tip for protecting your yarn! you can use those cheap drawstring backpacks that get handed out at conventions and stuff. you can pull the drawstring and your yarn ball will stay inside

You say you're not going to buy hooks...then proceed to tempt us with hook sets😂😂 You enabler you😁

Extra saving for girls: I use bobbi pins as stitch markers... never falls off, basically locks with how tight is clamps... the yarn usually rests in the opening of the fold over! Change everything for me! 😅😅

For anybody just getting into crocheting or lost/don't have stitch markers, safety pins are literally the same. I'm in the middle of nowhere, so when I started learning and needed stitch markers I went to the dollar store and found a pack of colored safety pins for not even $2 and honestly now that I have stitch markers I kinda prefer the pins. Sure you gotta be a bit careful, but to me they're easier to use and spot!

I am so sorry that you were disappointed in the lighted crochet hooks. I am legally blind, and I bought a set of lighted crochet hooks, and I absolutely am in love with them. They help me out so much in being able to see the stitches they just wonderful, and worked so well for me.

Thank you for letting us know about AI writing patterns. I didn't know it was so prevalent! I will definitely do my homework before any pattern purchases.

Heh... over in other creative groups, we call that having a bad case of Gear Aquisition Syndrome (GAS). :D

So that's what it's called, shiny item syndrome lol, I have that too!

For stitch markers, i like either safety pins, or contrasting yarn. I put my yarn in Ziploc bags, and snip a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners, then i can keep yarn clean, and have it zipped so it doesn't end up out if the bags. I will also put the label in the bag for washing instructions and lot numbers, etc. Love your content! Keep it up!❤❤

One of my favorite things about your videos are the outtakes! So natural and light hearted! 😂

I bought a beginner crochet kit from The Woobles, literally perfect. 50/10! The quality was everything I hoped it would be and started my obsession with crochet and loved it so muchhh!

all you need to crochet: a few different size needles, yarn needles and yarn anything else can make your process easier but is honestly optional stitch markers? put a small piece of scrap yarn into your stitch (different colour to find it easier) that yarn spinny thing? i wrap my loose yarn arround random bottles and position them in a way that it slips right off the top when I'm working

1) any hook that’s not Clover Amour. I’d love to try the Tulips, but I’ll put it on my birthday and Christmas lists only. I, hoping not to buy ANY hooks, but if I lose a Clover size I need, I’m allowed to buy it. 2) any stitch markers at all. I have a huge collection of little ones that look like safety pins without the loop, and they’ve served me well for everything from sock yarn to bulky chenille. 3) any yarn WITHOUT having a purpose for it. This will be extremely hard, but I also need to reduce my stash and finish the projects I have. What WILL I be buying? Well, we’re doing our first ever Europe trip, and I’m allowing myself a purchase from each place we go to as a memory.

I was actually a little shocked that yarn bowls are on this list! After wanting one for so long, I finally bought one for myself last month, and I've used it nearly every day since! I will admit I make a lot of small items, so I usually don't have the same project attached to the bowl for more than a day or so. I can see why the yarn bowl would get a little annoying with larger projects or something that requires alot of color changes. A little secret though, my yarn bowl isn't even a real yarn bowl. I couldn't see spending so much money on a bowl, especially since I was worried the wood might be rough around the cutouts and could potentially snag my yarn. So I actually bought a ramen bowl instead. It was only $5 instead of near $30, plus I like that it's ceramic and has a nice weight to it. Also the hole for the -chopsticks- yarn is nice and smooth, so no worrying about snags 😊 But yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want to buy another one if you already have multiple and don't find yourself using them often 😅

I will not be buying more beginner crochet kits. :) I bought one to learn how to crochet and it's fun. Now that I've done a few and made a blanket, I'm finding that amigurumi isn't my favorite thing to make. Realizing that and looking at my stash, I have so many still to do! No matter how cute they are, I do not need more. Great video as always Elise! I'm extra thrilled that you kept the bloopers in.

I use old altoids tins with a magnet strip stuck inside the lid inside my notions pouch and as a mini sewing kit. It's the right size to hold a surprising amount of small things and putting a magnet strip inside the lid means if I have any metal pins or needles I can stick them there are I wont get hurt or lose them. I also will just count my stitches or rows (whatever I need to track) and tally it on a piece of scrap paper that I then secure through my stitch marker.

