There are a ton of common crochet mistakes that beginners can make first starting. I created a list of common mistakes to make sure you know what they are and how to fix them.
Can anyone make these mistakes?
Any crocheter of any skill level has made these mistakes throughout their journey. I, have made plenty of these mistakes and learned from them. Do not feel bad for making these common crochet mistakes because they aren’t meant for you to learn from and grow.
Not stretching before crocheting
Stretching before crocheting can help your hands for long periods of crocheting. Just like working out, you want to warm up your wrist to help prevent injury or achy hands.
Take a few minutes to stretch your hands and wrists. This will help you avoid cramping and crochet for longer periods.
If you are in any pain, consult your doctor to determine the necessary steps.
Increasing/decreasing (unintentionally)
Ever notice your project widening or narrowing as you crochet? This is a common crochet mistake that almost every crocheter has made at least once in their life.
Increasing is when you crochet multiple stitches into one place (usually the beginning and end of a row) to increase your project. If you are new to crochet, you can do this accidentally. The same goes for the narrowing of
your crochet project. You are placing fewer crochet stitches than what is needed for that row. Your crochet project will start to narrow or go inward.
How you resolve this is by counting your crochet stitches to ensure you are placing the correct amount of stitches in your row.
Not learning abbreviations
Being new to crochet, abbreviations can help in so many ways. They are important in the crochet world because it helps us to read patterns.
Being able to read patterns can help you learn new projects. It is almost like a second language to help you understand crochet patterns.
Click here for the Ultimate Crochet Cheatsheet to learn abbreviations, yarn types, and more!
Not Counting stitches
If you are new to crochet, it’s best to get into the habit of counting your stitches. This ensures that you are crocheting the correct amount of stitches in each row.
If you aren’t counting your stitches in every row, it’s possible your project will start to widen or narrow (see mistake #2)
Weaving in your ends properly
Make sure you weave in your crochet ends properly so that nothing can come undone. It is where you do not want to rush, but take your time for the sake of habit.
This is a great habit to learn, especially if you are creating clothes. Making sure your ends are weaved in properly makes it so that you don’t have to worry about crochet clothes coming undone.
For tips on how to weave in your crochet ends, click here.
Counting the wrong stitches
Since you started counting your crochet stitches, there is one important common crochet mistake to know. You should never count the stitch that is on the actual hook itself. Always count from the chain off the hook and never on the hook.
I put a visual representation below to see which stitches you should count, how to count them, and what not to count.
Using the wrong crochet hook
Using the wrong crochet hook can impact the outcome of your crochet project. When following a crochet pattern you want to acknowledge the yarn and hook recommendations.
When you are purchasing yarn, make sure to read the crochet yarn label or crochet pattern to determine what hook size would be best for your project.
Using the wrong crochet yarn
Just like the mistake above, the same goes for using the wrong yarn type. When using the wrong yarn type it can dramatically change the outcome of your project.
It’s always best to use the recommended yarn type the pattern calls for. This ensures that your project will come out how it should.
Understanding Turnaround chains
Turnaround stitches are stitches added to a chain that your hook should not insert into. The purpose of it is to be treated as a stitch, turn your work, and a few other different ways.
Learning this will help you know what the turnaround stitches are and their purpose. In certain circumstances, if you don’t count your stitches (See mistake 3) then your project can come out differently due to the different stitch count in each row.
Not creating gauge swatches
Gauge is important in crochet and is a great habit to develop early on. Gauge in crochet is creating a swatch (4X4) to measure tension. This will indicate that you will need to loosen/tighten your tension, change crochet hooks, and if the sizing will be accurate.
There you have it!
These are some of the most important common crochet mistakes that you could make as a beginner crocheter.
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