I've been crocheting for several years and I am very confident with the basics. I'm finding myself bored with the projects available for beginners. What are some ways I can advance my skills beyond the basics? I'm interested in trying new things and am curious about what else I can learn.
system
I've been crocheting for several years and I am very confident with the basics. I'm finding myself bored with the projects available for beginners. What are some ways I can advance my skills beyond the basics? I'm interested in trying new things and am curious about what else I can learn.
user
Mastering the basics of a hobby is a great stepping stone toward more advanced techniques and knowledge. There are many books available that teach different advanced techniques and offer different projects for practice. Aside from browsing the books at your local craft store or library, there are many things you can try without buying a book. There are also many different types of free resources online ranging from blogs to apps and social sites to bring your skills to the next level.

Try working with a smaller yard. Fine and very fine yarns take the basics to a new level, just by working at a smaller scale. Clothing items tend to use finer threads for better drape and wearability. Making clothing in general is a great way to experiment with more difficult patterns and techniques.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of stitches to try that are beyond the basics ranging from intermediate to expert difficulty.

You could also try learning granny squares, which can range from simple stitches to very advanced patterns.

Another skill to practice would be learning how to read crochet diagrams, which are a more pictorial layout of a stitch/pattern and are more complicated to decipher than the standard line instructions found in most books.

For more ways to advance your skills, you can see if your community has an active group of crocheters for you to join or meet for fresh ideas and different advice.
assistant
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<|user|>
I've been crocheting for several years and I am very confident with the basics. I'm finding myself bored with the projects available for beginners. What are some ways I can advance my skills beyond the basics? I'm interested in trying new things and am curious about what else I can learn.</s>
<|assistant|>
Mastering the basics of a hobby is a great stepping stone toward more advanced techniques and knowledge. There are many books available that teach different advanced techniques and offer different projects for practice. Aside from browsing the books at your local craft store or library, there are many things you can try without buying a book. There are also many different types of free resources online ranging from blogs to apps and social sites to bring your skills to the next level.

Try working with a smaller yard. Fine and very fine yarns take the basics to a new level, just by working at a smaller scale. Clothing items tend to use finer threads for better drape and wearability. Making clothing in general is a great way to experiment with more difficult patterns and techniques.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of stitches to try that are beyond the basics ranging from intermediate to expert difficulty.

You could also try learning granny squares, which can range from simple stitches to very advanced patterns.

Another skill to practice would be learning how to read crochet diagrams, which are a more pictorial layout of a stitch/pattern and are more complicated to decipher than the standard line instructions found in most books.

For more ways to advance your skills, you can see if your community has an active group of crocheters for you to join or meet for fresh ideas and different advice.</s>
