I picked up crochet a few years ago thinking it would be relaxing. It was — eventually. But first, I made every mistake possible. Here's what I'd tell Day 1 me:

1. Start with a bigger hook than you think.

Tiny hooks = tiny stitches = tiny frustration. A 5mm or 6mm hook with medium-weight yarn is way more forgiving. You'll actually see what you're doing.

2. Chain stitch isn't the hard part — turning is.

Everyone obsesses over the chain stitch. That's the easy part. The real challenge is turning your work and finding where to put your hook on the next row. Once you get that, everything clicks.

3. Counting stitches saves hours of frustration.

I know it sounds tedious. But if you lose count, you'll end up with a triangle instead of a rectangle. Use stitch markers or just count out loud. No shame.

4. YouTube is your best teacher (not the pattern).

Written patterns look like hieroglyphics at first. Search for video tutorials of the exact stitch you're learning. Seeing the hand movement is everything.

5. Your first project will be ugly — and that's perfect.

My first "scarf" looked like a crumpled washcloth. I still have it. It's proof I started. Don't aim for Pinterest-worthy. Aim for done.

If you've been thinking about trying crochet, the hardest part is starting. Everything after that is just practice. 🧶