Another idea I like to use, are old prescription meds bottles for things like needles and safety pins, perfect size, easy access, childproof, and no extra cost 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I totally understand the beginner crochet kit one! If one of my friends got into crochet, I'd personally take them to the craft/yarn/hobby store and let them feel the different hooks and yarns and everything so they can see what they might like, then grab some of the other things they might need, like yarn needles and stitch markers. Assemble their beginner's kit with them and it won't be such a waste of money if they don't like something in there and they'll know where to go to change something out for something else. I'm definitely not buying a carrier/organizer for my hooks this year. I have so many little bags and containers for things already that it'd just be another thing set aside without getting used. I have a Nintendo Switch carrying case that I joke is my "Grandma's cookie tin sewing kit" because instead of a gaming device, it holds the hooks I'm not using at the moment. And I got a little "pen case" in a blind bag toy thing a while back that's the right size to hold my yarn needles, knitting needle stoppers, and some stitch markers. That goes into the travel toiletries bag I have that I use as my crochet bag. No need to buy fancy things when other things might work just as well.

One of the weirdest purchases ive made for crochet this year was going to an antique shop and buying a thimble! I make microcrochet dolls and my poor middle finger took a lot of hits before i decided to give a thimble a try. So far, it's been great! Also, I bought an antique abacus to use as my stitch counter and I love it. I just take a picture of the abacus if I relocate my crochet projects.

I crocheted with my grandmother when I was a child. Very happy memories there. I am revisiting that craft after a 50-yr break as physical limitations are now causing me to rethink my hobbies. So I've been studying up on modern crochet (mostly via KZfaq) and want you to know that your channel has THE MOST PRACTICAL information to date. I consider myself a beginning crocheter with a limited budget who is needing to purchase basic crocheting tools and items. Thank you for your candid product reviews, tips and suggestions. Keep up the good work!

I don't buy the full set of crochet hooks in case they're duds. I only buy one from a set to test it out to get a feel for it in my hand and against the yarn. I agree with you on those stitch markers. I usually just toss the open ones away and keep the closed stitch markers. And I don't buy the row or stitch counters because I know I'm the type that'll forget to keep pushing those buttons when I'm deep in thought.

I use my orange prescription bottles for yarn needles, stitch markers, eyes, noses, (I do a lot of amigurumi), beads, all the little notions that go with crochet. They work great. I use zip lock bags to hold small crochet parts when working on a project. I have a "book" with elastic slots that is actually for colored pencils that I have all my Cover crochet hooks in.

Best yarn bowl ever- Pyrex dish, and chances are it’s in everyone’s kitchen already 👍

Great video! You really pointed out a lot of ways we overspend and clutter up our crafting spaces when we don't need to. I keep thinking I need stitch and row counters but then i remember there’s no way I’ll remember to use them. My “yarn bowl” is a 50 cent plastic bowl I got at Walmart. No it doesn’t have a cutout to hold the yarn, but i manage without it. My friend was talking about getting one of those kits and I told her there is no way the materials are worth that much money. I told her I’ll give her some hooks and go to dollar tree and get a few skeins and KZfaq tutorials are free.

I love using tackle boxes for storing my crochet supplies. It's exactly the same as the craft storage boxes but for half the price. Plus I get to decorate them to make them look pretty

I started crocheting 6 months ago with the woobles kit and right now I am crocheting a granny square blanket and I watch you as I crochet its really fun❤❤😊

I leave yarn ends and clippings in my hook box to use as stitch markers. I jgrab something high contrast to the project I'm working on when I need one and don't have to get stressed about keeping up with them. Also instead of a yarn bowl I use a huge binderclip on the side of my hinged yarn box. When I'm done for the moment, I can throw my hook (pencil) box in the box unclip the binder clip, and put the worked project on top of the yarn and hook box and close the cats out of the whole setup.

I use one of those pop-it toys for a row counter. My kids had a ton lying around, and it works great for counting rows!

You can always you Bobby pins! They work the same and can help a lot!

