It is difficult to come up with a needlewoman more fun than crocheting. Types of hooks can be used for this very different. Knowledge of the rules for their selection and threads for knitting can significantly facilitate the work, and make the result more beautiful and refined. Thanks to a wide selection of materials for this lesson and numerous crochet techniques, you can create a huge number of convenient, necessary and beautiful things.
Crochet hooks: what materials can be used to make them?
Selection of a tool for work - it is from this stage that you should start crocheting. Types of hooks in modern stores for needlework can be found as follows:
- Bone. They are very light and have a perfectly polished surface, but with the slightest mechanical impact they can be damaged, and they are quite expensive.
- Plastic These are the cheapest and easiest hooks to use, however they electrify yarn and wear out very quickly during operation.
- Aluminum. Not electrified, have a perfectly smooth surface, light. Their disadvantage is the increased flexibility that distinguishes aluminum, as a result of which, during operation, these types of crochet hooks often bend.
- Steel. Tools made of this material are ideal for work - they are not electrified, durable, do not rust, smooth, do not dye yarn, and at the same time are not expensive.
- Wooden - light and smooth, but too brittle and fragile. In addition, they often crack, forming barbs and nicks.
Knitting hooks: their varieties in thickness and length
All hooks, regardless of the material used for their manufacture, come in various sizes, which are determined by their thickness. So, they can have a diameter of 1 mm to 10 mm. Hooks are equipped with plastic or wooden handles. For work, it is important that the head of the tool is not pointed, because otherwise it can be injured by crocheting.
Types of hooks are also determined by their length:
- Short - 15-20 cm. Used when working with fine and woolen yarn for knitting elegant (napkins, shawls) or warm clothes (hats, sweaters, scarves).
- Long - 30-40 cm. Used for the so-called Tunisian knitting. Such hooks are distinguished by an even and smooth rod, the end of which is equipped with a latch. It is necessary so that the loops do not slip during operation, since Tunisian knitting is distinguished by a simultaneous set of loops over the entire width of the workpiece.
Rules for choosing a hook to the yarn
It was mentioned a little above that the hooks can be of various sizes and made of various materials. And of course, those that are great for knitting napkins turn out to be useless when you decide to use crochet sweaters . The types of hooks are presented so widely precisely so that each needlewoman for each case can find the most suitable tool.
First of all, the diameter of the hook should depend on the thickness of the yarn. The easiest way to determine is to pick up a skein of thread and read on the label what size the knitting tool is for this yarn. If there is no such information, then you can go the other way: take the thread, put it on the hook head and see its position. The yarn should neither protrude beyond the beard of the knitting tool, nor hide behind it, but should be on the same level. In this case, the needlewoman will be able to get a beautiful knit - not loose and not too dense. When conducting this test using a woolen thread, it should be pulled slightly.
First knot
So, where do you start crocheting? Types of hooks are defined, the corresponding yarn is at hand, it's time to knit the first knot. For this, the end of the thread should be thrown over the palm and pressed with the thumb.
Next, you need to enter the hook under the thread, turn it counterclockwise once and drop the thread from the index finger. Then, on the index finger, you need to throw the thread from the ball, insert a hook under it, stretch it into the loop and tighten the knot - you get the first loop, which is the beginning of even the most complex crochet pattern.
Air loops and half-column
To continue crocheting after the formation of the first knot, you need to throw the working thread on the index finger, hook the hook under it, grab and stretch it through the existing loop. In a similar way, you should continue crocheting. The types of loops obtained during this knitting will be called air, and the resulting row - air column.
A half-column is another type of simple loop when crocheting. It is used, as a rule, to connect a chain in a circle or together of two parts of a product. It fits in this way: the hook is pulled out of the last in a row of loops and inserted back, but on the other hand. Then it is introduced into the second loop from the end, then hooks the thread, which must be pulled through two loops at the same time.
Double crochet
Just simple loops are not enough to fully master crochet. Types of loops can be more complicated, but they are also needed in the course of work, especially if you want to make an original thing at home. So, there is a single crochet. He knits by inserting a hook into the loop of the previous row, grabbing the thread and pulling the loop. As a result, two loops are formed on the hook through which the working thread needs to be pulled. Thanks to this compact loop, a dense product can be connected to a flat surface.
A double crochet will be higher. To do this, you need to throw the thread on the hook away from you, enter the loop of the previous row and pull it out, getting 3 loops on the hook. Then the working thread should be stretched through an elongated loop and yarn, on the hook you will get 2 loops through which you need to stretch the working thread again. Similarly, you can connect the columns with a large number of yarn.
Crochet gum
As soon as needlewomen master the basic types of crochet, they tend to move on to the production of more complex products - sweaters, vests, cardigans, etc., but here you can not do without an elastic band that borders the hem and cuffs. Knitting gum starts from a column of air loops on which a row of single crochet columns is laid. Next, you need to shift the work from right to left and go to the next row, which will be the first row of gum.
Types of crochet hooks can be used very different, the main thing is that the thickness of the thread matches its size. Having set the work in the correct position, you should insert the hook into the first full loop and knit it. Continuing knitting the first row of elastic, you should hook only the outer half loop. Then the product is rotated so that the last leading loop of the row becomes the first, and the next row is knitted in the same way. On each row, the product should be rotated to obtain a stepped bulge.
Types of crochet patterns
Various combinations of several existing types of loops make all types of crochet available, and, accordingly, obtaining a wide variety of patterns. The most surprising are the embossed and dense crochet patterns, but, nevertheless, this is a completely feasible task. However, it is better to use thick yarn for this purpose , because thanks to it it will be easier to get an even pattern by crocheting. Types of patterns are also vertical, horizontal and diagonal. The former are mainly based on columns. The second is distinguished by the fact that their rows are a separate kind of loops, forming a striped pattern. Still others give a semblance of diagonal stripes due to the repetition of loops in each row along the diagonal.
The greatest imagination can be shown when knitting openwork patterns, because initially a hook was invented specifically for their manufacture.
There is another type of pattern - fillet knitting. For the manufacture of this pattern, it is sufficient to use only two types of loops - columns and air loops. This pattern is usually used for knitting tablecloths, napkins and curtains.
Types of Crochet Lace
The hook is an excellent tool for making lace patterns, from the simplest to the most intricate. According to the manufacturing method, types of crochet lace are divided into the following three groups:
- Longitudinal. Such lace fits on the entire length of the product at the same time. The knitting starts from the edge and ends with finishing all the teeth. Typically, this lace is used to trim the edges of products. Knit it round or in rows, turning the work at the end of each of them.
- Transverse. This type of lace is knitted from the edge to the tooth, and then the actions are repeated in the reverse order. This type of knitting allows you to get lace teeth of various shapes - crescent, step, oval, etc.
- Guipure. For knitting guipure lace, separate, pre-prepared details (circles, rhombuses, flowers, etc.) are used, connecting them together with a common background.
Possessing the listed crochet techniques, each needlewoman will be able to make many useful and beautiful things for herself and her home.