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Blocking Crochet: An Overview

April 24, 2025April 24, 2025crochet, crochet resources9 Comments

What Does Blocking Crochet Mean?

This blog post is an overview of what blocking crochet means. It’ll be a quick guide to cover all the basics without, fingers crossed, being too hardcore about it. However, there are a couple of things included that are slightly more than “basic”. Forgive me, I couldn’t bring myself to leave out any of the info.

I also need to get through this whole post without writing “Blcoking”. Wish me luck.

Whilst I am not normally a stickler for the rules, I do believe that blocking is essential if you want your crochet to look its very best. You have gone to so much trouble to hook up hundreds of stitches, why not put in one last burst of energy to make your truly crochet shine! I feel that it’s a necessary evil. Blocking crochet makes your work stand out and look even more fantastic than it already is.

If you don’t want to read about this riveting subject, check out my video about blocking crochet. It covers very similar ground, plus it has some comparisons and demonstrations.

If you are relatively new to crochet, you could also read my overview about all the other things you need to learn how to crochet. Hopefully, you find that blog post useful. Aaaand, check out some more crochet tips and tricks here!

For the most part, I block all my crochet garments, as well as shawls, scarves, and cowls. I’ve also even been known to block a crochet hat — with a balloon!

First of all, the big question is: What is blocking? If you hear people talking about blocking crochet, what does that mean?

Blocking Your Crochet: An Overview

Blocking is about making the best of your crochet by using moisture, and sometimes heat, to set your stitches. It changes the fabric you have created into a new form.

When you block your new crochet project, it opens up and sets stitches into their final “look”. Depending on the yarn you’ve used, you can wash/soak, rinse and blot your crochet before pinning it out to dry. Or pin it out first, then steam or spray crochet fabric with water and leave it to dry. That’s all blocking is. You can pin crochet fabric out to particular measurements, but often, you can wing it.

Once a crochet item has been blocked, the fabric size and drape can be different to what your crochet looked and felt like before you dunked it in soapy water. Stitches can bloom open, and yarn softens beautifully. Blocking crochet creates a beautiful drape, and if you’re making a crochet garment, it will make sure that it fits how the design was intended.

Or, if you carelessly steam-block with an iron, you could melt your precious crochet. Please be careful!

Sleevless Crochet Tank Top: Ducky Fuzz, find the pattern on Ravelry and Etsy

What Tools Do You Need For Blocking Crochet?

You do not need ALL the gear. To begin, you can make do with just some basics. When I first started blocking my crochet projects, I used dressmaker’s pins and pinned my finished objects (FO) directly onto the carpet. If the carpet was lucky, I’d put a towel down first. These tools worked, but they were not ideal in the long term. I have since collected a few more items that make blocking crochet a lot easier. (Also, it isn’t advisable to use dressmaker’s pins, or pin directly onto carpet!)

When I realised that taking the extra steps to block my crochet items was worth it, I invested in what I think are the absolute basics: a handful of foam blocking mats and some proper blocking pins (ones that weren’t going to rust and ruin my precious crochet). You may also benefit from having a heavy dose of patience in your arsenal.

Blocking Mats

Blocking mats are usually square foam mats/boards that interlock to give you a suitably sized surface area. They provide a sturdy and protective surface onto which you pin out your crochet and knitting projects.

Buy them from the hardware store or supermarket. I know that some folks use children’s foam play mats effectively, and there are mats specifically designed for the job of blocking. Or, I’ve used a yoga mat quite effectively in the past, however, it is not as structured as a foam mat.

Blocking Pins

You can buy boxes of blocking specific pins. Choose ones that are designed for the job you need them for, like T-pins. Other pins will be too weak and possibly prone to rusting. You’ll likely be using moisture for blocking, so you need strong stainless steel pins.

Then, if you’re short on time or just lazy, knit blockers are a Godsend! They are little sets of sharp pins, held in plastic, that sit neatly together in a row. They make blocking crochet a bit more bearable if you ask me.

I have two boxes of the knit blockers and thinking that a third set might be wise. Two boxes can efficiently block one garment when it’s in pieces. I often block a couple of things at the same time, so need/want more.

If I don’t make it clear in my Blocking Crochet video on YouTube, place the pins at a slant, angling them outwards. This holds the tension better.

Blocking Boards

Blocking boards are great for granny squares. They are solid boards with holes so you can place little evenly spaced dowels to hold the tension of crochet squares and set them into shape.

Whilst I have a few different sized blocking boards like this, I confess that I don’t ever use them. I lost the dowels, which doesn’t help!

A mini blocking board for granny squares

Blocking Wires

Blocking wires can be pricey, especially if you’re not going to use them frequently. They are my best friend when I block crescent shawls as they curve with the crochet.

These fine, bendable yet strong wires always ping back to their original form. They are another time saver as they negate the use of quite so many pins. They hold tension evenly along long stretches of fabric, and you only need to place the pins intermittently to hold the wires.

However, with some chunkier crochet projects, you can affect the fabric at the blocking stage because you’re blocking the blocking itself, if that makes sense!? In other words, thicker yarns can be pushed out of shape if you thread the wires in and out of the edges. It can create and little wavey ripple along the edge, and you don’t want that.