I’m with you on all of those things, especially the yarn bowls and yarn butlers. I’ve always used a piece of scrap yarn as a row marker. Doesn’t work for everyone but it does for me☺️ I’ve amassed quite a few accessories, so I really don’t need anything, except arm power 😵‍💫😉have a great weekend ☺️👍🏼❤️🧶

I have a few different stitch markers, the good news is I have lost a lot of the round ones so they are slowly making their own way out of my stash, I do tend to use the locking markers for crochet and the round for knitting to slip on the needles. Those beginner kits are not worth the money, buy a cute pencil case, buy the basics and slowly add things because you will NOT use everything in that starter kit and you get a better quality (mostly) buying separate items. I have a programme that writes my patterns OUT for me, I paid for the programme and it does a good job of doing that for me, but it takes hours to write them so not very efficient but some patterns I write I love.

What a refreshing take and useful warning. I have two modifications for your list. 1) I use metal bulb locking stitch markers that are very thin, so don't cause a gap. 2) I like my ring digital stitch counter (as you show on the thumbnail). Because it's always right in front of me, I'm more consistent at counting rows. I also like my mini kacha kacha counter, especially because I can lock it between uses (no extra rows tallied).

The only crochet hooks I will buy would be if I needed a size that I don't have, but then only Clover Amour. Thank you for your warning about AI crochet patterns. I wasn't aware such a thing existed. Thank you for your tip on how to identify a possible AI pattern...so helpful. Don't worry about bent tip needles not working for you. They do the same thing to me.

For stitch markers you can also use safety pins. That’s what I use.

omg, i love the idea of using a makeup box to hold supplies! i have that exact same makeup box back from my dancing days and don’t use it anymore as it only held my stage makeup. i’ll have to take it out of storage!!

I just decided to try crochet and so happy with this list to guide me as I start forward…1. Great hook 2. Locking markers 3. Reputable pattern creators ❤ You have undoubtedly saved me hundreds of $$🎉and loads of frustration😊

I love using yarn bags. I use them to organize my projects. Each bag has all the yarn colors I need for that project, as well as a pair of folding scissors, yarn needles, stitch markers, the size hook(s) I need, and any other materials I need for that project. They also have holes for the yarn to feed through, so it's a better version of yarn bowls, in my opinion.

I make my own fabric pouches. Great for travel and storage. It’s good to be reminded we don’t need everything! 😊

I agree about the “beginner” crochet kits -except for the Woobles kits. They are expensive compared to the “imports”, but the quality of the yarn and tools is fantastic! I learned to crochet using those kits.

I’ve been crocheting for a year now, and I the only thing I’ll be buying is yarn. I’d really like to try the eyes, but for now I’m good with sewing my own eyes 👀 I’m 53 and have chronic back pain. I don’t work and I lied in bed for a long time and got bored. So, I picked up crocheting, and I mainly make blankets for pets for our local shelter. I found Comfort for Critters online and it’s a volunteer group that makes blankets for shelters. I love crocheting, and during the holidays I put the blankets on hold and started with other crochet items. I love watching your videos!! Thank you for sharing everything with us! I do have one question…have you tried the glow-in-the-dark yarn yet?

I crocheted my own yarn bowl. Yarn inside yarn. It's not heavy so not effective at doing it's job at all but it has kept me from buying one so I count it as a win!

I love my cheap ergonomic hooks. Had them for at least ten years now and my main handles are getting a bit worn on in my main set but I have a set in the car and another in my bedside cabinet. You never know when you might get an idea! For row counting I use a clicker. The type they use for counting people at venues etc. Again have three I've used for years. One of my best purchases. xxJane 🐑🌼

I use a yarn scrap of a different colored yarn as my stitch marker when working in the round and I love how it stays in place and it is easy to remove just tug it tight round your hook at the beginning of a new row and crochet it into your stitches and it holds in place beautifully

I’m fairly new to crochet, so I appreciate this video! It’ll go a long way to keep me from spending money on unnecessary supplies…thank you!😊

super new to crocheting and I've come accross a few videos on your channel and they helped me out a lot. I don't know how to explain it but I love your vibe, something about it is so comforting and you've made such a lovely community here like all the comments are so nice and helpful, very lovely to see

Hello sweet Elise! ❤️ I wanted to ask you if you would think about doing a video on different fibers (cotton, wool, acrylic, etc.) and the pros & cons of each as well as what you would recommend making with the fibers. Any advice would be much appreciated! 🧶🧶🧶 I have been crocheting for about 3 yrs and only ever used acrylic. I bought some Premier Just Cotton and wanted to make some socks or a headband with it but noticed that its has almost no give or stretch. I cannot express how quickly you became my "go to" in most all things crochet! 🧶. You are so positive and always makes me happy 😁. Thank you for telling me I can do it! Thank you so much and sending you and your family love & hugs! 🥰❤️

When the dollar tree has the rectangular plastic pencil holders with a snap I buy some for my crochet hooks and notions.

