Tanya's Crochet Favourites!
Crochet has quickly become one of the most enjoyable hobbies I do in my spare time. Working at The Crafty Fox I get to see all the crochet patterns and books as they come in, so as you can imagine I have built up quite a collection!
In this blog I'm going to share the crochet hooks, books and yarns that I have selected as my favourites!
Crochet Hooks
I have tried every crochet hook we sell in The Crafty Fox, from the metal multi packs to the bamboo hooks. Although I use them all, I do have my favourites and they definitely have to be the Clover Soft Grip crochet hooks. These Clover hooks have a nice smooth tip on the hook which doesn't catch the yarn and a glossy finish which makes it easy to slide the hook through the yarn. The Soft Grip also means my fingers don't ache when I just can't put my project down.
Books
Mabel Bunny & Co
Crochet teddies and toys were the reason I taught myself how to crochet, so you can imagine my excitement when we got this book in stock.
Not only is it full of different animals to crochet, they are all made using chunky wool which means they are large in size, roughly 70cm, or just over 2ft, in height!
The patterns are easy to follow and there are so many characters to choose from, including my personal favourites...Clarence the pig and Mabel the bunny.
Ricorumi Pattern Books
Rico's Ricorumi pattern books are fantastic, packed full of fun crochet projects and don't cost a fortune. Each book has a selection of patterns using the specially made 25g balls of Ricorumi yarn (which comes in 80 different plain colours and a selection of multi-colours); eyes; and wooden teething rings.
Each book has it's own theme whether it is Wild Animals; Circuses; Space; specifically for Babies; for Weddings; or for the Seasons. There are many that I love, especially the Christmas and Halloween books, but let's not get started on those or this blog will turn into a novel!
The Heartbreakers pattern book shown above is definitely a must, the crochet bunnies are so cute and straight forward to make and they are a great budget friendly project.
Hello Hexie
Hello Hexie! Have you ever found a pattern book that just made you smile every time you flicked through it? Well this is that kind of book.
When this book came into stock I snatched one up, I have nothing like it in my collection and I instantly wanted to make everything in it, especially the hexagon place mats!
If you like doing crochet granny squares you will love this book, each project is made using hexagonal granny squares (or should that be granny hexagons?) . Anyway, there is a nice selection of projects to choose from, including clothing items, a bag and even a cute turtle teddy.
Rico Crochet Collection
The Rico Crochet Collection is a new addition to my bookshelf and it is definitely one of the best I have found.
If you are a crochet fanatic you will know that it isn't easy to get good crochet patterns for clothing, but Rico have knocked it out of the park with this pattern book.
The images below are two of the projects I plan to start. They would be lovely for the summer, especially made from one of our 100% Cotton ranges.
Yarns
Mega Wool Chunky
If I had to choose one yarn to crochet with for the rest of my life it would be Rico Mega Chunky Wool. It is the perfect yarn for making teddies and even better for blankets because it is 55% virgin wool.
I used this yarn to crochet a teddy from the Mabel Bunny crochet book and it was the perfect choice because it gave the teddy a great structure.
King Cole Big Value DK
The Big Value DK range from King Cole is another go to of mine, it is a lovely budget friendly yarn but doesn't lack anything on quality! I have made kids jumpers and teddies using this wool and it never disappoints. The fact that they are 50g balls makes them particularly suitable for projects with multi-colours, especially if the project only requires a small amount of yarn.
And that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading all about my favourite crochet picks, and perhaps it will help you if you are thinking of taking up crochet, as I did not that long ago, and then like me, once you've started...you'll be hooked !!
Keep Crafting & Stay Safe
The Crafty Fox Team