Therefore, you kind of have to pick and choose what tools you use for the type of crochet project that you’re blocking. Take a look at the YouTube video about Blocking Crochet (around the 48 minute mark). You’ll see a cowl with a scallop edge. Take note of the edge with the wire versus the pinned edge. Do you see what I mean about the wibble edge?

Before I bought the wires, I used to use knitting needles! Got away with them for the lace weight & sock weight shawl (below) but not the best tools for the job!

What tools do you need for blocking crochet? — The Mya Shawl by Helda Panagary – blocked with Nanna’s old knitting needles!

A Steamer

You don’t need a steamer if you have an iron with a steam function, but I found myself steaming things more than ironing. I no longer know where my iron is since I purchased my steamer. They are a better tool for the job of blocking if you can justify having one.

When you have pinned out your crochet to the measurements you want, the steamer is waved across the fabric, just above it (you don’t want to get too close as there’s a risk of overdoing it).

Once you have gone over the surface areas of the crochet, leave it to dry, and then it’ll be ready.

A Mister for Spray Blocking

I have a spray bottle that is a real work horse, used in cutting the boys’ hair, misting plants and mostly, spray blocking my crochet! This is the “laziest” of the three main methods. More on this in a sec…

A Pool Noodle!?

Oh, I have a pool noodle cut in half for when I block things where a crease would upset me!! Take a look at the bobble cowl pic (below) from my Mix & Match crochet cowl pattern. I don’t whip these out very often, but you can see why they might be useful for some crochet pieces! If they roll towards each other, pop in a few pins in appropriate places to stop them.

Hap Frames for Blocking

Blocking frames are predominantly used by knitters who make hap shawls. I made a crochet hap shawl called the Barton Hap, which featured in John Arbon Textiles Annual 3. My father-in-law very kindly made me a blocking frame so that I could block the two hap shawls I made. They were huge and, without the frame, they would have been really tricky to block. Storing the drying shawls in an upright position was so much better than having them spread across a floor space.

I still employed the wires, too, as there weren’t enough dowels for all the crochet peaks around the edge of the shawl. The crochet shawl needed to be taut, like a drum, so I evenly pulled (somewhat aggressively) and secured the fabric in place. I watched a few YouTube videos to learn how to do this.

Blocking a crochet hap shawl in a frame — A hap frame to block square shawls

Methods to Block Crochet

There are three main ways to block crochet. The method I choose largely depends on what fibre I have been working with. Whichever method you choose, it is advisable to work up a swatch in the yarn you’ve used in your crochet project and block that in your chosen method. How does the swatch react? Because that’s likely to be how your FO (finished object) is going to act.

The chances are that you have to make a swatch anyway, as you will want to measure your gauge accurately. Blocking your tension square in the same way you intend to block final crochet items will give you the information you need. If you’re following a pattern, the gauge info and final measurements will be included, and these give makers an idea of how something should be blocked.

Also, don’t forget to check the yarn label for care instructions before embarking on any kind of blocking.

Cat and crochet blocking — Blocking mercerised cotton pieces for a fitted crochet top

TLDR Crochet Blocking Methods

In just a moment, I’ll go over each method in more detail, but generally, the three main ways of blocking crochet are:

WET BLOCKING. This is great for natural fibres (wools and cottons alike). It doesn’t work for acrylic as the material ignores the moisture and stretching, and will ping back to its original state. You need to be careful during the process of wet blocking as this feels like the stage when your precious stitches are at their most vulnerable. The fabric stretch will be really evident, so be gentle. The results are usually fantastic.
STEAM BLOCKING. This uses heat as well as stretch to fix crochet fabric. You don’t need to pre-wash, just pin out onto blocking mats to the shape and measurements you need. Use a steamer for the moisture to penetrate the fibres. The mix of heat and moisture will help set the stitches. Be careful with this one; it’s great for acrylic blends, but the heat manipulates acrylic fibres so you could melt or “kill” the fabric.
SPRAY BLOCKING. You have pinned out your crochet already. Next, use a mister (spray bottle) to spritz water over the fabric and leave it to dry. This is another method for natural fibres and won’t work for acrylic yarn. The more gentle nature of spray blocking means it’s a good method for first timers.

Pinning Out Your Crochet

Regardless of the blocking method, 99.9% of the time, you will pin out your crochet. Once you have started pinning out, you may need to adjust and play around with the placement. That’s OK. It happens all the time. Start somewhere in the middle rather than a far end/corner. You can then work outwards towards the ends/corners, which tends to help balance everything better. If you find yourself fannying about too much, step away and then reevaluate.

Use plenty of pins, and/or the sets of blockers. If you use too few pins, then dips between each pointy fixture might get set into the final piece.

That action of pinning out means the crochet fabric will have stretched out a little bit.

Aggressive Blocking?

There are different levels of stretch and pull when pinning out crochet fabric. As with the Barton Hap shawl, which was aggressively blocked on the frame, some crochet stitches and yarn combos look best when they are pulled and stretched into shape. Lace work looks and feels delicate and dainty, but I have often found that these types of crochet fabrics are the ones that need a good seeing to.

That tension creates the drape that is required in a shawl. It might not be so good for a garment as it could end up looking saggy when it isn’t supposed to fit that way. In my experience, you shouldn’t be quite so forceful with garment pieces. A little bit of tension is fine to set those pieces.

If in any doubt about the level of force required in pulling out the fabric, go easy first. It’s less heartbreaking to block a second time, using a bit more welly, than it is to overdo it on the first go. However, I am probably fearmongering here, I don’t think I’ve ever messed up by overstretching.

