Six Must-Haves For Crocheters

Good hooks – What’s your favorite hook – and why? I have fallen in love with the newish Etimo Tulip Hooks. They have really diminshed the amount of carpel tunnel pain I suffer.

Yarn/thread – I have rid myself of most of what I call mediocre yarn. With thread, I use size 10 cotton almost exclusively. Worsted weight cotton yarn has too much drag on it – does not slip smoothly enough on my hook – and taxes my wrist. With yarn, I need there to be no drag across my wrist – no pulling or separating that requires extra effort. That has ruled out a huge amount of my stash, some of which goes back to my beginning days as a crocheter about 15 years ago. My newer requirements are that the yarn slide smoothly, effortlessly across my hook. This is not necessarily a factor of price! There are some really inexpensive yarns like Caron Simply Soft which fill the bill as well as many higher end yarns.

Clover Tapestry Needle

Tapestry needle – I prefer a blunt tipped, metal needle for weaving in all those dratted ends.

Fiskars school scissors Best Value at $1

Folding Scissors Best for the crochet bag

Scissors – Most any will do, but I have them all over the house! The smallest ones, the folding variety, are the ones that earn their place in my crochet hook holder which goes everywhere my crochet goes. Sharper is better. One really good pair of scissors are Fiskars blunt point school scissors, the 5 inch long ones that usually sell for $1 during Back To School Sales in August. Stock up! They cut paper really well too.

Ott Light With Magnifer, Floor Model, My Fave!

Light source – Lacking natural light, I have invested in Ott Lites that have the ‘true color’ bulbs. These are essential for me. But, I still won’t crochet a project in all black or navy.

Reference book/patterns – What’s your favorite reference book and pattern source? I find myself going back again and again to the Crochet Stitch Bible, mostly for its ease in use (spiral binding), size (maybe 6X8 inches), and clarity of instructions. Patterns come from a huge variety of sources – books, magazines, free tear offs at the yarn shop, and, of course, all those wonderful free online pattern sources. Lately, Ravelry.com has been my go-to source.

Have I forgotten any essential? Oh, a comfortable chair to sit in while crocheting.

More Crochet?

The Georgie Granny Square Bucket Hat Crochet Pattern is one of those fun wearable crochet projects that has just the right mix of retro charm and modern festival style. If you have been seeing granny square bucket hats popping up everywhere and thinking, “I could make that,” this pattern is a lovely place to start.

This crochet bucket hat is worked in the round using granny-style clusters, giving it that familiar textured look without requiring you to join lots of separate squares. That is a definite win if, like me, you enjoy the look of granny motifs but don’t always feel emotionally prepared for a mountain of seams and ends.

The pattern uses worsted weight #4 yarn, with cotton or a cotton blend recommended, which makes sense for a summer hat. Cotton gives the hat a bit more structure and keeps it feeling breathable rather than floppy and sweaty. You’ll need around 80g of yarn, a 5.5mm crochet hook, scissors, and a yarn needle. The finished hat is designed to fit a head circumference of approximately 51–55cm / 20.1–21.7 inches, which puts it in the adult small/medium range.

What I like about this pattern is that it includes practical fit notes rather than pretending every head and every crocheter’s tension is magically the same. The granny mesh has stretch, and the pattern suggests trying the crown on after Round 5 before continuing with the body section. That is such a useful little check-in point, especially with hats, because nobody wants to finish the whole thing only to discover it either perches on top like a teacup or slides down over your eyes like a lampshade.

The instructions are written in US crochet terms and include a clear stitch key covering chains, clusters, double crochet, repeats, slip stitches, and spaces. The pattern also explains how the rounds are closed, how the beginning chain functions, and how to count the clusters at the end of each round, which is helpful for keeping the shape on track.

The construction is straightforward: you begin at the crown, continue down into the sides, and then work the brim. The brim shaping comes from an increase round that helps kick the edge outward into that classic bucket hat shape. Rounds 15–17 then hold steady to smooth out the brim edge, giving the hat a neat finish without making the shaping feel overly complicated.

I would call this an easy to confident beginner crochet pattern rather than a very first crochet project. You’ll want to be comfortable working in the round, counting repeats, and making double crochet clusters. Once the rhythm clicks, though, it becomes a relaxing, repeat-friendly project — the sort of crochet you can work on while half-watching TV, provided you don’t lose count during the increase rounds. Ask me how I know.

This pattern also has great colour-play potential. The yellow version feels sunny and wearable, the scrap yarn version has brilliant festival energy, and a red-and-green version would make a surprisingly cute Christmas market hat. It would also be a good stash-busting crochet project if you have leftover cotton yarns hanging around from dishcloths, bags, or summer tops.

Overall, the Georgie Granny Square Bucket Hat is a cheerful, wearable crochet pattern with strong Etsy appeal. It hits that sweet spot between nostalgic granny square style and modern handmade fashion, making it a great pattern for festival outfits, summer wardrobes, handmade gifts, and market sellers looking for a trendy crochet accessory.

Best for: confident beginners, granny stitch lovers, summer crochet projects, festival fashion, scrap yarn makes, and crocheters who want a wearable project that feels fun rather than fussy.

More Crochet?

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