Lesson 1: Supplies Needed for Crochet – The Beginner’s Guide to Crochet
Want to learn how to crochet? Start here! The Beginner’s Guide to Crochet is an in-depth course for beginners to learn everything you need to know about crochet. In Lesson One we’ll go through all the supplies needed for crochet. We’ll also go through where to find crochet supplies and the recommended tools.
Do you want to learn to crochet but you’re not sure where to start? Well, you’re in the right place! With The Beginner’s Guide to Crochet, I’ll be sharing beginner friendly lessons for you to learn how to crochet!
In Lesson One we’re talking about the tools and supplies needed to crochet. Although there are many products and accessories that can be used in crochet, we’ll just be talking about the most basic supplies needed today.
The most important supplies you need to get started in crochet are yarn and a crochet hook. With these materials you can practice crochet stitches and even start a project, but to finish a project you’ll want a few other tools as well. Scissors, a yarn needle, measuring tape, and stitch markers are all supplies that will help you on your crochet journey. If you take a look online or at a craft store, you’ll see each of these materials and supplies come in many shapes, sizes, and varieties, so how do you know which crochet supplies to get? Let’s take a closer look at each one below.
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If you already know the basics, then check out some of these easy crochet patterns: Easy Breezy Ribbed Beanie, Easy Breezy Scarf, and the Farmhouse Dish Set.
If you’re a visual learner, then follow along with Lesson One on YouTube!
Yarn
What yarn do you need to crochet? If you ever walked through a yarn aisle at the craft store or browsed for yarn online, you may have noticed there is a large variety of yarn to choose from! Not only does yarn come in different weights and sizes, there are also many different fibers available as well!
It can be overwhelming standing in the yarn aisle, looking at hundreds of different types and sizes of yarn. But all the information you need to know about each yarn is written on the yarn label, you just need to know what to look for. There are 2 main factors to keep in mind when searching for yarn: weight and fiber content.
Yarn Weight
The weight of the yarn refers to how thick it is. This is labeled as a number on all yarns ranging from 0-7, 0 being the thinnest and 7 being the thickest. Each of these numbers has a corresponding category name and different types of yarns that fall under these categories. The chart down below shows the symbols and names used when referring to each of the yarn weights. The chart also shows some of the recommended hook sizes commonly used with each of the different weights of yarn. You can use any size hook with any weight yarn to create different looks, textures, and densities to your fabric, so feel free to experiment.
Feel free to save the chart below so you can reference it when needed.
What to make with each weight of yarn
You can make so many different items with each weight of yarn but here are a few common ones:
- Lace (0) Weight Yarn: lacey and delicate items such as doilies, earrings, and bracelets.
- Super Fine (1) Weight Yarn: socks and shawls.
- Fine (2) Weight Yarn: light garments and baby clothes.
- Light (3) Weight Yarn: light garments and blankets.
- Medium (4) Weight Yarn: hats, scarves, sweaters, pillows, and blankets.
- Bulky (5) Weight Yarn: thicker hats, scarves, sweaters, and blankets.
- Super Bulky (6) Weight Yarn: even thicker hats, scarves, sweaters, and blankets.
- Jumbo (7) Weight Yarn: jumbo blankets, pillows, and cowls.
Fiber content for yarn
Yarn can be made from so many different fibers. There are 2 main categories for fiber: synthetic and natural.
Synthetic yarn is manufactured using manmade fibers rather than natural substances. Types of synthetic yarn include acrylic, polyester, rayon, and nylon. Acrylic yarn is one of the most popular choices for yarn as it is inexpensive, widely available, and easy to care for.
Natural yarn can be broken down into plant and animal based. Plant based yarns include cotton, bamboo, linen, and silk. Cotton is a popular choice for crocheting dish and wash cloths, coasters, and hot pads or pot holders, as it is machine washable, absorbs water, and won’t melt from heat. Some animal yarns include wool, merino wool, alpaca, and mohair. Wool is one of the most popular fibers for yarn as it is breathable, durable, and warm.
