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| Featured Pattern of the Week: Ruffles Pillow |
        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: Cherlyn Subject: Blocking Comment: I use a dress-maker's fold-up cutting board with plastic stapled on top to block my doilies. The grid is wonderful for helping to block evenly. Name: Eva Subject: Hiding Stitches Comment: My mother taught me to always hide my stitches. It's so simple. You just take the end and crochet it in the other stitches two or three times, and then just cut the rest off. Hope this helps! =) Name: Anna Subject: Crocheting with plastic bags Comment: I really like to crochet with plastic grocery bags, but I noticed that they can get sticky and not work well. To solve that problem I bought a container of baby powder. I cut a circle in the lid of a 5 quart ice cream pail, put the end of my ball of plastic bag yarn through the hole, dump in some baby powder and put the lid on. my ball of yarn rolls around in the bucket getting coated with baby powder. This keeps the plastic from getting sticky and hard to work with. Added bonus: Your hands and the finished product smell really good! Name: Peggy Mott Subject: Threading beads on yarn Comment: The beads I wanted to use in a crochet project had holes that were so small I didn't have a needle small enough to go through the holes so I just dipped one end of my yarn into clear fingernail polish, twisted it, let it dry and presto! instant threader! Name: Anon Subject: spot checks Comment: Hold your work up to the light at intervals. It makes it easier to spot any mistakes and do stitch counts. Name: Karen Subject: yarn clean and safe Comment: I use a sturdy brown paper bag, sitting on the floor to keep my ball or skein of yarn in as I crochet. It is the greatest--better than the liter bottles or purchased containers. I fold the top down several inches to make a smooth top. Your yarn can bounce around and NEVER leave the large bag. Cheap too!!! Name: shay Subject: yarn Comment: in stead of buying lots of wools for different projects, why not make the project out of a white washable yarn and buy some cheap dye! then you won't end up with lots of wools that you used for small projects and dye doesn't cost much! Name: chaya Subject: crochet Comment: to make it easier and faster to crochet never ever make the chains or any thing else tight. but don't make it too loose or else you'll have big holes Name: Tracy B Subject: hooks Comment: I use clay that you can bake in the oven to put around my hooks to make them easier to handle, You just put it on anyway that fits your hand and bake according to manufacture's directions. Name: shay Subject: bead crochet Comment: when you are threading beads on to yarn, use a thin wool needle and a bead with a wide hole. if you do this, then the end of the yarn will not fray. shay Name: shay Subject: hook storer Comment: for an easy hook storer just crochet a large rectangle, fold in half and sew the open sides together. Make a tie by threading a piece of wool with a big bead on one end and a loop on the other (wrap wool around the bead. Tie a reef knot (but keep the wool a liiiitle bit bigger than the bead) and pull tight). Ta-da! simple hook storer! P.S. use any wool and any hook) shay Name: Meagan Subject: ball winder Comment: one day i saw an ad for a ball winder in a knit/crochet catalog and later that day i saw my sons old bike lying around in the garage had an idea. what i did was put the bike on its side with the wheels in the air and hot glued a a piece of pvc to the wheel that connected to the chain and when you turn the pedals you have an instant ball winder. This was using his old bike from when he was 5 or 6 but i bet any old bike would do. he is now 16 and we both love to knit and crochet together. Name: Raquel Subject: Making Slippers Comment: I've been planning on making some slippers but needed to make the bottom skid-proof. I'd read about a kind of "glue" some people had been using on the bottoms so last time I went to Joann's I asked a clerk about it. To my most pleasant surprise she took me to the fabric section and showed me a big roll of this wide rubbery material and told me "this is what people are using". Turns out it's the SAME thing sold at dollar stores for lining shelves (and as placemats), and since so little is needed for a pair of slippers one placemat would do. I just saw some today and I think it should be fairly easy to attach this "sole" to the bottom part. I also read somewhere that to make them more comfy one can put a shoe insole in between two layers of bottoms. I can't wait to try both of these tips myself! Name: Paige Subject: Scraps Comment: Every one collects small balls of yarn or leftovers, and most may end up just throwing them away, knowing that nothing they will probably ever make will be small enough to be able to use that old yarn. Well actually, all you have to do is find a pretty motif pattern, and you can make a big afghan out of all your scrap yarns! It keeps you crocheting in-between certain projects, and you use up your scraps. I am now looking for a motif pattern. Byee! :-D Name: TG Subject: yarn holder Comment: I use an "iced tea" jar to hold my yarn that I've put into balls. The lid already has a hole that I can snap shut to hold the yarn in place when I'm not working with it. They are larger than the expensive plastic ones you can buy, so you can fit a larger ball of yarn in them. You can also remove the spout and cover the hole (inside and out) with tape. I love it! Select a Page << Prev 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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