What you need to start crocheting

You can begin crochet with a single hook, one ball of yarn and a pair of scissors. This guide helps you choose a hook and yarn, shows you how to hold them, and teaches the slip knot that every project starts with.

Choosing a hook

Hooks are sized by the width of the shaft. In most of the world this is given in millimetres. In the US, hooks also carry letters and numbers.

Here are some common sizes. The letters can differ a little between makers, so go by the millimetres when they are given.

• 2.25 mm: B/1
• 3.5 mm: E/4
• 4 mm: G/6
• 5 mm: H/8
• 5.5 mm: I/9
• 6 mm: J/10

For learning, a 4.5 mm to 5.5 mm hook works well with medium yarn. Choose one with a comfortable handle. A thick grip or an ergonomic handle can help if your hand tires.

Hooks come in aluminium, steel, plastic, bamboo and wood. Aluminium is smooth and fast. Bamboo grips the yarn a little, which can slow you down in a good way when you are learning.

Choosing yarn

The best yarn for beginners has these qualities:

• Medium weight. DK, worsted or aran is easy to see and handle.
• Smooth and plain. A yarn with a clear twist lets you see where to put the hook.
• Light colour. Dark colours hide the stitches.
• Not too fluffy. Mohair and boucle make it hard to find the loops.

Cotton and acrylic are both fine, and so is wool. Cotton is firm and does not split much. Acrylic is cheap and forgiving. Wool has more give.

Holding the hook and yarn

There are two usual ways to hold the hook.

• Pencil grip. Hold it like a pencil, with the thumb and finger resting on the flat part.
• Knife grip. Hold it like a knife, with your palm over the handle.

Both are right. Choose the one that feels easier and does not tire your wrist.

Your other hand controls the yarn and the work. The yarn passes through the fingers to keep an even tension. A common way is to wrap it once around your little finger, under the next two fingers and over your index finger. Use your thumb and middle finger to hold the work near the hook. There is no single correct way, so experiment until the yarn flows without strain.

Gordon’s tip: If your hands feel tight, take a break and shake them out. Relaxed hands make even stitches, and Gordon agrees that a loose paw is a happy paw.

Making a slip knot

1. Leave a tail of about 15 cm. Make a loop by crossing the yarn over itself.
2. Reach through the loop and pull up a bight of the working yarn, the part attached to the ball.
3. Put the hook through that bight.
4. Pull the tail to tighten the knot on the hook, and pull the working yarn to adjust the loop.

The slip knot should be snug, but it should slide easily up and down the hook. It does not count as a stitch. Your first real stitch is the first chain you make after it.

Small extras

• Stitch markers. To mark the start of a round or a particular stitch.
• Scissors. A small pair.
• Tapestry needle. To weave in the ends.
• Tape measure. Handy for checking your gauge.

Practice

Make a slip knot and a row of 15 chains. See how it feels to hold everything. If the yarn slips, try a different hold. If the chains are tight, loosen your grip. The next guide shows you how to make a chain and your first single crochet stitches.