Getting Started in Crochet - Things You’ll Need

In the last year, we’ve all found ourselves with much more free time than normal. We’ve all been looking for new hobbies and ways to fill our time. Some have baked bread, others have started an indoor jungle. Many have started, or wanted to start crocheting/knitting. The things you’ll need for getting started in crochet are few. You don’t need a lot.

When I started knitting, I taught myself using kitchen skewers and a ball of yarn. It worked, and I was able to cast on, knit and purl my stitches away. It wasn’t easy, but it worked. Then, when I got my first set of actual knitting needles, they felt so luxurious.

I knit for a few years, but holding the needles always caused my hands to cramp. I still wanted to be able to create things with yarn. This is where crochet came in. I picked up an inexpensive pack of hooks in various sizes and got to work learning a new craft.

When getting started in crochet, you don’t need a lot. You’ll need a hook, yarn and patience as well as the willingness to frog (start over).

Hooks

Crochet hooks come in many different materials and sizes. Metal, plastic and wood – some have comfort grips or even night lights. When choosing hooks, make sure to coordinate hook size with your chosen yarn.

Yarn

The kind of yarn you choose should be suited for the item you want to make. Acrylic and cotton are the most common. Acrylic is most common for general projects including amigurumi, wearables, scarves, blankets and more. But, you don’t want to use Acrylic for anything that would come into contact with heat as it’s likely to melt. Cotton is great for kitchen projects because of its washability and it stands up to heat. Of course, there are many, many other kinds but these two are usually best to start with. The packaging for whichever yarn you choose will indicate what size of hook is best suited for that specific yarn.

Patience and the Willingness to Frog

You will make mistakes. Crochet has a delicate balance of knowing where to insert your hook and counting how many stitches to crochet into across. A lot of beginner projects grow narrower as they get taller from missing stitches. Here, you’ll have the choice to either leave this finished wonky piece as is (which I recommend), or you frog and start over. Personally, I believe it’s better to keep the wonky piece to gauge how far you’ve progressed in the art of crochet.