Crochet hook anatomy: head, throat, shaft, and grip
Learn which part catches the yarn, which part sizes the loop, and why inline, tapered, and steel hooks can behave differently.
Crochet — Learning library
186 guides and workflows
Reading crochet charts: symbols, rows, rounds, and repeats
Treat a chart as a map of stitch placement: identify the key, starting point, direction, and repeat boundary before following individual symbols.
Yarn twist and ply: structure before stitch
Read a yarn as a structure of fibres and singles so you can anticipate cohesion, surface, stitch definition, and the difference between ply count and thickness.
Wool crimp, moisture, and static charge
Connect wool’s wavy, layered fibre structure with elasticity and moisture response—and understand why dry air can change static behaviour.
Crochet stitch height, turning chains, and terminology
Compare common post heights, understand turning-chain choices, and avoid US–UK naming traps.
Crochet loop placement changes texture and movement
See where front, back, and both loops sit—and what the unworked loop contributes to the fabric.
Yarn label anatomy: turn symbols and numbers into decisions
Use weight category, fibre, gauge, care, length, and dye lot as a project checklist rather than a promise.
Why wool felts: moisture, movement, scales, and control
Understand why untreated wool can densify irreversibly—and how fibre treatment changes the risk.
Crochet in rounds: joins, spirals, increases, and shape
Understand how the round transition and increase rate turn the same stitches into a tube, flat circle, cup, or ruffle.
Plan and join crochet motifs into a finished project
Measure the joined repeat, plan rows and columns, arrange colour, and test a seam before assembling many motifs.
Block knitting and crochet without guessing at fiber care
Choose wet, spray, or steam finishing from the yarn label and a swatch, then shape gently and dry with support.
How many granny squares do you need?
Turn a blocked, joined square measurement into rows, columns, and a separate spare count.
How much replacement yarn do two labels imply?
Convert an original ball count into required length, then round replacement balls once.
How many whole balls does a length requirement need?
An 850 m requirement with 10% reserve needs 935 m. At 200 m per ball, round 4.675 up to five balls: 1,000 m in total.
Estimate a rectangular project from a weighed sample
A finished 10 × 10 cm sample weighing 5 g scales to 150 g for a 50 × 60 cm rectangle. With 10% reserve, plan 165 g before rounding packages.
How much yarn is needed when one yarn is held double?
For 400 m of working length held double, both strands travel the full distance. With 10% reserve, the requirement is 880 m of the single yarn.
Budget two different yarns held together
For 400 m of working length with one strand of each yarn and 10% reserve, yarn A and yarn B each need 440 m. Their lengths cannot be pooled.
Combine component quantities without mixing colors
Two parts using 120 m and 80 m of color A total 200 m before reserve. Color B uses 60 m separately. At 100 m per ball and 10% reserve, buy three A balls and one B ball.
Estimate making time from a timed sample
If 50 comparable units take 20 minutes, 500 units take 200 minutes at that sampled pace. A 15% time allowance gives 230 minutes, or about 3 hours 50 minutes.
Measure a motif after blocking and joining
Use the distance between corresponding points of joined motifs. An 11.5 cm loose square with a join adding 0.5 cm per repeat has a 12 cm pitch in this example.
Choose a layout when the target is not an exact multiple
A 125 × 180 cm target with 12 cm square repeats needs 11 × 15 motifs to cover it: 132 × 180 cm. Keeping only complete repeats inside the target gives 120 × 180 cm.
Replace a discontinued yarn when its original quantity is known
Start with three original 200 m balls: 600 m. A replacement labeled 150 m/50 g needs five balls with a chosen 10% reserve. Confirm fabric suitability before committing to the quantity.
Plan a project with two yarns held together throughout
Keep one complete length budget for each yarn. For 400 m of working length plus 10% reserve, both A and B need 440 m, then their package quantities round separately.
Project finished dimensions from a before-and-after sample
A sample changing from 10 × 10 cm to 11 × 9 cm grows 10% in width and shrinks 10% in height. A comparable 50 × 60 cm piece projects to 55 × 54 cm.