New to beginner crochet? Read on my friend.
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‘Wait! What happened? Can you rewind it? I missed it!’
Mr Crochet Coach laughed and hit the back button on the remote as he said ‘Maybe this isn’t the best show to watch while you crochet?’
He was dead right. Some shows are amazing to dip into when you’re exploring beginner crochet and others just don’t work. The show we were watching was Westworld which is a fantasy sci-fi, futuristic kind of thing. You really need to pay attention to it or otherwise, you miss bits. There are other shows you can look up and check on every 5 mins and you’re totally fine, but Westworld isn’t one of them. It’s full of little cookies and hints and it also jumps backwards and forwards in time. I’ll look down for a few rows, look back up and be all ‘Wait – didn’t that guy just die?’. It’s a nightmare.
I’m constantly on the lookout for good Cro-shows (particularly beginner crochet shows), because I crochet a lot. At least a few hours every day and sometimes up to 8 hours on the weekends or when I’m slamming to get a pattern finished. Some shows are just made for crocheting and I’ve discovered quite a few of them over the last few years.
A good beginner crochet show needs to be dialogue-heavy and not reliant on you looking up often. A good beginner crochet show should be prolific – there should be plenty of episodes/seasons to keep you occupied for hours so you don’t have to find a new beginner crochet show too often. It should also be a show you love, so you look forward to sitting down and having your crochet time.
Here are a few of my favourite beginner crochet shows of all time…
This show is unbelievably charming and you only need to look up every few moments so you don’t miss one of Trixie’s outfits or Chummy being adorable. It’s dialogue-heavy, not too involved and just a lovely thing to watch. Hot tip: It’s VERY re-watchable. I think I’ve watched at least twice all the way through and I have every intention of watching it again.
Snack recommendation: A slice of cake from a vintage tin and a perfect cup of tea.
Project recommendation: Eco string bag, so you can go market shopping on the weekend.
To be fair, Downton is extremely pretty so I would recommend easy, repetitive and not too complicated projects for this so you don’t miss out on all the beautiful costumes and rolling English countryside. Maggie Smith nails every single sentence of dialogue and her pithy one-liners will see you through even the biggest and most repetitive of beginner crochet projects.
Snack recommendation: Cucumber sandwiches.
Project recommendation: Nomad shawl, to wrap around your shoulders when you get the train to London.
The major appeal of this show is just how much of it exists. There are currently 9 seasons and at the time of publishing this post, it’s still in production. It’s funny and cute and you only have to glance up every now and then to watch Phil do something stupid and the rest of the time you can focus on your beginner crocheting.
Snack recommendation: White wine, Clare style.
Project recommendation: Moss stitch bag, to keep all your essentials in for when something inevitably goes wrong like your step-mother shooting your father in the foot or your husband randomly bringing home an alpaca.
I scoffed at Star Trek for years but you know what? It’s a damn good show. You don’t have to start right at the beginning, you can even just start with Star Trek Beyond which is the most recent release of the series. It’s just a good fun romp and a nice break if you tend to favour shows like Downton and Midwife.
Snack recommendation: Anything you want, pretend you have a Replicator.
Project recommendation: C2C blanket, because it’s so damn futuristic they work up so quickly without you even noticing.
This is another one where the sheer volume is the biggest drawcard. There’s JUST SO MUCH OF IT! To be honest, I stopped watching this religiously during the great writer’s strike of 2007 when all TV started sucking really hard but random episodes keep popping up on TV and I’m drawn in every time.
Snack recommendation: Tequila and salad as that’s all the staff of Seattle Grace ever seem to
eat.
Project recommendation: Eco cloths… could they be used for surgery? Don’t try this at home. Just use them for your dishes.
If you want something less faux dramatic, this doco is amazingly enthralling. It’s a long watch but totally worth it and perfect for crocheting because it’s based on a court case where listening is more important than watching.
Snack recommendation: Popcorn, which is what you need for all additive shows.
Project recommendation: Nina slippers because you can’t wear shoes with laces in prison.
Can you think of a more word-heavy show that’s better suited to beginner crochet? Yeah, me neither. Start at the beginning and work your way through. It’s always worth a re-watch.
Snack recommendation: Coffee and unholy amounts of junk food.
Project recommendation: Shiraz Wine Bottle Carrier, to get you through Friday night dinner with Emily Gilmore.
Confession: I totally didn’t watch this when it was on TV back in the day and watching it on demand is hard work if you’ve never seen it before because there’s so much going on. Binge-watching 90s Sorkin is exhausting BUT you can definitely do it with a sneaky crochet project in your hand.
Snack recommendation: A grilled cheese sandwich and black coffee because you’re running a country god damn it!
Project recommendation: Crochet baskets, because you need tight tension and if there’s one thing The West Wing has, it’s tension.
Another prolific show that doesn’t require a whole of concentration. You can smash through a big ol’ blanket in a season or two of this delightful romp.
Snack recommendation: Vodka or nothing, the standard drag queen diet.
Project recommendation: Very Useful Bags to store your metric tonne of makeup in.
Shows I Failed at Crocheting In Front of
Luther – I can’t not look at Idris Elba’s face. It’s too pure for this world.
Black Mirror – You miss way too much stuff if you don’t focus during this show.
Better Call Saul – This is a slow-moving show but you really need to concentrate otherwise you miss bits.
If you’re looking for more beginner crochet projects and tutorials don’t forget to join the Crochet Coach. It’s full of beginner crochet videos, patterns and lessons to get you started on the right foot.
What are your favourite beginner crochet shows? What are you crocheting to at the moment?
New to beginner crochet? Read this.
17 Beginner Crochet Mistakes You Need To Avoid.
