Contents

1. Chapter One – The Right Equipment

2. Chapter Two – Know Your Yarn

3. Chapter Three – Basic Terminology

4. Chapter Four –Reading Patterns

5. Chapter Five – Basic Crochet Stitches

6. Chapter Six – Basic Crochet Techniques

7. Chapter Eight – Beginner Patterns

8. Crochet Resources

9. Video Links

10. Pattern Links

11. Image Attributions

Chapter One – The Right Equipment

Before we begin you’ll need some basic equipment. This includes crochet
hooks, shears, stitch markers, a row counter, and a bag or tote to store
your yarn, works in progress, and equipment. You don’t need to spend a
fortune on good quality equipment. A nice set of aluminum crochet
hooks, a good pair of shears, and some simple stitch markers are all you
really need to get started. In this chapter we’ll cover the basic equipment
you’ll need and the proper way to use it.
Crochet Hooks
Crochet hooks come in various sizes from very small almost needle like
hooks used with thread to huge hooks used to create rugs. For the
beginner I recommend purchasing a good quality hook set with sized
from US E to US K. These will be the sizes used for most patterns for all
skill levels. You can find hooks with comfort grips if you have problems
with arthritis or holding a hook. You can also make your own grips with
clay. Some of the other materials used for hooks include steel, bamboo,
various woods, and plastic. A good quality set of aluminum hooks are
perfect for the beginner, and will serve you for many years.
A crochet hook is pretty straight forward. Most hooks have an indentation
in the handle called the grip or pad that you use to grip the hook. There
in the handle called the grip or pad that you use to grip the hook. There
are two basic types of lips and thread guides. Boye hooks have a more
rounded thread guide while Bates hooks are more angular. Which type of
hook you use is purely personal preference. I’ve used both types and
really can’t tell much difference in them. But some diehard fans swear by
their favorite brand, so check them out and see which ones you prefer.
As you advance in your skills you may want to try out Tunisian crochet.
This type of crochet uses a long hook to hold the stitches. It looks very
similar to a long knitting needle with a crochet hook on one end. You can
also find Tunisian crochet hooks with a long piece of plastic or metal
used to hold many stitches. These look similar to circular knitting needles
with a hook on one end. Circular Tunisian crochet hooks are used for
very large projects such as a kind size afghan. You can also find double
ended crochet hooks. These are used for more advance techniques
similar to Tunisian crochet.