You're not alone with the bent needle frustration! I always thought something was wrong with me because I just couldn't get it to stay stationary while using it. It ALWAYS twists around. I use the straight needles and have no issues with maneuverability.

Speaking as a beginner (just picked up crochet 4 months ago) I've had a relatively good experience with the beginner kit i picked up from Amazon. If you are considering getting into the hobby, I think these kits can be a good option. I wasn't sure if I would stick with crochet and $15-20 was an amount I was comfortable spending. I figured if I stuck with it, I could invest in more premium supplies as needed. And if down the line my beginner kit doesnt meet my needs, I will have a better idea of what to look for. I wouldnt buy a beginner kit as a more experienced crocheter but if you want to try out crocheting to see if it's for you, these make sense! Just be sure to read reviews to make a more informed purchase.

I understand the frustration with thick markers. I use plain leverback earrrings or mini hair elastics. The elastics can be just cut out if you forget it in your crocheted item.

I’ve never used plastic stitch markers - they’ve always gotten in the way of my being able to hold my work! The yarn tail (or a scrap piece, if the tail isn’t long enough) has always worked super well for me. And it’s free!

Good morning, Elise. I love your videos and look forward to watching them every morning before I start my work day. I’m 68 and my mother taught me how to crochet when I was 5. She gave me a skein of red Red Heart yarn, a hook, showed me how to make a chain and told me to come back when I’d made a chain of the entire skein! Then she showed me how to do a single crochet and I took it from there. My grandmother made doilies, pillow case edging, table cloths all with the smallest hooks and string. I learned to knit about 20 years ago from a book and an old friend. I’ve never acquired any fancy stuff: just hooks, needles, yarn. For 2024 I will try locking stitch holders. I gave a lot of my hook stash to my daughter in law and I’m now looking for more crochet hooks. I prefer the ones with the flat heads which I’ve discovered are called “in line”. Been searching on Amazon to no avail and in the shops. Most of what is out there are the rounded heads. Let me know if you have any recommendations. I look forward to your next video. Thank you for all that you do.

I am a beginner in crocheting and I just ever bought yarn and hook . I don't use stitch marker instead I use small peace of a yarn of different color it easy to pull out after the work is done and it never leaves any tracking mark and very efficient .

The only item I think I'll be buying this year, other than yarn of course, would be the neck light. Even putting the light on over my head when I crochet doesn't seem to be enough, or at the very least the light is at a bad angle and I'm just getting shadows in my yarn. I wouldn't mind one of those wooden yarn holders eventually but right now I'm literally just using a box we got from a bakery and having the yarn go through the metal bits of a clip. Bought a cheap little plastic yarn cake weaver so the bakery box is the perfect size for a single yarn cake to sit in so it doesn't pick up random hairs and dust. Maybe one day I'll have to buy more baked goods just to get the boxes.

Your suggestion to get a neck light has saved my husband endless frustration in the late evening when he wants the overhead lights off. Thank you so much for the suggestion

For the yarn holders, I recycle thin plastic bags. I put one ball only in a thin bag, tie the handles together with the yarn coming out of the bag through the small gap below the knot. That way as you travel with them you can gather any amount of bags and fasten with a large knitting pin, and through your work so things don’t get pulled out of shape or tangled when moving. (Also great for not picking up the ever present dog hair that she sheds everywhere all year round, if you happen to drop your wool onto the floor as I do)

I’m with you Elise. I’ll even venture to say I won’t be purchasing ANY crochet accessories (except yarn) in 2024. The reason being that my beautiful daughter found a crochet advent calendar (24 days). Each day had a notion of some kind, including several miniature skeins of yarn. I have everything one could think of and more! Including a darling holder for everything. Some of the things are quite handy- like the retractable measuring tape. I really wanted one of those but the tension ring…eh… I can control my tension but it’s really cute. 😊

I put little index cards in my project bags, which are reusable shopping bags, with all the details. That started last and i always go through my wips in january and decide whose getting finished before i start buying anymore yard. Im working through all my various scrap bins (different size yarn balls in different bins). I used to always leave my hooks with my projects.

