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!

Monday, September 24, 2007Name: Foxy

Subject: pantyhose

Comment: A knee-high pantyhose works great as a yarn-holder! Just put the ball inside the hose; you can tie up the part of the sock you don't need or cut it off and sew it up.

Saturday, September 22, 2007Name: Barbara

Subject: Instruction

Comment: It's amazing what you can find on youtube.com. Just type in crochet and what stitch you want to learn in the search bar.

Thursday, September 20, 2007Name: Princess G

Subject: Storage

Comment: Ok.... so i have to admitt.... ive got soooooo much crochet stuff... that if i had one room it will be full with all my stuff!

mum got a little p.o.ed... so she bought me a large storage container..

half of it is filled with my patterns.. most from this site! and the rest is fulled with yarns etc... plus ive got a scrapbooking tote that is overflowing with more yarn....

maybe i should get another container..?

i hope this helped anyone..

peace out.

Princess G xoxo

Monday, September 17, 2007Name: Jennifer Palmer

Subject: Yarn Holder

Comment: A 2-Liter bottle woorks great to hold yarn....cut the bottom off...slip the yarn through the spout and away you go!!

Saturday, September 15, 2007Name: April

Subject: Travel toothbrush holders

Comment: I don't remember where I saw this, but travel toothbrush holders are excellent for keeping crochet hooks safe. You can put a bunch in one tube and even sort them by size. That way, if you toss a project into a bag with holes because your usual crochet tote is too full to carry, nothing slips through the sides or bottom.

Monday, September 10, 2007Name: Bane01

Subject: yarn Holder

Comment: My local Dollar Tree sells large plastic containers with screw-on tops. They look very similar to the yarn holders Wal-Mart is selling for ~ $8. I cut a hole in the lid to whatever size I need and smooth it well. This will hold a 8 oz skein of yarn with plenty of room to spare and I can get 8 for the Wal-Mart price!

Sunday, September 09, 2007Name: Shelly

Subject: cutting yarn

Comment: I found some little foldable scissors at Walmart and both sides where you put your thumb and finger to cut fold inside the cutting nose part and they fit great inside my needle holder..I also use a school pencil holder for my needles when I find school supplies marked 50% off I get a couple just to have extra...

Saturday, September 08, 2007Name: April

Subject: Binder for carrying supplies

Comment: One of the greatest investments I never made (it was given to me!) is a Five Star notebook. It may sound crazy but I LOVE it! It has two zippered pockets on the front. The back has a large zippered compartment which has several pockets inside that. The middle section has the holder for 3 ring notebooks and even more pockets. I do several different kinds of crafts and just LOVE this notebook. With all the pockets, I can hold scissors, needles, pins, pens, pencils, crochet hooks, patterns, notebooks, small pieces of works in progress, plastic canvas, cross stitch, I can even carry small balls of yarn. Did I mention I LOVE it. Hope others find it as useful as I do!

Friday, September 07, 2007Name: dianna

Subject: skein holder

Comment: I have found that a three pound coffee can works well for some balls of yarn. Just put a small hole in the lid and pull yarn through, then place lid on the can and sit it on the floor. It works well for me.

Thursday, September 06, 2007Name: karen

Subject: teaching children

Comment: i knitted a scarf for my daughter which everyone loved and i ended up making 25 of them for teachers, neighbors,etc. but at age 5 my daughter is starting to make knit and purl stitches and is doing a great job. its never to early to start the children to learn knitting and crocheting. so start them young and expand the knitters and generations to come its a wonderful craft.

Monday, September 03, 2007Name: amy

Subject: keep your patterns together

Comment: i have a large collection of patterns...i mean a LARGE collection. I keep them all in a 3 ring binder. i put each pattern in a plastic page holder (the ones that have the 3 holes) and i put them in the binder. I categorize them according to Toys, Clothing, Afghans and blankets, Household stuff, and Other (like motifs). this way each pattern can be pulled out and used, then put back in the binder when you are done using it.
visit my site :)
www.freewebs.com/notyourgrannysdoilies
for free patterns and ideas!

Sunday, August 26, 2007Name: Purple Ponyhead

Subject: Finishing projects.

Comment: I have a VERY hard time finishing all of my crochet projects. We have two children under the age of two in our house, so working on them in the daytime is out of the question! Also, being an avid reader, I always want to finish a book at night! So, my solution is this: I got some recorded books (on an cd, tape, or player) at our library, and I listen to those while crocheting. It gives me something not so boring to do, and I can actually finish my projects!

Saturday, August 25, 2007Name: Mackenzie

Subject: CROCHET FOR CROCHET

Comment: HiYa! Just was stopping by reading the new tips, when IT dawned on me!!! I was trying to think of a way to use up some yarn AND have a tote bag to carry my crochet supplies to my dads house... So I got to thinking and I thought about using the CROCHET FOR CROCHET (sorry 'bout the cheesy name)!!! Which basically is crocheting a bag and accessories to hold my crocheting supplies... Okay it's not totally original, but hey, I don't think anyone has it copyrighted... So what I am PLANNING on doing is crochet a bag sorta like Princess G said, then finding a pattern to make a hook holder. I will most likely make a bag just big enough to hold scissors, yarn needles, measuring tape and small things like that!!! I am eleven years old and LOVE TO CROCHET!!! Thanx for reading!!!

*lovelovelove*

Monday, August 20, 2007Name: Debbie

Subject: Hint on Balling Your Yarn

Comment: My great-aunt Mae taught me to ball my yarn so that it pulls from the inside out and I don't run into trouble with the ball of yarn rolling all over. Just pull a few yards of yarn from your skein, wrap it around four fingers to make a big loop; when you've wrapped it a couple dozen times, slide it off and then continue to wind your ball around the loops so that one end of the loops stick out at the top. Keep winding and slide your beginning loops up as you wind the rest of the yarn from your skein. Tuck the last bit of yarn through several layers of the outside of the ball. Now you have a big ball of yarn with a big loop sticking out of it. Use the looped yarn as your starting yarn for your project. Your ball will "unwind" from the inside out. Try it, you'll like it!

Monday, August 20, 2007Name: Miss Crochet Princess (mackenzie)

Subject: when giving yarn to the birds

Comment: BE CAREFUL! Non-organic yarns can be bad for the birds! Remember, these yarns have dyes and chemicals in them and can be harmful to the baby birds. How? If they are consume it can be very dangerous, or they can cause infections in the delicate skin of the babies. OR can rub the skin and if it rubs enough it will bleed and sometimes get infected! I am eleven years old and would never do this! Sorry if this is offensive but true (i believe)... Please correct me if I am wrong! Mackenzie 11 yrs old

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