Approx. equipment costs:  $20

Approx. costs per project: $5-$10

Difficulty for beginners:  Medium

Approx. time to complete project: 10-20 hours

Typical Projects:  Hats, sweaters,  purses,  pillows,  afgans, doilies

Variations: 

Crochet is another cheap and portable hobby because the main equipment and supplies are a crochet hook and a ball of yarn.  Crochet is performed by weaving stitches using a crochet hook.  There are 5 basic stitches that vary in height based on how the yarn is wrapped around the hook.  Crochet is considered easier than knitting because one loop is active at a time as opposed to a whole line of stitches.  A pattern is typically followed that describes the pieces that need to be made, recommended crochet hook size, yarn weight, and the stitch types/quantities.  Smaller hooks are used for more delicate items such as lace, larger hooks are used for larger pieces.  Yarns are available in different colors, weights, and fibers (synthetic, animal fiber, and plant fiber); each of which result in a different texture and thickness of the work.  

Crocheting is started creating a “foundation chain” of special chain stitches that becomes the base row of the piece.  All following rows will extend from the foundation chain.  The following rows are completed using one of several main stitch types such as “single crochet”, “half double crochet”, “double crochet”, “triple crochet” or “slip stitch”.  Each stitch type results in a different look and feel.  The pattern specifies the number of chain stitches or other stitches to build on each row.  Many different surface textures can be achieved by working the basic stitches, but also varying where the hook is inserted into the work.  You can work under one top loop at a time, between the stitches, or around the post or stem of the stitch.  Like knitting, the gauge of the fabric should be checked early to ensure that the tension of your stitches are being made to the right specs for the project, including the number of rows and the number of stitches per row.  Using too much tension in your stitches, using a yarn too thin or thick or a hook too large or small may affect the gauge.   

In addition to the basic stitches, other methods are used to complete the project and add decorative touches.  “Increasing” and “Decreasing” adds or removes stitches respectively to shape the piece.  Joining in different colors of yarns results in different color patterns.    Other decorative items can also be added such as bobbles, tassels, and fringes to put decorative touches on your piece.  Other techniques can be used such as working “in the round” to create circular pieces.  As you finish an individual piece, the last loop is used to fasten off the piece to prevent unraveling.  If there is more than one piece to the project, you can join the pieces together using one of a few main seam stitches: the invisible seam, the overcast seam, and the slip-stitch seam.  The linked articles provide more details about each of these methods.

• Crochet hooks
• Scissors
• Tape measure/Needle gauge
• Bobbins to hold your yarn
• Tapestry needle, blunt pointed

The easiest way to start in crochet is to begin with rectangular projects that use simple stitches such as a scarf.   As you master the basic procedures, you can add more complex stitch variations and move up to working with different shapes and integrating different colors.   A good way to get started is to pick up a knitting starter kit with a few basic crochet hooks.   JoAnn.com has a few great starter kits and every type of yarn you will ever need. 

http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=24955&PRODID=124446