Laura Wileys' Crochet Corner

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Crochet Hooks

Crochet hooks come in different sizes and styles, and can be made out of metal, wood or plastic.

The size of the hook is the diameter of the hook 'shaft', which determines the size of the crochet stitches. The hook 'lip' grabs the yarn to form the loops.

If you are just getting started, it's best to start with a standard metal 4mm hook.

Once you know how to work the basic stitches, try some other types of hooks to find the one that suits you best.

Anatomy of a crochet hook:

Yarns

Yarns can be made from all sorts of fibre that can be natural, synthetic or a blend of both.

Everything you need to know about a yarn is on its label (also known as a ball band), usually using a system of symbols. The information should include:

Recommended crochet hook size
Shade/colour number
Dye lot number
Fibre content
Yarn weight and thickness
Weight of yarn ball

NATURAL FIBRES

Cotton: A natural fibre very popular for crochet because its smooth texture gives good stitching definition, showing intricate patterns clearly. Cotton is breathable, robust, easy to wash and doesn't shed fibres easily, so it is great for homewares, gadget covers and bags.

Wool: A very warm and hard-wearing natural fibre produced from sheep's fleece, that can be pure or blended with other fibres. It will soften with wear. Wool is ideal for blankets, hats and gloves but bear in mind it can shrink when washing.

Alpaca: One of the warmest natural fibres, with a soft, luxurious fuzzy feel. Will not show precise stitch definition like cotton, but will give a softer look. Perfect for winter items.

Cashmere: An ultra-luxurious velvety-soft natural fibre spun from the hair of the goat. Often blended with other fibres to make it more affordable. Great for scarves, snoods or jumpers.

SYNTHETIC FIBRES AND YARN BLENDS

Nylon: A strong and lightweight synthetic fibre. As its man-made it improves washability of the fibres it is blended with, preventing shrinkage and felting. Its good for items subjected to heavy wear.

Acrylic: This synthetic fibre is cheap to manufacture and often comes in bright shades that are hard to create with natural fibres. It is robust and ideal for toys, novelty items and budget projects.

SPECIALITY YARNS

Ribbon: This yarn may come as a flat shape or be tubular, which becomes flat when wound into a ball. It shows great stitch definition and looks good with openwork stitch patterns.

Spun yarns: These yarns are loosely spun and are less dense than regular yarns. They prevent finished items from feeling heavy and ideal for jumpers and blankets.

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Stitch Markers

These can be hooked onto your work to mark a specific row, stitch or the right side of your work.

Blunt-ended yarn needles

Used for sewing seams and darning in yarn ends. Ensure the eye of the needle is big enough for your chosen yarn.

Row counter

To keep track of where you are in your crochet. Change it each time you complete a new row.

Scissors

For cutting yarn and trimming off yarn ends.

Pins

Useful for seams and blocking.

Pin cushion

To store your pins safely.

Yarn bobbins

For holding short lengths of yarn for colourwork crochet.

ABBREVIATIONS

STITCH ABBREVIATIONS

The below table shows the most common stitches and their abbreviations used in crochet patterns. Please note, some crochet terms are different in the UK and US so make sure you know whether its written in UK or US terms. This page uses UK terms.

