Favorite Crochet Accessory
By Rachel Choi – 29 Comments| In my dictionary, crochet hooks and yarn/thread aren’t considered crochet accessories. An accessory is one of those things that you don’t really need in order to crochet, but have it anyway. My favorite crochet accessory is my handy dandy 3 in 1 needle threader!! That’s the one I have shown to the right. It helps me thread my yarn and thread (no matter what size it is) into my needles. Although I’m young with decent vision (okay, I do wear glasses), it would take me forever to get the yarn through the eye of a needle without my beloved needle threader. |  |
So what is your favorite crochet accessory? Maybe a favorite stitch marker or ball winder?
This might sound really stupid, but I honestly never thought to use a needle threader for my yarn. lol I didn’t know they had ball winders either! I’ve been doing it by hand (which cramps up my hands pretty badly) all this time. Geeeez. Thanks, Rachel!! 🙂 I think you just made my life a little easier.
Hi Rachel, crochet accessories is a fun topic. My favorite is a hook sizer that is made for crochet hooks, NOT for knitting needles. It has slots (not holes) in varying widths. You slide your hook to the measurement where it’s snug. I bought mine either from Carolyn Christmas’ site, or else from Annie’s Attic.
I keep a hook sizer on hand because every crochet hook manufacturer sizes their hooks differently. To get the exact stitch gauge that I want when I’m designing, I need to know the true millimeter (mm) size of the hooks(s) I’m using.
My favorite crochet accessory is my large hole blunt needle. I have them in steel and plastic. I have them all over the place so whenever I need one, I know exactly where to reach. I also use one when burying cord ends on my macrame creations. I would be lost without it.
oooh a ball winder?
I didn’t know about them either. Sounds like something I’d like
I discovered the ballwinder about 6 months ago and fell in love with it! The day I got mine in the mail I literally spent all weekend winding all of my yarn. I have pictures to prove it too. lol. I would have to say that is, by far, my favorite accessory. I just wish it made larger balls for when I buy the big skeins of cheap yarn.
I guess the only accessories I love are: the gripper for the hooks and my rubber thimle- no more sore fingers 😉
You really made me smile-I have the exact needle threader and it and what i call my ‘pig-tail’ row markers are my two favurite accessories for crochet.
I love my zipper case for all my hooks, although it’s getting too small for my collection now!
I forgot- when I’m crocheting something in round and to keep track of the rounds- I use colorfull paperclips. I know it sound cheap but when you have 2 small children and your a crochet fanatic you need to compromise with yourself.
I love the row counter I adapted. It’s one of the kinds that you can string on a cord and wear as a necklace. I put it on the large clamp ring they sell for DMC floss cards. I then wear it as a bracelet. That way I can just tap teh count button and not have to drop threads, or find where the darn thing slid to while I was working.
Rachel and Everyone……..Hi!
My favorite “accessory” has got to be those little plastic row markers that look like safety pins. The one that I have are made by Clover and I got them at JoAnn’s. The package that I got had blue and orange “pins” in it. I love these things! Especially when I’m stitching crocheted pieces together – – – much better than pins! I just wish they weren’t so expensive! 🙂
Probably the thing I couldn’t live without is not even a real crochet accessory. Months before I started crocheting a friend gave me a suede-ish bag by Clinique. There are no pockets in this bag, but it did come with a little plastic zipper pouch that snaps onto the handle. This pouch is just big enough for a small pair of scissors and a hook or two. It’s also clear so i can see what is inside. I keep safety pins (my stitch markers) pinned around the little strap. I keep my most commonly used hooks in there and just move the pouch from on project bag to the other as needed. 🙂
I recently bought a cheap row counter. Just a little thing you loop around your neck with a piece of yarn, and click at the end of every row. I’ve been crocheting for 50 years plus, and I can’t believe I never had one of these before! No more counting rows because you forgot which row you were on! You can lock it, so if you take a break, you know exactly where you are when you next sit down to work on it again! It only cost a few dollars, and is worth a hundred times that!
