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!

Friday, August 17, 2007Name: Junie

Subject: Traveling

Comment: crocheting afgans in squares and then sewing them all together is a great way to work on afgans during long car trips were you can't work on a 1-piece afgan. If you frequently get carsick from crocheting in the car, try only crocheting on flat, straight roads. I find that not looking out the window also helps.

Sunday, August 12, 2007Name: marigolds

Subject: crochet bag

Comment: finding a bag to keep hooks, needles, yarn, etc in is hard, and the ones that can be found are expensive (especially for collage kids) so I suggest making one yourself. That way you get exactly what suites your own needs as well.

Saturday, August 04, 2007Name: hi

Subject: holding the hook and carpal tunnel syndrome

Comment: so there are 2 ways to hold the hook right? knife hold and pencil hold. Well most people do pencil and it's better when doing lace crocheting but it can also give you carpal tunnel syndrome so I stick to knife hold. It's more comfortable for me anyways.

Thursday, August 02, 2007Name: Bellagora

Subject: Broomstick Lace

Comment: Want to make you own patterns for anything? Learn to do Broomstick. It is so easy to make anything. The size of the stitch can be changed by using a different size neddle. It changes the whole look. It is fun and relaxing.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007Name: Liz Braly

Subject: Don't let this happen to you :)

Comment: Several years ago I had just finished a queen sized afghan, I had worked nearly non-stop for a week on this thing, and when I was finished, I wove in the loose ends and trimmed them up. My mistake was letting my then 4 year old son watch me trim. A bit later I came in to find that he had gotten a siblings scissors, and had cut big holes in the middle of the afghan :( He proclaimed that he was helping me, lol. He's 12 now, and we still laugh about it, though at the time, I wanted to cry!

Saturday, July 21, 2007Name: Princess G

Subject: projects

Comment: Do you get bored real easily do long projects?

if so... just take a break... relax... and if this doesnt help you could start something small. I'm only 12 yrs old.. turning 13 in Sep and i get soooo bored and tired doing long and big projects. Because i'm at school for majority of my day... i like to do some crochet in the avo. I started a really nice large tote bag because i dont have any big bags and i just got bored and tired.

So.... i decided to make a small bag. all you need to do is make a circle whatever size you want. start going up the side add a strap.. maybe a little flap and a button to close it up.

this helps me think about what i want to add onto my larger project. It keeps me sane and happy instead of tearing my hair out because i get so frustrated.... and it makes a nice little coin purse/bag for just going to the shops without all the bulkiness.

i hope this helped someone out!

have fun!

Princess G xoxo

Tuesday, July 17, 2007Name: teresa

Subject: skein holders

Comment: Take a two liter bottle and clean it out carefully, removing the label so it's clear. Cut a 3 sided flap in the side (oriented sideways) and let it dry completely. Cover the raw cut edges with masking tape to keep them from snagging on the yarn.

Tuck a skein inside with the pull end at the top and put the yarn through the top hole. It will keep your skein clean and as long as the yarn pulls freely it's a perfect fit.

Typically yarn balls don't roll freely in regular 2 liters, but if you can find three liter bottles they'll usually hold any ball of yarn.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007Name: Toya L

Subject: yarn holder

Comment: I'm 13 and i have alot of yarn! So to KEEP UP with it i put my yarn in a big tote bag that i made or you can just look around your house to find one.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007Name: Christine

Subject: Scrap Yarn Storage

Comment: To better organize all my scrap yarns I save the plastic tubs that I buy kitty litter in, clean them out well, and spray paint them a certain color. Once dry the label is covered up and all my yarns are organized by color, red yarns in the red tub and so on...

Sunday, July 15, 2007Name: Samantha M.

Subject: Storing patterns

Comment: You can buy the "extending file folder" things at Walmart. They're cheap and hold a lot. They have alphabet tabs, so finding the pattern is easy. I'm 12 but already have a huge store of patterns, both borrowed from my grandma and printed offline, and this really helps.

Sunday, July 15, 2007Name: Samantha M.

Subject: Storing hooks

Comment: You can get small, hard pencil boxes for like 99 cents at Walmart. Some, like what I use, are small and snap close. Othes are larger and can be used to store your other notions as well.

Sunday, July 15, 2007Name: Natalie

Subject: Useful Tools

Comment: I can't live without a darning needle, scissors, or a tape measure. I've put together little kits with one of each item held together by a keychain ring. I find these items at the dollar store. I also give them away to each person I teach to knit or crochet so they always have a handy way to measure, darn, and cut.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007Name: bebe

Subject: small objects

Comment: i use the small tins that breath mints come in to keep small things in like - yarn needles, rolled measuring tape, etc. i can transfer the tin from one project to another.

Friday, July 06, 2007Name: diane

Subject: starching

Comment: i starch all my doilies lightly with liquid porcelain. when they need washing, just rinse them off and they are as good as new. this also protects them from yellowing and they will keep their shape.
for ruffled doilies, use a blow dryer to reshape. you'll enjoy your doily longer
never use sugar and water. what a sticky mess. my cat has a sweet tooth, so i always find them on the floor with broken threads.

Friday, June 29, 2007Name: Alexis

Subject: another yarn storage idea

Comment: A clear plastic shoe bag makes an excellent storage system for smaller skeins of yarn. Just put them in the compartments where you'd put the shoes. It makes it easy to find what you're looking for, and it looks so pretty! :)

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