Things a Crocheter should never go without!

As a hooker you have your choice of so many fun tools and accessories! Everyone has their preference for what they like to work with. Some people prefer Boye over Bates (I’m a Boye girl myself) but we all need the same basic tools. So I want to share a few of the basics that I use….remember I am a bit “frugal” (some may say cheap, but with a house full of boys you have to be), so I may lean towards the cheaper side…however I do believe that in many circumstances you do get what you pay for so cheap isn’t always best. So let’s begin!

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A hooker has to have her hooks! Boye, Bates, Clover Armour, The Crochet Dude, Clay Handles, Bamboo…the list goes on forever. I prefer the Boye shape, but my absolute FAVORITE hooks are these ergonomic hooks that I found on Amazon. I have compared them to some of the pricier ones (not going to point any fingers) and I still prefer these. They fit great in the hands and they don’t have that rubbery feel that some have.

Say Hello to Festival Hands ladies and gents! I love these hooks!

Next you need a good pair of scissors and I really like my CraftSmart Multi-purpose scissors, probably because they come in multi-packs with different sizes so you can use them for different things….because we can’t just limit our creativeness to one hobby boys and girls! (and of course they are pretty cost effective in your local Michaels stores)

Then we have stitch markers. I have lots of stitch markers. Ones made from clay, ones I have made with beads (I have even used a paperclip and scrap yarn), but these Jumbo Stitch Markers by Boye are by far my favorite. You can get a small plastic box of them which is great for storing and they have a little closure so you have a less chance of loosing your spot. You can get these on Amazon or just about any of your local craft stores.

Everyone needs a tape measure too! If you are crocheting you should be checking your gauge. There is no need to run out and buy some heavy duty tape measure, a small flexible one is the perfect choice for this job. I have lots of them in many different colors because they always seem to disappear, either I miss-placed it or a little one took off with it. So I stock up on these little guys at my local Wal-Mart or on Amazon. I buy them in bulk, so much so that I should probably apologize to the fellow crafters in my town.

Don’t forget to sew in all your ends! You will need some yarn needles for that. You can get them in plastic and steel. It really comes down to preference again. I like the Boye Steel ones myself because I always seem to bend the plastic ones and have to throw them out.

Don’t forget that you will need something to put all of these tools into. Something to store them in and carry them around (because we all take our WIPS with us). I have this amazing Crochet Hook Holder made by the lovely Yvette at As U Wish Embroidery & Crafts! She does amazing custom pieces.

Now to finish up that piece you may need to do some blocking (tutorial coming soon). This will get the wave out of some of those projects on your “to do” list. Because there is nothing more frustrating than finishing a piece and it looks all wonky and wavy. Blocking is the answer and these are the tools I use.

First you need a block or mat to pin the finished piece to. You can get these online at Amazon or at some of your local craft stores. I even bought one of the kids activity mats on clearance at Wal-Mart in the past and use it all the time, it is made just like the blocking mats you see everywhere else but mine just happen to have princesses on the back (I’m not ashamed, they were less than $7.00 for a full set of 12).

Now you need pins to pin your work down. These are all pretty cheap but make sure you get a set that won’t rust, since you will be working with metal and water.  Nothing makes me more mad than ruining a beautiful piece of work after I just finished putting all of that time and effort into it.

Last but not least you will need a steamer. I threw out our heavy duty clothes steamer years ago after I left the corporate world (say goodbye to button up shirts and slacks) and I could’ve kicked myself when I needed to steam my first afghan but then I found the Rival Handheld Garment Steamer for less than $20.00 at Wal-Mart (now available on Amazon) and I decided to forgive myself. No big base to role around and no huge water jug to fill. It’s easy to use and super light weight.

These are just a few of my favorite tools of the trade but everyone should find what works best for them. I hope you liked my little list of things a crocheter should never go without and I hope I introduced you to some future tools for your trade.

Thanks for stopping by CraftyRidge.com and Happy Hooking!