Just a few of my favorite things!

Here are a few of my favorite crochet supplies. I’ve been sending links as students request them and now that I finally have the affiliate thing set up, a blog post will be so much more efficient! For those who don’t know, using affiliate links doesn’t cost you anything extra and gives me a small amount when you purchase the items I recommend. I’m hoping this helps offset some of the increasing costs when it comes to supplies, especially for my classes.

This is the easy to learn on yarn I use to teach beginners. There are a few options I have personally used and loved. First is Bernat Maker Yarn. Quality can vary greatly on some of the knock off brands, this and this are ones I’ve had success with many times. I hope sharing those I have had good experiences with helps!

Next up, how I learned to crochet: the Wooble kits and videos! If you want to try to learn on your own, these are a great start! Make sure you choose one labeled beginner and not beginner+. There is a big skill jump between them. If you run into trouble, message me and we’ll set up a private lesson to get you squared away.

Hooks! Ok, so I have hook preferences based on yarn. My favorite hooks are the Susan Bate’s hooks. I use them most of the time. They are especially helpful for catching the chenille and blanket yarns. (My favorites on those are coming up soon!) The pointy tip helps to push through the stitches when you can’t see the stitches well. I buy the solid metal ones then add silicone beads to them, the ergonomic handle ones, and my favorite for fast and long crochet sessions with a larger hook size: the bamboo handle. My one complaint about Susan Bates is they do not offer size 7. Their sizes go straight from 6.5mm to 8mm. Sometimes I really need a 7. I have a fancy fully bamboo size 7mm hook for those times. This is probably the most I’ve spent on a single hook. Other bamboo hooks I ordered needed sanding or snagged. This JubileeYarn one did not, so fully worth it. It is also perfect for those times you need a crochet hook that is not metal (I’m looking at you, court houses and airports—that’s a story for another day.)

When I am using a cotton or macrame yarn, I prefer a more rounded hook, such as this. The beads make it comfy to crochet with and the rounded hook helps prevent splitting the yarn. This gives it a more finished and professional look. This style hook is also great with the easy yarn.

Yarn! I need to make a separate yarn blog post. But the ones I’ve recommended to my students most as they advance on from the easy yarn is a good quality chenille yarn like Loops & Threads Sweet Snuggles Lite yarn and Bernat Blanket yarn. For face details, this cotton yarn from Lion Brand is my current favorite.

Now, if anyone happens to want to get me a gift and buy me yarn, this is my absolute favorite. Or you could special order something made from it 😉. I made the mistake of ordering one just because it was the only option I could find variegated with pink, purple and blue. And y’all. This is my absolute favorite yarn to work with. Unfortunately, it costs nearly twice as much as what I typically spend on chenille yarn so it isn’t cost effective for teaching or using to make items to sell at markets. It’s a treat to get to work with and I’m currently making a dragon (with a higher price point) with it.

Safety eyes…I’ve moved away from using them as much as my embroidering skills have improved. I encourage my students to practice the embroidery we learn in class. And ultimately, sometimes you just need or want the look of the plastic safety eyes. Now, their name is deceptive. They aren’t safe for kids under 5. They can be tricky to attach properly. And ultimately, they can fail, meaning the backing breaks and an eye falls out or the stitches move around enough for the whole thing to fall out. With all of those disclaimers, this is a good starter kit for making smaller plushies. There is a larger variety of styles so you are prepared for whichever creature you decide to make next. For larger plushies, I love the look of the very large eyes, especially these moon eyes. These are the two tools I use to securely attach the eyes: pliers and this block thing.

Y’all. Black yarn is challenging. It does not matter if I’m crocheting black yarn in a brightly lit room, I’m using the little light around my neck. It’s also great for working with all colors in lower light conditions, like movie time. (Just not in a public theater 😉)

My students know all about this candle lighter because in class, I control the fire. Chenille is my favorite yarn to work with as it’s easier on my hand muscles than other yarns. It can also shed like crazy from the cut ends. This is because of the way the yarn is made, with a few strings of thread twisted around the fibers. You don’t want to accidentally inhale the fibers in the air and you most likely don’t want the chenille fuzz mess either! You can use scissors and a traditional lighter, but it’s more challenging. We don’t need to talk about the number of times I’ve burned myself with that method. The candle lighter cuts and burns it at the same time while also being rechargeable. It’s a win-win in my book!

These tapestry needles are my favorite, especially for chenille or blanket yarn. The entire needle is basically the eye of the needle. When the yarn tail is getting short, I can still finish off my project with ease. When using the easy yarn, I use these which have a rounded tip. Bonus, they come with some good quality stitch markers. I have found ordering stitch markers to be hit or miss. They are often thin and break easily. These are thicker and working well for me.

That’s it for now! Next up, the most requested items from my students!