Getting Started: Hook, Yarn and Marker

 

Hook, yarn and marker!

When I first decided to start learning to crochet, I wasn't even sure where to begin. What yarn should I get? What do the different crochet hook sizes mean? What are stitch markers and how do I use them? Should I buy one of those kits that had the yarn, hook and pattern already included? But also, why are those kits so expensive and is it even worth it? What even is a pattern and how do I learn how to understand it? Question after question after question. 

I had chats with one of my good friends who was a pro at crocheting and he too gave me some tips. It is often overwhelming when starting a new hobby because there is just SO MUCH to learn. For me, I decided to just dive right in and purchase a beginner crochet set (had a range of crochet hook sizes, 5 balls of yarn, stitch markers, scissors, darning needles, and so much more) from Amazon, which was around £17 (instead of a crochet kit that costed upwards of £15 for just a hook, pattern and some yarn).  

This was the kit I purchased: 

You can click this link to get to the Amazon page.

I might've also seen a post by someone in the "Beginners Amigurumi" facebook group I was part of who shared the crochet book "Mini Amigurumi Animals" by Sarah Abbondio, and decided that since it was on discount on Amazon, that I would also get it too as all the Amigurumi on the cover looked so cute to me. 

So, what were the answers to the questions I had? 

What yarn should I get? 

Well, I didn't need to know what yarn to get because the crochet kit I bought already came with 5 balls of Liliarge Milk yarn, which is made in Korea. In fact, I enjoyed using this yarn so much that I specifically searched for this brand of yarn to buy when I started running low on yarn. Since then, I have also tried crocheting with similar sized cotton yarn and can safely say that I would rather stick to the milk yarns. The cotton yarns I have tried tend to feel like they have less elasticity, which means that I've had to be more careful about how tight my stitches are as too much tension could make it harder for me to pull the yarn under a stitch and may also cause more holes. On the other hand, the milk yarn seemed to be slightly fluffier and with more elasticity. I buy most of my milk yarn from AliExpress. 

What do the different crochet hook sizes mean? 

The good news is that most of the yarn balls you buy will show the recommended crochet hook size. Since the beginners crochet kit I purchased had different crochet hook sizes, I just had to use the one that was in the range of what was recommended. 

For example, for the Liliarge milk yarn shown below, the recommended hook sizes were 2-3mm so I used a size 3 crochet hook. 

I won't go into detail in terms of deciding crochet hook sizes because another blog post has already nicely summarised it and you can find it here: https://ameliamakes.com/crochet-hook-sizes/

What are stitch markers and how do I use them? 

I used the stitch markers that came with my beginner crochet kit. I wasn't sure how to best use them at first, but this is how I use them now. 

For example, after I have made a Magic Ring (MR), I place my first yellow stitch marker on the stitch that is on the hook. This is the end of my first round.

Once I have completed my second round, I put the next purple stitch marker on the stitch that is on the hook. This is the end of my second round. To count how many stitches I have in the round, I start by counting from the stitch with the stitch marker in the previous round (i.e. yellow stitch marker) until the last stitch before the stitch on the hook (i.e. the stitch before the stitch that has the purple stitch marker). And that is the number of stitches in my round.

For me, the stitch marker from the previous round is also helpful to show me where my next stitch goes after completing a round. In this case, the first stitch of round 3 will start from the stitch where my the yellow stitch marker from my first round is. 

I find it useful to have a row counter when crocheting (the red barrel looking item in the above photos) to keep track of which row I am on. I also usually use 2 different coloured stitch markers to remember if I am on an odd (e.g. yellow stitch marker) or even (e.g. purple stitch marker) round. This helps in situations where my row counter does not match the odd/even colour of the stitch marker and this is when I check the number of rounds I have done to ensure it is correct. 

Should I buy one of those kits that had the yarn, hook and pattern already included? But also, why are those kits so expensive and is it even worth it? 

Speaking from my personal experience, I found buying the beginners crochet kit sufficient to create the amigurumi I wanted and had a lot more for a cheaper price. Since the crochet kit already came with a range of crochet hook sizes and balls of yarn on top of numerous other items I did not know I needed such as the row counter and stitch markers, and there are plenty of free patterns and tutorials available to learn how to make different amigurumi, I felt just getting the beginners crochet kit was better and cheaper than buying one of those kits with a  single hook, some yarn and a pattern. 

What even is a pattern and how do I learn how to understand it?

Of course, at the time of purchasing the beginners crochet kit and amigurimi book, I hadn't even learnt how to read patterns so I had no clue if I would ever be able to make the items in the book. I will share more in another post on how I learnt to read patterns.