Tips 'n Tricks

Do 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!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011Name: Lydia

Subject: sticky hands

Comment: During the summer when working with whatever I am crocheting, the humidity gives me the sticky hands. Yarn never wants to slide through. I started keeping hand sanitizer in my crochet bag. It takes all the excess moisture off of my hands so I can keep crocheting.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011Name: Jade

Subject: save money.

Comment: if your wanting to save money on bulks of wool do what i do, go round the charity shops and buy some wool jumpers or cardies. cheap there for your saving money on buying balls of wool. :)

Saturday, July 09, 2011Name: tomorrow's future.

Subject: Saving money.

Comment: I am 14 years old and have no way of earning an income. My grandma taught me to crochet years ago, and said that if i make a etsy.com site for everything that i sell she would take 75% and keep for my bank account. and the rest i can use to buy crafts supplies or whatever i want. it is a good way to budget yourself. maybe you should try... :)

Hope i helped!

Friday, July 08, 2011Name: Mandy

Subject: saving paper

Comment: I always crochet in front of the TV, so I never print out the patterns I find online. I copy and paste the patterns from the websites or the PDFs into a Word document and highlight each line as I complete it. That way, I always know where I'm at in the pattern and it's easy to track row repeats and corrections.

Friday, July 08, 2011Name: judith

Subject: patterns

Comment: I have a small narrow embroidery stand which I put my patterns, there is a long narrow wire that goes down either side of the pattern, and a piece of wool on either side, and a small flurescent arrow for to keep my place. Something similar to Teresa's music stand, lol well at least we are recycling lol

Thursday, July 07, 2011Name: Theresa

Subject: holding patterns

Comment: When I get new patterns from ebay or CPC, I use a music stand that I got from a garage sale for only $2.

Now I am 44...and still crocheting!

Friday, June 24, 2011Name: Emily

Subject: Etsy

Comment: As an 11 year old, I don't get a very big allowance, so I can't buy all the great patterns I see on Etsy and other places, so I like to save the photos of the creations and design my own patterns (ex. for amigurumi, I take the steps one at a time by looking at the easiest piece and trying to figure out how many stitches they started with, and then from there I can increase and stitch as needed).

Friday, June 24, 2011Name: Ella Jane, 14

Subject: Designing my own amigurumi

Comment: I've been crocheting for 6 years, and since then I've developed a love for the adorable amigurumi. I wanted a challenge, and all the patterns I found in books or online seem too easy, and I think that I could just've designed those patterns. As Emily said, the easiest way to start is with the basics - looking at a piece and trying to figure out how many stitches were used in the first row and the last increase row, then basically making a sphere or a 3d oval.
Another thing, I think the best way to crochet tails for amigurumi dogs is to just chain 3 or 4 and fasten off.

Monday, June 20, 2011Name: Shelley

Subject: Teaching a Lefty when you are a Righty

Comment: To teach a left-handed person, when you are right-handed (or vice versa), simple sit opposite them, meaning face-to-face.

Sunday, June 19, 2011Name: Charly

Subject: have fun!

Comment: when im always looking for new patterns for crocheting. and just today (June 18th 2011) i found a pattern that i like. so i start the chain and then single crochet down the other way and then i half double crochet the other way and double crochet the way i came from and then i single crochet for a couple rows and i alternate doing those. like a couple single crochet rows and a couple half double rows

Friday, June 17, 2011Name: Aileen

Subject: Hook Storage

Comment: I have a lot of crochet hooks, so I made a cute bag out of one of my little brother's bibs. It cost nothing, provide effective storage, and is really cute!

Thursday, June 16, 2011Name: Charly

Subject: uni-sex yarn

Comment: if your tired of having all girlie yarn and not enough boy yarn for making baby hats. buy uni-sex yarn and then you will have yarn for both boys and girls and you will be happy!

Monday, June 13, 2011Name: DJRowell

Subject: Needle storage

Comment: My mom worked at a hospital and so did I and she used a big fat syringe container with a screw on lid to hold her crochet needles. The screw on lid made it more secure than other makeshift containers.

Saturday, June 11, 2011Name: Elizabeth

Subject: hook storage

Comment: I use the crystal light containers to store my hooks. Plus has a lid already. Perfect height for them, except for the big big ones. Also good to wrap with yarn and embellish to make pencil holders. :)

Friday, June 03, 2011Name: Carole

Subject: Crochet

Comment: I have found that at times some yarn splits and makes it difficult to pull through with a metal hook. Change to Plastic! It makes all the difference!

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