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!

Sunday, August 08, 2010Name: Lee Jackson

Subject: Making Balls

Comment: I usually wind my yarn into balls to judge how much I have. This is a good idea, however, if you wind it too tight it will stretch the yarn making it thin and worn.

Sunday, August 08, 2010Name: Jamie

Subject: Yarn tangle!

Comment: I have found that the best way to prevent tangling in yarn is to start crocheting with the end of the yarn. Then the yarn is being pulled from inside the ball rather than being unraveled on the outside. This also prevents the ball of yarn from rolling everywhere while you are crocheting. Hope this helps!!!

Sunday, August 08, 2010Name: Jamie

Subject: Plastic bag yarn!

Comment: This is a great way to recycle all those plastic bags we get at grocery stores. Collect lots of bags from the store and use a rotery cutter to cut them into strips about an inch or so wide. Once they are all cut into strips, tie all of the strips together with a simple knot. After that roll up all of the plastic yarn into a ball and start crocheting!! I know it sounds like it takes a long time to get ready to crochet, but it saves all that plastic from going to waste and hurting our environment. These plastic bags make great purses and totes for the beach because they are basically water proof! Hope this gives you ideas for your next project!!

Thursday, August 05, 2010Name: Lee

Subject: Carving hooks

Comment: I carved two nice hooks from the handles of old toothbrushes. I used a #11 Exacto knife for cutting and shaping and 2 grades of sandpaper plus 4/0000 steel wool for polishing.
If you do this, use one of the "vinyl" like toothbrushes. Mine are white with colored rubbery inserts for fingers and palm of hand. They're called GUM (mfgr??? don't remember!) and they carve almost like a medium wood.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010Name: fallon

Subject: holding skeins together

Comment: I've seen items in catalogs and thought they were expensive, but i found Curad's hold tite tubullar stretch bandages dose the same thing you just cut to the size you need and put it over the skein.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010Name: Diane

Subject: Recycling Idea

Comment: My aunt gave me this idea. At her thrift store they give away a free bag or purse with any purchase. Some of the purses are well past their prime so she cuts them apart-using the zippers and handles for a newly crocheted purse or bag. I imagine that there are other uses for the rest of the bag, too!

Saturday, July 31, 2010Name: Sylvia

Subject: markers

Comment: I use the flat ties you get on bread to close the plastic bag...not the wire tie, these are flat and have a hole in them with a slit to slide in your yarn. You can even use them to wrap yarn if you want a long tail at the beginning of your work.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010Name: Angie C.

Subject: rolling yarn into a ball

Comment: I use a small styrofoam ball to rap my yarn on to instead of start it by wrapping it on my fingers. Works great.

Sunday, July 25, 2010Name: barara naukana

Subject: project holder

Comment: when i am working on a multi colored afghan, i use a clean and empty cat litter bucket to hold the colors i need to use.

Friday, July 23, 2010Name: trish

Subject: yarn ends

Comment: I knot my yarn ends together to make yarn. If they are too short,I unply them to make stuffing.

Friday, July 23, 2010Name: trish

Subject: amigurmi

Comment: always use one size smaller hook than recommended on yarn label.that way no stuffing shows through.

Friday, July 23, 2010Name: trish

Subject: plarn

Comment: Hi, i'm 10,and love to make plarn! Try using the continuous strand method.You get twice as much plarn per bag, and fewer knots!

Friday, July 23, 2010Name: trish

Subject: achy, dry hands

Comment: to make your hands feel better after using scratchy yarn, mix olive oil and sugar, rub on hands, and rinse!they will feel great!

Monday, July 19, 2010Name: Linda

Subject: Pattern Notebooks (binders)

Comment: I have different for different crochet like one will be for afghans, one for home ect.On the spine of the binder I write the subject. I also use sheet protectors (top load) to put patterns in to keep them clean. I like this method because all I have to do is pull the appropriate binder for whatever it is I wanna make, be baby/kids or home ect.

Thursday, July 15, 2010Name: Lena Kennedy

Subject: leg warmers

Comment: when my sister lost one of a pair of leg warmers, I took the left over leg warmer and tied a knot in one end of it and put my skein of yarn down into it along with the sheet of instructions and the crochet hook. I weave the hook in and out and the whole thing nest comfortable under my arm while I work on my project. no dust and no tangles

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