Crochet: Beginner Tutorial: Basic Essentials: Materials

Hello again! Earlier I posted a crochet pattern for my adult-brimmed-crochet hat and it never really occurred to me that some people might NOT KNOW HOW TO CROCHET lol. It's high time I fixed that! I actually started knitting (thank you, Grandma) in high school. Obviously my talents did not lie in that field. This is my best apology to my family members who received hats, scarves and oven mitts... I thought I knew what I was doing, honestly. And I really thought they looked awesome, considering how many times I had dropped a stitch and started over...

Soooooo fast forward to my 1st pregnancy. My husband was gone quite a bit, (preparing to get deployed and all) and I was lonely. I was 1,800 miles away from anyone I knew, fat and miserable and looking for something to occupy my time. I can't remember who gave me the idea to crochet, but I remember thinking, "Sweet Jesus, I have never seen anything 'cute' or 'modern' that involved crochet"... then it hit me. I WENT TO ART SCHOOL, DAMN IT! I'M CREATIVE! I'LL MAKE SOMETHING CUTE WITH CROCHET! And I did. It took a LONG time and lots of errors, but I had 7 long months without any spousal distraction and a baby who never slept and had colic (which is awful and I would never wish that on anyone). I started single crocheting... which took F O R E V E R. Then I got smart and started using half-double and double crochet; then specialty stitches.... But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with the basics.

CROCHET HOOKS

 

Each crochet hook is color coded (if you buy them at Michaels, like I did) and is used for different types of yarn/ projects/ etc. They come in sizes A-Z (A: the smallest; Z: the largest), yet I have never seen a Z hook. Typically, the patterns that I use involve E, F, G and H hooks. I would recommend starting a pattern that uses an H crochet hook- mainly because it will be more stretchy and easier to spot a mistake.

 

YARN

Yarn comes in all shapes and sizes, kind of like people... although sometimes, I prefer the company of my yarn... and that's saying something because I am a 'people person'. Yarn is broken down by how many smaller pieces of yarn are twisted together to make the bigger strand of yarn (aka YARN WEIGHT). It is not the actual weight of the yarn so don't be confused there. The Craft Yarn Council of America is making an effort to promote a standardized industry system for measuring this, numbering the weights from 1 (finest) to 6 (heaviest). Some of the names for the various weights of yarn from finest to thickest are called lace, fingering, sport, double-knit (or DK), worsted, aran (or heavy worsted), bulky, and super-bulky. A more precise measurement of yarn weight, often used by weavers, is wraps per inch (WPI). The yarn is wrapped snugly around a ruler and the number of wraps that fit in an inch are counted. The yarn weight is important when trying to follow a pattern.

 

For example: if a pattern calls for super bulky (or a worsted weight yarn of 6) and you use a bulky (5), you will make a finished product that is smaller than the original pattern. Similarly, if you use a yarn weight of 6 and the pattern calls for a yarn weight of 3, your finished product will be a lot bigger. There are ways around this, of course, but it involves using different crochet hooks and trying to match a pattern's gauge (how many crochet stitches are found in one inch... or other term of measurement).

 

 

By now you are probably thinking, "OMG, WHAT is she talking about?!?!?! I just want to crochet!" Well, here's the good news, on each ball of yarn, you will find most of the items you need.

 

 

It tells you what yarn weight this yarn is, the recommended crochet hook size, the TYPE (acrylic/wool) of yarn, machine wash/dry, iron (yes or no), grams/oz, color #... I mean it really is wonderful stuff here!

 

For hats, I would recommend a yarn weight of 4-6 and a hook size of G-J. Anything less will take F O R E V E R.

 

 

NEEDLES

Yarn needle: notice the plastic and large eye. If it comes with your beginner kit, great. If not, don't buy them. They bend easily and it gets difficult to sew on accessories.

I would recommend buying the #1 embroidery needle. The eye is large enough to fit yarn, it is metal = durable and it is easier to sew on accessories and weave in ends.

 

Typically, crochet hooks, markers (image below), yarn needle and a book come in a beginners kit. I would definitely buy some more crochet hooks though because there's nothing like starting a project and having your toddler grab your only J crochet hook... and of course losing it... awesome. Now, I have back ups. And a preschooler who KNOWS BETTER lol.

 

MARKERS

These are placed around the yarn and have an easy opening slot to remove. You use this to mark your place in a row. These are not necessary as you can make your own.

 

These are the basic materials. Use them!!! Ok, next up, how to crochet my adult-brimmed hat!