Wet Blocking

I always follow the same process to wet block my crochet pieces: The bathroom basin is filled with warm water and a small splash of wool wash soap. The crochet is either left to its own devices, or I help it along by pressing it down into the water. Then it’s a case of leaving it to soak for a bit.

Some say that you should leave it for 20-30 minutes to really allow the water to get into the fibres. I say, once it’s wet, it’s wet. And so I only leave it for a few minutes. I might walk off and do something else for quarter of an hour, by which time it should be ready for a rinse.

Fill the sink with clean water and submerge again. Then say goodbye to the wet stuff and gently squeeze your crochet of all the excess water. Do not twist or wring the fabric. Instead, it helps to blot your crochet fabric in a towel. Just roll it up into a sausage and dolly step along the rolled up towel.

Then it’s time to pin everything out onto blocking mats.

I have found that many wet blocked garments can be blocked by their own weight and I don’t necessarily need to use pins. A garment can be laid out flat onto the mats (with or without a towel on top of the mats – it dries quicker with one) and the whole process of washing is enough for the jumper (or whatever) to relax into its new state. However, there are times when the fabric needs a little help.

Wet Blocking Crochet, an Example

Pre-blocking, I was a little worried about the fit of my Little Fluffy Clouds cardigan (pictured below) as the puff stitches were a little tight and the sleeves were a teensy bit too short. Pins were needed to ensure the fabric was stretched more. I needed to be a fractionally more aggressive on this occasion.

Shawls always need pins, they’re not weighty enough to do the job on their own. Stretching and pinning out creates a tidier shape, superior drape and opens up lacey stitches.

pre blocking – bit tight. sleeves slightly too short

Steam Blocking

I steam block crochet that uses acrylic blends (eg, acrylic mixed with wool). Steam works best for the blended yarns, as it treats all the fibres with heat. I’ve used it for cotton too and that’s worked very nicely.

As previously mentioned, there is no need to pre-wash an FO before pinning out if you’re going to steam block.

Steam blocking is often recommended for acrylic fibres, but I will be completely honest here. Whenever I have made crochet clothes with 100% acrylic fibre, I haven’t bothered blocking at all! After a few visits to the washing machine, an acrylic sweater kind of blocks itself. Plus, it prevents the risk of melting with too much heat, which doesn’t happen unless you’re overzealous with the steam.

Hold the steamer an inch or two above your crochet so it doesn’t get the full intensity of heat. Then leave to dry.

Spray/Spritz Blocking

Spray blocking is for light shawls and things that don’t need too much work. Pin out and spritz with water. It doesn’t take very long, and once a project has had a thorough spray of wet stuff, I can walk away and forget about it.

For steaming and spraying, do so away from electrical appliances and plug sockets. And anything else you don’t want to get wet.

Bonus Blocking Methods

If you have a newly made sweater and it’s 100% acrylic, steam will be the most effective. However, I don’t like the threat of my hard crochet work being “killed”, so you could try this easy-peasy method instead. The gentle, low heat of a tumble dryer, after you’ve washed your garment, can be enough to relax the fibres a little bit. Note! I don’t advise this for natural fibres.

Does hanging crochet blankets from the washing line count? I haven’t done this as I’m worried of an uneven finish. The weight seems to pull from each peg and could distort blankets, so I’ve avoided this method. I rarely block blankets tbh. Over time, general use seems to relax them into shape, and I seriously cannot be bothered to block a giant blanket. Eh!

Crochet blocking demonstration — Disco Stitches Sampler scarf. One for steam blocking (acrylic blend, left) and one wet blocked (merino, right)

Do You Need to Block Every Time You Wash Crochet?

The YouTube video about blocking crochet has been up for a couple of weeks, and the other day, I received a very good question: Do you have to block crochet after each wash? The answer is, you can if you want! Occasionally, a crochet project might shrink back a little, or the stitches become a little bit less pronounced. I have repinned and reblocked shawls in the past (if I’ve felt they needed a bit of attention).

However, if it’s for a hand-made garment, you probably don’t need to. It depends on how you can wash it. If you’re washing a crochet sweater made of non-superwash wool, you’ll likely need to hand wash and then dry flat. No pins necessary.

Look at your crochet item, is it a bit lifeless? Would reblocking make it snazzy again? If yes, sure, reblock. It’s up to you.

Which is Your Favourite Method of Blocking Crochet?

Ooh! What a lot of information to take in, especially if you have no previous experience of blocking! I hope it wasn’t too much? Despite it being an overview, there is a lot to cover in blocking crochet! Hopefully, I have covered all the elements. If it raises any questions, please do let me know.

Do you think you’re more likely to try blocking now? Does one method seem easier than another? Which is your favourite? Do you have any other tips for blocking crochet?

Whatever your views are on the subject, I do think it is 100% worth the effort. It doesn’t have to be a scary or time-consuming thing. An extra day or two of drying time to have even better crochet? Yes please!

And I finish this blog post with a cry of despair: How many times must I write that word??! I have mispelled “blcoking” entirely throughout this post, and to make matters worse, my auto correct was on the fritz – sad times.

