Handcrafted patterns,
made for makers.

What yarn should I buy for my first crochet project?

For your very first project, choose a DK (double knit) weight yarn in a light colour. Light colours let you see your stitches clearly — essential when you're learning to count and identify mistakes. A 100% acrylic yarn like Stylecraft Special DK or King Cole Big Value DK is inexpensive, forgiving, and widely available in UK craft shops.

Avoid dark colours, textured yarns, and anything fuzzy for your first three projects. They hide stitches and make learning harder than it needs to be.

What size crochet hook do I need?

Match your hook to your yarn. For DK yarn, a 4mm hook is the UK standard starting point. Most patterns will tell you the recommended hook size on the front page — always follow the pattern unless you know you crochet very tightly or loosely.

Ergonomic hooks with rubber grips (Clover Amour or Prym are brilliant) are worth the extra £2-3 if you plan to crochet for more than 30 minutes at a time. Your hands will thank you.

How long does it take to learn crochet?

Most absolute beginners can make their first small project — a coaster, a square, a simple hat — within 3-5 hours of practice. The foundation chain and basic stitches (chain, slip, single, double crochet) take about an hour to learn from a good video. Everything else builds from those.

Don't worry if your first few rows look wobbly. Every crocheter in the world has a lopsided first square hidden somewhere. Tension evens out with practice, usually by your second or third project.

UK terms vs US terms — what's the difference?

This trips up nearly every new crocheter. UK and US crochet terms use the same words for different stitches:

• UK double crochet (dc) = US single crochet (sc)
• UK treble (tr) = US double crochet (dc)
• UK double treble (dtr) = US treble (tr)

Always check the top of your pattern to see which terms it uses. Every pattern in our collection is written in UK terms with US conversions included in the glossary, so you can follow along either way.

What's the easiest pattern to start with?

A granny square is the single best first project — it teaches chain, slip stitch, and treble crochet in a forgiving, repeating pattern. Once you've made one square, you can make a cushion cover, a blanket, a bag, or a cardigan.

Our Beginner Blanket pattern walks you through exactly this — it's been tested by makers who'd never held a hook before, with photos of every single step.