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!

Saturday, December 04, 2010Name: di

Subject: scrap yarn purses

Comment: Make scrap yarn purses. Try a single crochet stitch. Create a flap with a buttonhole. They're great for coins, a phone, cosmetics, coupons, pencils, crochet hooks, etc.

Friday, December 03, 2010Name: olivia

Subject: tangled yarn

Comment: when there are knots and tangles in your yarn here are a few tips to help. never pull on the yarn unless you are pulling it through a loop to untangle it or pulling it apart to losen it to see the knot you are trying to untangle. that really helps a lot because my yarn gets tangled a lot. (from trying to roll it into balls.)

Friday, December 03, 2010Name: Haley

Subject: Hook holder

Comment: I'm 14 and I LOVE! to crochet. But I have problems keeping all my hooks together. So I found a little makeup bag, only about two inches tall and about six inches wide, and I put all my hooks in there. That way, when I'm in a hurry but I want to bring my hooks, I can just grab the bag and stick it in my purse or whatever. Also, if you buy the small craft scissors, like the kinds used for little kids so they don't hurt themselves, they fit right in there with the hooks, so eveyrhing is together. You can also put in stitch markers, yarn needles, etc.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010Name: di

Subject: carpal tunnel

Comment: To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, hold your hook with the palm of your hand facing down. This prevents twisting your wrist.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010Name: di

Subject: pictures as patterns

Comment: Search for crochet images online. Save them in a folder in your documents. Its easy to look at an image and create your own pattern.

Monday, November 29, 2010Name: Lee

Subject: Storage

Comment: I keep all of crochet sundries in a plastic container, it keeps everything together, I pull my yarn from the middle of the ball, that to keep the yarn from tangling.

Monday, November 29, 2010Name: Kelly

Subject: Scissors

Comment: I keep my scissors easy to find by tying them with a length of yarn to the handle of the bag I use to hold my crochet project.

Monday, November 29, 2010Name: di

Subject: kleenex box

Comment: Kleenex boxes are great for storing small projects and supplies.

Sunday, November 28, 2010Name: Judi Gums

Subject: Stitch markers & yarn holders

Comment: For stitch markers I use new bobby pins or hair pins. They slide on and off easily and if I need more I can pick them up any where even in the grocery store.

When crocheting I keep my yarn in a small plastic trash can at the side of my chair. This helps keep dog hair and dirt from getting on it while I work on a project.

Friday, November 26, 2010Name: Charly

Subject: 1 pound balls of yarn

Comment: ok so I found out that there is 1 pound balls of yarn that are HUGE! They come in different colors and its easy to use espically if your doing smaller projects like hats or fingerless gloves because you can keep using it till its all gone! and its probably cheaper to buy the 1 pound ball of yarn then to buy a couple smaller balls of that same color

Wednesday, November 24, 2010Name: Taylor

Subject: Homespun Yarn

Comment: I've been crocheting for a year now and have found out a few things. When I started I used worsted yarn. This was great because of all the color choices I had at the store I was buying from. Unfortunately I could never make the stitches straight and the yarn would curl easier. I found out by using softer, homespun yarn. It doesn't show as much if you miss a stitch or have uneven stitches! So far I have used it for hats and scarves and the results are great!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010Name: di

Subject: easier crochet

Comment: My hands tire from gripping onto a crochet hook. I twisted and bunched an elastic around the center of my hook. Now my thumb rests up against the bunched up elastic. There's less tugging and holding on tight to the hook, because the elastic creates resistance.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010Name: di

Subject: purchase yarn

Comment: Check out the yard sales and thrift stores. I've found $5 garbage bags of yarn. Look for items that are easy to take apart and recycle.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010Name: di

Subject: thin crochet thread

Comment: At times, I'll find thin antique crochet thread at flea markets. I combine several strands to create an interesting color scheme and make it easier to work with.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010Name: Stephanie

Subject: preventing tangled skein yarn

Comment: I'm too lazy to roll skeins of yarn into a ball before hand, but when I get to the end of the skein (those that unravel from the inside out) the yarn gets tangled easily because it starts to "walk" toward me. To avoid this I've started crocheting a "belt" with the end of the yarn that I'm not using. The weight of the "belt" holds the last few loops of yarn in place so I can finish the project without tangles. To create the 2-round belt, just create a chain length long enough to fit snugly around the skein (a typical "Red Heart" skein takes a chain of about 30, depending on your hook size). Join the chain with a slip stitch to form a ring. For round 2, chain 3 (counts as the first double crochet) then double crochet in each chain around, join with a slip stitch to the beginning of the round and pull a long loop through. To finish, tie a loose half hitch in the long loop of yarn (keeps the belt from unraveling before its time). When your project reach the end of the loose yarn, you can take out the half hitch, undo the belt, and use the remaining yarn in your project. After creating this belt, I can even move the skeins around from one spot to the next without tangles (if I'm careful). I've also put a belted skein in a ziploc plastic bag and carried it around with me that way.

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