Yarn for Beginners

Dear users and authors,
what kind of yarn would you recommend or use for beginners?

Hi everyone,

To keep costs down while you’re learning, I recommend polyester or acrylic yarns. Especially if you want to try your hand at making hats.
Otherwise, I always advocate for 100% cotton yarn—especially when it comes to stuffed animals or amigurumi.
In that case, it’s best to avoid classic pot holder yarn for size 4/4.5 needles and opt instead for Catania or another cotton yarn for size 2.5–3.5 needles.

And just as important: crochet hooks that feel good and comfortable in your hand!

Best regards

I’d also recommend that absolute beginners start by trying out an inexpensive yarn.
But once you’ve really gotten into it, I’d definitely recommend brand-name yarn. Whether that’s cotton (e.g., Catania) or merino wool, such as Schoppel’s—it depends on what you want to make.
Because the difference in quality is definitely noticeable. 

I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. Someone who prefers high-quality, expensive clothing probably won’t be happy with acrylic, but they likely won’t have to worry too much about wasting a few euros.

My advice here is: go to a shop, feel the yarns, and let yourself be tempted. Look for smooth yarns that can be unraveled (meaning mohair and angora aren’t suitable). Maybe you’ll find something high-quality on sale.....?!

For me, crafting - meaning wool and fabric - is very much about gut feeling. Beginners shouldn’t underestimate that either.

And the feel-good factor is really important. Yarn often feels very different in your hand than it does around your neck. It also feels different once it’s knitted or crocheted.
Good craft stores have small knitted or crocheted samples on display that you can stroke and handle to your heart’s content.

Yes, Wollness-Oase—you’re absolutely right. When I have a ball of yarn and I’m lacking that final spark of inspiration, I sometimes even take it to bed with me. At night—that’s when miracles sometimes happen.....

I started right away with Catania.
That’s also why I’ve never lost my enthusiasm for it.
Even as a beginner, you should use really good yarn right from the start.
Crocheting is easier and the results are better, which helps keep your enthusiasm going.
I can also recommend Cotton Quick by Gründl (100% cotton)—it’s a bit cheaper than Catania, but almost the same quality.

What’s the point of crocheting with cheap yarn if the end result just doesn’t look nice?

A friend of mine started out that way and asked me why everything she made looked so messy—and she’d lost interest.
I recommended 100% cotton to her. I should mention that this mainly applies to amigurumi. For other crochet projects, 100% cotton might not necessarily be the best choice.

She’s still working hard at it and is very grateful to me.

I think cotton yarn (not too thin) is good for beginners. It’s important that the yarn is smooth—that way, it slides off the needle more easily and you can see the stitches more clearly.
I also don’t think black or dark colors are ideal for absolute beginners, since it’s easy to miss a stitch. Gradient yarn can also be very confusing at first. Choosing the right needle is important, too.

@ Nadeleule

I think you have to make a clear distinction between decorative items (like amigurumi) and clothing. Personally, I prefer animal fibers against my skin—and in the summer, I like a blend with cotton. My stitches also look much more even when there’s a high percentage of animal fiber. But then again, I’m more of a knitter myself.....

That’s probably true—I crochet more... When it comes to knitting, I think it’s easier; you can use even “rougher” yarns because the stitches lie neatly on the needle. But when I was just starting out, I had trouble crocheting with, say, cheap acrylic yarn—first, because I was crocheting too tightly (though that’s no longer the case now that I’ve adjusted my hook size and gotten a bit more practice), and second, because the rough texture made it hard to clearly see the stitches. My daughter is 10 now, and at school they crocheted with acrylic yarn—it didn’t work out for her. At home, she tried it with a smooth cotton-viscose yarn, and it worked. Of course, everyone has to figure out for themselves which yarn and which needle works best for them. I also struggled with knitting at first. But that was because of the cheap needles, which caused virtually any yarn to snag and get stuck. 

There’s really no one-size-fits-all answer to that. Every project requires the right yarn and the right needle or hook—whether you’re a pro or, especially, a beginner. A pro can usually power through, but a beginner can quickly get discouraged with the wrong materials and conclude, “This isn’t for me.” A beginner should ask for advice at a yarn shop when starting their first project. And with a beautiful yarn chosen together and the right needle or hook, you’ll be more motivated to see it through.
If someone is important to me and I know they’d like to learn to crochet or knit, I’ll sometimes give them yarn (in their favorite color), a good needle or hook, and a beginner-friendly pattern as a gift for a special occasion.

What I’d recommend for the beginning: Avoid multi-stranded or fuzzy yarns; instead, choose well-twisted yarn so you can concentrate on the actual crocheting and see every stitch clearly.