with something that sounds fun to you!
Summary:
5 Tips for Improving Your Crochet Skills:
- Try a new stitch
- Learn a new technique
- Get inspired by a new pattern
- Make something that’s out of your comfort zone
- Study up on some crochet tips & tricks
Want more helpful crochet resources?
I’ve started a Crochet Resources segment on this blog that I plan on filling with information, from tips for beginners, to more advanced topics like pattern designing! The segment is fairly new, but I’ll be adding more to it, so stay tuned! You can find my Crochet Resource Corner here: www.noelebellecrochet.com/category/crochet-resources/
Crochet books:
Crochet books are a great resource you can use to help improve your crochet skills and learn new things! Here are some of my personal favorite crochet books, all of which I own or have rented from my local library.
Books for trying new crochet stitches:
Our Favorite Crochet Stitches by Daisy Farm Crafts
I love this crochet stitch book and I reference it anytime I’m creating swatches for new designs to help me find the perfect stitch! While you can find tons of crochet stitches on Daisy Farm Crafts website for free, I love having the physical copy to hold in my hands.
The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs by Linda P. Schapper
This book is full of unique crochet stitches and includes charts and written instructions for each stitch.
Books for learning new crochet techniques:
The Tunisian Crochet Handbook by Toni Lipsey
Tunisian crochet is a popular crochet technique, and Toni teaches you everything you need to know in order to master it! This book has a complete beginner’s guide to Tunisian crochet, along with 20 projects & patterns!
A Modern Guide to Granny Squares by Celine Semaan & Leonie Morgan
I rented this book from the library one day after seeing the colorful cover, and I was even more pleasantly surprised by the pages inside. This book is full of fun, unique granny squares!
Books for getting inspired by new patterns:
Modern Crochet Sweaters by Janine Myska
Janine, the creator of Knits n Knots, is like the queen of crochet sweaters. If you’re looking to use your crochet skills to create a wardrobe full of beautiful handmade sweaters, you NEED this pattern book!
25 Crochet Baby Blanket Patterns by Daisy Farm Crafts
Blankets are great beginner-friendly crochet projects and will provide hours of relaxing stitching!
Books for studying up on crochet tips & tricks:
Crochet Techniques & Tips by Publications International Ltd.
If you’re a beginner, the Crochet Techniques & Tips book is a great place to start! This book will show you all of basics you need to know, along with some more advanced techniques.
Yes, this book is called the KNITopedia, however, it has a bunch of useful information about crochet too! It also contains a plethora of knowledge about topics that relate to both knitting and crocheting, such as, different types of yarn, how to gauge, block, & weave-in ends, different garment designs (i.e. raglan, drop shoulder, etc.), and more!
More crochet patterns:
My blog is full of free, beginner-friendly crochet patterns!
You can also find ad-free, printable PDF copies of my patterns in my Etsy shop! Every pattern purchase helps to support me and keep this blog running ♡
Yarn shops always offer a wide variety of crochet patterns as well. You can find tons of free and paid crochet patterns on all of these websites:
Credits:
All photos are property of Noelebelle Crochet unless stated otherwise. Please do not use any of my photos or copy any portion of this blog post without providing credit to Noelebelle Crochet https://noelebellecrochet.com/
Let’s be crochet friends! Get in touch with me on Instagram @noelebellecrochet
A great post and I totally agree about staying in my comfort zone for too many years. My first game changer trick was learning Chainless Foundation. Then this year I discovered standing starting stitch inside of chains to begin a row and my favourite new technique has been doing Mosaic Crochet.
I now love learning new tips and stitches after 10 years of crochet.
Thank you so much for your response! I’ve been crocheting for over 15 years and I just learned how to do a chainless foundation this year! And I love using standing double crochet when I’m making granny squares. It makes them look so much neater!
I’ve never tried mosaic crochet, I’ll have to try that next!
❤️