Welcome fellow crochet enthusiasts! So last we talked about the many different kinds of yarn. This week we are getting into the tool of your craft, hooks!

The come in many different colors, styles, or even specialty ones. But how do you know which ones to get? Better yet, how do you know which one to use?

A crochet hook is like having the proper brush for an artist, it can either be your friend or your enemy. So let’s talk about hooks a little further. I would recommend getting a good set of crochet hooks. I know this sounds cheesy but a good set of hooks starts you out on the right foot. The kind  I would recommend are the ones with the ergonomic handles because it will ease you into getting a feel for holding the hook and your hand will hurt a lot less. Then when you crochet more and more you will already have a good pair. You can get a set of these online or they have a very nice set at Walmart. If you don’t want to commit you can buy them separately also.

They also have your basic hooks, they are usually made out of aluminium. These ones are cheaper and the brand varies by where you get them. These ones are also very nice. You can get a nice and cheap set on Ebay. You can always make or buy the softer handle at a later time. These are also a good starter hooks.

Then you have the specialty hooks. Recently there has been greater emphasis on hooks that light up. These are pretty nice also because you can crochet even in a darker environment or can use them with dark yarn and be able to see the stitch better. These I wouldn’t really recommend for beginners though because they are made out of plastic and personally I have a fear of them breaking especially when still learning about tension. As you progress in the knowledge of crochet these might be a good option as well. They also have hooks that are made out of wood. Though I do not have experience with these particular hooks I know a lot of people really like these also.

So which size to use? The size greatly depends on the pattern you are using or the yarn. As mentioned in the previous post, most patterns will give you a recommended hook size. It is important to follow that size because otherwise it will mess up the pattern. When I was first starting out this was one of my major mistakes. I thought that I knew better than the pattern and created a mess. But what if they don’t list a hook size? Remember you can always look at the label for the yarn for guidance.

Depending on where you live they will label the hooks differently. In some places they prefer to use letters. For example US-J. Some places like to categorize with the metric system use such numbers such as 9 mm. Again, you need to look at the pattern and your area to be sure which kind to use.

So now that we know the basics of the yarn and hooks and you have them ready we can start to crochet. Next week we will get to start. Our first project that we are going to do is a washcloth. It is fast and easy project and will not be so overwhelming. Now you want to make sure that you get 100% cotton yarn. A good brand is Lily Sugar and Cream yarn. You can get a small skein for a good price in many colors. I can’t wait to start crocheting with you! I’ll talk to you soon!

Hello! I am so glad to be back with you another week to share the next installment of the new to crochet segment. So today we are going to talk about yarn. it is a very important subject because it is mostly what your project is made of. Below I have a label for a skein of yarn. We are going to go through the various aspects that you need to look out for before you start.

 

 

Yarn Weights: There are many different kinds of yarn in different weights. The weight of this particular yarn is outlined with a red box. If you use the wrong weight yarn for a pattern it may come out too big or too small. So right now we are going to run through the different kinds of yarns.

0 – Lace (Often crochet thread)
1- Super Fine (Often can use crochet thread)

2- Fine
3 – Light (Often Called DK Light)
4 – Medium (Often called Worsted Medium, this is the standard size.)

5 – Bulky

6 – Super Bulky

7 – Jumbo

Hook Size: Another thing that we need to notice is outlined in blue. This is the recommended hook size for that particular yarn. When following a pattern they may tell you which size to use. If not then you can follow this guide. If you want something to be more lacy, then you can use a bigger hook than recommended. If you want something tighter, then you can use a smaller hook.

Washing (Care) Instructions:

Regardless of whether you are keeping a project or gifting it to someone else, it is important on how to take care of it. But where can you find the instructions because every yarn is different? Outlined in a pink box is the care instructions right on the label. This label for example says that you CAN machine wash and dry it. However you CANNOT Bleach or Iron. Why would other yarns let you do things some will not? You must consider that yarn can be made of many many things. Some are made with wool, cotton, rayon, ect. With each of the different types it has it’s own specific care instructions. Once you get your yarn and are ready to start, what if you can’t decipher the care instructions? Lion Brand has provided a fantastic guide for all the symbols that you can find here: http://www.lionbrand.com/learn/yarncare

 Yarn Length: Many patterns will tell you that you need so many ounces or yards for a project. Have can you be sure that you will not run out before finishing the project? On the label sample above you will see such information outlined it purple. So if you need 1,000 yards of yarn for a project you can tell by this label that you would need 3 skeins to finish the project. This brings me to another point. Before starting a project it is important to purchase at one time all the yarn you will need. Why? First of all, when you go back they may not have the yarn or it might be discontinued. Second, the colors might be off because of a different dye lot. It may read as the same color but it may be lighter or darker.

Naturally, of course, every label will look different and the location may be in different areas but it is important to look for these things when picking yarn for a project.

I hope that this post was helpful to you and you are one step closer to starting your project and learning how to crochet. The next post in this section will be all about yarn hooks. Thanks again for joining me. See you next week!