1.) Some patterns will prescribe a certain brand of yarn, and some of them are very expensive. This is a simple remedy. Google the brand of yarn and the weight number, and it should tell you what material it is made of. You can substitute a certain brand with another as long as it's the same material and the gauge turns out the same way.

2.) Contrary to what some multicolored projects will tell you, you do NOT have to use the same colors of yarn! Choose from a color wheel (shown above) and substitute the colors. Usually, they'll be listed as "Color A, B, C" and so on, so you can make a key at the beginning of the pattern.

3.) Hooks don't have to be the same brand as prescribed, as long as the measurement and gauge are the same.

4.) If your project prescribes more than 1000 yards of yarn, just buy a larger skein. It saves you $2 per skein and if you're working with multiple colors, variegated is the way to go.

5.) Work your way up the project ladder. I did 2 beginner scarves and 3 beginner hats before working on the intermediate project of a Kanata tank top, and then lastly made the advanced duster jacket shown in the first part.

6.) A granny square is the basic parallelogram used for afghans, bags, sweaters, quilts, and many more. It's kind of like a mandala - it's an artistic design used for many different projects. I'll teach you how to make one in the next chapter, and then you'll be able to use it for any project!

7.) There are many different patterns out there for making little flowers with crochet. You might want to start after you have a few projects under your belt, but nonetheless, they will spice up any project.

8.) I highly recommend a book called The Big Book of Crochet Designs if you ever want to consider making your own patterns someday (and I've been working on a super cool one, by the way. It'll be out pretty soon.) It's a really genius manual about pretty, simple patterns. 

9.) If you ever find yourself struggling to stay focused on those darn inch-oriented projects, learn how to crochet a basic mandala or square mandala. They alternate designs every few rows, keeping you from getting bored.

10.) Yarn comes in all different materials, even jersey (the kind of fabric used for T-shirts). Try different materials!