Best Yarn for Beginners
It is commonly suggested for beginners to start with either a medium (4) weight yarn or bulky (5) weight yarn. Since these are midsized, they are easy to hold and handle, as well as they’re easily accessible. For yarn weight it is common to start with 100 % acrylic yarn or an acrylic blend, as it’s inexpensive, easily accessible, and easy to care for. Lion Brand Yarn Basic Stitch is a good option for a 100% acrylic, medium (4) weight yarn, it’s also very soft and comes in a large variety of colors. Lion Brand Yarn Hue + Me is one my favorite bulky (5) weight yarns. It’s a wool and acrylic blend and it comes in a gorgeous color palette.
Where to buy yarn
There are a large variety of places you can find yarn, such as local yarn shops, crafts stores, or online. The brands and types of yarns will vary between in each place, and depending on where you are in the world, you may not have some of the same yarns and stores as I do in the United States. The best place to start is online and searching to see what’s available in your area.
Michaels, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby are craft stores in the US that all carry a large variety of yarn. They each carry their own brands as well as other yarn brands. If shopping online you can look on any yarn brands website like Lion Brand Yarn and Yarnspirations, and you can even find some yarn on Amazon.
Crochet Hooks
There are many different sizes and styles of crochet hooks. Below is a chart of the most common sizes of hooks. Crochet hook sizes are identified with both US and metric sizes. The US sizes use letters and metric sizes are in millimeters (mm). Some crochet hooks will have both sizes right the hook and other may just have one or the other, so feel free to save the chart below to reference it when needed.
When it comes to styles of crochet hooks, they come in many different materials and shapes. There are steel, alluminum, plastic, and even wood hooks. Some have a pointier tip and some have a rounded tip, some are heavy and some are light. Depending on how to hold your crochet hook you may find one style and material is most comfortable for you.
My all time favorite crochet hooks are the Clover Armour hooks. They are very comfortable to hold and the rubber grip makes them a bit thicker so it’s easier to hold as well. I highly recommend these hooks, but what works best for me may not be best for you, you really need to test and hold different hooks to find your favorite style and see whats most comfortable for you.
You can shop for crochet hooks at most places you’d find yarn, like local yarn shops, crafts stores or online at crochet and yarn retailers, or Amazon. If you’re looking to just start off with one hook to practice with you can buy whatever size the yarn you want to use suggests, or you can pick up one of the most commonly used sizes which would include a 4mm (G), 5mm (H), 5.5mm (I), 6mm(J).
Scissors
Scissors are needed to cut off yarn when a project is finished. You don’t need any special kind of scissors for this but you do want a sharp pair so you’re not fighting to cut you yarn. I personally like to have a small pair of scissors as they fit nicely in the case I keep my crochet hooks and they’re also easy to carry around when I take my project on the go. I also have this fancy pair of scissors that look nice for photos and are nice and small.
Yarn Needle
When you finish a project you’ll need a yarn needle (also called a darning needle and tapestry needle) to sew in the ends of your yarn. A yarn needle looks just like a regular sewing needle except it’s thicker and has a wider eye so you can easily thread your yarn through it. You can get a metal yarn needle or plastic yarn needle and even a bent yarn needle. They usually come in sets and are inexpensive.
Measuring Tape
You may want to have a measuring tape for a few reasons. Firstly, to check your gauge, which is how many stitches you can fit into a certain measurement. This ensures your project will turn out the correct size. Secondly, if you’re making wearable items, you may want to measure the part of the body the item will go on so you’ll have a perfect fit. A soft tape measure is a great choice as they’re inexpensive and easily bendable to measure the body.
Stitch Markers
Stitch markers are just like their name suggests, they’re used to mark your stitches. These are something you may not need right away but you will probably find them helpful at some point. They are commonly used when working in a continuous circle, as it can be very difficult to keep track of where each round started. They’re also helpful to mark any stitch, row, or round you need to remember. These plastic stitch markers are one of the most popular but if you’re looking for something I bit fancier, you can check out these metal stitch markers.
And that concludes Lesson One of The Beginner’s Guide to Crochet! I hope you found this lesson helpful and please feel free to ask any questions about what we learned today in the comments below!
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