Internet: Before I had even purchased a hook and yarn, I looked up techniques and 'how to' advice on the internet.There is a whole library at your fingertips and I have spent many hours looking up simple stitches or which yarn to use, patterns, help and advice. YouTube is amazing for a beginner as you can watch video's over and over until you get the technique correct. I used to have my crochet in front of me and do the stitches as they did them. Some tutorials are obviously better that others but I find watching a few different ones really helped me in the early day to get a particular stitch or technique right.
Blogs: Linking in the internet, blogs are a brilliant way to pick up extra tips but also for inspiration. I constantly have ideas for projects I want to make next and 95% of those ideas come from blogs. I can't remember who's blog I read first but Lucy from Attic24 is amazing! I love to read through her blog, page after page, looking at all the pretty and colourful pictures. Her crochet is beautiful and her patterns and tutorials are super easy to follow; I don't think I've ever struggled with them. There are a whole host of amazing blogs that I love to peruse and get inspiration from, I usually just type in 'crochet blogs' or even the pattern I am looking for and a blog will pop up with said pattern.
Magazines: It took me a while to get into buying a magazine specifically for crochet. As I had acquired a lot of information from the internet I didn't see the point in buying a magazine when there was probably something on the internet that I could research. However, Simply Crochet came out when I was very new to the hobby so I picked it up and fell in love straight away.
I had already purchased Mollie Makes a couple of times and loved it, so when Simply Crochet was released (under the same publication company) I knew it would be a good'un! Every month you get a freebie, from a crochet hook to accessories; I love having a gift each month! There are lots of patterns and again inspiration as well as beautiful pictures that make you want to live inside the magazine!
Another mag that I have gotten into more recently is Inside Crochet. Although no freebie's seem to come with this one, the magazine has more pages and patterns for the same price as Simply Crochet. Again, the pictures are gorgeous, I wish I could be that good at photography!
The great thing about both magazines is that at the back there is a 'how to' section on basic stitches as well as new stitches that might have been featured in a pattern from that issue of the magazine, e.g. button holes. This section also includes a UK/US stitch convertor, increasing and decreasing, how to change colour and many more great beginner tips.
Books: When I first started out I had an Amazon wishlist of about 50 books that I wanted but these days I focus my attention more on the above categories. I have a few books; the Crochet book I mentioned in my last beginners guide post which I find extremely useful as well as a few books with patterns but again, I find myself looking for on the internet or in magazines for patterns than I do in books. One book that I do highly recommend for trying out new stitches (once you've mastered the basics) is 500 Crochet Blocks by Hannah Elgie and Kath Eastoe. It is fantastic if you want a bit of a challenge or to try something new. It features so many stitches that I would love to put together a patchwork blanket of all of them!
I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions I'll try to answer them.
Betty xXx
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