I have a question for everyone – Where do you go to get your crochet accessories? The only store I have around here that even sells yarn is Walmart and they don’t have much. I was hoping someone could recommend a favorite online store or catalog..?
Hey Sarah, I normally shop at Michaels, they seem to be cheaper than JoAnns. Both of them have online stores as well. Also, if you google for coupons for either store you should find 40% off one item coupons (they have them every week). Happy shopping!
Sarah,
Annies Attic is also an online store and when they have sales they are worth the buy
I actually have more than 1. A zippered pouch holds my hooks, needles and scissors. My best accessory is my back pack that has like 10 different sized zippered pockets. I can keep ribbon and other decorations in the pockets. I keep safety pins, a pen, some name tags, etc. The main pocket is large enough for a file folder of patterns and several balls/skeins of yarn. I can just grab it and go….everything is in one place.
Just went thru your web site. VERY NICE! I saw alot of things I want to try so I will definitely add you to my favorites. Keep up the EXCELLENT worK!
I don’t know whether one would consider this an accessory, but I love my clear book backpack. I bought a pink trim and a black trim at a sale a Kmart one year for $2 each. I keep all my crocheting supplies in them. The black one has a main compartment for my yarn and projects I”m working on at the time. There is a middle compartment that has a small mesh pocket, a zipper pocket for my stitch markers (I use the colored paperclips also), and pencil slots that I keep my hooks and small pair of scissors in. Thatt way they don’t get lost in the bottom of the bag. There is also a smaller compartment that I keep my crochet notepad in with patterns. I carry this bag everywhere I go. And being clear, everyone can see my projects and I always get complements.
Hey Sarah, I’m just like you I live in Puerto Rico and the only store that I buy my yarn is at Walmart and like you said they don’t have much. I went to Lion Brand on line and shopped for some yarn and they do have variety of yarns not that yarn Red Heart I am tired of that yarn. But now I know that Michaels exist I might try buying there too. Like Rachel says it’s cheaper.
Mine is just a tote bag I got from Michaels. My family travels a lot, so its nice to put my yarn in for in the car. Plus it has just one little zippered pocket where I can put my hooks :D.
I shop both Michael’s and JoAnn’s. I buy Sugar n Cream yarn from Michaels. Cheaper. I get my craft books at JoAnn’s since they let you use their coupons on books. Michaels doesn’t. It is good to have choices.
Smiley’s Yarn is an online store that has tons of yarn at really great prices. They have some notions as well.
My fav crochet accessory so far has got to be the $2 pencil grips I bought from Wal-Mart. They make crocheting much less painful. Sparkly, too!
I have so many favorites… I guess the most useful – other than all my tote bags containing different projects – is a basic zip lock baggie. I keep one in my purse that has my most-used sized crochet hooks and circular knitting needles, scissors, tape measure, yarn needle, stitch markers, and some printed copies folded up of my most-used patterns for the charity I volunteer for.
I love the hooks I stole from my mom. They’re the ones I learned with.
One of my favorite crochet accessory is actually a hair stick. I usto wear them when i had very long hair. I no longer wear them but now i use one all the time! I now use it to make the hole a little wider so the crochet hook is easier to get threw, on those moments i tend to tighten a wee bit too tight *blushes*
I just been crocheting for about a month and i am loving every moment =)
My favorite was the hair stick but i wanted to also add:
useful items that i use to hold my crochet hooks, markers and other small items is $1.99 pencil case holder from walmart. The kind that goes is school binders. Its awesome!
and as a marker i found these little girl snap open/close berates also got at walmart. they come in lots of fun colors but i only use the same few.
I look forward to try some of your suggestions already looking into finding a yarn ball winder LOL
Well because of this thread i need to confess that i went out and looked for a ball winder LOL…. I JUST got mine last night and just used it for the 1st time today (about 10 min ago to be exact) I was so exited that i shouted for my husband to come out of his man cave (computer room) and come watch me roll up some yarn ROFL! he was a sport about it (i know i have a keeper) …. thank you for opening my eyes to even finding so many useful tools!!!!