Crochet tips - help for completing your crochet projects

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A regular crochet hook is 6" long... use your hook to measure those 6" exchange squares.

For a motivational boost while working on a larger project such as an afghan... each day when you sit down to crochet, place a stitch marker in the first stitch you work. Once the marker is in place you can continuously refer to the marker to see just how much you've accomplished. This actually motivates me to see just how much I can do each day... Lisa

Work from two separate skeins of yarn when a pattern calls for using two strands of the same color at once.If you work using both ends from one skein your yarn will tangle.

To stiffen your next crochet project try heating 2 parts sugar to 1 part water on low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool, dip your project into the mixture and squeeze out the excess. Lay the project on the form and shape it according to your project instructions.

Keep balls of scrap yarn from unrolling.
Thread the yarn tail into a yarn needle at the end of the ball and work the
yarn end back into the ball to keep it from unraveling. You can also use a crochet hook.

If you plan to go on a trip pack your crochet project well before hand. I've been known to grab a pattern and yarn on the way out the door only to realize that I've forgotten my hook.

If you are stiffening your crochet projects with Starch or Sugar or a commercial Stiffener, and these are holiday projects that will be packed away in an attic or garage until the following year, Be sure to include "moth balls" when you pack them. Moths and other insects LOVE to eat starch, glue and sugar stiffening. Better to have a little smell of moth balls than to take the chance of opening your Christmas or Holiday decorations only to find the insects had a feast with them...

VIEWER TIP:

If you stop crocheting on your project, insert a paper clip on the stitch still on the needle.
You will never lose that stitch. When you pick up your project,
just take the paper clip off and insert your needle.
Helen.

If you have extreme difficulty with a pattern, try laying the project down for a while and then coming back to it. Sometimes just having a break from reading the directions will clear things up for you.

Hi Lisa,

I've been reading your newsletter and want to thank you again for it. I've been doing some afghan stitch crocheting lately, making a bunch of your dishcloths to have for myself and to give as gifts. This tip came from an old Coats & Clark Learn to Crochet booklet.

The Tip: When you reach the last vertical bar when drawing up loops, insert the hook through the last vertical bar and the st directly behind it and draw up a loop. This gives a firm edge to this side.

I've also been crocheting a baby afghan for a new arrival in May. It will be my niece's second girl. I enlarged your doll blanket pattern. (cross stitch) It is coming along nicely and I should have it finished soon. I'm making it larger than the usual baby afghan so it can be used longer. I will try to remember to take a picture to send to you when it is finished.

I recently learned how to do bumps in a row of crochet. I don't know what it's called but it's made by making one single then one triple, then a single crochet to make it puffy. You should start and end with a single crochet or it's gets a little out of shape. On the next row I alternate the bumps so they aren't on top of each other. I used it in some square dishcloths I made. I'm still new at crocheting and I love your website.
It's been very helpful to me.
Thanks,
Lynn
Virginia

If you have small children and worry about them getting your scissors, try using the
little folding scissors instead of regular scissors. You can put the folding scissors in your
pocket or insert a piece of yarn into the handle and wear them like a necklace.

When purchasing yarn or tapestry needles for use to weave those stray ends in... be sure to buy needles of different sizes. Use the larger eye needles for yarns and the small eye needles for threads.

Many people have trouble with tunisian afghan stitch curling on them at the beginning, well here is a simple thing that I do to prevent that from happening. Just make 2 rows of afghan stitch purl and then start your
project. You will find that it is not curling for you. hope this helps someone!!!!
Evelyn in Kentucky

Always work with the end of the yarn that comes from the center of the skein.
This keeps your skein from rolling around while you work.

If you have small children... purchase the little thread snips to use for cutting your yarn. You can buy snip scissors that look like a pen with a little clip. Clip them inside your shirt collar and you can work on your crochet project free from the worry of the kids making off with sharp scissors.

For short term storage for crocheted afghans place dryer
sheets between them to keep them smelling fresh.

I use safety pins to mark my rows and rounds when I crochet.
This may help someone who is learning to crochet.
Joy

When I count my chains for a foundation chain I count in multiples of two.
When counting I count as follows:

Each time I reach a multiple of 10 I count off in single digits because it's easier to remember. I've found that if I say "twenty", "thirty", "forty", etc... I forget what I just said and have to recount.
Lisa

When i started putting crocheted edges on facecloths i did it as
instructed on patterns, such as crochet evenly around facecloth with a
single crochet stitch "EVENLY'. Who can do it neatly? I was sitting
here tonight and thought there must be a better way to do this and it
came to me that i needed a guide so i crocheted a chain long enough to
go all around the facecloth with the same thread that i planned to use
for the edging and then i started at one corner and the chain links
provided the guide i needed simply by crocheting through each link. It
does a beautiful professional looking job. It takes longer but the
results are well worth it. Remember to place the single chain right
below the serged edge on the facecloth. You will be pleased.
Marilynne Kindell

VIEWER TIP:
First of all, let me say that I love your website and newsletters!!!
I finished my first granny square afghan this weekend. I found that using
small hair clips worked really well for holding the squares together while I
joined them.