I thought I would never fall for the yarn bowl, and didn't get on with it at first either... until I started winding my balls/skeins into cakes, now I crochet 2-3x as fast and I will never go back! It keeps it safe from my kid and cat and also keeps everything neat and stops me having to keep dragging out some slack to keep working!

I've a house full of beautiful gorgeous yarn. I could crotchet all-day every day for a year n still have lots stashed..Dread other half wanting a break..suitcases are full, including my haul of handbags..full of awesome wool. Not perishable thou, haaaaa😂😊❤

I use stitch counters as row counters since I take projects with me everyday to work on between taking my husband to work and actually going to work myself along with on my lunch break so then I don’t lose what row I’m on

I never work with stitch markers. I use a piece of contrasting thread and weave it in and out under every first loop of a round. Its free, it also marks the round and its satisfying to pull out at the end.

I'm not so much avoiding any specific products as I'm sticking to a buying mindset: I will ONLY buy items I intend to use for projects I'm already planning to do. And since I already have two works in progress and four projects I haven't started yet, I'm adding in a rule that I'll only plan a new project when I'm down to fewer than five unfinished ones.

We it snow/iced in and I did not want to brave the roads so I ordered a cheap “ergonomic” hook from Amazon to tide me over until I could get into town! OMG, it was heavy, especially after using the Pym hook, and the hook end was too short for the plush yarn stitches! Snow melted and I was able to replace it! Love your blog, a pleasure to watch them.

Hi Elise, I enjoy your channel. Thank you for being real and functional. Your gifts for your daughter’s nuptials gave me goosebumps. You inspire me. YOU ROCK.

From the time I learned to crochet in 1970 when I was 12 years old, up until 2016, I had the same set of Boye hooks and a couple darning needles. That's it. I had no clue there was anything else out there because I didn't crochet all that much. In 2014 I became really ill. By 2016 I was doing better and decided to get back into crocheting for something to do while recovering. However, by this time I was in my 50s and my beloved Boye hooks were making my hands hurt. What to do??? I went online and to my surprise, crocheting had experienced a renaissance it seemed. I went to Hobby Lobby and they had their own brand of hooks with the squishy ergonomic handles for $2.99 each. So I splurged on new hooks for the 1st time in 46 years. They worked great, but then I got bit by the shiny things bug. I too bought things I don't need. I need to stay off of Etsy! LOL!!! I will not buy anymore hooks unless I need some odd size that I don't already have for a project. I bought a set of those Furl's Odyssey hooks and I do not like them. They feel great in my hand and I wanted to love them, but they are inline hooks and I can't seem to use inline hooks very well. So about $200 worth of hooks are just sitting in my drawer. That said, the hooks I am glad I spent the money on and would buy again are the Bqueen hooks. They were expensive, but I saved my pennies and bought them one at a time, but I love them and use them almost exclusively now. Unfortunately, their house burnt down and I don't know if they will ever go back into production. The only thing I intend to buy this year is yarn needed for a project. My goal this year is to finish all my projects I have started which might well take me all year!

I recently crocheted a holder for a empty Clorox container which now holds a skein of yarn. By putting small rocks or glass beads in the bottom keeps it more stable. And, it is a lot prettier than a yarn bowl. Your suggestions are spot on. Thank you

Hi Elise and right now I am working on my cottage core mosaic blanket and granny squares blanket and butterfly mosaic blanket and my somebunny and right now I am working on my cottage core mosaic blanket and granny squares blanket and butterfly mosaic blanket and I love your channel and your videos and if you keep making videos I will keep watching them and what is your favorite crochet project to work on right now and favorite types of yarn to used when crocheting and keep up the great work on your KZfaq channel and keep up the great work on your crochet projects

