IOW, I own LOTS more steel crochet hooks than I can find at any given time. I actually have several sizes – started innocently when I realized that my hook didn’t fit into the bead I wanted to use (and then I just decided to buy a set so the problem wouldn’t happen again).Īlthough that also meant I had lots of sizes to lose around the house and in my notions boxes. Ok, back to what you came here for – beading with a crochet hook. So, you could learn something *and* be more healthy. Lesson – you never know when a seemingly random fact might come in handy, so soak up any information you learn because you never know when it might come in handy (and numerous studies show that continuing to learn as an adult is a great way to exercise your brain and stave off those nasty illnesses).

Fold and store using tissue paper to protect from dust and heat.BTW, I first heard about this when learning about paint brush sizing from my mom (thanks, Mom!) and it’s served me well here too. Most crochet projects should be washed by hand and laid flat to dry, never hanging, as that will affect the shape of your work. TIP: The label suggests needle and hook sizes as well as giving the gauge for 4” x 4” gauge in that suggested needle and hook size. The brand, weight size, % of fiber content, length of yarn (grams/ounces & yards/meters), and color. When purchasing more than one skein of yarn for a particular project be sure to match the dye lot number-this ensures the skein came from the same batch of yarn and the shades will match exactly.Įvery ball of yarn has everything you need to create your project on the label. Be sure to check your yarn packaging for this information to help determine how much yarn you’ll need for a project and the suggested hook size you’ll want to try.

Yarn packaging contains all the information you need to start a crochet or knitting project, including the yarn weight, length of yarn, suggested hook/needle size, fiber content, color and dye lot. This is an advanced crochet technique, so don’t worry about it when you’re starting out! TIP: Once you become more advanced in crochet, when starting a project you may want to create your own gauge swatch and compare it to the sample, then adjust the pattern counts according to your gauge. The more you crochet, the more likely it is that you will develop a consistent tension. Tension can evolve over time, especially from the time that you first learn to crochet. Your tension will affect the crochet gauge, which is something to keep in mind when sizing a pattern according to a gauge swatch. It is based on the way you hold your yarn when crocheting, and how tightly you pull your stitches as you go. Tension is the tightness or looseness with which one crochets. TIP: Always make your swatch larger than the gauge swatch shown, as you want to measure the middle of your swatch where it is most consistent, not the edges, to obtain an accurate gauge. If your tension is tighter than the gauge swatch (as in there are more stitches per row), use a larger crochet hook.

If your tension is looser than the gauge swatch (as in there are fewer stitches per row), use a smaller crochet hook. You may need to go up or down a hook size to get the desired gauge for your project to be the correct size, as your personal tension will also come into play at this point. You can usually find a suggested hook size for the particular yarn on the label of the yarn. Gauge is read in stitches and rows on, commonly, a 4” x 4” swatch.įor example 9 stitches by 12 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm) using a 5.5mm hook, which means that after you make your swatch in a 4” x 4” space you should have 9 stitches across and 12 rows crocheted for your piece to be the size desired.

Crochet hook sizes