The Best Yarn for beginner Crocheters

      If you are new to crochet, walking into the yarn section of any craft store can be overwhelming....because the possibilities are endless! There are so many colors and color blends, fibers and fiber blends, and so many textures to choose from. Yarns that are darker in color, soft and fluffy, and fuzzy in texture are not ideal for beginners.

    I want to briefly dive into just a few varieties of yarn and explain how they are categorized. Yarn is first categorized by weight(thickness) and ranges from 0 to 7.

Yarn by Weight:

0 - Lace. Ideal for intricate lacework, doilies, and shawls

1 - Fingering(sock). Ideal for lightweight socks, baby garments, and fine-detail projects

2 - sport. Ideal for baby clothes and lightweight sweaters

3 - DK(double knit). Ideal for sweaters and accessories; versatile and lightweight

4- worsted. Ideal for everything from blankets to hats

5 - bulky(chunky). Ideal for heavy winter scarves and thick blankets

6 - super bulky. Ideal for heavy hats, thick rugs, and amigurumi

7 - jumbo. Ideal for hand crochet or massive, chunky blankets

Yarn by Fiber:

animal (natural) - wool, alpaca, mohair, cashmere and silk

plant (natural) - cotton, linen, bamboo, and hemp

synthetic (man made) - acrylic, polyester, and nylon

Blends (different fibers spun together) - combine two or more fibers for a perfect blend

     If you are a crochet newbie, you want to stick with a light, sturdy yarn that is light in color. You want to pick a yarn that won't split or fray as you stitch it together and a color that makes each stitch easy to see so you can count your stitches with ease. My top recommendation is a 100% cotton or cotton-acrylic blended yarn, worsted-weight(#4).