Wow! Thank you, Elise, for the suggestion of using a paper bag to keep a ball from rolling around. I have a lot of yarn that have an outside pull and I haven't worked with them yet because I didn't want them rolling all over the place. I was thinking about buying a yarn genie or the stick thing they have at Michaels, but those are around $30 and I just haven't justified that yet. It seems to simple but I never thought about the paper bag. Thank you! 😊🤗

I started crocheting 2.5 years ago with one of those amazon beginner kits, even after trying a bunch of different hooks, those are always the ones I go back to, they’re my favorite, the stitch markers too! Maybe I’m judt lucky but I wanted to share the other side as well 😊

My set with counter like yours BROKE at the handle in 5 projects and IWAS careful, not over tightening! Now have Clover Armour and LOVE them

I love to repurpose things. I keep little things like yarn needles, and stitch markers in an Altoid tin, which gets moved to whichever makeup pouch I'm using, depending on the size of what I'm working on. All the makeup pouches were picked up at garage sales for a quarter, or less.

I absolutely agree with you! I will be saving my money for yarn purchases. It's nice to splurge a little when you've saved some up❤

In 2024 my goal is to buy absolutely nothing except books (can't stop won't stop) and yarn *that I have a project planned for*. I'm not going to buy yarn just because it's pretty and on sale! It just sits around taking up space and gathering dust! Suggestion for future vids: if you're buying more stuffing, could you try out some biodegradable options like kapok? I'm really interested in trying to keep my crafting as sustainable as possible and so plastic free stuffing/yarn/etc is totally my jam.

Hi Elise, I agree with just about everything you mentioned in this video! My version of a yarn bowl? I enjoy purchasing cakes from the bakery dept of my grocery store, and they come packaged in a plastic dome, and base. That DOME is my yarn bowl! Keeps the yarn from rolling all over the place, clean, and depending on its size, I can just pop the whole project right into the bowl until I'm ready to resume working on it. Another tip from this crochet enthusiast - scotch tape! Huh? Apply a short strip around/over the finger area that tensions the yarn to prevent that tell-tale indentation from forming in the first place. I do a lot of lace crochet/knitting and often with a tight tension to keep stitches uniform. However, I would also end up with, for a time, with what seemed a permanent groove across my left index finger. Even weeks later this pink very slight but noticeable depression remained. Just stumbled into the scotch tape trick by serendipity! Enjoy!

I love the bent yarn needles for the mattress stitch!!! It’s perfect. I also love the light up hook for when I’m camping and want to crochet after the sun goes down. :)

Honestly! The whole AI thing is getting completely out of control. So many people are reposting AI images in crochet groups, customers are commissioning projects based on AI images, and the AI generated crochet patterns are insane!

You are fully right: Lighted crochet Hawks are horrible. I bought 2 Sets and never use them. So I will not buy any further lighted crochet hawks 2024!!! I like your videos.

Being legally blind, I got all excited over ighted crochet hooks, but then I saw yur neck light. Havinglighting needs other than on my hooks, that is what is on my wish list now. I also have a large Ott magnifying lamp that I’ve been sewing with, and if I can get it low enough, I may use it for crochet as well. It is very heavy, so I may try putting it on a TV tray (yes, they still make them) directly in front of my lap. Or over my lap, if I sit on a kitchen chair. Then I can rest my hands on the tray while I work. Thank you for reviewing all these items! SUPER helpful!

I buy lunch bags for projects. The latest one I got was only A$19. It's wider than most and has small handles and detachable shoulder strap. I can get 2 balls of yarn and a project in easily. And because it's a lunch bag it's waterproof. It also has zip compartment on the outside I use for tools like needles and scissors.

Thanks for telling us what safety eyes you use! I've bought some from Amazon and even in the same package, some are ok, but some have sharp edges or have inconsistent shapes. I also bought the tool you recommended and it's great! Thank you!

