Good wool for a crochet beginner?

[PhoenixRises]

I'd like to start to crochet. I'm thinking about starting with easy granny squares, but I'd like to be able to turn them into something at the end - so a blanket for DS maybe?

What sort of wool would be good to start with? I'm guessing I'm looking for not terribly expensive, good range of colours, soft and washable without colour run.

Am I looking for the impossible?

Style craft special meets all your requirements and is great. Wool warehouse is a good place to buy.

I opened the thread to say exactly the same as sjane03. Also, that I've found the Attic 24 photo tutorials really helpful. Good luck!

I agree, stylecraft special dk but would add - choose a nice bright colour to start with, the stitches are so much easier to see than if you use black or white.

If you find a pattern you like then google it and see if there is a crochet along for it on youtube - they really help.

That's great to have a consensus - makes buying stuff much easier.

I'll have a hunt about and see what I can find!

Stylecraft Special DK. Wool Warehouse or (if you prefer small business) Oddballs on Facebook do colour packs as well as selling the large amount of colours separately.

Knit Pro Waves are awesome crochet hooks to work with.

And do consider having a look at Woolly Hugs - all ability levels are involved.

Will definitely consider Woolly Hugs, but probably not until I'm actually making things that are reasonable with crochet! And although I cross-stitch, I'm not terribly agile fingered so it may take a while!

If you can make granny squares, the involves chains, possibly magic ring, TC, counting and maintaining tension. You can do that, you can do anything.

I've been crocheting about 18 months now, it's wonderful. Welcome to the world of hooking

Definitely Stylecraft Special :)

Stylecraft Special DK comes in tons of colours, it's cheap and it feels nice to work with. I have every colour. Also worth considering if you are doing granny squares and don't want to change colour with every round, is Stylecraft Merry go round. It's the same weight as Special DK so the two can be used together easily.

I particularly love this blanket done in a combination of Merry-go-round and Special DK.

I do like that blanket. That's the sort of thing I want to create, but I envisaged doing it with maybe three or four colours and repeating them in order iyswim? May have to order the Merry go round once I get the hang of it!