Learn How to Crochet Clothes With Confidence: 5 Tips for Beginners

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A little while ago, I asked my readers what stops them from crocheting a garment. One of the things that I saw often was the overwhelm and fear that they wouldn’t be able to do it, or they wouldn’t like it, or it wouldn’t fit. So today I want to give you a little encouragement and share some tips to help you crochet your first garment with confidence!

1. Educate yourself about crocheting garments.

Learn as much as you can about making crochet clothing! The Internet is an endless library of free information if you just look it up. On my YouTube channel, I share tips and video tutorials about making crochet clothes. There, you can learn about gauge, and how to make different stitches, and I have tutorials and just tips like this video.

Check out resources from other designers as well. Each designer provides some form of eduction, whether it’s within the pattern itself, in blog posts, YouTube videos, or podcasts. Do a Google search for topics like how to check crochet gauge or choosing the best yarn for your crochet pattern.

2. Trust the process.

This next tip is a big one! Often, I’ll get emails from readers saying something like, “I haven’t started yet, but I have this question …” And while I love to hear from you, sometimes it’s better to learn by doing. So trust the process. Pick up your hook and yarn and take it one row at a time, one round at a time, one stitch at a time.

When you first look at a pattern, with all those words, techniques, and abbreviations, it can overwhelm your brain. You’re asking yourself, “Wait, what does this mean? How can that work?” But when you work through the pattern physically, you build that brain-hand connection that you just can’t get from reading a page full of words and numbers.

So again, trust the process. That doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes (more on that later). Absolutely, if you’re still struggling, reach out. But sometimes it’s just a matter of working it out with your hook and your yarn, rather than just looking at it on paper.

3. Reach out to the designer.

If you get stuck or need suggestions, reach out to the designer. I don’t mind if you have a question. My biggest desire is for you to be able to make my pattern. Other designers I know feel the same way.

While I may not respond right away, I’m happy to answer your questions. I’m happy to look at the pattern with you, double check things, and help you get past whatever has you stuck. So do not hesitate to reach out!

Email is probably the best way to reach me and I include my email address on each of my patterns. Some designers may prefer that you contact them on Ravelry, Etsy, or through social media. But now matter how we prefer to be contacted, all of us want you to contact us if you have questions or you’re stuck.

If you can’t reach the original designer, you could also contact another designer who you’re comfortable with (without giving away too much of the pattern, of course). I can’t speak for everyone, but I would be willing to answer a question about someone else’s pattern.

4. Start simple.

For your first crochet garment, don’t choose something with an intricate stitch pattern or complex construction. The more simple a pattern is, the easier it will be to understand. Sometimes the pattern description can give you a clue about which patterns are the easiest clothing to crochet. Look for terms like “no-sew,” “seamless,” or “easy one-row repeat.”

That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style! Lots of beautiful textures can be created using just basic crochet stitches. For example, the Edgewater Tank, (the orange tank top I’m wearing above), is made of double crochets worked in front and back loops.

Another easy crochet top, shown below, is my Valerie Tee. Believe it or not, it’s made of just two rectangles that are sewn together. If you can make a double crochet and a chain, you can create the filet crochet design.

5. Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.

The last tip might be a little hard to hear but it’s important. Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Sometimes people hesitate to do a garment because they might mess up.As a designer, “messing up” is half the project. We’re constantly working and reworking our stitches, changing things until we get the results we want.

The cool thing about crochet is you can easily pull it out and start again. And I feel like that’s how you learn, not just in crochet but in life in general. It’s all trial and error. You make mistakes and then you learn from them. If you don’t make these mistakes, you won’t learn from them.

So get comfortable with frogging. If you make a mistake, it’s not the end of the world. If you’re frustrated, you can always put your project in timeout for a little bit and come back to it later.

In this fast-paced world of Amazon and two-day shipping, we think we’ve got to get it done now. But crochet can be a slow process at times. If we learn to embrace the process, accept mistakes, and make adjustments when needed, I think we will enjoy the process a lot more as well.

Now it’s time to crochet your first garment!

What are you waiting for? Just grab your hook and yarn and get started! Once you conquer your fear and go through the process of making your first crochet garment, you will gain confidence to take on a challenging patterns.

If you need some some ideas for easy crochet clothes for beginners, check out these 5 Super Easy Crochet Garments for Beginners to Try. Or you can always reach out to me, either in the comments or by email. I’d be happy to help you find a pattern that’s right for you!

Tag me on social media @twobrothersblankets, especially if you make one of my garments or if you use these tips when working a garment pattern!

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