I’ve got a brand-spanking new copy of “Teach Yourself Visually – Crochet” which I am offering as a prize in this contest. The winner will receive this great book via snail mail from me. The book is a good reference for beginners as well as advanced crocheters IMO.
The contest is open to all crocheters with access to the internet. All you have to do is send me your BEST CROCHET RELATED TIP. I’ll be the sole judge of the contest and my decision will be final. If you know me personally, know me from the internet, or have never heard of me before, your chances are equal as I can be a real hard-nosed kinda’ gal. I’m looking to be INSPIRED here – so send in your best tip – the thing that keeps your place in a pattern, the thing that keeps you inspired to crochet, the best clue for fitting technique, etc. Please, ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. It needs to be YOUR favorite tip – and you can only have one favorite.
So, the contest is now open. It will remain open til March 30, 2007. I’ll take a week to go thru all the tips, may have to test some of them to see how well they work, and report back to you. There will be two runners-up who will receive my thanks and a personal email from me (hey, that might be valuable some day!). The winner will be announced on April 6, 2007. If I receive the same great tip from more than one person, the person who posted it first on the blog will be considered the winner.
Put your thinking caps on, pick up your hooks, start your creative engines, and send in those tips!
BTW – I’ve never run a contest before – so please be kind if you find a loophole or problem. Email me and bring it to my attention. You will have my thanks!
when your hook gets sticky or hard to use, rub it into your hair for a slicker glide of hook and yarn.
My tip is when you go out in public to the doctors or hospital or train station always take a couple of plastic hooks and some extra yarn. Sure as eggs i always end up teaching someone how to crochet. Oh and a pad and pen as i usually always end up giving someone a web address or pattern or the name of a book they can get at the library. Does this constitute a tip? I hope so. Thanks Jacqui
UH OH, a contest, I swear if I win I’ll send the book to one of the newer crocheters at the group, lol. The greatest tip I’ve heard, it really struck a chord with me anyway, is to measure your work while lying flat and NO your lap is not flat! I’ve gotten in more trouble with that…good luck JD with the contest thingie, K
To finish up that WIP that seems to never get done: Set an alarm clock for a time of day when you’re usually home but not really doing anyhthing productive. Put the WIP next to the alarm clock so you don’t forget WHY you set the fool thing in the first place. (voice of experience??) Then when the alarm goes off, work for ONE HOUR on the WIP. Reset the alarm for the next day. It’ll be finished before you know it! Hilary in Germany
This tip comes from a problem I had and did not know what cause it . When doing a baby afghan in the multi color skeins. Always take the yarn from the same place. Like if you start by pulling from the center then do all the skeins the same way. I did one and the pattern that gets establish will not follow if one skein is pulled from the other end.The colors will not be in the same order but reverse.
arlette
When crocheting rounds, instead of slip stitching to end and beginning a new round with one or more chains, just put in a marker ( I either leave a long tail from the beginning or use a different colored waste yarn/thread to lay across the stitch when I come to each new round) then work in a spiral. This eliminates the visible seam.
Always, always, always (did I say ALWAYS?), purchase a little extra yarn for your project. One more skein of yarn will not break the bank, but not having it will be a huge disappointment when you run short and only have 2″ more to go on that gorgeous afghan — or when you decide that you MUST have a matching hat to wear with that luscious new sweater you just created.
Do not be afraid to modify patterns to fit your need. Make the pattern your own. Make your project an original. Use the pattern as a launching point. Better yet, use several patterns as launching points. You will learn more and have more pride for your finished project!
When doing squares, try to end in a corner. Leave a long tail when you finish off, and use that tail to join the next square completed square. That way, you have two less ends to weave in!
best tip i learned is to use one ball of thread for the starting chain when i have to chain a large number for a filet piece. and crochet the first row from the second ball. this way i can add or subtract chains as needed and not have to continually rip out the first row becasue i did not get 200 or so chains right the first time!
