All the Essential Crochet Supplies Beginners Need



I've been crocheting for a couple of years now and I still think of myself as a bit of a beginner despite the fact that in this time I've mastered a lot of different stitches and successfully made many things.

This is a very addictive yarn craft to get started with and I do feel like I'm just the right person to offer up advice on all the really rather essential items that you will need in order to get on with your new hobby and to really enjoy the experience too.

Since I was already experienced with knitting as well as many other arts and crafts, this did really help me to learn and also master all the basics pretty quickly. As with any new craft or hobby, I've been out and bought and also tested plenty of tools, equipment and supplies - seeing first hand what works and what doesn't.

Note: This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

All the Essential Beginner Crochet Supplies, Tools and Equipment

essential crochet supplies beginner tools crocheting

I have built up a really good idea of what to recommend. So let's see what you will need so that you can get started quickly or perhaps to offer your help to someone else on beginning the fantastic craft of crochet.

First: About the Best Beginner Crochet Hooks to Use

Crochet hooks are the main essential. Just like knitting needles, they come in a variety of sizes and are made from different materials as well. You'll gradually discover exactly what sizes you prefer to use as you go along.

Clover 3672 Amour Crochet Hook Set, 10 sizesSusan Bates Silvalume Crochet Hook Set in Pouch Sizes F, G, H, I, J, KThe ONLY 12 BEST CROCHET HOOKS SET WITH ERGONOMIC HANDLES FOR EXTREME COMFORT Perfect for Arthritic Hands Superior Performance for Any Patterns & Yarns Smooth Needle for Increased Productivity 2 ~ 8mmSUSAN BATES BAMBOO CROCHET HOOKS

Everyone has a favorite size of hook to use depending on the type of yarn or wool most frequently chosen for projects and for me that is definitely a 4mm hook or a G/6 in US sizing. The thinner the yarn required, the thinner the hook needs to be. The thicker the yarn, the thicker the hook. That's what you need to bear in mind.


I wasted a ton of money buying lots of different crochet hooks when I was first starting to learn this craft. So here's what I discovered which will helpfully aid you in making a better choice to begin with so you don't end up wasting as much money as I did along the way.

1) Bamboo Hooks:

Bamboo hooks are really inexpensive to buy and you can easily pick up a whole set at a fraction of the cost of other hooks. This is possibly why a lot of beginners tend to opt for this choice because of the cost. They feel nicer to hold in the hand than cold metal which is a bonus.

However, I think they are particularly hard for a beginner to get started with. In fact, I almost gave up on crochet after trying (and failing) lots of times to get on with these hooks. The yarn or wool often tends to catch on the surface of the bamboo and does not glide over the surface as it should.

2) Aluminum, Acrylic or Plastic Hooks:

These thin shafted hooks are much better for anyone new to crochet to use and practice on. In all cases, the yarn glides over these surfaces much easier than with bamboo which makes them much less frustrating to work with. You can buy these individually, hook by hook or buy whole sets. The whole sets can be very inexpensive and therefore make a good starter kit.

After not getting on with the bamboo variety, I bought separate hooks in the most common sizes to use which ended up being expensive. I now regret that decision because all the money spent on buying those individual hooks could have gone towards my final choice.

These types do work pretty well but are really not great to hold or clasp for long periods of time which can really be quite off putting for a beginner who is really getting into this yarn craft.

clover crochet hook set 10 sizes plastic handles grip
Get this Clover Crochet Hook Set from Amazon.com

UK Readers get Clover Crochet Hooks from Amazon.co.uk

3) Metal Hooks with Soft Plastic Handles:

If only I'd realized right at the start how important it is to get hooks which feel good in the hand and especially after doing crochet for hours at a time. When starting a new craft, you tend to be all fired up and enthusiastic. So how awful if you find you're stuck using a tool which isn't all that comfortable to hold.


Based on my own experience, I'd recommend getting a really good set of hooks like the Clover ones pictured here which have Aluminum hooks for the yarn to glide over along with soft plastic handles which are comfortable and easy to grip in the hand, even for long periods of time.

different crochet crocheting hooks bamboo aluminum metal
Image Showing a Selection of My Purchased Crochet Hooks


Definitely Start Crochet With Comfortable to Hold Hooks

As I found, if your hooks are not comfortable to hold then you won't be doing very much crochet. To think I very nearly gave up on starting this craft because I had the wrong design of tool to start with. So now I really recommend choosing the hook designs that have easy grip handles like Clover Amour which I particularly love.

Having a plastic handle to hold is warmer in the hand than gripping metal or cold plastic. It's molded into a better shape which makes it far more comfortable for you to grip and use for long periods of time and it has the added benefit that the yarn cannot easily slip off the end which can happen with the handle-less models.

Clover soft touch gift set with pink case and 8 crochet hooks
Buy this Clover Soft Touch Gift Set from Amazon.com

UK Readers get Clover Crochet Hooks from Amazon.co.uk

I’m very glad to have bought a complete set in a zippered case that has all the main and common sizes that anyone is likely to need. But you can also buy individual hooks which could be better if you’re on a budget yet still want a great quality hook.

My favorite size is a 4mm G/6 because that works well with baby yarns and also medium weight yarns. I think it is a good size to start out with and to practice with for beginners. So if you can’t stretch to a complete set, this would be the size I’d recommend to get first. But do your hands a favor and get it with a nice handle like the Clover ones here!