Granny Stripe Hat Pattern

December 3, 2024December 3, 2024crochet, crochet resources, free pattern8 Comments

Crochet A Granny Stripe Hat

This is such a quick granny stripe hat to crochet, the main stripes of granny clusters are worked up lickety-split! The “knit-look” crochet ribbing, whilst it takes a little longer to crochet than other rib-effect stitches, it creates a soft, squishy texture and a superb elastic stretch. It is very much worth the effort for a fantastic final result.

This hat was born from a summer version that, so far, I have refused to release as a pattern. I made several prototypes but I just didn’t like it. I am not a fan of summer hats and I wondered what would happen if I concentrated my efforts on a design that I would appreciate more.

A woolly warm, winter crochet hat is far more appealing than a cotton bucket hat. Thus, here we have a granny stripe hat that’s perfect for winter! Today, I thought I would share the pattern below. You can also purchase an ad-free version in my Ravelry store and I also have copies for sale on Etsy. The paid version also includes an additional chart.

For 25% off the paid version until the end of the year, use the code: GRANNYHAT at the checkout.

What You Need To Crochet Your Granny Stripe Hat

To make your hat you will need a 4mm hook (US G-6). Or a hook size that meets gauge (more info below). I know you’ll be tempted not to bother with gauge as this is just a hat but if you notice that you are wildly off, please check!

You will also need 100g of Double Knit (DK) yarn. This can be all one colour, or mix it up for a multicoloured fun fest. Just under 50g is required for the brim, which is all in one colour.

And, if you fancy, add a pompom for a finishing touch. I bought cheap ones from a local garden centre. I was too lazy to make a pompom this time around. Plus, these shop bought ones are super light and don’t pull on the hats. I hadn’t thought about that before.

This is a DK Yarn Crochet Hat

I tried a few different yarn brands and made four different hats for my experiments. I also had a handful of awesome testers who tried a few more yarns too. From looking at the super important crochet hat making data, the outcome is that a standard DK weight creates the best results.

I was initially foxed by the first yarn brand I tried as their “DK” weight was very plump and it tricked me into thinking a worsted would work for the pattern I’d come up with. Whilst you certainly could get away with a worsted weight yarn if you reduced the increases, for the sake of uniformity, DK is the best yarn for the job here.

If you would like to find out more about yarn substitution, please go HERE. It is a one-stop post that’ll provide an overview of all your yarn subbing queries.

A Perfect Stash Busting Granny Hat

In the end, I used a blend of a couple of different DK weight yarns and made an awesome dent in my yarn stash.

In my stash, I had leftovers of King Cole Majestic and West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep. They are both a teensy bit different in yardage but once I was crocheting, it didn’t make a difference. My granny stripe hats look great with a mix of colours and brands. However, both the yarns are a merino/acrylic blend so have a very similar feel to them.

I don’t know the exact yardage for each stripe but when wound up in a ball, we’re talking the size of a large walnut. Take a quick look at the picture below (the one with me in my scruffy jimjams and the cat). To the left are the size of woolly balls you need for each round. I know this because I undid them from the hat as I didn’t like the colour order!

Granny Hat Measurements

This granny stripe hat has approx 8cm negative ease. This means that it is about 8cm smaller than an actual adult head. It shouldn’t be too baggy as it is stretching to fit comfortably yet securely. Therefore, it will fit snuggly atop a bonce that needs warming.

The following measurements are taken on newly made, unblocked hats stretched slightly after one outing/wear about town.

Hat circumference: (49) 50 cm.
Hat depth with brim folded: 22cm
Unfolded brim depth: 10.5cm
Depth of granny stripe rounds: 17cm

Make size 1 for a head measuring 56 – 57cm.
Make size 2 for a head measuring 58 – 59cm.

Granny Stripe Tension

Tension is key to the size of a finished granny stripe hat. The following measurements are taken from an unblocked hat, as above.

Granny Stripes: 5.5 clu / 10 rows = 10cm
Brim ribbing: 24 rows / 24 sts = 10cm.

If you would like to know more about what tension means in relation to your crochet, read about getting gauge in your crochet HERE.

Adjusting the Size of Your Granny Stripe Hat

With all crochet, there is always room for tweaking and adjusting to make something unique and perfect for the individual. However, if you would rather not tinker with stitch counts, try a simple change such as using a different hook size to get a smaller or larger gauge. Perhaps a 3.5mm or 3.75mm hook for a smaller hat, Or, for a larger hat, a 4.5mm hook.

Adjusting the granny stripe section for a different head size means altering the number of clusters on increase rounds. Adding or removing a cluster will change the hat’s circumference by approximately 1cm. Round 8 is an increase round and a good round for adding or subtracting a cluster. This pattern has either 2 or 3 increases on Round 8 depending on the size. If your hat is coming up a bit too small, why not add a 4th increase?

To make an extra large hat, add another round or two of granny stripes before continuing to the foundation round of UK dc / US sc stitches.

Crochet Ribbing Adjustments

To adjust ribbing, the stitch count needs to be changed on Round 17. This is the foundation upon which the Join As You Go ribbing is worked. Because of the different tension of the ribbing, it draws the hat in. With no increases on Round 17, crumbs, it was so tight it wouldn’t join up! So, whilst the increases might look a bit complicated on paper, they are as evenly distributed as possible. The paid version of the granny stripe hat pattern has a chart so you can check out the visuals of increases.

