When you finish this book and go off into the world to do some projects, you'll need more than a hook and yarn. Here are some must-haves for crocheters:

1.) A bag with several pockets. There are cheap totes at Walmart, or if you sew, you can make one yourself (that's what I did). Bags are so helpful because you can take your project anywhere with them. I often find myself crocheting at school because my work is portable! This is optional if you only crochet at home.

2.) A pencil bag. These will store your crochet hooks, needles, scissors, needles, etc.. Without them, you won't be able to keep track of your things.

3.) Varying sizes of crochet hooks. I bought mine in bulk from Walmart, and the big amounts are only $10 USD.

4.) A pen. These are for making notes on your patterns. Trust me, you'll need one.

5.) Pins (keep them in a pincushion or a box). These are for keeping pieces in place when you sew them together (more on seams later).

6.) Scissors. For the obvious.

7.) Tapestry needles. These are REQUIRED for weaving in ends. I suggest getting the Boye brand at Walmart because they have lots of different sizes depending on your yarn weight.

8.) A tape measure. For measuring pieces. Get one that has both inches and centimeters.

9.) Buttons. Buy black and white buttons, for those pesky projects. They'll last a long time.

10.) A Ravelry account. This is free and it's a community of knitters and crocheters. They have thousands of free patterns for wherever you are - beginner, intermediate, expert. 

All of this together should cost you about $40 USD. This may seem like a lot, but there are ways to make it cheaper (I have a tendency to do a reverse auction every time I want to buy something). Plus, if you think about it, this is extremely cheap compared to the price to get a sewing machine. Once you buy all your basic supplies, it should only cost you on average $6-$20 per project, depending on how much yarn you need.