Hello and welcome to lesson 2 of my Crochet 101 series. If you missed lesson 1, you can check it out here. This lesson will be all about yarn basics.

WHERE TO SHOP FOR YARN

Craft stores are a great place to start when looking for yarn. Some people might think to go to a yarn shop first, but not everyone has one nearby. At craft stores, you will find a whole array of different brands and colors to choose from. Check out my post here where I talk about some of my favorite places to purchase yarn. When shopping at these “big box” stores, you may come across such brands as Red Heart Super Saver, Caron Simply Soft, Bernat, and Lion Brand. Some stores even have their own line of yarn. Michaels has “Loops and Threads,” Hobby Lobby has “I Love This Yarn,” and most recently Joann Fabrics has “Big Twist.” Most of the time you will find coupons for yarn, which can help keep costs low. Walmart even carries limited yarn options. You can even buy yarn online such as on Amazon or on the stores’ websites. However, I don’t suggest doing this unless you already know how the yarn will feel.

In the end, picking out what yarn you want to work with and what appeals to you might be different than someone else. It’s all what appeals to your personal taste.

ALL ABOUT YARN WEIGHTS

Yarn comes in a variety of weights. Some are super thin whereas some yarns are super bulky. This is why yarn is categorized by its thickness. The standard yarn weight system can be found below where you can see a series of number from 0-7:

YARN LABELS/BALL BANDS

Each skein of yarn comes with its own label. On each label you will see the care instructions as well as what hook size they suggest for that particular yarn. The yarn weight is also included on the yarn label. It might all be confusing at first, but once you get more familiar with the different types of yarn out there, the more you will understand it.

That concludes lesson 2 of my Crochet 101 series! I hope you enjoyed this installment all about yarn basics. Head on over to your local craft store to pick out your very first crochet hook and skein of yarn. Next week I’ll be teaching you how to make a slip knot and chain. I recommend a size H-8 (5mm) or I-9 (5.25mm) crochet hook and a skein of solid light-colored worsted weight yarn to begin. Some brands to consider are Red Heart Super Saver and Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn. When you’re starting out as a beginner, it might be difficult to see your stitches, so I don’t recommend any dark colored or multi-colored yarn.

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