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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: aardvark Subject: Storing Works in Progress Comment: I use ziplock bags which now comes in LOTS of sizes up to 2 gal. They go into my large hand-crocheted "work bag", which I keep near my door. I also usually keep a couple small projects, with no particular deadline, in my car for those times I run an extra errand or two on the spur of the moment while already out. That way I'm never stuck out someplace without something useful to do that keeps me occupied. I never dread waiting as it simply represents the unexpected gift of time to work on my crocheting or cross-stitching. Last week I was runing a quick errand before dinner and got a call on my cellphone that our special needs son needed to go to the emergency room; I was able to go straight there (almost an hour from here) and take him to the ER (where there is always a wait) and not have to stew without working, or going home )the opposite direction, which would have meant a lot more time out. Name: Tee Subject: counting stitches Comment: hey everyone i have a tip for yall. Whenever i start a project, i put the pins or something else in the stitches so i dont have to recount, wasting my time. Im only 13 so i know what im doing but i wish that i had that idea when i started crocheting at age 11. Name: Laura Rusch Subject: Graph paper for patterns Comment: I love this site! When I have an idea and I need patterns, this is a great site for ideas. I found a great graph paper program and I want to share it with everyone - neither my word processor nor my paint program can make the patterns I need to model ideas. Please share this and send it to some knitting and quilting sites! It makes all kinds of shapes on graph paper. Hope it helps! pharm.kuleuven.be/pharbio/gpaper.htm Name: Susan Trumblay Subject: Hook Organization Comment: I make hook organizers from scraps of heavy fabric (corduroy, twill, denim works great). Cut two 12" squares, sew around edges leaving a small opening to allow for turning right side out. Slip stitch opening. Then turn up bottom 4", stitch along left and right side, to form a pocket. Then place largest hook, in pocket at far left and place a pin vertically along the edge of the hook allowing a little extra room; mark a line with disappearing pen vertically and sew, anchoring at each end of stitching. Continue doing this with largest hooks first and ending with smallest hooks, in numerical order. Allow extra spaces for hook sizes you don't have. Take an 18" piece of ribbon and stitch the center of it to the center of the left hand edge of the project so that you have two 9" pieces of ribbon. Put in your hooks. Roll up the holder starting from the right side then wrap one piece of ribbon around the back of roll and tie!! Neat, compact holder for your crochet hooks also for knitting needles. Knitting needles will need a taller piece of fabric of course. I make these for gifts for my friends who knit and crochet. Name: Denise Subject: scrap yarn Comment: Many crocheters have lots of scraps of varying thickness yarn and thread. It's hard to find ideas that combine all sizes. Try using thread as an edging for that scrapghan, or twist 3 or 4 threads for a "4-ply" yarn. Or use 2 strands of 4-ply as a "bulky weight". Another great idea is the russian joining method (found on this site!) to combine all those pieces (same size) into one variegated yarn or thread. Name: Heather Subject: binder portfolio Comment: I filled a plastic 3-ring binder with clear page protectors. I put my patterns in the page protectors. When I finish a project, I slip a picture of it in with the pattern. In the front of the binder is a flat canvas pencil case (the kind made for a 3-ring binder) with a clear front that holds my hooks, small scissors, and yearn needles. Name: Donna C Subject: Holding hooks Comment: Just another way to hold crochet hooks by your side... How about those stands they sell for holding multiple toothbrushes? I see them at yard sales and thrift stores all the time. Name: Kendra Subject: Blocking Comment: You don't need anything special to block pieces. I just pin them to the floor. It's free, gives you a lot of working space and the carpet backing holds the pins in place perfectly. Just make sure both your carpet and your work are clean and colorfast first. Name: renee Subject: working on the move Comment: i walk and crochet. i have two other friends who do the same. what we do is keep our yarn in a drawstring bag across our backs. whichever yarn you working with goes at the top with the end fed through the drawstring entrance. it feeds out smoothly without having to worry about getting caught in a zipper. im 22 and i agree that more people should teach young people how to crochet or knit or anything creative. Name: Eve Subject: Keeping Cats Away Comment: Usually cats like to play with yarn, you can stop them from tangling up your yarn by keeping them busy with another ball. I Make medium size balls using leftover yarn. this way they are happy and I and happy! Hope this works :-) Name: Grace Subject: Keeping your place Comment: I don't know about you but i hate losing my place and then having to start over again. What I do is I take a post-it note and stick it to the bottom of the row i am working on.(on the pattern. not the crochet!) Then when I move on I know exactly where I am. Another purpose the post-it serves it that you can keep track of rows with a pen or pencil on the post-it. This system works for me and i hope it works for you :) Name: Anna Subject: Air plane trouble Comment: As most of you know scissors are currently banned from air planes. To cut your yarn inflight you can use nail clippers or a box of floss. Both work, but the floss works best with smaller string. Name: Hannah Subject: winding yarn Comment: have you ever started a progect and for some reason have to rip it all out? I have. Then, of course, you have to wind it all back on your skien of yarn. Or you can cut the yarn and roll it onto a seperate ball. If you're like me you don't like to have balls of yarn everywhere. SO I made up this way to rewind yarn. I hope it will help you: wind yarn around your skien until it is pretty stiff. Then fold your skien in half and start winding again. THis way you don't end up with a big long skinny skien of yarn. It's so simple (as you can see) Hope this helped someone! Name: Wendy Subject: doing doilies Comment: I taught myself to crochet and have been doing doilies. I drop my roll of string onto a wooden paper towel holder. One of those stand alone kind. My grandfather made me one but you can buy them too. It keeps my string in one place and it takes hardly any pressure for it to unroll as I go. I don't have to pull on it and have it roll away. Works Awesome! Name: Kayla Subject: Keep your place Comment: When I leave projects alone in the corner, the stitches can get pulled out so I attatch a key ring to the working loop so it can't unwind. 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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