Crochet: Knitting: Crochet for Beginners (Sewing Hobbies Quilting) (Crafts Crochet Needlepoint) by Dorothy Smith

Chapter 2
Prepare Your Materials
     

     
    You can’t start a crochet project without the basic essentials. Equip yourself with a crochet needle, a ball of yarn made specifically for crochet, and a pair of sharp scissors. You might also want to keep this guide by your side while you are still learning to crochet. This will ensure that you can learn at a much steadier pace.
     
    Remember to pick out a nice firm yarn that can easily be held by your crochet needle. Do not go for too thick yarns, as this will make even the easiest knots hard to pull off. Try to find a yarn that is just slightly thicker than embroidery thread, or ask the crafts store to show you which yarns can suit your project best. Most stores know their products well, so ask for their recommendations first before you buy. Take note that you do not necessarily have to buy expensive threads at the moment. You are simply purchasing yarns that are good enough for practice. Expensive yarns can be used once you have gotten the hang of the different knots and patterns.
     
    Though there are many different colors of yarns found in your local crafts store, beginners might want to choose a solid colored thread so they can keep track of the patterns and note their progress. Crochet can be an intricate craft to learn, so you need to help yourself see what is going on better. Threads that have different kinds of colors in them might confuse you.
    You can choose from a variety of acrylic yarns, cotton yarns and novelty yarns. Acrylic yarns are great for beginners who are only willing to start learning the basics, and not looking to start a project just yet. These come quite cheap, and they are strong and durable. If you want to use acrylic yarn for a project, you might not want to choose something that is too cheap. Cheap acrylic yarn is rather scratchy, so you might not like the texture if you plan to make pieces of clothing.
     
    Cotton yarns are also great for crochet projects. These are also inexpensive, and these are great for making durable and washable pieces. The texture of this yarn is soft and it is pleasing to the touch. You can use this yarn for making tea towels as well as many articles of clothing.
     
    Novelty yarns are usually chosen by more experienced crochet hobbyists. These are a little more expensive than the usual acrylic and cotton yarns. Novelty yarns are used to get the desired texture in crocheted pieces. Some of these yarns can produce the softest sweaters and scarves. Keep in mind that these novelty yarns are usually made of the finest wools, which means you might not be able to wash them often. You may even have to hand wash or dry clean the finished products.
     
    For the beginner, a size N crochet hook will be a great hook to start with. You can ask the crafts counter to give you this hook. Most crafts shop would usually have this in stock. Hooks are quite inexpensive. Crochet is a very inexpensive hobby.
     
    When learning how to crochet, you may want to have few goals for yourself. Once you know your to do the basics, take a pattern guide and determine which project you would like to do first. You can start with the easier things, like a scarf or a little pouch. Setting goals for yourself will boost your productivity, and it will help you get so much better faster.
     
    You might want to find a nice box or container to store all of your crochet materials so that you will not lose them. You can find a medium sized pouch, or better, a medium sized cookie tin to hold everything in. You might also want enough space in there to store unfinished projects so you can keep them from unraveling. Choose a container that is secure and easy enough to lug along.
     



Chapter 3
Learn Your Basic Moves
     
    The Slip Knot
     

     
    The first things to learn when doing a crochet project, is to know how to make a proper slip knot. Almost all crochet patterns start with this simple knot. All you will need for this are your hands and your yarn. You do not have