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, January 12, 2011Name: Charly

Subject: watch some tv

Comment: I am one of those people who cant just watch tv or a movie and not do anything. So I usually bring my knitting or crocheting with me (even to movie theaters) and i do whatever im working on. It helps make it easier to watch the show/movie.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011Name: Vicki

Subject: Storing crochet hooks

Comment: I was tired of using a pencil box for all of my crochet hooks. It was just to big to take along. I took some left over yarn and crocheted a 8" by 12" mat. Then I weave my crochet hooks in between the holes. I can now roll up my crochet hooks. I even sewed buttons on the mat so i could it would stay rolled up.

Friday, January 07, 2011Name: Love Crafts

Subject: storage of yarn

Comment: Another way to store yarn which isn't as bulky as a coffee can is a tennis ball canister. just cut an X in the top of the lid and you have your smaller skeins of yarn ready to go. Hope this helps!

Thursday, January 06, 2011Name: anny

Subject: coin purse

Comment: for a coin purse with a fringe you can make a round coin purse the size of your finger and change colurs a lot. make sure you make the tails very long. put them thru the bottom hole.

Thursday, January 06, 2011Name: hannah

Subject: lots of squares

Comment: You know all those gauge squares you have and those multiple blankets made of sqaures?? Well use them! what i do is take all of my random squares from wherever and lay them out in what ever way works and sew them into a blanket! It is a lot of fun seeing what squares can go where. It also makes for an attractive blanket that is pretty and intersting. It is kinda like those sampler afgans, but more fun and colorful =) they are very warm to. I get multiple complaiments;)

Friday, December 31, 2010Name: Emery

Subject: Yarn storage

Comment: Wash out an old coffee can. In the top, poke a hole. Now, you can put yarn inside it and pull the yarn through the hole in the top. That way, the yarn won't bounce around when you have to get more to crochet or knit with or get tangled or roll around and fall on the ground and get all sorts of dirt, dust, and hair in it.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010Name: Charly

Subject: finding stuff

Comment: if you have a hard time remembering where you put a certain pair of knitting needles or your scissors. Try hanging them on a hook or nail or on your cork board or if they are knitting needles try putting them in a pencil case or box and then put them in a visible spot. thats what i do when i want to find something

Monday, December 27, 2010Name: Juliane729

Subject: multiple projects

Comment: I'm from the MTV generation and therefore have the attention span of a gnat at times. I have so many WIP projects because of it. I bought a bunch of mesh "tidy totes" at the dollar store (I think lingerie laundry bags would work too). I keep my pattern, hook, yarn, and any other bits and bobbles I would need in it and close the drawstring. I have at least 4 different projects in my crochet bag at any given time. Another tip if you need to "borrow" a hook from a WIP but don't want to forget what size hook you were using (if the project uses more than one or you've changed it from the patterns recommended size), I take a plastic hook that I'm not using (I started with plastic, but prefer metal) of the same size and swap out.

Hope that gives you some ideas or help :)

Saturday, December 25, 2010Name: Sarah

Subject: Crochet Apparel.

Comment: Hi, I'm 14, and a crocheter or 4 years. I've learned that you really need to try on clothing you make as you go, even if all the dimensions are right. It's very important so the clothes fit and look good.

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 20, 2010Name: Jennifer Ramey, IL

Subject: Hiding yarn ends

Comment: I find that when I am crocheting a project is is much easier to hide the yarn ends under my work as I go instead of waiting until the end to put all the ends in together. Also, if you cover the yarn ends with your work as you go, there will be less of a chance of the yarn end coming out later in the garments life. As you work, you just hold the yarn down along the top of the stitches you are about to cover. When you go over both loops, you'll also be working over the yarn end.

Another tip, when you are changing colors, this is a great way to make sure your color blocks are exact. When you are changing from one color to another, don't pull up the last loop through. If you are doing a double crochet and you still have the two loops on the hook, instead of using the color you were just using, use your new color to pull through the loops. This will make your color change more precise and you won't have the extra stitch of color in the wrong place.

Just some tips I learned over the last 20+ years.

Sunday, December 19, 2010Name: Christa

Subject: stitch count love

Comment: I have been using a small pad of paper to tally my stitches in crochet. Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 17, 2010Name: Alice

Subject: from chunky yarn to thin yarn

Comment: If you need some thin yarn, you can split some yarn in half, producing a slightly thiner strand of yarn.

Monday, December 13, 2010Name: Kari

Subject: Inexpensive Yarn

Comment: It seems that yarn keeps going up in price. Sometimes a simple sweater or blanket can cost more to crochet than to purchase already made. However, I have found some very inexpensive yarn online (Smiley's for instance) and in discount stores (like Tuesday Morning or Big Lots). You're not going to have the same selection, but I have found some gems!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010Name: Brianna

Subject: Big balls of yarn

Comment: Take an old coffee can, cut an X in the plastic top and tape around the outside. Put your big ball of yarn in the can and then you can pull the yarn without having your ball roll all over the room!

Sunday, December 05, 2010Name: Charly

Subject: understanding instructions

Comment: so if your ever having a hard time understanding the instructions or your getting confused write down each step right before you do it and instead of having the abbervations like sc, dc, hdc, etc., write out the whole thing . it makes everything a whole heck of a lot easier

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