When sewing crocheted motifs together be sure not to pull the
yarn too tightly as it may cause your piece to pucker.

Recently found a reverse sc in a pot holder pattern. Makes a great edge. To
do all you do is go around the object doing a sc edge (3 sc in each corner)
then when you get back to the start you sl into the first sc then WITHOUT
turning you sc in the previous stitch working left to right. Really neat edge.

Must admit I am very new to crochet (8 mos) and found this easy and wonderful looking.

To determine how much yarn or thread you will need for a project, see how many motifs (or rows) you can get out of one skein of yarn or ball of thread. Then figure how many motifs/rows it will take to make the project as large as you want. Divide the number of motifs/rows you need for the project by the number of motifs/rows you got out of one skein or ball and you have how many skeins or balls you need to buy to finish the project.

I noticed some questions on Working with Chenile Yarn.
I have made Afgans and various other items.
To help on the problem of seeing your stitches, I offer the following hint.
Purchase a large spool of 1/8 in wide ribbon. (should be an opposite
color than the yarn you are working with.. Example : White ribbon if working
with dark yarn ) As you crochet, go over the ribbon so it runs across the
stiches . In SC , Holding Ribbon across prev. row , bring hook down over
ribbon to previous row SC, insert hook, pull yarn through ( 2 loops on
hook) , pull yarn through the 2 loops to complete SC. ( kind of like
crocheting over a cording ) The ribbon that you laid across the previous row
should now show up as a "Base Line" for the new row and stitches. As you
crochet the next row go just above the ribbon to feel the pocket of the
stitch. After you complete 2 or 3 rows , you can easily slide the ribbon out
of the row and use over again on another row. I use three strands of ribbon,
pulling the first one out when I get to the third row. Hope you can
understand this technique.
Ribbon should look like this ----------------in crochet row.
Much faster than trying to put a marker in each stitch.
I have used this technique when teaching crochet to Older Senior Citizens who
have limited eyesight.

Keep small crocheted gifts such as a dish towel-dishcloth set, a set of coasters, a doily, baby afghans, etc., on hand. This way if you need a gift in a hurry you will be spared the time it takes for shopping.

When working with a dark color, example black, place something white beneath the body of the item being formed. This will greatly assist in finding the areas you need to work with in the body of the item.

When working with two very colors, place something beneath the body of the item that is the same or near the primary color. The second color will stand out in the body of the item and be much easier to work with.

I hope the two suggestions help someone. I have used this technique with many crafts. The second suggestion is expecially helpful with other needlecraft, such as crewel and or cross stitch. However, it will work with crochet as well.

Read over your crochet pattern before attempting to make the item indicated.
Some designers may use terms that stray from the standard abbreviations.
One abbreviations that I've noticed over time is "tc" for treble or triple crochet... the standard abbreviation being "tr".

If you're away from home, remembered your yarn and hook but forgot your scissors... use fingernail clippers to cut your yarn.

When teaching someone to crochet I recommend using smooth yarns such as Red Heart Super Saver or Bernat Baby Sparkle. I recently tried to teach someone to crochet and they bought their own yarn. I learned really fast the Bernat Coordinates is definitely not a teaching yarn. It was so wavy/squiggly that I had trouble seeing the stitches myself.

I use the tall round Tupperware containers with the lift up opener on top to put my yarn in while I'm working. The yarn pulls out thru the tab opening. I used to use the two liter bottles but now I can't find the ones that the bottom can be put back on. Carolyn

Never use different yarn types in the same project. For example, if you make squares for an afghan and some are 100% acrylic and others are 100% cotton then the finished product may shrink at a different rate when washed and dried.

When purchasing a yarn needle for use in weaving ends be sure to choose one with a medium size eye. The needles with the extra large eyes seem to stretch the stitches and the smaller eye needles are difficult to thread with the yarn. I recommend Wrights #16 Yarn Needles.

Never put your crochet project in a bag with a velcro closure... the velcro will catch your yarn and cause it to snag.

Start a crochet yearbook!
Keep track of all finished projects by taking a photo and writing a little something about each one. For example, you make an afghan for your Mom for Christmas. Take a picture and write on the page that you made it for Mom for Christmas or whatever the occassion. Insert the page into a ring binder or purchase an actual scrap book to mount it in.
Lisa