Photograph by Scott Waite
Try this
- Choose knit or crochet. Crochet uses one hook and is quick to start; knitting uses two needles and makes a softer, stretchier fabric. The Craft Yarn Council has a plain-language comparison of the two. If you can’t decide, start with crochet.
- Buy one ball of yarn and the tool it calls for. Choose a smooth, medium-weight yarn in a light color so you can see your stitches. The label tells you which hook or needle size to use.
- Learn one stitch. For crochet, the chain stitch, then single crochet. For knitting, cast on and learn the knit stitch. The Craft Yarn Council’s Learning Center has free step-by-step guides and videos for each.
- Practice 20 minutes a day. Make a small square, pull it out, and make it again. Uneven stitches are part of learning. By day four or five your hands will start to know the motion.
- End the week with something small. A cotton dishcloth is the classic first project: useful, forgiving, and finished in a few evenings.
If it feels hard
- If your stitches are too tight, loosen your grip on the yarn, not the tool. Almost everyone starts too tight.
- If you lose count, that is fine for now. Counting can wait until your second project.
- If you get stuck, bring your work to a yarn shop or a library knitting group. Showing someone your tangle is often the fastest fix.
Make it yours
- Alone: it is a fine way to fill the evening hour that used to go to scrolling.
- With someone: learn together and compare squares at the end of the week.
- Low energy: a simple chain of crochet, repeated, is calming even if it never becomes anything.
- On a budget: libraries often carry beginner knitting and crochet books, and thrift stores sell yarn and hooks for very little.
Why it works
In a 2020 University of Wollongong survey of 8,000 crocheters, nearly 90% said crocheting made them feel calm and 82% said it made them happier (Scripps News). Ravelry, the free online community for knitters and crocheters, had almost 9 million registered users by 2020 (Wikipedia). And 70% of 13- to 24-year-olds say they are seeking out offline activities more, part of why knitting and crochet are having a moment with every age (FashionUnited).
Where to start
- Craft Yarn Council Learning Center: free stitch guides, pattern abbreviations and videos
- Ravelry: a free site with a huge pattern database (filter for free beginner patterns), project tracking and forums
- Sheep and wool festivals: festivals across the U.S. with demos, workshops and yarn from the farms that make it
You don’t need to become a knitter or a crocheter this week. You only need to learn one stitch and see how it feels in your hands.
I hope this finds you well,
Scott