The foundation stitches of Round 17 should be multiples of 2, plus 1 but you’ll get away with a little bit of fudging too. Negative ease is needed for the brim so don’t add too many extra stitches if you’re upsizing.

Join As You Go Ribbing for a Granny Stripe Hat

Using the Same Colour Every Stripe Round?

The crochet hat pattern below assumes you will change colour for each granny stripe round. Each round begins by joining a new colour of yarn with “sttr” which is the rather fabulous Standing Start – see below for more information about Special Stitches.

To make a hat using the all same colour means using a different method to start subsequent rounds. It’s not a difficult crochet method, just different.

What you need to do is this: once the previous round has been joined with a slip stitch, slip stitch into the next two stitches and into the next space between clusters. From here, start the next round with a chain three, or your preferred alternative, such as a Stacked Start.

Don’t worry if you’re confused, let me help further… Take a look at the video for Alternatives to a Chain 3. A tutorial for the Stacked Start is shown in the video tutorial but if you prefer, there’s always a No Turning Chain start too. Watch my video for a Large Granny Square from 30:48 for a demonstration of the technique for when you don’t want to change colour every round.

Crochet Pattern Abbreviations

I am going to pop the stitch pattern abbreviations in here as I start talking in crochet speak from here on.

Before I do, I think it’s worth mentioning that this pattern is only available in UK terms at the moment. But please don’t let that put you off. The swap/conversion you have to do is minimal. We’re talking granny clusters here and you know as well as I do that these are always the same!

So, the main stitch in the pattern in UK terms is the treble stitch. In US terms this is a double crochet (dc). So, US pals, work your grannies as normal; clusters of 3dc. Round 17 will be single crochet stitches for you. And that’s it!

Abbreviations (UK terms)
beg = beginning, BLO = back loop only, ch = chain, ch-sp = chain space, clu = cluster,
dc = double crochet (US sc), st(s) = stitch(es), sp(s) = space(s), sl st = slip stitch,
sttr = standing treble start, tr = treble (US dc), rep = repeat, r/s = sight side, w/s = wrong side,
YO sl st = yarn over slip stitch, yrh = yarn round hook.

Special Crochet Stitches

Beg tr2tog:
This is used at the beginning of Rnd 1 to work the first “petal”. It uses the same principle as a Stacked Start. See the video for How to Start Round 1

Insert hook in circle, yrh and pull through, yrh and pull through both loops on hook (it helps to gently pinch the st at this point to make the next stage easier), insert hook in left leg of the st and the loop behind it (the pinch helps the back loop to become looser and more visible), yrh and pull through, (2 loops on hook), yrh and insert hook into the circle, yrh and pull through (4 loops on hook), yrh and pull through 2 loops, yrh and pull through 3 loops.

Standing tr start (sttr):
The Standing Start is a method demonstrated in the video for Alternatives to Chain 3. Use this instead of chaining 3 to start the beginning of a row/round, it looks much tidier than a 3-chain and it’s fun to do!

Yrh three times and hold loops on hook with forefinger, insert hook in sp/st, yrh and pull through, [yrh and pull through 2 loops] twice.
Let go of the yarn wrapped around your hook. First treble stitch made.

Supporting Video Tutorials For Crochet

How to Start Round 1 – This is a tutorial for a granny square but Round 1 is exactly the same for the hat too.

Alternatives to a Chain 3 – This will help you start new rounds in a tidy way. I demonstrate the Standing Start and the Stacked Start in this video. You could even try the No Turning chain, which I bemoan in the video but can actually be very effective! Don’t tell anyone, but I have started using it way more since I made this video tutorial!

Join As You Go Ribbing – The ribbing used in this granny stripe pattern is demonstrated from 18:02. It is a “knit-look” crochet ribbing and one I have used a lot. And yes, I know it has slip stitches but they are much more fun to do when accompanied by a yarn over sl st. Honest!

Using the same colour every round? Watch the tutorial for the Large Granny Square from 30:48 for the first three rounds and you can use a totally different method for starting rounds that will achieve excellent results. This granny square tutorial is a pretty useful video as I also demonstrate the Standing Start again (7:09).

Granny Stripe Hat Crochet Pattern

Hat Pattern Notes

This crochet hat pattern is written in UK terms – feel free to check out the abbreviations above for more details.
A cluster is 3 UK tr / US dc stitches made in the same space.
Using a different weight of yarn or a different sized hook will affect the size of the hat.
Follow the pattern for both sizes. At Round 8 the reps for both sizes are shown as 11(7). Size 1 is the first number with size 2 in brackets.

Granny Stripe Hat Pattern

Chain 5 and join with a sl st.
1: 1Beg tr2tog, ch2, *tr2tog, 2ch: rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the 1st 2ch-sp. Fasten off & cut yarn. – 8 “petals”

2: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 2ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, 1ch, *3tr in next 2ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

3 (Inc): Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, (1tr, 1ch, 2tr) in same sp, *(2tr, 1ch, 2tr) in next 1ch-sp; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

4: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr, *miss 2 tr, 3tr in next 1ch-sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr; rep from * around join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn. -16 clu

5: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp between clusters, 2tr in same sp, *3tr in next sp; rep from * around join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

6 (inc): Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp, (1tr, 1ch, 2tr) in same sp, 3tr in next sp, *(2tr, 1ch, 2tr) in next sp, 3tr in next sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. – 24 clu

7: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp between clusters and in each ch-sp, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr.

