There are a few things that every beginner crocheter needs to get started.

Crochet beginners need about 5 items to get started.

Crochet Beginners Kit:

1. Hook
2. Stitch Markers
3. Scissors
4. Darning needle
5. Yarn

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If you are trying to get started quickly and want to purchase almost everything in one, excluding the yarn, checkout this crochet kit on amazon.com.

Now let's go through each of these items and discuss how they help you along your crochet journey.

1. Set of crochet hooks

We are going to start the list off strong by starting with the obvious tool, a crochet hook.

Trust me, it's worth the extra price for a set of 10+ hooks.

Once you start crocheting, you will need different hook sizes for different projects and yarns.

The materials you choose for crochet hooks is up to you, but in general, metal crochet hooks tend to slide.

Steel Crochet Hooks

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Steel crochet hooks are super strong even in smaller sizes. The smallest crochet hooks are made from steel and are study and last forever.

Aluminum Crochet Hooks

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Aluminum crochet hooks usually come in different colors and are a great alternative to expensive steel crochet hooks. Aluminum crochet hooks are study and solid.

Plastic Crochet Hooks

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Plastic crochet hooks are lighter crochet hooks and also come in a variety of colors. Generally speacking they are less expensive.

Crochet Hooks with Rubber Handles

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I personally prefer the aluminum hooks with rubber handles because the rubber helps keep the yarn in place.

Wooden Crochet Hooks

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Wooden crochet hooks are also available and these are usually made of resin and wood. The wooden crochet hooks handles are typically designed for ergonomic comfort.

Tunisian Hooks

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If your are tunisian crocheting, you will need all metal hooks so you can fit all of the loops on the hook.

Tunisian crochet hooks are different from the standard crochet hook. Tunisian crochet hooks are longner than crochet hooks and have a stopper like knitting needles to keep everything on the hook.

What type of crochet hook do I use?

At the end of the day, crochet hook materials are more personal preference. You can choose to crochet with aluminum hooks, plastic hooks, or steel hooks.

I like crochet hooks with rubber handles, but all of them work!

Hook size rather than materials is more important when learning to crochet.

Crochet Hook Sizes

Hook size is an important part of crochet. All crochet hooks are measured in millimeters. But there are US sizes and UK sizes.

Hook sizes range from 0.6 mm to 35 mm depending on the hook material.

For most patterns, a medium hook around 5mm to 10 mm is suggested.

As a beginner you'll want to use larger hooks so it is easier to get the hang of crocheting.

I recommend using a 6 mm crochet hook for beginners. It can be used with most medium weight yarn which is good for new crocheters.

2. Stitch Markers

Stitch markers are an important part of learning to crochet as a beginner.

Stitch markers help identify the start/end of rows. They can also be used to mark a certain number of stitches so you can easily identify them later.

Locking Stitch Markers

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Stitch markers usually come as clasp closes or circles. Above is a picture of locking clip corchet markers. There are also decorative stitch markers if you want to elevate your crochet hooks.

Stitch Marker Rings

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I have never used crochet stitch marker rings but they seem like a nice alternative if you struggle with locking stitch markers.

If you don't want to buy stitch markers, you can always use a scrap piece of yarn to keep track of the row count.

3. Scissors

Everyone already has a pair of scissors in their house but you'll want to invest in some small scissors.

I know, it seems silly but smaller scissors are easy to manuver while crocheting.

Decorative scissors

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If you are trying to feel fancy, get a pair of gold or blue scissors and your crocheting will be so cool.

Snippers

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Scissor snips are great if you are doing alot of cutting because you do not have any pressure on the outside of your hand.

4. Darning needle

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Darning needles are large blunt needles used for yarn. They are what you need to weave in the ends of the yarn once you are done with your project.

I personally like the curved crochet hook because it is easier to manipulate the top of the needle.

5. Yarn

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Now it's time for the yarn!

This is what crochet is all about. If you crochet you will quick get a huge collection of yarn.

But you should know that as a beginner, you need a specific weight to make it easier.

Yarn Weight

Yarns all come in different weights ranging from lace to bulky.

As a beginner you will want to work with a medium wieght yarn so it is easy to see stitches

Crochet Gauge

I have to talk about crochet gauge briefly. The crochet gauge is a helpful guide that helps you get the right sized final product.

As a beginner, I ignored gauge and always defaulted to a 5mm crochet hook.

Don't do this.

If you ignore the hook size and yarn weight, you'll end up with a larger or smaller finished product.

How to read crochet guage

Gauge is written as flat rows that create a 4'' by 4'' square crochet sample.

If the gauge reads 9 stitches by 12 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm) using a 5.5mm hook, you need to crochet a square that is 9 stitches across and 12 rows tall.

When measured, the work will be 4'' by 4''.

What hook do I use with each yarn wieght?

In general, yarn companies print the suggested crochet hook size on the label. However, you need to listed to your pattern directions. They may suggest using a different combination of yarn weight and hook size.

Yarn Material

Do not go for fuzzy yarn when first learning to crochet. You will not be able to see the stitches. The same goes with lace yarn.

Small weight yarn takes a long time to work up and can be hard to handle if you don't have the basics of crochet down.

Yarn Color

Choose a yarn that is lighter in color when first starting. Again, it is all about being able to see your stitches.

Lighter colors are great for seeing stitches.

6. Other Crochet tools

The five materials above were all of the basics needed to start crocheting but there are so may more crochet tools that can help your crocheting.

• Crochet bag organizer
• Yarn winder
• Safety eyes
• Yarn bowl
• Blocking board
• Measuring tape
• Stitch counter

How to start crocheting

The crochet world is larger than you think. There are tons of free and low cost options for patterns and crochet projects.

Crochet Books for Beginners

If you are more of a tangible learner, buy some crochet books!

These books will teach you all the basics:

• Crochet for Beginners: A Stitch Dictionary with Step-by-Step Illustrations and 10 Easy Projects by Arica Presinal
• Crochet Techniques & Tips by Publications Interna tional Ltd.
• Crochet Cute Critters: 26 Easy Amigurumi Patterns by Sarah Zimmerman

Crochet Basics for Beginners

This will be a brief review of how to crochet. If you are a complete beginner, check out this complete beginners guide to crochet.

There are 5 basic crochet moves that all beginners need to know.

1. Chain

2. Single crochet

3. Half double crochet

4. Double crochet

5. Slip stitch

What type of patterns should beginners crochet?

Beginners should crochet something that has a larger yarn weight and is easy to compete over the course of a day.

• Chunky sweaters
• Amigurumi
• Scarfs
• Beanies
• Coasters

All of these are easy beginner patterns that work up quickly and are fun to make.