I’m just getting into crocheting. Thanks for the tip about AI patterns. Very helpful for a beginner.

i’m brand new to crochet, like, started two days ago new. i will say that my woobles kit was the best thing i could have gotten. i got one, and now i’ve made two amigurimi and i’m starting on a bigger project. i’m sure you can find you tutorials that are just as good for free but i found it really really helpful. but the best part is you only need one, then i went on reddit and found all the woobles patterns for free lol

Woobles r an AMAZING beginning to crocheting or just for fun. They provide everything you need and are not too expensive.😊

Great video. I am not sure that I could not buy something catches my eye 😸 I am going to try and not buy any more crochet hooks. I have so many now that I don’t even know where they all are 😊 Thanks for sharing

Whew - just in time! I was tempted by the spiral stitch markers. I just saw a post that said they were great because you could put them in with just one hand. After seeing your video, I think I'll pass 🙂. Honestly, I don't think I'll be buying anything except maybe patterns and yarn. I have all the accessories I need!

Just for the record...on my 74th birthday the beginning of April 2024...I watched youtube videos to learn how to crochet to surprise my oldest daughter, and I did. Tonight I just watched what you won't be buying in 2024 and a few others as well. Since I'm just getting started with 'crochet' I have the majority of items you won't be buying for when I was knitting! So, I think other than getting a set of hooks, I'm good to go. Oh, and yarn, will definitely be surveying that item! Thank you for the great information and thank you for being so upfront honest!

I first started crocheting with a really cheap aliexpress crochet hook kit. I then exchanged parts of the kit every now and then with better quality stuff. I swapped out the hooks with a Clover set after researching what people tended to like the most, I got a crochet hook organizer thing, I got cute embroidery scissors, and I kept the measuring tape, stitch markers, and plastic yarn needles from the original kit.

Another great vid, thank you. What I won't be buying in 2024 is Skill Share or anything like it. I am a senior on a super tight budget and electric is going to take a super hike in our state and that's just one thing. I like shiny things too and youtube is a good place to go and get hooked (pardon the pun) on everything out there. I am determined to learn amigurumi this year....the plushies but youtube will have to do for my teaching mode. What would be most valuable for me would be a friend in real life who crochets but no one does anymore. My friends did it in their earlier years and I've just started a few years ago. I'm also learning watercolor and talk about shiny objects......I just want EVERYTHING!! Lol. I love your channel, Thanks much for sharing.

I probly wont be buying any crochet hooks either. I cleaned up all my craft stuff and found a little zipper pouch at Goodwill that has a pocket on each side and a flap over that. It is just the right size for all of my metal crochet hooks and tucks right into the side of my craft desk drawer. It even says 'Here's the Skinny' on the outside (I think is cool for my 'skinny' metal hooks) and it is purple! I dont know what it held before I got it for my hooks and dont really care because it is perfect to hold all of my hooks, even the tiny metal ones.

When I started making amigurumi, I didn't have any stitch markers. What i did have, though, was plenty of bits of leftover yarns. I started using yarn a size smaller than what I was crocheting with. I carried it up as I worked, which lso mde counting rounds super easy. I still use this technique when making amigurumi.

I'm not a beginner, but had taken a 15 year hiatus, so I needed all new materials when I got back into crochet last year. I lucked out with the beginner crochet set I purchased from Amazon. I love the hooks. I actually happened to find some of my old hooks recently that I discovered are Susan Bates and I hated them. They pulled through the yarn so roughly compared to my Amazon set that glides like butter. But I think I probably had a rare experience. If I need to buy again, I'll probably try Clover or Tulip. Thanks for all the tips! I love bent needles too! For me, they're so much easier to work with as I mostly do amigurumi with chenille/chunky yarn.

Loved the video, Elise! Thank you! And I meant to tell you I really appreciated the longer length of last week’s video!!

I actually love the beginning crochet set that you showed. It has been so helpful. I wonder if you got a bad one. The metal on my hooks are very smooth.

I'm all down for home made alwayssss: but another reason, mine specifically, to use tension rings is for tremmors... I have very shaky hands, especially if I'm just holding 1 finger out yano?? The yarn used to shake/vibrate right off my finger within like 3-5 stitches, so they deff helped me with way more then justtttt tension! 😊😊❤

Thanks for all the tips. I ordered clear plastic bags to store yarn in. But I have found they work awesome for finished projects to gift or sell. They have a sticky closure to seal them shut. Works out wonderfully.

You may send me all the things you won't be using lol.

As a beginner,thanks for telling me about the beginner sets.

I keep all my sewing thread in a makeup case just like that one, with the little trays in it, all the accouterments fit in the bottom. One of my favorite storages.

The bent needle has been a lifesaver for me.