Crochet Begginnngs Part 3: Additional Supplies

All right, part three, almost there! This is the last part that is just information before we start crocheting.

Click here if you missed part 1 or part 2.

Technically, so long as you have yarn and a crochet hook (or even just your hands) you can begin crocheting. But there are some additional things that can be helpful. I want to cover them real quick, just to make sure you will have everything you think you will need. They are stitch markets, row counters, darning needles, ball winders, and yarn bowls.

Right: stitch markers. Middle: row counter 

Left: Darning needles

Stitch markers come in a variety of styles, ranging from almost decorative to extremely simple. The ones pictured here are for knitting, but they can be used for crochet as well. You can buy them from pretty much any hobby store, make your own or simply use a piece of yarn in a contrasting color. While that last option is cheap and my personal favorite, you do run the risk of it falling out. If you buy them from the store then they usually look like little locks, or a clasp of some sort. Usually, they are used for the beginning of the round, but some patterns are complex enough to require marking other stitches.


Row counters are used to keep track of what row you are on. You can buy them from the store or get one on an app. It's helpful for larger items, but I never used one until recently. Personally, it’s a why bother for me. My friend, however, uses the app and really likes it. If you think you would use one, then go for it.

Darning needles are used to tie in the loose ends of your work. It’s just a blunt sewing needle with a large eye. You can buy plastic or metal ones at the store or use leather working needles (That’s what I do, the plastic ones are too large for me.) Of these items, this is the only one you absolutely should get. If you are unable to tie in the loose ends of your work, then after some use it will begin to fall apart! Just recently I had to fix an entire blanket because who ever made it just tied the ends into knots.

If for some reason you can’t find a darning needed you can also use a small crochet hook, but it often snags on the stitches.

At some point, your yarn is going to become a tangled mess. Ball winders are extremely helpful when this happens. Sure, you could re-wind a ball of you by hand, but using a winder saves a lot of time and frustration. You can even buy motorized ones!


No matter how you decide to wind your yarn, its going to roll away mid-project. There is nothing you can do about it, except use a yarn bowl.

Basically, a yarn bowl is just a bowl with a slot in it. You place  the yarn ball  in the bowl, thread the end of the yarn through the slot, and voila! Your yarn will stay in one place while you crochet, knit, etc. There is also a second type of yarn bowl, but instead of having a slot it has a hole. Same concept, but you can’t remove the yarn once you start on the project. If you don’t want to invest in an actual bowl, a tea or coffee pot works well.

Improvised yarn bowl

I used a coffee pot when we were on vacation. It probably confused the heck out of the room service.

So far as I know, these are the only extras you may want for crochet. Next up: actual crocheting!