Love... Crochet. Carol Meldrum

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      Tape measure Choose one that shows both inches and centimetres on the same side. A 30 cm (12 in) metal or plastic ruler is also good for measuring your tension.

      Yarns

      There are so many different yarns on the market, from shiny mercerised cottons to hairy eyelash yarns, making everything from rough, bumpy textures to smooth, evenly spun strands. In theory you can crochet with any continuous length of fibre, but it is important to understand the fibre content and texture of the yarn as this will affect the finished look and quality of the fabric.

      Yarns are created by spinning fibres together. These can be natural fibres, from plants and animals such as wool and cotton, or they can be manmade or synthetic fibres such as nylon or acrylic. Yarns can also be made up of a single fibre or by a blend of different fibres. The various thicknesses of yarns or plies are made up of finer strands twisted together to form the different weights used. Textured and tweedy yarns are often created by twisting several strands of different thicknesses and colours together giving a whole new look. Other yarns are formed slightly differently; ribbon yarns are constructed by knitting a very fine yarn into a tube, giving a rounded or flat appearance on the ball. However, when starting out with crochet it is best to go for a yarn that has a smooth surface and a tight twist.

      Generally yarn is purchased by weight rather than length and is packaged in balls, hanks or skeins. The length of the yarn is an important piece of information, especially when you need to substitute one for another, and most brands will give you this information on the ball band. The way in which a yarn is spun can also affect the length. When using hanks or skeins they need to be wound up into balls before they are used to crochet.

      Animal fibres Wool is the most commonly used animal fibre and although all wool comes from sheep, there are still a variety of qualities. Merino wool is made from superfine fibres and is very soft and robust, whereas scratchier wools tend to come from sheep that have longer, shaggier coats. Other animal fibres also include mohair and cashmere, which comes from goats, and angora from rabbits and alpacas. Silk is also classed as a natural fibre; it comes from the unwound cocoons of silk worms spun to make a yarn that has a soft shiny lustre. It is also a very strong and light yarn but can be an expensive choice.

      Plant fibres Cotton and linen are the most commonly used plant fibres. Cotton really lends itself to crochet and, like wool, it comes in different forms. Different plants produce different types of fibres: cotton can be matte and soft or if you want a bit of a shine, mercerised cotton has a similar appearance to silk. Linen, bamboo and hemp are among the other yarns spun from plant fibres. Linen has a crisp feel and is spun from the fibres of the flax plant. It has a slightly waxy feel on the ball, but drapes beautifully and feels cool to wear. It’s also environmentally friendly – as is hemp.

      Synthetic fibres Acrylic, nylon and polyester are all made from synthetic fibres. They are processed from coal and petroleum based products, so are essentially the same thing as plastic. Yarns made from 100% synthetic fibres are a lot less expensive, making them a good choice if you are on a budget, but it’s best to use one that has at least some natural fibre mixed in if possible. This makes the yarn much nicer to work with and will also give the fabric a more elastic property, helping it to keep its shape.

      Getting started

      Learning a new skill is great fun, but it is important to understand the basics before starting a project. Work your way through the techniques here, making practice swatches of each of the different stitches. When you come across a new technique in a project, it’s a good idea to give it a quick practice first on some spare yarn.

      Holding the hook

      There are a couple of different methods of holding the hook. There is no real right or wrong way but the most important thing is to use the method that’s the most comfortable and works best for you. The hook is usually held in the right hand.

      Method 1: Hold the hook as if it were a pencil. The tips of your right thumb and forefinger should rest over the flat section of the hook.

      Method 2: Hold the hook as if it were a knife, grasping the flat section of the hook between your thumb and forefinger.

      Holding the yarn

      Again there is no definitive way to hold the yarn, but it should easily feed through your fingers allowing you to create a slight tension that helps keep your stitches nice and even.

      Method 1: Loop the short end of the yarn over the left forefinger. The end of the yarn coming from the ball should be under the next finger. Grip the length of yarn towards the ball of yarn gently with your fingers.

      Method 2: As before, the short end of the yarn should be over your left forefinger. The end of the yarn coming from the ball should be under your next finger, but then also over the next. Some people also like to wrap the yarn around their little finger in this technique.

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