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| Featured Pattern of the Week: Ruffles Pillow |
        Interested in knitting? Visit our sister site: Knitting Pattern Central  | Tips 'n TricksDo you have a helpful hint or handy trick that will make any aspect of crocheting easier? Share it! Post ideas on scrap yarn usages, stitch markers, starching, hook organization, color changing, maintaining your sanity while following a difficult pattern, etc. There is most probably someone out there that will benefit from your help. Need ideas yourself? Read others' comments--we all live and learn! Name: LinnyO Subject: Pattern Storage Comment: When on the go, to keep your patterns safe, make a copy of the original and then cover the copy using "cold" lamination paper (no machine required to laminate the pattern). The lamination will not only keep each pattern clean and dry, but will also give it enough stiffness to stay propped up so you can read it easily. In addition, if you buy a lamination sheet larger than the regular 8.5 x 11 page, you can offset the pattern, then punch holes in the left side to keep the laminated copy in a notebook for future reference. Name: Linda Subject: be careful! Comment: As an avid crocheter, I have a word of advice. TAKE BREAKS! I used to crochet for hours at a time and then developed carpal tunnel in both wrists. Now after having both wrists operated on, I take a break every 30 minutes or so. I had the operations 2 years ago, six months apart and it has taken me the laST YEAR AND A HALF TO BE ABLE TO CROCHET WITHOUT TROUBLE. pROTECT YOURSELF! Name: teresa Subject: free patterns on wrappers Comment: I keep those free patterns on the yarn wrappers in sandwich ziplock bages.one bag for single copies so I can keep one copy for myself then the extra copies can be given to who ever wants one. also I give them with gift projects so there are washing/care instructions with the gift(and alergy info) Name: di Subject: color Comment: Try combining one, two, three, four or even five different colors of crochet thread using a large crochet hook. It takes a little patience to redevelop your technique working with several strands. Nice combinations: rose with mint and pink yellow with pink yellow with blue yellow with white yellow with varigated purple yellow with purple and green light green with wood violet teal with periwinkle pastels with blue or rose gold with light brown Try small samples first. Once the threads are combined, they are difficult to separate. It's like creating an impressionistic painting. The array of color is endless. Name: Elizabeth Subject: marking stitches Comment: I found useing ordinary bobby pins works real easy & quick. This is much quicker than using thread or wool. Name: Kathleen Trigiano Subject: Saving the original pattern Comment: Do you have take-along project? Does the pattern get folded, dropped on the floor, or just get dirty being taken in and out of the bag? Go to a copy center and make several copies of the original pattern, and take the copy with you. If it getw messed up, get another copy. Leave the ORIGINAL COPY at home, If you lose your bag, or forget it somewhere, you can alwasy start ovwer again,by making more copies of the original you left at home. Name: Anne Subject: Attaching Granny Squares Comment: When I made an item using a lot of granny squares, I used to dread crocheting them all together--until I tried TYING them together! I use matching yarn and tie each of the corners (and the sides) to each other. It makes for a "raggedy" or "casual" look that I love. And, if you've ever tried to get a knot out of a piece of yarn, you know it won't ever come loose! HA! It's a lot more fun, to me, than crocheting the blocks together. Name: carmen Subject: project Comment: I find that if you are making a project that uses more than one color of yarn and you want to keep it together. I keep it on a basket with handles and I can carry it wherever I want to sit and the yarn stays together. I also keep a pair of scissors for when I change colors. It makes it for an easy project. Name: Zafera Subject: Safe Yarn Keeping Comment: Has Anyone out there try out the new XL Zip lock bags??? They are wonderful for keeping your Yarn safe and secure. Use the small ones for little balls of Yarn or needles. Hope this helps some of you!!! Name: Isabel Subject: Finish what you start! Comment: hen you work on a project, don't give up. Finish what you started.When I was working on a big project I felt like I was never going to finish. Then I realized that working on it little by little would help. I finished it very quick without even noticing! It was relaxing and wonderful to know that I had acomplished it! Name: Emily Subject: orginazation Comment: Instead of the expensive yarn containers I use empty containers from my household wipes (clorox, windex etc) just thread the yarn up through where the wipe popped up and you have an instant threader... Name: Roberta Subject: Marking stitches with yarn scraps Comment: I always thought my way of marking rows with scraps of yarn was THE way of doing it - till I read one of these tips that implied otherwise. What I do is just lay the scrap of yarn crossways over the stitch on the previous row, then crochet over it. Make sure both ends stick out, one on each side of the work. It stays in just fine, and when I need to move it, I simply pull it right out. No tying or untying my marker! Name: Roberta Subject: How much yarn in that ball? Comment: Dunno if this has been submitted already (don't have the time to go through every tip here), but here's my tip anyway. If you have a bunch of small yarn balls and you want to know if you'll have enough for a project, just get a postal scale or food scale and weigh your balls. That way, if the pattern calls for 2 oz of yarn, but your scale says you only have 1 1/2 oz of yarn, you'll know you need to get some more. Name: jenny Subject: saves tons of space! Comment: Like most people I know who crochet we have more than one project unfinished. These projects can get mixed up or take up too much space or somethings get lost or dirty. I found that if you have a food saver it saves so much space and keeps out air water, smoke, etc. Those of you who haven't heard of the food saver, its a small kitchen appliance that sucks all the air out of special made freezer bags to protect against freezer burn. I used it all over the house and love it. Name: Lynne Subject: custom hooks for sore hands Comment: My mother loved thread crochet but her hands tired quickly. I took a hunk of polymer clay (oven bake) and worked it until it was warm and pliable. I then wrapped the clay smoothly around her #7 hook, had her grip comfortably molding it to her grip. We baked it on a piece of quilt batting for the recommended time. She had a custom fitted crochet hook in less than about 30 minutes! Select a Page << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Next >> Share your own hints by filling in the form below... |
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