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| Featured Pattern of the Week: Baby Cowboy Hat |
        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: moosie Subject: EEK! I lost a stich! Comment: Hi everyone, I know this has to happen to everyone at some point: You put your WIP (Work in progress) in a bag and the hook falls out of the stitch, and then you end up losing some stitches. Well, what I do is I put a safety pin inside the stitch I'm on (the one that is currently on my hook) and hook it shut and then none of your stitches fall out! Hooray! And you can put the hook you're using in a smaller pocket of the bag, or just in the bottom of the bag. Hope this helps someone, Love to all, Moosie Name: Molly Subject: tote bag Comment: I take an old pair of jeans, lay them out flat, then cut them off a little down from the crotch. Turn inside out and sew across both legs creating a "bag", take one of the legs and cut two strips of fabric to make handles with. Make them as long as you wish, shoulder length or handle length, sew them onto the bag. You now have a heavy duty bag that you can decorate or not, and it has plenty of pockets and loops to make use of. Name: Molly Subject: pattern trick Comment: I take my patterns and place them into top loading plastic sheets then put those onto 3 ring notebooks. Whenever I choose to work on one I take it out of the notebook but leave it in the sheet so that I can write on the sheet using a wipe off pen to mark what row I am on or to make a note in case I made a pattern change. Name: Katherine Subject: threading yarn needle Comment: I opened a paper clip, insert either end into the larger needle's eye, wrapped yarn around open end of paper clip, insert back into the needle, and thread it through. Very easy for me. Try it, it works. Name: VanGoClothing Subject: non slip crochet hooks Comment: I'm a guy that crochets and have my own custom workshop and what really helps out is this stuff called plasti dip. its a liquid that dries to a rubbery texture. Construction workers use it to re insulate their tool handles and I have used it for my sons bicycle handlebars when his handgrips get tore up. it gives anything a nice smooth rubbery coat. Name: Janean Subject: Carpal Tunnel Comment: I am a hairdresser, and I enjoy crochet, knitting, cross stitch, and beading. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and have had surgery on it about seven years ago, but am having problems with it again. I have found that taking breaks and stretching the hands back like praying, only a bit further helps. Wearing a brace to bed helps as well. Hope this helps. Name: DG Subject: Remebering what you have Comment: When ever I go to a yarn store, I bring an index card that says all the sizes of hooks and the colors and types of yarns I have. That way, I don't end up buying the same hook size twice. Also, when ever I am starting a new project, I go look at my index card to make sure I have all the supplies I need for the pattern. This way I know I have all the supplies I need and never have extra. Name: Laura Subject: gauge squares can be usefull too! Comment: Sometimes, I get stuck for hours. I look through 5 or 10 books and still have no Idea what I want to do, so I make a ton of little squares and join them to make cute patterns. It's something to do if you need to clear out a basket of gauge squares. It's really nice for beginners. Name: TJ Subject: Quick Reference Comment: When you save the patterns on your computer, .pdf, .html, .mht, etc, save a separate version of the picture in the same folder. Then name it exactly the same as the directions. (You can do this as long as the file extension is different.) The files will automatically be grouped together if you have your folder set to 'arrange by name'. Then you can surf through by opening a picture in (windows picture & Fax viewer for example)and either hitting the arrow keys on the keyboard or the little forward key at the bottom of the window. This way you don't have to open the whole thing to see if you want to make the project. Name: RS Subject: Keeping yarn close Comment: If you have a ball of yarn that keeps rolling all over the floor, then grab a bowl from the kitchen!! It really helps. Name: Rose Subject: Storing Hooks Comment: I found a cheap way to store crochet hooks that I thought I would share. My mom had a lot of those plastic cylinders that the powder drinks mix is coming in. These are the ones that the mix is in individual packets- the Wal-Mart brand of raspberry ice tea is sold that way now. She had given me some for my scrapbooking stuff and beading supplies, but tried putting my hooks in there one day and they fit with plenty of room at the top to put the lid on. It's nice because all my hooks are in one place. I have about 10-15 in there right now (I have a bad habit of buying multiples) and there is probably room for 20 or 30 more! So there is plenty of room! I like it because the container fits nice in my bag and doesn't take up much room!! Name: lisa Subject: theraphy Comment: I have a 1 year old son with down syndrome. He has trouble with his fine motor skills so when i crochet I give him a crochet hook (a size I) so that it is less likely to hurt him.I sit him in front of me so I can watch him and give him a ball of yarn that matches my yarn color. He tries to "crochet" like mommy. This is great theraphy to help him learn to hold pencil and crayons. This can be a bit dangerous but as long as I am there to keep an eye on him things should go well. He has been "crocheting" with me for about 2 months and has never gotten hurt. I do not let him stand or crawl with the hook. I may lose a ball of yarn in the process but thats nothing when the benefits are so great. He is doing great and is right on target with other children. I know that allowing him to "crochet" with me has helped a great deal. Name: sherry Subject: keeping pattern readable Comment: I have had patterns that are my favorites, I used them so much they started to get torn up. I finely got the Idea to copy the one pattern I was using, then i could mark it as i went, and still had a good copy. Another thing I have done is to take a note book and put the basic instructions down and write the stitch row down and mark off the rows as I go, keeping the note book with the project. when you pick up the project later you will know where you are on it. Name: Janice Chandler Subject: organizing yarn Comment: When making an afghan with six different colors of yarn, I was having trouble keeping them organized for easy switching of the colors. I took my tall laundry basket stood all six colors on the end, tail end pointing up. I then pulled the tails up and put them through the hole in the side of the basket right above each skein of yarn this way I can just clip the yarn off and spin the basket to the next color . Works GREAT Name: Shelley Subject: weaving vs. carrying along Comment: I detest weaving in those pesky ends. When I'm working on a pattern w/ more than one color yarn, I tend to carry the color up along the side instead of breaking off and weaving in the ends. This is especially true if I'm working on an afghan where the border will easily hide the yarn that's been carried. It's less wastefull, I find, than ending the row and weaving in. 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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