If you’re new to the world of knitting and crocheting (perhaps you picked it up as a New Year’s resolution?!), the vast array of equipment and terminology can be daunting, and quite frankly make very little sense. In this blog post we’ll walk you through all of the knitting and crochet tools we think every newbie needs and why.
Knitting Needles / Crochet Hooks
Of course the most fundamental piece of equipment for knitting and crocheting is the needles / hook. For knitting, you need two needles whereas with crochet you only need one hook.
Knitting needles and crochet hooks come in different sizes. In the UK we measure these sizes in millimetres (other countries sometimes use different methods of measuring needles such as numbers or letters). The size you need will be determined by the thickness of the wool you want to work with.
If you haven’t yet chosen wool and would like to invest in needles or hooks, a good rule of thumb is to get a few pairs, all a couple of sizes apart. For instance: 2mm, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm. This will cover a broad range of yarn weights (thicknesses) and you can fill in the gaps as and when you need to. This applies to knitting and crochet.
Another thing to consider when investing in needles and hooks is the material: metal, wood or plastic. They all do the same thing but can feel a little different to work with. Metal tends to be the most ‘slippery’ – which is good for people with tight tension, whereas bamboo and plastic can have more grip – this is good for people with loose tension.
Darning Needles
Next on our knitting and crochet tools that every newbie needs, is darning needles, unlike sewing needles are blunt at the end. Darning (or tapestry) needles are an essential part of any knitter’s or crocheter’s tool tin. They are used to weave in loose ends of a finished project, and for seaming pieces together.
Stitch Markers
Stitch markers are an essential part of your kit. You might need to mark stitches for several different reasons – in both knitting and crochet. For example: to mark the beginning of a round (if you’re working in the round rather than flat), to mark where to increase or decrease, to mark where to do a certain kind of stitch, amongst other reasons.
There are two basic categories of stitch markers: locking markers and ring markers. Locking stitch markers (like our beautiful Logii Crystal Stitch Markers) can be useful if you’re actually putting them in to stitches, rather than on your needle. This is probably more likely to be the case with crocheting.
Ring markers cannot be unlocked (such as our Hiya Hiya Yarn Ball Stitch Markers), and are good for marking the beginning of rounds or increases and decreases in knitting, they just sit on your needle.
Row Counter
Row counters are a really useful piece of knitting and crochet equipment. These are another product that does what it says on the tin – they count your rows! This saves you writing tally charts on a scrap piece of paper that inevitably goes missing, or keeping count on your notes app, and having to unlock your phone every time you finish a row.
Row counters can either come as little cylinders, such as our Hemline Basic Row Counter that fit onto the end of your needle, or like necklaces, like the Clover Row Counter that can be worn around your neck.
Wool Wash
If you’re new to the yarn world you might have come across the term ‘block / blocking’. Blocking involves soaking your finished piece in water for 20 minutes before leaving it to dry on a blocking board or towel. For this you will need wool wash or delicates detergent. This is because normal detergent can be too harsh for natural fibres. Look for something that says ‘suitable for wool and silk’ on the label.
Our Soak wool wash creates a hassle-free hand washing experience, as it doesn’t need to be rinsed. It also comes in a range of lovely scents, making your finished piece smell glorious.
Scissors or Snips
Another essential knitting and crochet tool is of course scissors or snips. Snips can be handy for taking projects on the go. Our Animal Snips have a useful little chain to attach them to keys, a bag strap etc. so you know always have snips when knitting on the go. Our Parrot Scissors come in a handy little pouch that also makes them easily transportable.
No products in the basket.