8 (inc): Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp, (1tr, 1ch, 2tr) in same sp, 3tr in next 11(7) sps, *(2tr, 1ch, 2tr) in next sp, 3tr in next 11 (7) sps; rep from * 0 (1) more time, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. – 26 (27) clu

9: As Rnd 7.

10 – 16: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp between clusters around, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr.

For a smaller head you may wish to only work 15 rounds, or 17 rounds for a larger head.

17 (size 1): Attach brim ribbing yarn to any st, 1ch (does not count as a st), [2dc in first st, 1dc, *2dc in next st, 3dc; rep from * five more times] three times, join with a sl st into the top of the st. – 99 sts

17 (size 2): Attach brim ribbing, 1ch, 2dc in first st, 3dc, 2dc in next st, 4dc, [2dc in next st, 1dc, *2dc in next st, 3dc; rep from * three more times] four times, join with a sl st into the top of the st. – 103 sts

Hat Brim/Crochet Ribbing

Chain 25.
1: Working in back bumps, YO sl st in second ch from hook, YO sl st to end, (with right side facing) sl st in next 2 sts of foundation round, turn. – 24 sts.

2 (w/s): Miss 2 sl sts, 23sl sts BLO, 1sl st in both loops, turn.

3 (r/s): ch1, 24 YO sl st BLO, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation round, turn.

Rep Rows 2 & 3 to end, finishing with Row 2.

With wrong side of brim facing out, join the beginning and end rows of ribbing with slip stitches. Or, if you prefer, sew the open ends together.
Fold brim to reveal the right side of the pretty ribbing stitches.

Hmm, look at the pic above, is that join too messy? It makes me wonder if an additional round of UK dc/US sc could be added at the end of the granny rounds. Don’t you think it would look neater with a round in the same colour as the last round of clusters? Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

Aaannnyway, what do you think? I hope you enjoy working on lots of granny stripe hats. They are the perfect last minute gift for friends and family.

If the ads are stopping your from enjoying this pattern, don’t forget that you can purchase an ad-free version from Ravelry HERE, Or if Rav isn’t your bag, I have an Etsy shop HERE. The paid pattern is a bit more streamlined and includes a chart too. 25% off with the code GRANNYHAT until 31/12/2024

If you enjoyed this free crochet pattern, please feel free to peruse my free crochet patterns page. And if you are curious about exploring different crochet methods and techniques, check out some crochet tips and tricks HERE.

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Things You Need, To Learn How to Crochet

November 20, 2024November 18, 2024crochet, crochet resources2 Comments

Granny squares, a beginner project for when you learn how to crochet

Recently, an old acquaintance got in touch as they wanted to learn how to crochet. I love it when this happens! It’s an opportunity for someone else to become as obsessed with yarn as me! More specifically, they wanted to know what they needed to be able to learn crochet. It was rather fortuitous because that very same day there was a Guardian article about that same thing.

The article is about what kit you need to learn how to crochet. So, using my experience of first picking up a crochet hook, combined with the approach that the article took, it felt like the perfect excuse for a blog post.

Therefore, consider this a post for Things You Need to Know, To Learn How To Learn Crochet. But to be perfectly honest, all you really need to begin your fabulous new hobby is a crochet hook and a ball or two of yarn. And a little bit of determination.

Things You Need to Learn How to Crochet

Listed below are my top tips, which will help you learn how to crochet. In this blog post you will find info on the following:

Tools & Equipment: Hooks and other Paraphernalia.
Buying Yarn as a Beginner Crocheter.
Crochet Tension & How to Hold Your Hook and Yarn.
Crochet Terminology. The Difference between UK &US terms.
What Crochet Stitches to Know.
Getting Gauge in Crochet.
What Crochet Patterns to Try.
Choosing Colour for Your Crochet.

Tools and Equipment for Beginner Crocheters

When I first learned to crochet fifteen years ago, I went to the old-school wool shop in town, bought two or three balls of acrylic yarn and asked the woman behind the counter to sell me the right size hook for the yarn. The yarn was double knit (DK) and the hook was a 4.5mm.

These are the only two things I needed to learn the absolute basics of crochet. You’ve probably already got scissors for cutting yarn, I presume? Maybe not. Get some scissors then. And, to ensure you can truly finish projects neatly, you’ll need a darning needle for sewing in ends.

That’s it! Those are the only tools you need to learn how to crochet.

I also bought a very simple book with useful diagrams and charts. It was a small, purple book called, Crochet Unravelled. I used it a lot but then I discovered YouTube! YouTube has A LOT of video tutorials for crochet.

Crochet tools for when you learn how to crochet

Crochet Hooks

I have a lot of crochet tools now. In my collection are hooks of all sizes, using different ones depending on the project and yarn weight. It’s best to have multiple hooks in the same size (maybe lots of 4mm hooks, for example) as you’ll find it easiest to keep each hook with its project (AKA WIP = work in progress). When in deep, you will likely have multiple projects on the go at once so that means many crochet hooks.

I have novelty hooks, wooden hooks, hooks with handles and plastic hooks, but for me, my total faves are the plain, cheap steel ones. There is no need for fancy hooks unless you start getting hand pain. Funnily enough, I get hand pain from the ergonomic hooks as I find them too bulky. Give me a straight stick any day. You will soon discover your preference.

