CROCHET

Crochet (English pronunciation: /kroʊˈʃeɪ/;[1] French: [kʁɔʃɛ][2]) is a process of creating fabric from yarn,

thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet",

meaning hook. Hooks can be made of materials such as metals, woods or plastic and are commercially

manufactured as well as produced by artisans. Crocheting, like knitting, consists of pulling loops through other

loops, but additionally incorporates wrapping the working material around the hook one or more times. Crochet

differs from knitting in that only one stitch is active at one time (exceptions being Tunisian crochet and

Broomstick lace), stitches made with the same diameter of yarn are comparably taller, and a single crochet

hook is used instead of two knitting needles. Additionally, crochet has its own system of symbols to represent

stitch types.

Materials

Basic materials required for crochet are a hook and some type of material that will be crocheted, most commonly yarn or thread. Additional tools are convenient for keeping stitches counted, measuring crocheted fabric, or making related accessories. Examples include cardboard cutouts, which can be used to make tassels, fringe, and many other items; a pom-pom circle, used to make pom-poms; a tape measure and a gauge measure, both used for measuring crocheted work and counting stitches; a row counter; and occasionally plastic rings, which are used for special projects.

Hook

Aluminum crochet hooks
Main article: Crochet hook
The crochet hook comes in many sizes and materials, such as bone, bamboo, aluminum, plastic and steel. Sizing is categorized by the diameter of the hook's shaft, and a crafter aims to create stitches of a certain size in order to reach a particular gauge specified in a given pattern. If gauge is not reached with one hook, another is used until the stitches made are the needed size. Crafters may have a preference for one type of hook material over another due to aesthetic appeal, yarn glide, or hand disorders such as arthritis, where bamboo or wood hooks are favored over metal for the perceived warmth and flexibility during use. Hook grips and ergonomic hook handles are also available to assist crafters.
Steel crochet hooks range in size from 0.4 to 3.5 millimeters, or from 00 to 16 in American sizing. These hooks are used for fine crochet work such as doilies and lace.
Aluminum, bamboo, and plastic crochet hooks are available from 2.5 to 19 millimeters in size, or from B to S in American sizing.
Artisan-made hooks are often made of hand-turned woods, sometimes decorated with semi-precious stones or beads.
Crochet hooks used for Tunisian crochet are elongated and have a stopper at the end of the handle, while double-ended crochet hooks have a hook on both ends of the handle. There is also a double hooked apparatus called a Cro-hook that has become popular.
A hairpin loom is often used to create lacey and long stitches, known as hairpin lace. While this is not in itself a hook, it is a device used in conjunction with a crochet hook to produce stitches.
The patent-pending Sharp Crochet Hook (www.sharpcrochethook.com) is used to crochet edgings through fabric because the sharp-pointed head glides through fabric easier than normal crochet hooks. It can be used to crochet edgings on baby blankets, skirt hems, gloves, socks, pillow cases, towels, etc.
[edit]Yarn
Main article: Yarn

A hank of wool yarn (center) is uncoiled into its basic loop. A tie is visible at the left; after untying, the hank may be wound into a ball or balls suitable for crocheting. Crocheting from a normal hank directly is likely to tangle the yarn, producing snarls.
Yarn for crochet is usually sold as balls or skeins (hanks), although it may also be wound on spools or cones. Skeins and balls are generally sold with a yarn band, a label that describes the yarn's weight, length, dye lot, fiber content, washing instructions, suggested needle size, likely gauge, etc. It is a common practice to save the yarn band for future reference, especially if additional skeins must be purchased. Crocheters generally ensure that the yarn for a project comes from a single dye lot. The dye lot specifies a group of skeins that were dyed together and thus have precisely the same color; skeins from different dye lots, even if very similar in color, are usually slightly different and may produce a visible stripe when added onto existing work. If insufficient yarn of a single dye lot is bought to complete a project, additional skeins of the same dye lot can sometimes be obtained from other yarn stores or online.