Color
Yarn comes in a dazzling array of colors. Variegated yarns combine several hues in one skein, changing from one color to another along the yarn. A visit to your local yarn store or craft shop is sure to inspire you with its rainbow of colors.
Most yarn is dyed commercially in batches, or lots. The color can vary from one batch to another. To avoid color discrepancies, purchase all the yarn you’ll need to complete your project at once. Check the codes on the skeins’ labels to make sure the yarn is all the same color and is from the same dye lot.
It is easier to see the stitches with light-colored yarn than with darker colors.
Six of the CYCA’s yarn weight categories, top to bottom: super fine, fine, light, medium, bulky, super bulky
Weight
Yarn also comes in different weights, from lace to jumbo. A crochet pattern will specify the type of yarn you should use. To make the finished project look the way the designer intended, use the recommended weight.
The Craft Yarn Council of America (CYCA) has issued yarn weight standards. These guidelines organize yarn into eight weight categories. Finer yarns are well suited to baby items and other delicate pieces; bulkier yarns lend themselves to thick, heavy sweaters and afghans. If you ever want to substitute one yarn for another, make sure that it is in the same weight category.
Composition and Structure
Yarn is made of spun fibers. These can be natural, such as wool, mohair, silk, or cotton; synthetic, such as acrylic, nylon, or polyester; or a blend. Each fiber has its own characteristics. Wool, for example, is warm but not as strong as some other fibers; acrylic is durable but not as breathable as natural materials. Blended yarns can provide the best of both worlds. Creative new blends—incorporating materials such as Tencel, camel’s hair, even soybean fibers—are being developed all the time. Mercerized cotton is thread that has been processed to preshrink it, add luster, and help it hold dye.
The word “ply” means how many strands are twisted together to make the yarn or thread.
The way a yarn’s fibers are spun determines its structure. Here are some examples:
Spiral: Thinner yarn twisted around a thicker yarn.
Chenille: Plush, velvety pile. Comes from the French word for caterpillar.
Bouclé: Curled or twisted yarn held together in a way that produces small loops on the surface, giving it a kinky appearance and a springy feel.
Nubby: Two strands twisted so that one overlaps the other to produce a bumpy texture.
Slubby: A strand that is alternately thick and thin, twisted with a smooth or a bumpy second strand.
Tape: Yarn made of knitted threads woven into a narrow, flat band.
Novelty yarns: These can have “eyelash” threads, metallic threads, faux fur or feathers, ladder or railroad-track effects, sequins … you name it. Some can be used solo; others work best when combined with another yarn.
Almost any stringlike material can be crocheted. Try your hand with gift-wrapping ribbon, raffia, fishing line, strips of rags, or plastic gimp to see what you like.
The crochet hook is your basic tool. All have a hook on one end, which is used to pull loops through the work. Many have a flat part in the middle for you to grip. Cushioned hooks are also available. Hooks are made in steel, aluminum, plastic, wood, bamboo, and bone. They are sized by the diameter of the shaft.
Hooks are sold individually or in sets.
In addition to the standard hooks, there are specialty hooks. An afghan hook, or Tunisian hook, is a long hook with a stopper on the end or with a flexible plastic extension. A double-ended hook is similar to the afghan hook, but it has a hook on each end. These long hooks are useful for Tunisian crochet projects, in which the loops for each row remain on the hook all the way across a row and are then worked off.
Crochet Hook Sizes
| Millimeters | U.S. Size* |
| 2.25 mm | B-1 |
| 2.75 mm | C-2 |
| 3.25 mm | D-3 |
| 3.5 mm | E-4 |
| 3.75 mm | F-5 |
| 4 mm | G-6 |
| 4.5 mm | 7 |
| 5 mm | H-8 |
| 5.5 mm | I-9 |
| 6 mm | J-10 |
| 6.5 mm | K-10½ |
| 8 mm | L-11 |
| 9 mm | M/N-13 |
| 10 mm | N/P-15 |
| 15 mm | P/Q |
| 16 mm | Q |
| 19 mm | S |
*Letter or number may vary. Millimeter sizing is the most accurate.
Pins
Used to hold finished pieces in place for blocking and when sewing seams.
Tapestry Needles
Used to sew seams and close rounds at the end of a project (like at the top of a hat).
Hook/Stitch Gauge
Used to measure the gauge of a crocheted swatch and to identify the size of unlabeled hooks.
Tape Measure
Used to measure people to determine garment size, and to measure work to check how a garment fits. Can also be used to check gauge.
Scissors and Yarn Cutter
Used to cut yarn. The pendant has a recessed blade accessible through the notched edges.
Row Counters
Used to keep track of rows. This is especially useful if you get interrupted while you’re working. Alternatively, use a pencil and paper to log your progress as you go along.
Beads
Incorporating beads into crocheted work brings an added level of sophistication. When choosing beads, take their weight, hole size, and shape into account.
A big-eye beading needle is helpful for prestringing beads onto yarn.
Steam Iron or Steamer
Used to block finished items, before or after assembly.
Stitch Markers
Used to mark the beginning of a round or the position of a stitch.