Other Crochet Paraphanelia

Stitch Markers

Stitch markers are very useful and some people have a separate hobby of collecting pretty stitch markers. I prefer cheap bulb pins, or plain plastic markers as they are lightweight and don’t get tangled in my work (I am not a fan of novelty stitch markers because they pull threads and can be too heavy).

Use stitch markers at the beginning and ends of rows to make stitches easy to find. They also stop a stored project’s stitches from unravelling without permission. Some crochet patterns tell you to work to a marker and then change direction. It’s best to have some in stock but you can always use a length of yarn in a contrasting colour as your marker.

Tape Measure

A Tape Measure is crucial!! I have several tape measures dotted in different locations around the house. I use them more often when I’m making crochet clothes. You don’t often need to measure a granny square blanket but you never know. If making crochet clothes, a tape measure is THE thing. Or, a gauge reader doodah, which is essentially a ruler in a different shape.

Blocking Mats, Pins and Wires

Firstly, nobody is going to arrest you if you don’t block your crochet and sometimes it isn’t necessary (for example, I have never blocked a crochet bag and I don’t bother blocking projects when I use 100% acrylic) but read on for a general overview…

An Overview on Blocking Crochet

When I first started blocking my crochet projects, I would use dressmakers pins and pin my finished object (FO) directly onto the carpet. I haven’t written about blocking in great detail yet (I keep putting it off as, although it’s super important, writing about it isn’t very exciting).

Blocking is about making the best of your crochet; it opens up stitches into their final “look”. Depending on the yarn you’ve used, you can wash/soak, rinse and blot your crochet before pinning it out to dry. Or pin it out first, then steam or spray crochet fabric with water and leave it to dry. That’s all blocking is. Normally, you pin it out to set measurements but often, you can wing it.

Once a crochet item has been blocked, the fabric size and drape can be vastly different to what your crochet looked and felt like before you dunked it in soapy water. Stitches can bloom open and soften beautifully. Or, carelessly steam-block with an iron and you could burn or melt your precious crochet. Please be careful!

These days, I have foam blocking mats to protect the carpet and fancy blocking pins, which are brilliant (although I don’t have enough of them). The blocking mats can make things more mobile; you can move them about if careful. I totally love blocking wires as well. They are expensive but it means you don’t need to painstakingly pin loads of pins because a few wires will do the job of several pointy little devils.

I love that one of the pics above shows a shawl being blocked with knitting needles. Must have been before I bought the blocking wires!

Notions Pouch for Crochet Tools

A notions pouch is a little bag to keep all of the above in (well, maybe not blocking stuff). Essentially, it is your bag of tricks. In mine, I also have: lip balm, too many hairbands, a nail file (more important than you think; scraggy nails snag on yarn) and a pen for writing notes on random bits of paper or printed patterns.

Yarn For Beginner Crocheters

It didn’t occur to me how much of a minefield this one is but the subject of yarn is huge. There are mountains of different yarns out there and knowing where to start is definitely discombobulating. I used to call it all Wool but that confuses or annoys a few people. So it is a good idea to call it Yarn as it covers the whole gamut.

As a beginner wanting to learn how to crochet, acrylic double knit (DK) is a popular yarn to choose. Master crochet stitches first and then treat yourself to the posher yarn, should you wish to try it. Or not, you might fall in love with acrylic. It’s colourful, affordable and much better quality than it used to be.

Over fifteen years, I have picked up quite a lot of information about yarn and I don’t take my yarny knowledge for granted. When I first started I didn’t know anything at all. If I liked the look or feel of yarn I’d buy it. It wasn’t always the right yarn for the project but that helped me to learn. Nowt wrong with making a few mistakes along the way!

Check out my blog post about Yarn Substitution. It covers a little bit of everything: what yardage means, different yarn weights (the thickness of yarn), different fibres (acrylic, wool, cotton, yak, stinging nettle?) etc.

Car Crochet. Making my Zigzag Bag on the way to Wales in September 23.

Crochet Tension & How to Hold Yarn

Tension is key in learning how to crochet. I don’t care how you hold your hook as long as it feels comfortable. Knife hold or pen hold are the two main ways of holding a crochet hook but there are other ways too.

Generally speaking, the hook is held in the right hand if you’re right-handed and left if you’re left-handed. The yarn is twiddled around the fingers of your other hand to hold the tension. If you are a knitter, you might even like to hold both yarn and hook in the same hand and conduct witchcraft.

Anyway, practice practice practice. Learn how to comfortably glide the yarn through your fingers. Control it with a firm (but not too tight) tension. Do not let it control you or it will run rings around you (or just spin around the hook a lot).

Tension will improve the more you work at it. The very first thing I did when I learned how to crochet was to crochet the world’s longest chain. I wouldn’t let myself move on from that until the chains were uniform. They were not too tight, not too loose and not twisted. My first attempts looked like mangled worms. Nevertheless, I was very proud.

Learn How to Crochet: US or UK Crochet Terms?

Before you even pick up a crochet hook, know this one super duper important fact. There are two terminologies for crochet stitches and people find it very VERY confusing! It’s the stupidest thing about my beloved hobby.

When you get your hands on a crochet pattern, the first thing to check is, is the pattern using American or UK terms. Fear not, it isn’t that difficult to overcome and translating is a doddle. Patterns are better at telling us these days but older crochet patterns assume you know.

At first glance, the names are the same. Unfortunately, what they mean to the respective countries is different. Booo.