For those having difficulty seeing stitches using dark colors, put a white towel in your lap. It will help you to see what you are doing. This works well with both thread and yarn.
Hugs,
Sandra
my best tip: join Crochet Partners! No exaggeration here, I learned more my first 22 days on the list than in all my previous 22 years of crocheting.
actually that’s a freebie as i’m not entering, i’m volunteering to help judge should you need a 2nd brain (or at least a fraction thereof) to apply to the task.
I went to Goodwill and found Lg. plastic Bags of yarn ( brand new skiens and some pieces) for 2.00 a bag. That is what I made Christmas gifts from. We are on a “very low fixed income due to disabilities. So that was a fantastic treat for me to be able to find and make loving gifts for family and neighbors Check out your local goodwill!
Believe in yourself. When you think you will never get it done, or it is not working out right, or “they won’t like it”. Give yourself a slap – remember you CAN do it, it will be excellent and then you will remember the thrill of creating art. Natural high that keeps us all with a hook in our hand.
my fav one: To avoid stray tails from appearing on your finished project, never work over yarn ends. Leave a six to eight inch long tail when beginning and ending, then weave it through the back side of the stitches to secure.
And when using two or more strands of yarn held together, weave ends in separately to avoid unsightly bump.
Last year Hilary (in Germany) gave us this advice: “When you make a mistake, accentuate the mistake, and call it design.” She mentioned the person that gave it to her but I don’t remember now.
Maybe I won’t win the prize but if you apply it you will save a lot of time in your crochet projects and (just) maybe some compliments too!
Take care, Maru.
This is for beginners really……….don’t fret over how you hold your hook or your yarn. Don’t let anybody tell you are doing it wrong and it won’t work if you don’t do it their way. Figure out what works best for you, yet gets you the same result.
Hi, I use small safety pins to mark every 25 chains when making a long chain. also use safety pins to mark right side.
bye for now, MaryLynn Crochet Lassie
I always use a one size larger hook when making my starting chain. It makes it easier to crochet into, and seems to keep the gauge better at the start.
Well this one is for those of you who have joined & stitched & ripped out because your chain is not straight but twisted ouch especially if you have done it more than once. Well instead of joining after the chain do the first row then join that way you can make sure that the piece is not twisted.
Happy Hooking
When taking my crocheting to work i put my different projects in zip lock bags. That way my yarn doesn’t get dirty if goes on floor. I have the tail of the yarn coming out of a corner of the bag.
Each time I start a new project, I write down in a notebook, what the project is, where the pattern is, what hook I’m using, what yarn I’m using, and the date I started. That way if it becomes one of my WIP’s, latter when I decide to finish it I know everything about it and can get started on it again. This has saved many projects from being “frogged” because I couldn’t remember the what or where.
My best tip that I learned was when using Fun fur type yarn is to have a Bright light behind your work. It really helps to see where your stitches. This also really helps with black yarn. because of learning this I have been the only one in my crochet class to venture into the fun fur or difficult to see yarn stitch yarn. Hope this helps someone else!!!
The thing that I think is necessary is to take the time to do a gauge swatch. I always have to use a hook one or two sizes smaller than recommended. Guess I crochet too loosely. I try to do this when I am wide awake and my mind is focusing solely on my project.
My tip is to make copies of your pattern and/or chart. Then “blow-it-up” and make it darker, so it’s easier to read. You can mark off the rows/rounds as you finish them and if you ever decide to make the pattern again, you don’t have to worry about “is this from this time or the previous one”. Also, you can easily fold this copy and place it in the bag with all your yarn, so you don’t “misplace” the pattern, and if you change the hook size – just write it on the copy.
Ok, I thought of something recently working on an afghan where I am sewing together motifs.
