Beginners Crochet Projects

Beginners crochet projects that are most suitable for a beginner are easy enough to avoid frustration but not so easy as to bore you.

Easy Crocheted Scarf
Start with a basic scarf. It's both simple and quick, and if you live in a northern climate, it's useful, too. Scarves are crocheted in rows. You don't really need a pattern to make a scarf, but if you want one, they are easy to find on the Web.

Begin your scarf by making a chain the width you want your scarf to be, plus two chains for turning. Make a double crochet in the third chain from the hook and in each chain to the end. Then chain two, turn and make a double crochet in each double crochet to the end of the row, and one in the top of the turning chain. Chain two, turn and do it again. Keep making rows of double crochet until your scarf is as long as you want it.

If you think this pattern sounds dull-endless rows of double crochet-then use your imagination to make it more interesting. Add another color and make stripes. You can also vary the crochet stitch. If your chain is an odd number, make one row of double crochet, chain two and turn; make one double crochet in the first double crochet, then chain one and skip the next double crochet and make a double crochet in the third double crochet. Repeat the pattern to the end of the row, ending with a chain space and a double crochet in the top of the turning chain. Alternate the solid double crochet rows with the skipped stitch rows.

Complete your scarf with fringe. Wrap your crochet yarn around a piece of cardboard that's four to five inches high. The beginning of the wrap should be at the bottom on the front side, and the end should be at the bottom on the back side. Cut the yarn along the bottom of the cardboard for your fringe pieces.

Take two or three pieces and fold them in half. Insert your crochet hook through the end row of the scarf, put the fold over the hook and pull it back through, about halfway. Pull the ends snugly through the loop of the fold. Add fringe across both ends of the scarf.

Beginner Crochet Hat with Roll Brim
Crocheted hats are made in the round. You'll need about 4 ounces of worsted weight yarn and a size F hook, or a size that'll give you a gauge of nine single crochet stitches to 2 inches.

Start at the top of the hat. Chain three and join them into a ring with a slip stitch. Chain one and make nine single crochets into the ring. You may want to mark the end of the ring with a plastic ring or coil, or a scrap of contrasting yarn, and move it with each row, so that you'll know where you are as you work.

Make the second round by making two single crochets in each single crochet of the first round (18 single crochet). In the next round (three), make one single crochet in the first stitch and two in the second, and repeat to the end (27 single crochet). The repeat for round four is one single crochet in the first two single crochets, then two single crochets in the third; repeat to the end (36). For round five, make one single crochet in three single crochets, then two in the fourth and repeat. Round six has one single crochet in each single crochet of round five.

Crochet seven more rounds, adding nine single crochets in every other row. Add nine single crochets in each of the next two rounds after that. You may want to try it on and see if it fits. If it's tight, add more single crochets in the next round; if it's loose, undo to a point where it fits just right. Once it fits, work evenly until the hat is seven inches from the top to the bottom. Again, try it for fit and adjust the length if necessary.

For the first round of the crocheted hat brim, make two single crochets in every fourth stitch. Work evenly for two inches, then join the last stitch of the last round with the first stitch of that round using a slip stitch. Cut the yarn off, leaving about four inches, and pull it through the loop on the hook to fasten it. Use a tapestry crochet needle to weave the loose ends into the edges of the hat for about one inch and cut off any excess.

Other Beginner Crochet Projects
Another simple project that uses your basic skills is a crocheted shawl. You can crochet it as a long rectangular wrap, or make a triangle. Start with the long top side, and make a decrease at the beginning and ending of each row, until you have one stitch left, then bind off.

A crocheted sweater may not sound easy, but think of it as making the pattern pieces of a garment you'll sew together. Check the Web for a pattern if you need it, but you can also measure yourself and figure out how many stitches wide the back and front pieces should be, and how wide and long the sleeves should be, remembering that the sleeves will be sewn into tubes. Make the pieces, stitch them together and finish the hem, cuffs and neck with a simple edging.

For more beginner projects, consider a baby blanket or a simple layette. You can find patterns on the Internet and you'll get some practice working with a smaller crochet hook and a finer yarn.