During the summer, it’s easy for the days to get repetitive. It’s easy to get sucked into spending time on your devices all day. For me, though, being on my phone or watching Netflix can get stale pretty quickly. 

When times get overbearingly mundane, the best thing to do is pick up new hobbies. A hobby that I personally love doing to pass the time is crocheting. Crocheting is a relaxing activity for my mind; I get wrapped up in focusing on my next stitch so that I don’t worry about other things beyond my craft. 

Crocheting also lends me a feeling of productivity during a period of boredom because I can create products that I feel proud of. As silly as it may seem, it feels like an accomplishment when you make something you can wear, hold or use. 

Here are some steps to begin crocheting. 

Buy your crochet supplies

If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll need to buy some supplies. You must hit up a local craft store or shop on Amazon to buy a crochet hook and a ball of yarn. Yarn can get a bit pricey, but Michaels often has good deals if you go in person. Personally, my favorite yarn brand is the Red Heart brand. For crochet hooks, I like using metal ones. 

Learn the basic stitches 

Before you start any large projects, I recommend learning the basic stitches first. The basic stitches you’ll need to familiarize yourself with include the chain stitch, the single stitch, the double stitch, the half double stitch, the treble crochet stitch and the slip stitch. These will appear on many projects that you’ll want to take on later, so it’s easier if you learn these first. If you type in the names of these stitches on YouTube, many helpful videos will pop up.  

Make a few granny squares 

This is an underrated step that will help you in the long run. Granny squares can be used to make various items, such as bags, blankets, scarves and more. There are endless patterns to make, such as solid ones that look like a flower or a square with a heart in the middle. You’ll end up stitching these squares together when you make something more extensive, so it’s a good idea to practice making some patterned squares utilizing the basic stitches you’ve learned.

Start your first project 

There are endless things you can crochet, but I wouldn’t start with too hard of a project, even if you’re feeling ambitious. I’d recommend making either a blanket or a tote bag first, since those are generally simple. These projects are easier because you’ll be repeating a stitch to create your project instead of incorporating a vast variety of stitches together. If you want to make a patterned tote, it’s pretty simple: you create granny squares and stitch them together. The same goes for making a patterned blanket from granny squares. Since it’s your first project, I’d recommend following a YouTube tutorial. It may seem like a painstaking process at first, but I promise if you are patient, you will end up with a fantastic product that you feel incredibly proud of. The repetitiveness of the stitches is also quite relaxing, and you’ll get the hang of it quickly. 

Explore the world of crochet 

There are many things to make with a crochet hook and some yarn. Other popular things to make besides tote bags and blankets are tops, skirts, scarves and bucket hats. My favorite thing to make are plushies, also known as amigurumi! To make adorable plushies, you’ll need a thicker-sized yarn. On the yarn, the packaging will detail what size millimeter hook it will look best with. My favorite yarn brand for amigurumi is the Bernat Blanket Yarn, available at any craft store or online. Besides plushies, I also enjoyed learning how to crochet clothes; it gets easier with more experience! I learned everything I know from YouTube and written patterns, so I’d recommend that as a great resource. I also found many free patterns on Instagram if you search #amigurumi. 

That’s all! I hope you enjoy exploring the different things you can make through crocheting. It may seem difficult initially, but if you see it through, I guarantee you’ll feel a lot of satisfaction with the fantastic products you can soon make.