Crochet is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term crochet, meaning ‘small hook’. Hooks can be made from a variety of materials, such as metal, wood, bamboo, or plastic.

The key difference between crochet and knitting, beyond the implements used for their production, is that each stitch in crochet is completed before the next one is begun, while knitting keeps many stitches open at a time. Some variant forms of crochet, such as Tunisian crochet and broomstick lace, do keep multiple crochet stitches open at a time. source~~Wikipedia

Crochet hooks come in different sizes and different styles. The size of the hooks affects the size of the stitches and influence the overall size of your crochet project.

I tend to use hooks in the range of 3.5 – 4.5. My preferred two brands are Tulip Etimo and Clover Amour (backup brand would be Susan Bates). They work smoothly and help to ensure that your yarn doesn’t split while crocheting.

Basic materials required for crochet are a hook and some type of material that will be crocheted, most commonly yarn or thread. Yarn, one of the most commonly used materials for crocheting, has varying weights which need to be taken into consideration when following patterns. Acrylic can also be used when crocheting, as it is synthetic and an alternative for wool. Additional tools are convenient for keeping stitches counted, measuring crocheted fabric, or making related accessories.

Yarn for crochet is usually sold as balls, or skeins (hanks), although it may also be wound on spools or cones. Skeins and balls are generally sold with a yarn band, a label that describes the yarn’s weight, length, dye lot, fiber content, washing instructions, suggested needle size, likely gauge, etc. It is a common practice to save the yarn band for future reference, especially if additional skeins must be purchased. Crocheters generally ensure that the yarn for a project comes from a single dye lot. The dye lot specifies a group of skeins that were dyed together and thus have precisely the same color; skeins from different dye lots, even if very similar in color, are usually slightly different and may produce a visible stripe when added onto existing work. If insufficient yarn of a single dye lot is bought to complete a project, additional skeins of the same dye lot can sometimes be obtained from other yarn stores or online.

The thickness or weight of the yarn is a significant factor in determining how many stitches and rows are required to cover a given area for a given stitch pattern. This is also termed the gauge. Thicker yarns generally require large-diameter crochet hooks, whereas thinner yarns may be crocheted with thick or thin hooks. Hence, thicker yarns generally require fewer stitches, and therefore less time, to work up a given project. The recommended gauge for a given ball of yarn can be found on the label that surrounds the skein when buying in stores. Patterns and motifs are coarser with thicker yarns and produce bold visual effects, whereas thinner yarns are best for refined or delicate pattern-work. Yarns are standardly grouped by thickness into six categories: superfine, fine, light, medium, bulky and superbulky. Quantitatively, thickness is measured by the number of wraps per inch (WPI). The related weight per unit length is usually measured in tex or denier.

Crocheted fabric is begun by placing a slip-knot loop on the hook (though other methods, such as a magic ring or simple folding over of the yarn may be used), pulling another loop through the first loop, and repeating this process to create a chain of a suitable length. The chain is either turned and worked in rows, or joined to the beginning of the row with a slip stitch and worked in rounds. Rounds can also be created by working many stitches into a single loop. Stitches are made by pulling one or more loops through each loop of the chain. At any one time at the end of a stitch, there is only one loop left on the hook. Tunisian crochet, however, draws all of the loops for an entire row onto a long hook before working them off one at a time. Like knitting, crochet can be worked either flat (back and forth in rows) or in the round (in spirals, such as when making tubular pieces).

I buy most of my yarn from Wool Warehouse in the UK. Preferred brands are Stylecraft and Scheepjes.

Your main stitches in crochet are: chain stitch, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, treble (triple) crochet,and the slip stitch. You can use combinations of these to form other “main” stitches such as the shell stitch, V-stitch, popcorn stitch, and cluster stitch. Note that stitch names vary by country. This mixing of the stitches into new stitch patterns is what makes crochet so fascinating and so much fun!

Source for main verbiage (aside from my own interjections): Wikipedia

Current WIPS: 

• d’Histoire Naturelle Scheepjes CAL 2020
• Sophie’s Universe
• Karoo Vintage
• Big Girl Ardith
• Phoenix Afghan
• Shabby Chic Mandala Madness rug
• Victoria Floral throw – in memory of my son, Devon

Image by Racool_studio on Freepik