Crochet Tutorial for Beginners (Part 1/3): Everything You Need to Get Started 🧶

August 19, 2026

Never crocheted before? This is exactly where to start!

Learning to crochet can feel overwhelming at first — so many stitches, so many tools, so many YouTube videos to choose from. That's why we created this beginner series: a simple, step-by-step guide that takes you from zero to your first finished stitch. Welcome to Part 1!

What You'll Learn in Part 1

How to hold your crochet hook correctly
How to make a slip knot
How to do a foundation chain
Basic tension tips for beginners

What You'll Need

A beginner-friendly crochet hook (3.5mm–4mm recommended)
Soft 4-ply milk cotton yarn — easy to see your stitches
Scissors and a tapestry needle

🛍️ Find everything you need at joyclubcrochet.com
🚚 Free shipping on orders over $25!

Step 1: How to Hold Your Hook

There are two common ways to hold a crochet hook — the pencil grip and the knife grip. Neither is wrong! Try both and see which feels more natural for you.

Pencil grip: Hold the hook like a pencil, between your thumb and index finger
Knife grip: Hold the hook like a knife, with your hand over the top

💡 Pro tip: Beginners often grip too tightly. Try to relax your hand — your stitches will be more even!

Step 2: Make a Slip Knot

Make a loop with your yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail
Pull the working yarn through the loop
Slide the loop onto your hook and pull gently to tighten
The knot should be snug but still able to slide along the hook

Step 3: Foundation Chain

The foundation chain is the starting point for almost every crochet project. Here's how:

Hold the slip knot between your thumb and middle finger
Wrap the yarn over the hook (yarn over)
Pull the yarn through the loop on your hook — that's 1 chain stitch!
Repeat until you have the number of chains your pattern calls for

💡 Pro tip: Try to keep each chain the same size. Consistent tension = beautiful stitches!

Watch the Full Tutorial

📺 Watch on YouTube: Crochet Tutorial for Beginners Part 1

See every step in action — it's so much easier when you can watch along!

What's Coming in Part 2 & 3?

In the next parts of this series, we'll cover:

Part 2: Single crochet, double crochet, and working in rounds
Part 3: How to finish your work, weave in ends, and start your first mini project