Lots More Detail Covered in my Crochet Hooks Guide

Yarn for Beginners to Crochet With

Yarn is confusing. There is no doubt about it. When you're starting out to learn crochet, you will undoubtedly be flummoxed with all the different options from acrylics, wools, cottons and mixed fiber yarns. What should you choose that is easy to get started with? Here’s my recommendations for you.

different colored yearns, wools, cottons


Image Showing a Selection of My Yarns

Choose a Light or Medium Color: pale and medium colored yarns are easier for you to see what you're doing with. With darker colors, it can get really tricky to pick out individual stitches and to see where you are. This makes things harder when you are starting crochet.

Don't Pick a Multicolor Yarn: multicolor yarns look great and I was tempted with these on starting but they are really hard to learn with. It is harder to pick out individual stitches and therefore makes it really difficult to count stitches or work out where to place your hook. Not a great option for those new to this craft.

Stick to Cheaper Yarns to Start With: natural fiber yarns like wool and cotton are undoubtedly beautiful but can be expensive and are not ideal when you are starting out, practicing and making lots of mistakes, which is perfectly normal. I would recommend good quality 100% acrylic yarns or an acrylic mix.

These are good enough for practice pieces and they are not cost prohibitive. You can get several colors and have a go at first using one color with some basic stitches and then get used to how to add in more than one color to a project. You won't mind so much or worry so much when things go wrong.

turquoise blue red heart yarn

Get Some Red Heart Yarn Different Colors Available from Amazon.com

UK Readers get Crochet Yarn from Amazon.co.uk

Search for Worsted Weight Yarns: this is a good beginner yarn weight to use and the one recommended for us newbies to this craft. Red Heart super saver yarn (not pictured) is a worsted weight acrylic which is inexpensive and perfect for learning with. You will discover your own favorite yarns over time. Red Heart do lots of yarns ideal for crochet.

Cutting Your Yarn

The third and final absolute essential that you need for your beginner crochet tools are a cutting implement for snipping off the ends of your yarn. You may already have a small pair of scissors which are ideal to keep in a case, tote or bag when working on a project.

I had some small embroidery scissors which I used initially and they were an ideal size but the very sharp points on those were not great every time I reached inside my bag to pull them out. They also kept snagging on my yarn as well when left inside my project bag. So I ended up choosing some blunt ended thread snips instead.

There are all kinds of these thread snips that you can buy which are ideal for your yarn and fiber crafts. Bear in mind that they do not close shut which could be an issue depending how you store them. But they are easy to operate because you just squeeze on the handles to snip the wool or yarn.

scissors and thread cutters

My Too Sharp Embroidery Scissors and My Blunt Ended Thread Snips

With scissors, you need to push your thumb and finger through the holes in the handles and these require less fuss and effort to operate. Because my thread snippers are blunt ended, I just throw mine in with my project bag without worrying about damage to the yarn or to me when I reach for them.

Recently I bought a fabulous Yarn Cutter Pendant which I wear on elastic around my neck, it's a time saver for sure.


The Handy Extra Crochet Supplies for Beginners

While you really only need some yarn, a hook and a way to cut your yarn in order to get started with this beautiful craft, there are also several more items which though not essential are really good items to add to your overall supply kit. Here's my run-down of what these are.

Clover Lock Ring MarkersArtBin Yarn Drum 12-inches round by 12-3/4-inches high, RaspberryCloverLearn Crochet! Kit

Yarn Bin: if you live in a home with furry pets like cats and dogs, you'll soon notice just how quickly your yarns and wools pick up stray hairs and it does become quite annoying. Having a purpose made yarn bin or holder that can contain the wools you're currently working with and special holes for the yarn threads to pull through while you crochet helps to keep your project clean and free from pet hair and dirt.

Storage for Your Yarns: as your collection of different yarn grows, you'll need to think about larger methods of atcual storage. You can get caddys, large totes and bags and plastic drawer systems. I use under the bed storage with transparent plastic tops so I can easily pull them out and see the colors inside.

Darning Needles: mine are called knitters needles and that's because the heads are big enough to accommodate knitting or crochet yarn. If you're working with color changes in any project or you're sewing on embellishments, you'll undoubtedly need some. I use these large needles to sew in the loose threads at the back of my crochet projects.

Clover Chibi with Darning NeedlesClover Darning Needle Set

Tape Measure: once you pass from beginner stage to intermediate, you can use a tape measure to measure the tension of your stitching and whether it is too loose, too tight or spot on. I haven't got to the point where I need to worry overly about tension but then I don’t make clothes where this could be more of an issue.

Lockable Stitch Markers: you can also use safety pins but these purpose made Lockable Stitch Markers can be used to safely secure the last stitch loop on your work while packed away and also as a handy way to mark out rows and stitches for a pattern saving you having to keep re-counting. These come in really handy.

Case to Store Hooks: if you buy a whole set of hooks, you can often get a nice case at the same time which keeps them all neatly together. Otherwise, you may want to think about getting one or making your own.

Stitch Guide Books: when you first start out, you really only need to know some basic stitches and you can easily learn those online with videos on YouTube or tutorials. As you progress, it can be really handy to have a book with lots of different stitches in that you can learn.

Crochet terminology can be different depending which country you live in so try and buy a book that is written in the terminology that you're used to whether that is US or UK because double crochet in American patterns is actually treble in British, that's a bit of a difference. Have fun with this wonderful yarn craft.

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Articles are accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.