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, September 26, 2006Name: Heather T

Subject: hook container

Comment: first of all i would like to thank everything for all of these wonderful ideas! they're all really great.

my tips is to use retangular tupper-ware for your hooks. the one i use is about 4" X 7" and it's a percect size to fit all of your hooks. and not only your hooks you can put your needles, stitch markers, small 6" ruler, scrap balls of yarn, scissors, and even a gauge card! and if you have one that is about two inches deep you could fit around 50 hooks easily!

Monday, September 25, 2006Name: Susan

Subject: yarn freak

Comment: Another name for "yarn freak" is "yarn acquisition syndrome."

Monday, September 25, 2006Name: Victoria

Subject: Blocking a project

Comment: Blocking your project before you sew it together gives it a more professional, and softer appearance. The method I use is; place your project on a bath towel, and pin it in place. Then lay a damp kitchen towel over top, and leave it over night, or until both the towel and the project are dry.

Sunday, September 24, 2006Name: rica p.

Subject: spontaneous ideas

Comment: When you have an idea for a new project, don't procrastinate writing it down. If you're in bed, get up and write at least a keyword. If you don't, you'll never remember what it was. I keep a running list of all my projects and ideas on my computer and another paper copy for on the go. Keeping an organized list of current and future projects keeps you from forgetting them.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006Name: Alison

Subject: Need Ideas

Comment: NOTE TO ALISON FROM RACHEL, CPC WEBMISTRESS: Please go to my contact me page and send me an email containing your email address! It needs to be posted here so others can contact you directly and not clog up the Tips and Tricks section. Plus, I have a place where I think you would like to post for help. Thank you! (I usually do not post help requests but am making an exception in this case.) Alison's message: I am an Occupational Therapy Assistant student currently working with a terminally ill woman with severe arthritis who has crocheted for many years!! Being a former crocheter, I am familar with how to crochet and recognize the therapeutic value of the craft(any craft for that matter!) Crocheting is the one thing she loves to do and she misses it terribly. Because the fingers on her left hand are extremely affected, she is unable to wrap the yarn around the index finger and hold it to guide it along. She is capable of holding the hook and working it in her right. She wants to crochet desperately. I am trying to find a way, whether by using some type of device or postioning her hand to aid her in holding the yarn. I am hoping someone out there has an idea or two!! Any input will be greatly appreciated and tested out! Giving this woman back a bit of herself will help make her last days a bit happier! Thank you.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006Name: brandi

Subject: needle one size too small?

Comment: When crocheting I find that i'm sometimes one size too small and I can't find the right needle. In order for it to be the right size I make my stiches extremely loose and it ends up the right size.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006Name: Briannah

Subject: yarn

Comment: hi i'm briannah and i'm 15. I've been crocheting for a couple of years now and i noticed that if you have a ball of yarn and you want to keep it in place all you have to do is put it in an old oatmeal container and put a hole in the top. when you pull the yarn it won't roll away.

Thursday, August 31, 2006Name: Deirdre

Subject: Tight stitches

Comment: I just started crocheting two days ago, and I noticed that all of my stitches are very tight. All I do to fix it is move the stitches up to the grip part of the hook wich is usually wider and then move them back done. A good thing about this is that all of the stitches will be more or less the same size.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006Name: Sarah

Subject: Storing Hooks

Comment: If you like using plastic crochet hooks, when you buy large hooks (Q,S,etc), look to see if there is a cap fitted on the end. This will just look like a seam at the end. I bought a big plastic size Q hook from Wal-Mart, and popped off the end. This space is PERFECT for storing smaller hooks (F,G,H).

Sunday, August 27, 2006Name: Brenda LaVann

Subject: Yarn

Comment: Novelty yarn is VERY expensive! To stretch a buck, I match the good stuff up with a quality acrylic (usually Red Heart)Boy does this help!. Be sure to make a test swatch first if you're following a pattern. Also, pay attention to laundering instructions.

Saturday, August 26, 2006Name: Sharyn

Subject: Yarn ball

Comment: I find that when I'm crocheting, my yarn always ends up in knots or tangles from the skein. So I take a piece of square paper, fold it many times until it's in a little square, then wrap my yarn in a ball around it until it's all out of the skein and all on the paper. It makes a nice ball and there are no more knots or tangles!

Thursday, August 24, 2006Name: Myriah

Subject: Carry case for hooks

Comment: I see lots of people have great suggestions for storing their hooks, especially for travel. So here's my $0.02. I use plastic cigar tubes. They fit wonderfully in my purse, unbreakable and the perfect size if you use the standard size or churchill size. Seems odd, but it works and you can even crochet a small carry net for it and loop it around your purse strap!

Thursday, August 24, 2006Name: Melena

Subject: Adapting Cross Stitch Patterns

Comment: I've found an easy way to get a lot more patterns is to use cross stitch patterns to crochet cool pictures. I am making a really detailed wolf right now that will be the main square on a crochet star afghan. The different color symbols on the cross stitch chart tell you when to change colors for a realistic effect. Just use one square per stitch.

Sunday, August 20, 2006Name: Carol

Subject: Yarn Control

Comment: Sometimes there are skeins that pull from the outside rather than from inside and they roll away when using them. I take a vertical wood paper towel stand and put the pole that would normally hold the paper towel inside the core of the acrylic skein. I stays upright on the floor by my seat and I just pull up as I need it !!

Sunday, August 13, 2006Name: Amy

Subject: Ugly Yarn

Comment: I'm an avid crocheter. Or as my hubby says: yarn freak. LOL. I've been crocheting for 12 years. In working with vintage patterns I've learned that it's always good to have a few skiens of ugly yarn that you wouldn't exactly use on your actual project. You can use this ugly yarn to make practice pieces before you use that really nice yarn to make your final project. This way you don't mess up your nice yarn by unraveling the project 5 or 15 times or even cutting it a dozen times to fit your piece! Hope this helps!

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