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!

Tuesday, January 05, 2010Name: carol

Subject: containers to use

Comment: Tetley Tea comes in round cans. When empty they stack nicely. You can also get nice images from the tetley website to make fancy labels. The cans could be good for darning needles or buttons or beads, what have you. Also heard the one pound coffee cans are great for baking bread in!

Tuesday, January 05, 2010Name: carol

Subject: containers to save

Comment: Look for the wine tubes you would give wine in: these are on sale cheap after christmas, and good for knitting needles. Also the heavy plastic bags that bedding comes in is good for keeping your partially completed knit or crochet projects as you can see thru it and it keeps it clean til you are ready to complete the project.

Monday, January 04, 2010Name: lynne warne

Subject: yarn

Comment: Hi. The warmest yarn there is, is alpaca.I was cleaning off the car after an icestorm in bitter cold weather with worsted weight alpaca mitts on and my hands were toasty warm the whole time. Amazing. Another hint: I have a pattern for a clown made of circles strung together with elastic that I give with baby gifts. After finishing a project with worsted weight yarn, I crochet a bunch of circles and keep them in a bag. When I have lots in the bag, I make up the clowns. Doesn't seem so tedious, this way.

Monday, January 04, 2010Name: Terri

Subject: Threading yarn needles

Comment: FOLD the end of the yarn about one inch, squeeze that folded end, and slide that fold through the yarn needle...

Saturday, December 26, 2009Name: Donna Carlen

Subject: Storing Darning Needles

Comment: I use an empty/discarded (washed, of course) large prescription pill bottle to hold my darning needles. It is see through and portable.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009Name: Jody W.

Subject: Stitch Markers

Comment: I use those lobster clasp earrings for stitch markers when I find small pairs on sale. Much less breakable than the little plastic hoops.

Monday, December 14, 2009Name: CroKnit

Subject: Filet/etc Type Thread Holder

Comment: If you've ever seen those inexpensive wooden DVD/VHS storage racks, they make great holders for spools of thread and allow for easy unwinding while working. Great for projects requiring multiple colors or types of thread. Also, 3/4 inch PVC and a few fittings will offer a variety of options for size and configuration and you don't always need to glue it together.

Monday, December 14, 2009Name: Linda

Subject: Kool Aid Containers

Comment: Kool Aid containers work great for all kinds of small items. You can keep your crochet hooks in them, I have a pattern for crochet pot holders that require bone rings, those can be stashed there also. Another neat idea for the kool aid containers. If you are a dog lover, get the larger containers and use them for a dog water. You can take them with you and the large lid works great for a bowl. I even made a carrier so I can take it with me when I walk my dog. It works great!!!!!

Thursday, December 10, 2009Name: Jody

Subject: Make a pattern easier to follow

Comment: I make photo copies of my patterns and then cut them up by rows. I glue each row on a recipe card. When a pattern calls for several repeats of a row, I make that many more photo copies and cut them out and past them on more cards. I label each card with the number of the row. I punch a hole in one corner of the cards and then hold them together with a loop. I also like to add a card with a picture of the project as a cover card for the pattern.
As I work each row I can fold it over and be ready for the next row.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009Name: Figsprettyeyes

Subject: Yarn Holders

Comment: Any Used coffee can will do nicely to hold a ball of yarn for your current project. Also some grocery store chains sell icecream in gallon "buckets" that can hold up to two balls of yarn at once.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009Name: Shay Kaur :)

Subject: awesomely awesome granny square scarf =D

Comment: hey guys im 13 years old and i just came up with a idea:)if you have a load of scraps, just make tham into loads of granny squares, sew them in rows of 4, and after a while, hey presto, you got yourself an awesome scarf:) making this for ma friend for cristmas:)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009Name: Aparna Gadgil

Subject: Hook Holder

Comment: We can make a good hook and scissors holder of OHP sheet. OHP sheet is easy to fold to the size we need. Make a box of required length, width and depth. It makes the great see through, light weight container.

Saturday, November 14, 2009Name: Aparna Gadgil

Subject: Afgans

Comment: While crocheting Afgan Carpet, calculate the no of squares you need for the carpet. Decide the colours and their order. Then first begin with the center colour. Complete all the squares you need. Start with the second colour, complete all the squares and so on. This helps you to carry only one colour thread at a time. Also when you are done with last chosen colour, only job left is to join the squares. And your carpet is READY!

Friday, November 13, 2009Name: Aparna Gadgil

Subject: hook holder

Comment: Take a plastic straw. Fold one end and staple it to close opening. Insert your hook into the straw. Fold the open end and hold on the safety pin. One straw can hold two to three hooks. One safty pin can hold 8 to 10 straws.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009Name: Lynda

Subject: storing crochet hooks

Comment: I keep my crochet hooks in a round tin can from Michael's. My hooks are mostly metal and the can makes a great toy for entertaining the tots too!

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