Crochet Toolbox
Intro, yarn and hooks
What is Crochet?
Google defines crochet as “a handicraft in which yarn is made up into a patterned fabric by looping yarn with a hooked needle.”
Yeah, not very helpful.
The definition I’ve come up with over the years is “knitting but with one needle and it’s called a hook.”
Crochet is an underappreciated craft that is shadowed by knitting. I do both and personally prefer crochet. In this series, I will be teaching you the basics of crochet along with some fancy stitches as well as providing a few beginner patterns. And no, just because you knit or crochet doesn't mean you’re an old lady. Crocheting is for everyone and has many fun and unique patterns beyond ugly sweaters that you’ll never need to wear.
What You’ll Need:
All you need to get started is a hook and some yarn.
I recommend starting with a size P hook and Bulky yarn in a color you like (solid colors are easier to start with)
The hook can be purchased here
I recommend the yarn brands Bernat, Red Heart, Wool-Ease, Homespun, Hometown, Color Made Easy.
Hooks:
Hooks come in a variety of sizes and can be made from plastic, bamboo, or metal. Each has their own pros and cons.
Plastic - Pros: relatively inexpensive, better for larger hooks, somewhat comfortable to hold
Cons: can break easily, especially with smaller hooks
Bamboo - Pros: somewhat inexpensive, more durable than plastic, environmentally-friendly
Cons: can be expensive, may break or chip, resulting in splinters
Metal - Pros: super durable, come in the widest variety of sizes and colors
Cons: are the most expensive of the hooks, can be uncomfortable to hold
Hooks are sized by a number, letter, and millimeters. The ‘higher’ the letter the bigger the hook. The most commonly used measurements are letter and millimeters.
Handy chart!
The hook size can be found on the thumb pad or the end.
(pictures)
Yarn
Yarn comes in a few different weights in either balls or skeins.
Every yarn you purchase should come with a yarn label. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY! It provides important information about the yarn.
1 - Yarn weight
2 - Knitting needle size
3 - Crochet hook size
4 - Water temperature for machine washing, if there were an ‘x’ over it, then it would not be machine washable
5 - Tumble dry, if there were an ‘x’ over it, then you could not tumble dry.
6 - Not bleachable, if there wasn’t an ‘x’ then you could bleach
7 - Do not iron, if there wasn’t an ‘x’ then you could iron
8 - Dry clean, If there was an ‘x’ then you could not dry clean
Here is a list of more symbols you may encounter on yarn labels