Beginner
resource guide.
You have the yarn. You have the hook. You are standing there trying to figure out what comes next. This is where you start.
I have been crocheting since around 2017. That is really when I picked up the hook for real. I was going through a very tough time in college, and crochet became this light for me. A way to ground myself. A way to express something when everything else felt heavy. You can read more about that on the Behind the Hook page. But that is not what this is about.
What I will say is that from there, people started responding to what I was creating. They wanted to share in it. So I opened myself up to that. And if part of that journey includes helping people who want to learn, who want to use crochet the same way I did, as something that grounds you, something that lets you create and express and share love, then I want to be part of that. However I can.
Over the years people have asked me to release patterns, to teach, to do tutorials. I have always brushed it aside because I was still growing, still teaching myself, still figuring things out. I still am. I only have one pattern released right now and that is intentional. But something happened recently that reminded me of what I said I wanted to do.
I walked into Walmart not exactly looking like someone who had it together that day. I was not put together, I was not in teacher mode, and I was absolutely not expecting to become anybody's crochet guide in the middle of a store aisle. But two people came up to me anyway and trusted me enough to ask for help. That felt like God reminding me of what I said I wanted to do and pushing me toward it.
Miss Joan, if you find this. This is for you. And for everyone like you.
TaniCrochet is not just a craft. It is a way to ground yourself, express yourself, and share love with your hands.
Tani, TaniJay CrochetA few things
I want you to know.
- Your work is going to look different in the beginning. And that is okay. I look at the things I was making in 2017 compared to now and it is just different. Same tools. The only thing that changed was knowledge and experience from consistently doing the same thing over and over again. That is what growth looks like.
- It is going to take time, patience, and experience. Unless you were some kind of crochet heir in a past life and those skills just activated, you are going to have to take your time. And that is perfectly fine. The more you do it, the better it gets. That is just how it works.
- Crochet is muscle memory. Your hands are learning a completely new movement right now. There is no shortcut around that. Be patient with yourself and trust the process.
- You are going to hear the word frogging. It means undoing your work, whether that is a few rows or starting completely over. Even experienced crocheters frog regularly. It is not failure. It is part of the process. And honestly, sometimes frogging is what saves a project and saves your yarn.
- If your hands hurt, put it down. There are ergonomic hooks, stretches, and tools that can help with long sessions. More on that is coming. For now, just listen to your body. Pain is not something you push through.
How to hold
the hook.
Hook grips and how to hold your yarn
There is no single correct way to hold a crochet hook and nobody should tell you there is. Most crocheters land on one of two grips, the pencil grip or the knife grip, and stick with whatever feels natural and comfortable for them. The goal is a relaxed hold. Not tight, not stiff. If your hand is tensing up after a few minutes, something needs to adjust. Try both grips and give yourself permission to figure out what works for you.
A lot of people have found these videos helpful. Until I have my own tutorials up, these are the resources I wanted to share. I hope they help you too.
Tension and
hand position.
Why tension matters more than you think
Tension sounds complicated but it really just means this. How loose or tight is the yarn moving through your fingers as you work? That is it. And the reason it matters so much is because the moment that shifts, even slightly, your stitches shift with it. That is exactly what happened to the woman I met in Walmart. Nothing changed about her hook or her yarn. But something shifted in how she was holding it without her even realizing, and her whole project started looking inconsistent. Once you understand tension, so much starts making sense.
The 3 Best Ways to Hold Crochet Yarn for Absolute Beginners + Tension Tips Start here
Give Me 5 Minutes and I'll Fix Your Crochet Tension for Good
If your rows keep shrinking or growing, tension is almost always the reason. Count your stitches at the end of every row. If the number changes, stop, figure out where it went wrong, and frog back. It feels tedious at first but it will save you hours of frustration later.
The moment your hold shifts, your stitches shift with it. That is tension. And once you understand that, so much starts making sense.
On tension, TaniJay CrochetTake care of
the tools.
I crochet for long, long hours. Sometimes with no break at all. I feel it. I know what it does. And I keep going anyway, which is not something I am proud of and not something I would tell you to do. Your hands are your tools. Treat them that way. Take breaks. Stretch them out. If something is hurting, put it down. I am working on a full guide covering stretches, ergonomic hooks, and tools that can help you crochet comfortably for the long term. That is coming. In the meantime, just listen to your body. It will tell you when it needs a rest.
You are not doing it wrong. You are just learning.
I keep asking God for patience and saying I do not have it. But then I think about Miss Joan. The way she sat there, genuinely wanting to understand, trusting me to help her figure it out. That kind of patience is exactly what this craft asks of you. Your hands will get there. They just need time and repetition and grace. Give yourself that. Keep going.
More is
coming.
This is just the beginning.
These are curated resources until TaniJay has its own tutorials and videos. Once the TaniJay channel launches, this page will be updated with original content first. Follow TaniJay on social media to know when new resources drop.