Just over four years ago I decided to pick up a crochet hook and try detangling a skein of yarn. I'll be honest; I had no idea what I was doing. My first crochet pattern was a scarf and it turned out hideously. I used a cheap yarn, but I mostly blame it on my lack of crochet skills. The first thing you really need to know when learning how to crochet are yarn weights as well as the best yarn for crochet. You need to know what kind of yarn you're working with in order to choose the right hook size for the best outcome of your project.
I'm sure you're wondering how to choose the proper yarn for your crochet patterns. Well, let's start with the basics. Yarn can be called a skein, a hank or a ball. Regardless of what you call it the skein is the length of yarn wound together in that ball or oval shape. When first learning how to crochet I suggest you start out with cheap crochet yarn as you're probably going to make a lot of mistakes. You'll either leave the mistakes or you'll rip them out and start over, aka you'll frog it (rip it rip it).
As a beginner I found it easiest to work with bulky weight yarn as it slid through my fingers easily. When working with bulky yarn you also work with a larger hook size making the whole process a breeze. When choosing the proper yarn for your crochet patterns you should also know the different yarn weights to choose from. Yarn weights play a crucial role when working up patterns. On every skein of yarn you'll see what type of yarn it is and what the recommended hook size is. Using that yarn with the specified hook size will give you the best results.
Depending on what you're crocheting and what type of results you're looking for will determine the texture and colors of the yarn. If you already have a design in mind then choosing colors shouldn't be a problem, but textures might be. You have your softer yarns which are great for wearables and baby items, you have your wool yarns which might be great for winter items like hats and scarves and then you have the fuzzy type of yarns which are great for fun projects. Fuzzy yarns like Red Heart Stellar or Lion Brand Bellini Yarn are great for hats, scarves and cowls; they're also great at hiding your mistakes. Let's say I'm looking to work up a crochet shawl for the summertime. I wouldn't use a bulky yarn weight, but more of a lightweight yarn or even lace. I'm also going to choose bright, cheerful colors since it's for the summer.
Before you fill your cart with your favorite colors of yarn be sure you look at the labels on the skein. Each label should tell you the yarn weight, the hook and needle size, the care instructions and most importantly the yardage. The yardage of the yarn is important to look at because this will determine how many skeins of yarn you need for your project. If a crochet pattern calls for 70 yards and the skein you're looking at is 30 yards, you're going to need three skeins to be sure you have enough to start and complete your project.
Another thing that comes to mind when talking about the proper yarn is the dye lot. Many skeins of yarn are appointed a dye lot number. This is important to know because let's say you run out of yarn in the middle of a pattern, you now have to buy the same yarn that came from the same dye lot. What's the big deal? If you buy the same color and the same brand, but the dye lot is different, your project is going to be worked up in different shades; if you can find yarn that doesn't have a dye lot that'll play in your favor if you ever run out.
I know you just want to get out there and fill your cart with as many beautiful crochet colors as possible, but do your research first. Find a pattern that interests you, decide on color and texture and then figure out how much yardage is needed for that project. Be sure you read labels carefully and take a look at dye lot numbers for that perfect match. If you follow these tips on how to choose the perfect yarn then you're sure to come up with an amazing crochet pattern.