To keep from having so many loose ends to weave in , when beginning to sew weave thru an inch or two first(being sure to pull ’til end of yarn is not visable) then knot it and start your sewing. Now when you get to binding off be sure to leave enough to weave thru an inch or so of work before cutting it off.Hey this will cut down on “weaving in tails” time! Hope this makes sense,because it really works.
I’m going to call this “Part 2”
When weaving in ends to keep them from working out double back so it is more secure.
Hope this helps someone!
My tip is to try a recycled craft idea using recycled materials. You will be surprised at what you can crochet with. Plastic bags, VHS tape, cassette tape, recycled yarn from an old sweater, old fabric or jeans cut into strips, ribbon, string, and the list can go on. It’s fun and your project is virtually free. Plus it’s very rewarding to create something out of junk and it’s so eco-friendly. There are lots of websites out there with tips and free patterns so check it out and give it a try!
To keep the ends secured in a crocheted dishcloth, weave end in, doubling back, and add a tiny drop of fabric glue. This will keep the ends secured through repeated washings.
I have horrible trouble with ends comming out in very soft yarn. Even if I weave them in, they always seem to come loose. I also have trouble with joining a new color of yarn. A friend of mine gave me a hint to join. Tie a knot and leave tails. Then knot the end of the tails back onto the yarn that you still have to crochet in, just make sure you put the old color knot on the remainder of the old color yarn. I found this much easier when making alot of afghans for Project Linus and didn’t want to take alot of time weaving in the ends.
Just came across this. It has to do with gauge and a swatch before starting a project. We all measure the swatch flat but if this is a garment that it not the way it will be worn. So attach some weights to one end (not too heavy) and hold it up and measure again. You will be amazed at the difference.
When beginning a project with a chain row, mine ALWAYS were too tight. I would get a few rows and the chain would already be too tight, no “give”. I now use a double foundation chain (found at weirdmirror). This “chain” will give you a little more flexability and helps eliminate this problem for me. I use a hook 1 size larger than the pattern,turn, then switch hooks. This chain is also a boon when doing purse handles… more stability. The chain has really nice stitching holes on either side and looks finished at this point for a narrow handle. For a little wider handle,sc up one side, 3 sc in end st and sc down the other side and 2 sc in end Fasten off. Wider still, add shells or decorative picots as you wish to dress it up. Attach to the purse or tote with same yarn at the back (I do this before I line the purse or tote so all is hidden….)
I always put my pattern on one of those little “lap desks” on my lap to begin a project, that way I don’t have to lay down my work to read the pattern and keep track of what I am doing. It saves me some time.
When wanting to keep your place in a pattern use sticky notes. I find them invaluable. They not only keep your place, but you can write on them as well. If you have repeats, like repeat this last row 21 times, I use tally marks right on the sticky note. I have never lost my place using this method.
Something that I have all ways remembered is to remember the basics from the chain to the finished project. When I am doing a large project I take a sheet of paper and write all the numbers of the rows on it and mark them off when I am done with that row. It seems to help from getting lost, where you are at.
I was taught to crochet by holding the hook like a pencil but as I got older I found my hand cramped after just a few minutes. I tried different positions but the one that seemed to work for me was to hold it like a knife with your whole hand wrapped around it. I can crochet for hours like this without have my hand cramping.
As a new crocheter, I belive the best tip that I can give is to count, count, count, and believe in yourself and that what you make comes from the heart not only the pattern. So if it is not really exactly like the pattern, who knows, maybe you have created a pattern yourself, but at least you know you have put your heart into it, and that is what crocheting is about, having fun, enjoy what you are doing, giving it your all, putting your love in it and doing the best you can, if you do that, no one can judge you, for you know you have given it your best, its the effort you put into it and just keep on keeping on enjoying what your passion is
I enjoy crocheting and love to give things to charity I am now making lap ghans for the nursing home in Town would love to have done by Christmas but am having arm trouble so maybe I can have it done by next year.
I learned to crochet very young my first thing was a dress for a very small doll pin.
Crochet is another word for love and enjoyment