The First Project Curse (and Why It’s Worth It)

Everyone remembers their first crochet project—and let’s be honest, most of us remember it with a wince. The yarn was too splitty, the stitches were too tight (or way too loose), and what was supposed to be a neat square ended up looking like a crooked dish rag. But here’s the thing: that first “failure” wasn’t really a failure at all. It was the start of everything.

When you pick up a hook for the first time, you’re not aiming for perfection—you’re learning a new language. Crochet isn’t something you can master overnight. It takes practice, patience, and a willingness to laugh at the weird shapes that come off your hook. That first scarf that turned into a triangle? It’s proof you stuck with it long enough to make something. And that matters more than what it looks like.

The first project curse is almost a rite of passage. We’ve all been there—frogging endlessly, counting stitches like our life depends on it, wondering if this craft is for us. But here’s where crochet hooks you (pun intended). The moment you get through that first disaster and decide to try again, you’re in it for real. You’ve accepted that mistakes don’t define you—they shape you.

Over time, your stitches even out. You start to understand the rhythm, the flow. Suddenly, projects that once felt impossible become second nature. And when you look back at that cursed first piece, you’ll see it for what it really was: the shaky first step on a path that leads to creativity, therapy, and maybe even a wardrobe full of handmade pieces.

So if you’re still holding onto your first project, keep it. Let it remind you where you started. And if you’re just beginning? Don’t give up. Everyone’s first project is a little ugly, but every master crocheter you admire once had one, too. The only difference between them and the person who quit is that they kept stitching.