Learning crochet basics: What supplies do I need to get started?

Uh oh! So, you’ve decided to learn how to crochet. And now you’ve found yourself standing in the aisles of Hobby Lobby or JoAnn’s, filling your cart with all of the pretty, soft and squishy yarn and shiny hooks and needles….. and your bill is up to about $4927462882! You slowly and sadly start putting the treasures back only to be stuck with one thought:

“I just want to crochet!! What the crap do I actually NEED to buy so I can do this?!”

Good news! You don’t need to buy a lot to get started. But WARNING: once you’ve gotten the hang of this thing, you’ll be back to buy all of the rest of that stuff you wanted and some…. it is an addiction.

So here’s what you ACTUALLY need to get started…

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First: you’ll need yarn! But what kind of yarn? I suggest an affordable worsted weight yarn in a color that will be easy to see; a pretty lavender, a medium green, a sky blue.

Red Heart Super Saver yarn is perfect for learning with and you can pick it up almost anywhere, even in the craft section at Walmart.

Hobby Lobby’s “I love this yarn” is also a great brand to start with. Both of these brands have a gazillion colors to choose from, so pick one that you love (you’ll be staring at it for awhile) and be sure it isn’t too dark, too light, or too bright.

Stay away from any variegated or color changing yarns for now and definitely stay away from any textured yarns such as fun fur, as tempting as they are.

Second: you will need a crochet hook. It is not necessary to buy a full set. One or two hooks that suit the yarn you chose will do just fine. Your yarn label should have a section with recommended crochet hook and knitting needle sizes for that specific yarn. Check it out. With Red Heart Super Saver I prefer to use a size I (5.25mm) hook. Both the label on the hook and the hook itself should be marked with at least the size in mm.

There are hooks made of every material out there; acrylic, aluminum, bamboo etc. I tend to stick to the aluminum hooks. I’ve broken many a plastic hook, whoops! And the more affordable bamboo that I’ve had experience with can be a little “sticky” for my preference. Boye and Susan Bates are great starter brands and, again, you can pick them up just about anywhere! Grab just a single hook or if you just really can’t help yourself and you really want to splurge (that would be me…)- get the set of 3 that includes the size you need in addition to one size larger and one size smaller, like this set!

Last: (And this is even optional) you’ll need a darning needle or a yarn needle. This is a bigger, blunt tipped needle with a large eye, that you’ll use to weave in your tails after you’ve completed crocheting your project. These also come in every material imaginable. I do have a few of the plastic ones around that are really for when the kids are stringing beads and such but I’ve used them in a pinch when I seem to have misplaced my own steel needles for the 10 billionth time. The plastic needles I’ve used don’t seem to slide through the yarn quite as nicely as the steel needles. I stick with steel when I have the option. Once again, you can find these just about anywhere. They usually come in a set of 2 or 4 and Boye or Susan Bates brands will work just fine (that’s what I use).

**I’m going to assume you already own a pair of scissors. For now you do not need anything fancy by any means. If you don’t already have some around the house, you’ll need to grab a pair of those, too.

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That’s it! For about $20 (or less) you can walk into WallyWorld and grab every thing you need to give this a go! Once you’ve picked the perfect yarn and grabbed your hook, come on back here and I’ll show you how to start those first stitches!!

Happy shopping!