Learning to crochet has been both interesting and rewarding. I've been learning quickly with the help of Pinterest and Youtube tutorials and I'm coming now to share a list of things I've learned as a new crocheter that have been seriously important to the craft.

1) Start Small.

Even if your goal is to make a giant blanket you shouldn't have it be your first project. Or even your second, or third. I honestly burnt myself out for a little while trying to make a baby blanket for my neighbour. Most of the things I make currently take a day or two, three if I've got no time and at the end I get something functional, made just for me.

2) Inspect Needles before purchasing.

Not all needles are the same truth be told and I have found this out the hard way. Some are easier to use than others just for having simple things like edges where others have round spots. My favourite hook is the red one because it holds onto the yarn well but I've been using the bigger purple one for a lot of my projects recently. In the future I'd like something with a bit more of a sharp angle in the hook to make it so it grabs the yarn better. Either that or wooden or bamboo crochet needles, I totally see the value in those.

3) Make Goals:

I try to learn something new every project be it the pattern itself, the stitch I use to make it or both. I find I get bored doing the same stitch over and over again.

4) Replace Facebook and Other Time Sinks with Crocheting.

I get it's not the most exciting thing or even the most productive thing I could be doing with my time but like everyone else I experience times where I want to be doing something, but don't want to be physically active. I've found crocheting is a great way to keep myself productive and busy, as well as off facebook, instagram or even Pinterest. It's easy to get sucked into those things if you're not paying attention.

5) Pay attention.

It's easy to mess things up with crocheting. It's helped my work on my lack of ability to self correct, that is notice I'm making a mistake while its happening and changing it before messing things up more. If you mess up a stitch halfway through and roll with it it'll look crappy, be a weak spot in the project and be a problem later when you pass over the stich again for the next row. Or you could do what I did today and do everything the pattern tells you to do backwards, just because I recorded it wrong in my notes.

That's what I've got for now. Stay tuned for photos of my recent adventures, including a dread hat I started today.