Crochet guide
What you need to start crocheting
You need very little to start crocheting: a hook, a ball of yarn and a pair of scissors. A few more small tools earn their place once you finish your first pieces.
On this page 6 parts
The short list
To learn the first stitches you need three things:
- one crochet hook
- one ball of yarn
- a pair of scissors
Crochet is worked with a single hook, where knitting takes two needles. Everything else on this page can wait until you have made a few practice pieces.
Choosing a first hook
Size. Start with a medium-sized hook, 4 mm (G-6) to 5 mm (H-8). The hook has to suit the yarn: thicker yarn takes a bigger hook, and the yarn's label suggests a size. Crochet hook sizes explained covers the letters and numbers.
Material. Hooks are made of aluminum, steel, plastic, bamboo and wood. A plain metal hook is a common first choice.
Handle. Some hooks have a thicker, cushioned handle, which many people find more comfortable to hold.
Head. The hooked end comes in two shapes, called inline and tapered. Neither is the right one. Try both when you get the chance.
One hook is enough to begin with. You will add sizes as your patterns ask for them.
Choosing a first yarn
Thickness. Pick a yarn of medium thickness, not too fine and not too thick. On a label that means weight 3 or 4: the yarns called DK, worsted and aran. Yarn weights for crochet explains the numbers.
Color. Choose a light color. Stitches are hard to see in black, navy and other dark colors.
Fiber. Plain acrylic is inexpensive and even, which makes it a common yarn to practice with.
Scissors
Any small, sharp pair will do. You need them to cut the yarn when a piece is finished.
Worth adding soon
- A yarn needle, also called a tapestry needle. It is bigger than a sewing needle, with an eye large enough for yarn. You use it to weave in the yarn ends of a finished piece.
- Stitch markers. A marker marks a stitch you need to find again, such as the first stitch of a round. A bobby pin does the same job.
- A tape measure or a ruler, for measuring a piece and for checking your gauge.
Later on
- Something to count rows with. Pen and paper work. So does a row counter.
- Blocking mats and pins. Blocking means wetting a finished piece and pinning it out to shape while it dries.
When you have your hook and yarn, see how to hold them. Then how to crochet starts with the first loop.