Because I'm Giving Thanks

No posts this next few days. I should start up again Tuesday, maybe Wednesday at the latest.

You want to know why? Well thanks for asking.

Preparation And Chain Stitch

Time for the first real lesson! Aren't you excited? Good.

This is going to be kind of a four-for-one lesson because the first three things all go together and the fourth thing is the thing you need to practice.

Everyone have your worsted weight yarn? If you don't, go find some and come back. Yes, right now. I want you to do this while you read. Your hook? (I would suggest a 5.5mm hook, but you can truthfully use whatever you want as long as it isn't really tiny.) All right, then we're ready to start!

Today you're going to learn these four things:

1. How to tie a slip-knot
2. How to hold the yarn
3. How to hold the hook and yarn together
4. How to do a chain stitch

Unexpected Toothy Guest

Every morning I wake up much earlier than my family. I splash some water on my face and take two hours to myself to start my morning before I have to get dressed and eat breakfast and do all the important work of the day.

This morning I stumbled into my bathroom at 7:00 (an hour later than usual) and reached out to turn on the water in my sink. Imagine my surprise when several needle-sharp teeth latched onto my little finger!

I quickly flipped on the light to better see the dark shape on my counter. I looked down and saw...

What You'll Need

Interested in learning to crochet? Not sure what you'll need? Let me help!

Whether or not you think you'll be using these things for years, it's a good idea to find high-quality supplies. But that doesn't mean they need to be expensive. Take the time to hunt down some good deals on your supplies (here's a good idea: ask your grandma for hand-me-downs!).

Here is a list of the things you will absolutely, definitely need, and my comments and preferences:

Big Hook, Little Hook, What Begins With Hook?

Please tell me someone got the joke there.

Anyway, to answer the question: Crochet begins with hook.

If you don't have a crochet hook, you're pretty much screwed. It's impossible to form those stitches at any speed without one. So, you definitely need a hook.

That raises an important question: how do you choose one?

How To Read Yarn Labels

When you go to a craft store (and it's a good idea to do so until you're very comfortable with yarn. Buying on the Internet is tricky since you can't feel it or see the true, real-life color), you will see many balls of yarn. These balls are called skeins ("skeynz"), and they will generally have paper labels. These labels are covered in a secret code of symbols, abbreviations, and who-knows-what.

Learning what the symbols and abbreviations mean is very important to choosing your yarn. Here is an explanation of what to look for on a label.