When crocheting there are some essentials that you need to have on hand. I'm not talking about having a large room where you can stash all your favorite yarns (though that would be a dream come true). I'm talking about the basics. Things that every crocheter needs before starting a project.
1) The right size hook. I can't stress this enough. Making sure you have the right size hook is important to even starting a project. There are different types out there so pick one that fits your preference, be it plastic, aluminum, wood, ergonomic, fancily carved, or what's on sale. I prefer the bamboo hooks because they have the stability and texture of wood with the added bonus that bamboo is a renewable resource.
2) Measuring tape. Most of your projects will have some type of measuring involved. Sometimes it's to check the gauge and other times it is to measure clothing items. A simple measuring tape from any arts and crafts store will do.
3) Small notebook. This is for writing the measurements of the person you are making clothes for. Also for writing down any changes you may have made to an existing pattern (this helps when you're making more than one of that item). And you can write down notes when making your own pattern. It also helps with keeping track of which row you're working on when you have to put your project aside for a time. I find a small spiral notebook is the best for me. The pages don't get bent and worn down.
4) A pen or pencil. Need something to write in that notebook of course. I prefer a pen since I tend to get pencil lead on my hands and then it transfers to my project making it look dingy. A pen is much cleaner.
5) Stitch markers. These help you mark certain stitches or the beginning of rounds. Keeps you from constantly having to guess or count. Just make sure you use the removable kind for crochet, not the circular ones designed for knitting. You can find stitch markers online, at craft stores, or local yarn shops. Or, if you're a broke college student like me you can use paperclips or safety pins as stitch markers.
6) Scissors. These are needed for cutting yarn when you are to fasten off on your projects. They also seem to disappear at the most inappropriate times. Keep a good pair of scissors around for your projects. Do not use them for anything else but crochet or knitting. Cutting with paper will dull them. And if you use them for your fabric projects, you will forget that you left them by the sewing machine and waste valuable crochet time searching for a pair of scissors.
7) A project bag. This is a bag of some sort that you store all your items needed for that particular project in. It holds your hook, measuring tape, notebook with pen, stitch markers, scissors, yarn and pattern all in one place. This eliminates you going all over the house looking for the yarn that you put in "a safe place." I keep my stuff in a large tote bag. It's large enough to hold the yarn for a large sweater, plus all my essentials.
Bonus:
9) Yarn needle. You can get away with most projects without having to use one. I piece together parts using a single crochet stitch or a slip stitch. Sometimes though a yarn needle is needed to embroider eyes on a teddy bear, or to make an invisible seam.
8) Hook case. If you are like me and have been crocheting for a while, you have accumulated quite a collection of hooks. You need a safe place to stash them when they aren't in use. This prevents you searching the couch coushins, kids' toybox, doggy bed, for missing hooks. There are many different styles of cases to choose from. You can get the canister kind which have a pop off top that you can just throw all you hooks in. The roll out cases have individual spots for each hook. You can even use a ziplock bag to store them in. I use an old pencil case. It's large enough to hold my hooks, plus my scissors, stitch markers, measuring tape, and yarn needle.
10) Stitch guide. There are small booklets of crochet stitches available online, and in most craft stores. You can also find them in bookstores. Choose the book that is most useful to you. Some contain diagrams of the most basic stitches, others will have the really elaborate that you will rarely run into in a pattern. There are also electronic versions available. No matter the size, a stitch guide will help you refresh your mind when you're trying to remember how to do a "picot."
These are the basics that every crocheter needs to have. As time goes on you will collect items that make crocheting that much more simpler and enjoyable for you.
