I have been crocheting for almost 40 years or there abouts. I have leaned that stitch markers and stitch counters are your friend. Never underestimate their value. Also don’t be frightened of graphs. They make a complicated or poorly written pattern make immediate sense so be patient and learn to use them and they fit way easier into your handbag than a pattern book. Which brings me to my third pointer - you never know when you may want to crochet so a ball of yarn and a hook tucked into your handbag is important. Just imagine how far you would get on a bedspread if you crocheted a square, hexagon or triangle every time you were waiting for someone!
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Welcome to Ribblr @TMCC17 !
So many amazing tips! It’s amazing to hear how everyone’s experience as a beginner was different and that every person struggles differently!
Having a ball of yarn in your bag, is excellent advice!
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Since I just had to frog (rip it, rip it out) a bunch of rows, I would strongly encourage counting your stitches. Really might be most important. Count. Stitch markers help, if needed, and can simply be a piece of yarn. Still learning, after all these years. Loving the tips.
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Take notes… A lot of notes! What are you making, for who, what size and what gauge, what type of needles and the size of them, the yarn and do you like the fabric it creates , meterage, what is new and scares you, what do you have to learn and so on.
But most of all…frog it if you need to. All knitters do, even if we have tons of experience!
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Don’t and I mean don’t rush yourself. Only start a 1 or 2 projects at a time or else you will end up forgetting about it and never get to finish it. Choose very simple projects when you first start off and gradually start to try harder patterns or else you will challenge yourself with an impossible challenge. Knitting and crocheting takes lots of time and patience if you want to make a good piece of art so don’t be disappointed if you don’t finish a project in one day.
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Practice, practice, practice!!!
You’re not gonna get things right the first time. You’re just not. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at your craft. Please, practice! And don’t be afraid to ask for help! Yes, YouTube videos help a lot. I depend a lot on YouTube tutorials. If you have a forum like this, Instagram, etc… don’t be afraid to ask for help from folks 
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You cannot let your mistakes ruin your confidence, in fiber arts its all about trusting the process and understanding that every expert was once a beginner, oh and make sure you do wrist stretches I wish I would have as a beginner it would have helped with alot of pain I have today lol.
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I recently learned how to do the yarn under technique for my amigurumi and O my Gosh, it makes it look so much better!
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Have a lot of patience and start with easy projects!! Ig not, you’ll feel so frustrated.
For me it was useful to have a list of the abreviations and different stitches, and I tried to learn how to read drawn patterns because they make your work easier than written (at least for me)
Watch a lot of tutorials and be open to new ways of crochetting / knitting, there’s a lot of people sharing their tips (like straight sides, how to wave ends, etc)
Hope it’s helpful!!
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Luckily on Ribblr all abbreviations come directly with a video tutorial right within the pattern
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i think my advice would have to be, don’t take on to may projects at once. You’ll be more motivated to get one project done at once so you can move onto another one, also browse pinterest if you stuck for inspiration, it really helps
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Read the pattern twice before starting. Follow yarn / needle suggestions (or look up good substitutes.
Don’t be afraid to rip it all back and start again - it’s not a failure - it’s a learning curve.
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As a perfectionist (who gave up learning how to knit because of this), I find this a bit too relatable… 
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You’re not going to be amazing when you start out and your projects are going to look a little wonky. It takes a lot of practice, but it gets easier!
Definitely learn about reading yarn labels and the difference between yarn sizes and materials.
For anyone interest, check out my blog at www.summerbug.ca on how to read yarn labels! 
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When you first get a new pattern, read it completely before starting. This will help for any reserching stitches you might not know later on
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Count your stitches
Turn the same direction every time
Count your stitches again
Frogging isn’t the worst thing—it’s worth it in the end!
Enjoy it
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Mistakes happen. Unless it’s a huge thing or really obvious then accept that it’s part of what makes your knitting unique.
Research your stitches before committing to a pattern
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Well I was 4 when granny taught me to knit so really i didnt know how to even read “dick has a red ball” LOL.
But from guiding others… don’t be afraid of mistakes, that is how you learn, and learning how to correct mistakes is also important cos you will be doing that forever.
If crochet, learn what terms you are using, is it US or UK, and learn the differences in the names and what they look like as you go… eg I’m UK but learned with US books and terms, but can convert my thinking easily enough (40 years of practice helps).
I would say the most important thing though, is don’t be scared to ask. I’ve always found the crafting communities to be very forthcoming with experience.
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