Welcome back to my miniseries introducing you to crochet! Missed my first article? Read “So You Want to Crochet? -Part 1”. Let’s find out what other materials are needed and some things to know before starting!
3) Scissors
This one is probably self-explanatory. At times, you will need to cut the yarn, like when finishing a project. Personally, I use a cute, tiny pair of folding scissors because they are portable and convenient. 
However, I don’t remember where I purchased this pair, and their only defining mark is “made in China”… not very helpful. These scissors on Amazon look very similar to the pair I have, but I haven’t used these personally and saw they have mixed reviews. So maybe shop around on this one, or use a pair you already have lying around. However, you want the scissors to be sharp enough to cut through yarn and never use them to cut through paper, as it will quickly dull the blades.
4) Tapestry needle
A tapestry needle, scary as the name sounds, is simply a needle large enough to be used with yarn. A tapestry needle is very handy once you have finished a project and want to hide that pesky tail of yarn that is left at the end of every project. 
While there are methods that only use a crochet hook to “finish off” (or “bind off;” just a fancy way to say you’re done with that part of the project), a tapestry needle is cheap and will make your experience much easier and more enjoyable. While you can purchase a sturdy metal needle, I like plastic ones so I don’t feel guilty if I lose one. 🙂
What do you need to know before you start?
Terminology:
When learning to crochet, it is important to become familiar with crochet lingo. Just as listening to a radio broadcast of a football game would be pointless if you don’t know what a touchdown, end zone, or QB are, not knowing or understanding crochet terms will slow your progress. Without learning the terminology, you may discover a pattern for a project but have no idea where to start.
Learning the lingo may sound scary, but just by reading this series you’ve already learned some of the crochet language. A skein of yarn is a package of yarn. A J-hook tells you the size of the hook. And so on.
See, you can learn this! It’s not so bad.
Most crochet terminology pivots around the types of crochet stitches. Below, I’ve listed a sampling of crochet terms. Next to each term, I’ve also listed its abbreviation. If you can master the abbreviations for these terms now, even though they may not make sense now, you will have a much easier time learning to read crochet patterns later. Additionally, the more familiar you are with crochet terminology, the easier it will be to learn and remember what they mean.
- Yarn over-yo
- Chain-ch
- Front loop-occasionally fl, often spelled out
- Back loop-occasionally bl, often spelled out
- Single Crochet-sc
- Double Crochet-db
Right now, don’t worry about memorizing every single term out there. But take the time to become familiar with terms you see repeated regularly to gain general exposure to crochet lingo.
Read “So You Want to Crochet? -Part 3” for the third and final article in this intro to crochet series to learn about potential drawbacks of crocheting and what to do with your newfound knowledge.