UK Abbreviation	UK Term	US Abbreviation	US Term
ch	Chain stitch	ch	Chain stitch
ss	Slip stitch	ss	Slip stitch
dc	Double crochet	sc	Single crochet
htr	Half treble crochet	hdc	Half double crochet
tr	Treble crochet	dc	Double crochet
dtr	Double treble crochet	tr	Treble crochet
trtr	Triple treble crochet	dtr	Double treble crochet
qtr	Quadruple treble crochet	trtr	Triple treble crochet
quintr	Quintuple treble crochet	quadtr	Quadruple treble crochet
2 dc in same st (can apply to htr, tr, dtr, etc.)	1-stitch increase (two stitches in into same stitch)	2 sc in same stitch (can apply to hdc, dc, tr, etc.)	1-stitch increase (two stitches in into same stitch)
3 dc in same st (can apply to htr, tr, dtr, etc.)	2-stitch increase (three stitches into same stitch)	2 sc in same stitch(can apply to hdc, dc, tr, etc.)	2-stitch increase (three stitches into same stitch)
dc2tog (can apply to htr, tr, dtr, etc.)	1-stitch decrease (two stitches together to merge)	sc2tog (can apply to hdc, dc, tr, etc.)	1-stitch decrease (two stitches together to merge)
dc3tog (can apply to htr, tr, dtr, etc.)	2-stitch decrease (three stitches together to merge)	sc3tog (can apply to hdc, dc, tr, etc.)	2-stitch decrease (three stitches together to merge)
fptr	Front post treble crochet	fpdc	Front post double crochet
bptr	Back post treble crochet	bpdc	Back post double crochet
2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-tr shell	Shell, made with 2. 3. 4. 5, or 6 treble crochet stitches worked into same stitch	2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-dc shell	Shell, made with 2. 3. 4. 5, or 6 double crochet stitches worked into same stitch
2-, 3-. 4-. 5-. or 6-tr cluster	Cluster, made with 2. 3. 4. 5, or 6 treble crochet stitches that are joined at top	2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-dc cluster	Cluster, made with 2. 3. 4. 5, or 6 double crochet stitches that are joined at top
3-, 4-, 5-tr bobble	Bobble, made with 3, 4, or 5 trebles worked into the same place and joined at top	3-, 4-, 5-dc bobble	Bobble, made with 3, 4, or 5 doubles worked into the same place and joined at top
3-, 4-. 5-tr popcorn	Popcorn, a bobble variation made with 3, 4, or 5 trebles	3-, 4-, 5-dc popcorn	Popcorn, a bobble variation made with 3, 4, or 5 doubles
3-, 4-, 5-ch picot	Picot, made with 3, 4, or 5 chain stitches	3-, 4-, 5-ch picot	Picot, made with 3, 4, or 5 chain stitches

OTHER ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation	Term
alt	alternate
beg	begin(ning)
cont	continu(e)(ing)
dec	decreas(e)(ing)
facing	facing towards you as you are working
fasten off	cut the yarn and draw it through the working loop to secure it
foll	follow(s)(ing)
foundation chain	the base of chain stitches that the first row is worked into
foundation row	the first row of crochet (the row worked into the foundation chain)
inc	increas(e)(ing)
miss / skip a stitch	do not work into the stitch, but go on to the next stitch
patt(s)	pattern(s)
rem	remain(s)(ing)
rep	repeat(s)(ing)
RS	right side
sp	space(s)
st(s)	stitch(es)
TBL	through back loop
TFL	through front loop
tog	together
turning chain	the chains worked at the beginning of the row (or round) to bring the hook up to the correct height for working the following stitches in the row
WS	wrong side
yrh / yo	yarn round hook (yarn over in US)
*	repeat instructions after asterisk, or between asterisks, as instructed

YARN WEIGHT CHART

Yarn 'weight' refers to its thickness. The table below shows which range of hook sizes is recommended for each weight category of yarn.

What do you want to crochet?

Yarn Weight

Hook size to use

Lace

2-ply

Lace

Fingering

1.5mm

1.75mm

2mm

2.25mm

Baby wear

Shawls

3-ply

Superfine

Fingering

Baby

2.75mm

3mm

3.25mm

Baby wear

Lightweight clothing

Accessories

4-ply

Fine

Sportweight

Baby

3.25mm

3.5mm

3.75mm

Clothing

Lightweight scarves

Blankets

Toys

Double-knit (DK)

Light worsted

5-6 ply

3.75mm

4mm

4.5mm

Blankets

Hats

Thick scarves

Mittens

Aran

Medium

Worsted

Afghan

12-ply

5mm

5.5mm

Rugs

Jackets

Blankets

Legwarmers

Winter hats

Accessories

Chunky

Bulky

Craft

Rug

14-ply

6mm

6.5mm

7mm

8mm

Heavy blankets

Rugs

Very thick scarves

Super bulky

Super chunky

Bulky

Roving

16-ply +

9mm

10mm

UNDERSTANDING TENSION

TENSION

Tension describes the stitch size, and affects how large or small your finished crochet piece will be.

Tension depends on yarn thickness, hook size and how tight or loose you crochet.

You should not amend your tension by changing how tightly you crochet. You should amend your tension by changing the size of the hook.

At the beginning of a pattern it will tell you the number of stitches needed in a given area, usually 10cm wide. For example, 17 htr to 10cm.

You should make a sample of the pattern you are following, to ensure you acheive the correct tension. If you have more stitches than recommended you will need a larger hook. If you have fewer stitches than recommended, you will need a smaller hook.