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!

Thursday, July 28, 2005Name: Cindy

Subject: threading yarn & organization

Comment: The easiest way to thread yarn through a needle: take a twist tie and peel off the paper, leaving a wire. Form a loop with the wire & put thru the eye of the needle. Put the end of the yarn through the loop then pull the loop back out of the eye-your needle is threaded! I keep my wire threaded through a tapestry needle in my needle holder case.
I keep all my crochet hooks, needle case, scissors, tape measure, baggy with twist ties & safety pins in a plastic pencil case with a handle that I got at Staples for 77 cents. All my friends now bought one for the same reason.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005Name: Courtney

Subject: organization

Comment: One way I can keep up with the different crochet tools, is to purchase very inexpensive make up bags. This is a great way to keep different tools separated and larger needles fit better than hook cases you can buy. The best thing is everything is portable and ready to go with you at any time, anywhere.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005Name: Gail

Subject: Boredom

Comment: When making a large "single square" afgan, I occasionally get bored on the longer outer rows. Because I generally alternate colors for each row, I will often stop in mid-row (place the stopping stitch on a safety pin or such) and start the next row, just to get "color relief". When I catch up to the point where I stopped on the previous row, I abandon the new row and return to the first row. Thus, I inch an afgan forward. Sometimes I have more than two rows in progress. It is not confusing, mentally fun, and perplexing to the casual observer...all good reasons to do it! This is one advantage that crochet construction has over knitting.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005Name: Ricki 10

Subject: crochet

Comment: I had made a big mistake getting the fuzzy yarn instead of beginners yarn, but it turned out ok. If you're having trouble with the fuzzy yarn then when you get to the point where you are going to cross the bottom loop over the top loop then put the top loop underneath the hook and then pull the bottom loop over the hook.I'm ten and just started to crochet and my trick makes me go faster.

Friday, July 15, 2005Name: chad

Subject: advanced afghan stitch

Comment: who says boys can't crochet? i make clothes for people and to calm me down after a long day or a track meet. whet i do the afghan stich ive found that if you flip the piece over when the yarn is on the left side (right handed afghan stitch)you can use a knitting needle to knit it from your afghan hook to the knitting needle. then when you are done flip it back over and knit it back onto the afghan hook. this is what i call ribbing. it makes clean borders on your work!

Thursday, July 14, 2005Name: Cassie

Subject: practice swatches

Comment: Ok, one more. Always do a swatch before embarking upon a project (whether knitted or crocheted). I learned this after making a sweater bigger than a blimp. If you're concerned about wasting the yarn, save the swatches until you have enough for an afghan. Piece them together to make a 3D photo album of all your projects.

Thursday, July 14, 2005Name: Cassie

Subject: yarn ball

Comment: To keep your yarn balls from rolling away while you work, place them in a large mixing bowl on the floor next to your chair. The ball can spin freely as you pull yarn, so you never have to stop to untangle or chase it down.

Thursday, July 14, 2005Name: Louise

Subject: Project Organization

Comment: I sometimes like to work on 2 projects at the same time - one knit, and one crochet. In order to keep the yarn for each project handy but "put away", I bought several of those large tins with popcorn in them. (I got mine at Wal-Mart during the holidays - with pretty winter scenes on them.) Besides being decorative to leave out in my work area, they are the perfect height for my skeins, and if you are careful to stand the skeins with the "pull" end of the skein upward, when you finish with one skein, you simply pull the end up out of the next one and continue. I find that these tins hold 6 skeins of yarn "comfortably".

Sunday, July 10, 2005Name: Theda

Subject: crochet

Comment: My favorite crochet hook has a wooden handle, I found it at a rummage sale and it is great for making scrubbies.

Friday, July 08, 2005Name: Gail

Subject: Organization

Comment: I recently found an old pipe holder at a flea market. The items has six "holes" that served as standing places for pipes and a central box with lid for matches. For $2, I now have a nice hook stand and a place to hold scissors, needles, markers, etc. that sits near my work area and gives me convenient access to my supplies.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005Name: Jewelien

Subject: Patterns

Comment: When I find patterns I like on the internet, I print it out I use a 3-hole punch and store it in a binder for a quick find. I label different sections, for example, purses, ponchos, blankets, etc.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005Name: Donna

Subject: Organization!

Comment: I tend to do most of my crocheting in my Chaise Lounge so I keep a big box with most of my yarn and yarn scraps in the corner by the chair and I got a nice wicker basket at a local craft store where I keep my patterns, tape measure, hooks and markers. If I am going somewhere that I want to crochet, I have a medium sized book-bag that I keep nearby which I only use for crochet. It makes it easy if I need to get up and go. Like many other people, I keep my patterns in binders so they are easy to find and don't get ripped up or dirty.

Monday, July 04, 2005Name: Teresa

Subject: Supplies Keepers

Comment: I use empty pill bottles with child-proof lids to keep my safety pins and tapestry needles close, and not all over the floor.

Monday, July 04, 2005Name: Teresa

Subject: Keeping Hooks smooth

Comment: I rub wax paper over the hook. It keeps it smooth.

Sunday, July 03, 2005Name: Leslie

Subject: keeping your place

Comment: I use a bright sticky note sheet to mark the round of the doily I am working on. I keep moving my sticky note as I complete a round. It's light weight (compared to the magnetic board and magnetic ruler)and handy. ;-)

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