Look out for “tells”. If an “sc” or “single crochet” is used, you will know for certain that it’s an American pattern as “sc” doesn’t appear in UK terms at all. Is there a “htr” or “half treble”? That’s a UK term because there’s no such thing in US terms (it’s known as an “hdc” or half double crochet in US speak).

Check out charts too. Chart symbols are universal so it doesn’t matter about the written terms. They’re a good clue to indicate what the written terms are though.

What Crochet Stitches Do I Need to Know?

There aren’t actually that many crochet stitches, not really. What there are loads of is combinations of crochet stitches. The way different stitches are put together creates different textures and styles of fabric. Crochet is way more diverse than it’s given credit for, especially over the last few years, we’ve seen wonderfully modern, innovative crochet design. But they all stem from the same few stitches. Magic!

Perhaps because of social media, maybe even Covid, makers are exploring new stitch patterns and pushing the boundaries of what crochet can be. But not wanting to get ahead of ourselves, let’s just take a look at basic crochet stitches.

Commonly Used Crochet Stitches

The order in which the most common stitches go is:
For the UK: slip stitch, double crochet, half treble, treble crochet, double treble.
And for the US: slip stitch, single crochet, half double, double crochet, treble crochet.
(FYI, I’ve found that whether it’s triple and treble, the two words are interchangeable – there is no difference. “Treble” seems to be my default).

Table of Commonly Used Crochet Stitches

Slip Stitch (ss or sl st) =	Slip Stitch (ss or sl st). It’s the same for both US &UK!
UK double crochet (dc) =	US single crochet (sc)
UK half treble crochet (htr) =	US half double crochet (hdc)
UK treble crochet (tr) =	US double crochet (dc)
UK double treble (dtr)=	US treble (tr)

Everyone (apart from the odd psychopath, or two) hates slip stitches because they are an absolute bugger to work into (using a larger hook size negates the struggle though). They are frequently used as joining stitches, which are easy. It’s when they are used as part of a stitch pattern that people become filled with rage and/or despair. But they create awesome stitch patterns so there is reason to persevere and you might end up appreciating them a little bit.

The most popular, commonly used crochet stitches are the UK double crochet (same as a US single crochet), and the UK treble (same as a US double crochet). They are the most basic stitches and are used in a myriad of different combinations.

But, you are allowed to go off piste whenever you want. If you want to experiment with how many times you yarn over, go for it (or, ooh, try yarning under, what does that look like? It’s different, right?). I did an extra yarn over on a UK dc (US sc) once and thought I’d broken some sort of sacrosanct rule. Turns out I’d just worked an Extended UK dc (US sc) and didn’t know it had a name. *shrugs*

Getting Gauge in Crochet

I wrote a blog post about Getting Gauge in your Crochet Garments. It covers most of what you need to know. Needless to say, the crochet tension you learned about has an effect on the density of the fabric you make. Looser stitches create a larger fabric. Tight stitches make a dense fabric with little drape. You need to match the gauge to make the same sized garments as intended in a crochet pattern.

Granny stitch shawl pattern, a great pattern for a beginner crochet when you learn how to crochet.

Learn How to Crochet: Choosing Patterns

What do you want to crochet? This will have an impact on the type of patterns you search for. Either way, as a beginner crocheter, start small. A lot of makers learn how to crochet by finding Free Crochet Patterns online. Online freebies are not all the same quality though so beware. Some of my earlier free crochet patterns were not as polished as I would like so every now and then I update old patterns so that I’m not quite as ashamed! Oh dear. I try harder these days, honest!

When I first started to learn how to crochet, like many others I was drawn to Lucy of Attic 24. This is because she produces step-by-step photo tutorials alongside simple written instructions. You will also find many videos for beginner friendly crochet tutorials on YouTube. I have a YouTube channel for crochet tutorials but you may wish to tackle how to work a chain first.

Sign up for Ravelry, which is a vast online library of knitting and crochet patterns. My crochet patterns are on there. And don’t get lost down the Pinterest rabbit hole. Or feel free to do so if it pleases you. I love Pinterest, you’ll find so many ideas there.

Choosing Colour for Crochet

My first crochet projects were dreadful. I didn’t know anything about Choosing Colour for my Crochet projects. However, if you buy all the same yarn (the same brand, weight & collection), chances are the shades will go together. Brand collections often deliberately have a cohesive and complementary palette so that makers can trust the colours they choose will go together.

As I have said in the past, playing with colour is one of my favourite things about crochet. Go with your gut and don’t worry too much if you don’t like what you’ve chosen. At least you’ll know for next time. And you’ll get better at choosing colours for crochet projects the more you do it.

All The Things For Learning How to Crochet!

Wow!! There’s quite a lot of information when you stop and think about it. I thought this was going to be a quick & easy list of things you need to know when you want to learn how to crochet. There’s so much more to it than I realised. In practice, you obviously don’t need to absorb all that information in one go. It’s a gradual process so trust that it’s not actually overwhelming in real life, I promise it isn’t!

Crochet is fun, cathartic, mindful and awesome. So, if you see all of the above information and feel a little bit intimidated, please don’t be. As I learned recently, when exploring how to create crochet charts, you just need to take a deep breath and take it one step at a time.

Cripes, that was a long one, I hope you made it all the way to the end!? If you did, cheers! x