One of the best ways to learn how to crochet is to sign up for a class at your local yarn shop or community centre. That’s how I learnt – I was shopping for yarn to knit a blanket and the cashier asked if I can crochet and suggested that I take a class. I signed up and a week later, I was crocheting granny stripes.
The great thing about these classes is that the instructor is on hand to answer your questions and correct your mistakes. It really helps to boost your confidence when someone looks at your technique and your work, and helps you to perfect it.
My personal journey included two 3-hour classes in my local yarn shop where we learned how to crochet the granny stripe and granny square. From there, I asked the instructor if amigurumi was difficult to master, and she said it wasn’t difficult at all, you just need the right tools.
Here are the tools you will need to start crocheting:
- Hooks – they recommend a 4 mm and 5 mm for beginners; amigurumi is made with a 2 mm hook
- Yarn – it’s a good idea to start with double knit (DK) yarn; amigurumi is usually made with cotton
- Stitch markers – for amigurumi
- Small sewing scissors
- Tapestry needle
That’s it! You don’t need a lot of tools to start making your own amigurumi toys. Once you’ve got your tools ready, enroll in one of the classes below to learn how to crochet.
Cape Town
Knitter
Thimbles in Durbanville offers a range of classes from crochet to quilting and more. Find an updated list of upcoming classes on their website: Thimbles Classes
Pretoria
Charming Wool & Accessories hosts regular crochet classes at their shop. Visit their website to learn more about their classes: Charming Wool
Zau Creative offers weekly crochet classes and workshops for beginners. Learn more about their workshops here: Zau Creative
Online Classes
There are magnitudes of online classes available to teach you how to crochet. I find Youtube videos especially useful when it comes to learning a specific stitch or technique. But if you are an absolute beginner, I would recommend joining a course on Craftsy.
Craftsy offers classes ranging from beginners crocheting to reading graphs and patterns. You can even learn how to
Here are some useful Youtube videos I’ve found:
How to create an invisible decrease
If you host a class and you want to add it to the list above, please get in touch with me at hello@amigurumi.co.za. This listing is provided free of charge.