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| Featured Pattern of the Week: Circular Shawl |
        Interested in knitting? Visit our sister site: Knitting Pattern Central  | Tips 'n TricksDo 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! Name: Cindy Subject: Big Balls of Yarn Comment: I have some large balls of yarn that tend to take up too much room in drawers or baskets. I bought a new quilt a month or so ago and wanted to use the plastic zipper bag it came in but couldn't think what. It's a nice big size so I didn't want to waste it. Then I thought of the large balls of wool. It's amazing how many I got in there. I can store them now and not have to worry about dust or dirt or space. It was a win/win solution. Name: Alice Subject: hook storage Comment: Hi!!! I'm 11 and I really like crocheting! I always seemed to lose my hooks in the past until, one day I found a perfect pencil case to stash them in.Now I can find all my hooks easily.Problem solved!:) Name: maggie Subject: hooks Comment: to make it more comfortable on my hands i use one of those pencil cushions on my crochet hook Name: Ms A Subject: Weaving threads Comment: when weaving threads through, if the thread end is too short, weave your needle through leaving the eye exposed, then thread your wool into it and finish pulling the needle through.That way the wool only has to be as long as a few stitches Name: Alisa Subject: extra yarn storage Comment: I often purchase yarn on sale at the end of seasons, or clearance and yes even at thrift store and yard sales. I have so much yarn I usually don't have to purchase when I start a project on a whem. That being said, I have tried a laundry basket, a space bag, etc. nothing that has been convient at storing and viewing excess yarn with out digging through the bags and tangling it together (I always have yarn rolled). Finally Ihave found something that has really worked for me. I took a clear plastic and canvas shoe organizer that slips under the bed. It holds the bulk of my yarn and I can see what I have at a quick glance. Thank goodness I have a king size bed so there is room for my shoes on the other side. lol Name: Lee Jackson Subject: Making Balls Comment: I usually wind my yarn into balls to judge how much I have. This is a good idea, however, if you wind it too tight it will stretch the yarn making it thin and worn. Name: Jamie Subject: Yarn tangle! Comment: I have found that the best way to prevent tangling in yarn is to start crocheting with the end of the yarn. Then the yarn is being pulled from inside the ball rather than being unraveled on the outside. This also prevents the ball of yarn from rolling everywhere while you are crocheting. Hope this helps!!! Name: Jamie Subject: Plastic bag yarn! Comment: This is a great way to recycle all those plastic bags we get at grocery stores. Collect lots of bags from the store and use a rotery cutter to cut them into strips about an inch or so wide. Once they are all cut into strips, tie all of the strips together with a simple knot. After that roll up all of the plastic yarn into a ball and start crocheting!! I know it sounds like it takes a long time to get ready to crochet, but it saves all that plastic from going to waste and hurting our environment. These plastic bags make great purses and totes for the beach because they are basically water proof! Hope this gives you ideas for your next project!! Name: Lee Subject: Carving hooks Comment: I carved two nice hooks from the handles of old toothbrushes. I used a #11 Exacto knife for cutting and shaping and 2 grades of sandpaper plus 4/0000 steel wool for polishing. If you do this, use one of the "vinyl" like toothbrushes. Mine are white with colored rubbery inserts for fingers and palm of hand. They're called GUM (mfgr??? don't remember!) and they carve almost like a medium wood. Name: fallon Subject: holding skeins together Comment: I've seen items in catalogs and thought they were expensive, but i found Curad's hold tite tubullar stretch bandages dose the same thing you just cut to the size you need and put it over the skein. Name: Diane Subject: Recycling Idea Comment: My aunt gave me this idea. At her thrift store they give away a free bag or purse with any purchase. Some of the purses are well past their prime so she cuts them apart-using the zippers and handles for a newly crocheted purse or bag. I imagine that there are other uses for the rest of the bag, too! Name: Sylvia Subject: markers Comment: I use the flat ties you get on bread to close the plastic bag...not the wire tie, these are flat and have a hole in them with a slit to slide in your yarn. You can even use them to wrap yarn if you want a long tail at the beginning of your work. Name: Angie C. Subject: rolling yarn into a ball Comment: I use a small styrofoam ball to rap my yarn on to instead of start it by wrapping it on my fingers. Works great. Name: barara naukana Subject: project holder Comment: when i am working on a multi colored afghan, i use a clean and empty cat litter bucket to hold the colors i need to use. Name: trish Subject: yarn ends Comment: I knot my yarn ends together to make yarn. If they are too short,I unply them to make stuffing. Select a Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Next >> Share your own hints by filling in the form below... |
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