I personally had a very hard time grasping the basics of crocheting. I am the type of person who learns by doing, and it took the help of videos and a lot of trial and error before I finally nailed it.

Before learning to crochet your first project you will need to master the slip knot and chaining. Don't worry! This part is easy peasy.

I'm posting a video I found on youtube (not my video!) that has the same project I did as my first project. A washcloth is a great first project and allows you to get the basics of crocheting down pat!



Once you feel you've got the basics down time to try some new projects!

https://www.ravelry.com - Ravelry is by far my favorite place to find patterns. (also great for knitters!) They have free patterns for any skill level. You can make your own account and save patterns for future use. And if you're like me and have an unhealth stock pile of yarn you can keep inventory of your yarns in your 'stash'

http://www.pinterest.com/ - Pinterest is a second favorite. Its designed as kind of a board for interests spanning much more than just crocheting. It takes a little bit to get used to, but its a great treasure trove of patterns, reveiws, techiques and all things yarn. Its also easy to organize projects who you want them making use of 'boards' (think of it as pinning patterns to a corkboard).

http://www.youtube.com/ - If you're like me and have a hard time following written patterns, youtube has TONS of videos showing you exactly how different patterns and techniques are done. I like to use it when I'm absolutely stuck on something and need someone to show me.

http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns - Not my first stop for patterns, but it definitely deserves a spot on the list. Redheart is a yarn brand that offers free patterns online. They make inexpensive yarns that are great for many, many projects.

If there are some links or places you feel should be added to this post let me know! I love the input.