Crochet Notions – What are Notions and their uses.

Any pair of scissors or craft snips could be used for your crochet projects. However make sure your scissors/snips are sharp to avoid any snagging. I personally use some beautiful craft scissors which are a fab addition to your social media snaps. I also use Aldi So Crafty snips when needed as they are lockable and have a protective cover, much safer when little curious hands are around.

Stitch markers are fantastic for helping to keep count of your stitches when working in large rows/rounds. To mark the beginning stitch of your row. Avoid adding or losing stitches at the beginning and end of rows. When working in continuous rounds to mark the start position.

There are many different types of stitch marker available to purchase. These can be; metal safety clip style markers. Plastic safety clip style markers. Round plastic rings that loop through your work. You can purchase some beautiful handmade stitch markers usually made from small lobster clasps with bead or charm decorations. Some fantastic sellers use numbered beads fabulous for reminding you of your hook size!

There are also a few general items you may find around the house that can work well as stitch markers such as safety pins, paper clips and even hair grips.

A good quality tape measure is a fantastic addition to your notions. This could be a retractable tape or a foldable tape, but it would definitely be best to have one that marks both inches and cm. Many patterns use different units of measure and if you’re working on wearable garments matching gauge is extremely important to obtain your needed size.

Yarn needles or darning needles are larger than a standard needle with a bigger eye for threading your yarn. Often found made of plastic or metal. These are used for weaving in your ends and for sewing parts of your project together.

Tension rings are a useful little gadget that helps to keep your tension equal throughout your project. The ring usually sits around your first finger and the yarn is threaded through with the work being held between middle finger and thumb. Although tension rings can take a bit of adjustment to sit comfortably they are definitely a helpful little notion.

Without the tension ring I have a tendency to twist my wrist to move the yarn which can(and did) lead to tendonitis, using the tension ring helped stop the twist of my wrist while working.

A hook sizer is a piece of material with holes removed along the side for hook sizes. Often made of plastic, metal or wood some also come with a measure on to help with measuring for gauge. Some sizers you will see only have holes through the middle of the piece of material, these are usually for knitting needles however will work for inline hooks where the head of the hook is the same size as the shaft. For most hooks you will need a crochet hook sizer with the holes at the side, these are particularly helpful for some ergonomic hooks as it can be common for the printed hook size to rub off after use.