Tag Archive | Crochet

Blocking your Crochet Piece

Apr30

I am always debating whether to block my finished crochet piece??  For me, it all depends upon the type of yarn I have used and what my completed project is — a doily or clothing or afghan.

It is very important to always read what the manufacturer of the yarn recommends when it comes to washing and/or dry cleaning suggestions.  If using a cotton yarn/thread, I like to hand wash my completed project and lay if flat to dry.  When it is almost dry but still slightly damp, I will place it onto my ironing board, cover it with a towel and then use the steam feature on my iron.  Holding the iron very close to the towel without actually placing the iron on the item.  This will give you a smooth finished look without stretching the yarn and eliminate any curling that might have occurred.

One concern with cotton yarn that I always seem to dwell upon is the question of shrinkage.  I haven’t experienced any problems with shrinkage as long as I use cold water and air dry.  Then block the piece as mentioned above.

When using a wool blend yarn, again follow the manufacturer’s washing/dry cleaning directions, and then, if needed, you can block the piece the same way as described above.   A lot of times, however, when I have completed a project,  I will lay it out flat on a padded surface, spray it lightly with water, and just pat it into shape and let air dry.

I find too that if I am crocheting a sweater, it is a little easier to block or shape your pieces as you crochet them.  Again, laying them out on a padded surface, spray lightly with water and just pat them into their shape and air dry.  Then everything is ready to be joined according to your pattern directions.

You will find there are those projects that really need to be a certain size when completed, i.e., socks, mittens, hats,  some sweaters, and blocking your piece helps you to shape your work to those measurements.   Most importantly, your crocheting GAUGE must be accurate too for the completed project to be the size you need.    Blocking tools are available that you can put your damp project over to assist you in this shaping process.

My daughter and I are presently experimenting with blocking a rather large afghan that seems to curl on the edges.  We are laying it out flat onto a carpeted area that we have laid several towels down first.  Then we will be spritzing it with water, covering it with more large towels and then running a floor steamer over the top of everything.  Again, not touching the project with the steamer itself, just shooting the steam through everything.  Then we will  take the top towels off, pat into shape and let air dry.   We feel confident that this will work and will be much easier to shape since the afghan is a comforter size.

Always trying to keep those “creative juices” flowing!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Comfy Hold on your Crochet Hook

Mar27

The way you hold your crochet hook is a very personal thing.  The most important thing to remember is not to grip it so hard that your hand muscles and fingers become exhausted.  To me, that takes the fun out of crocheting!!  Just a light but secure grip is all that is needed.

I guess first it is helpful to dissect a crochet hook.  You have the point, throat, shaft, thumb rest and handle.  The shaft and thumb rest is where your fingers will always be when crocheting.  The point and throat are where you actually make your stitches and the handle is basically there for balance.

Hook Description

 

My grandmother originally taught  me how to crochet but being the only left-handed person in my family, she could only teach me how to hold the hook like a right-handed crocheter.  Actually,  I have found that holding and working the crochet hook in my right hand and controlling the yarn with my left hand really is much easier for me because the hook movement is just a repetitive motion but keeping the tension and working with the yarn requires more control.  Using my left hand for the more intricate work (which is my stronger and more coordinated hand) works great for me!!

You will probably crochet using either a Pencil Grip or a Knife Grip.  I use the knife grip when I crochet and find it very comfortable and easy for me.  With my right hand, I place my thumb on the front of the thumb rest which will be facing me, place my index finger onto the shaft and hold the back of the thumb rest against my middle finger.  The handle will just lay against my ring finger and the palm.  There is very little movement of my fingers on my right hand when I crochet.  I slightly move my index finger along the shaft to help hold the loops in place as I make my stitches and that is it.

Knife grip using right hand

Now my left hand does a lot more work for me.  I personally like to wrap the yarn around several fingers to get good tension on the yarn.  I will place the yarn under my pinky finger, over my ring finger, under my middle finger and over my index finger.  My crochet piece will be held in place using my middle finger and thumb with my ring finger and pinky helping to hold ever so slightly.  My index finger on my left hand does all the work.  I yarn over onto the hook with my left index finger, push the point of the crochet hook through the proper loops using my right hand and bracing with my left middle finger, guiding with my left thumb, and using my left ring finger and pinky as support.  I have great success crocheting in this manner.   I don’t know if this is the motion a true right-handed crocheter uses but I have found this a very workable method for me and I am a very left-handed individual.   I even use my left foot to push the pedal on my sewing machine!!

Yarn weave through my left hand fingers

 

Doing a Stich

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep practicing and work on what is really comfortable for you when crocheting.  Hopefully, this will give you some guidelines whether you are right or left-handed for holding your hook and work.  I know there are some good directions for left-handed crocheting if this method doesn’t work for you.  Give it a try, you might like it!!

  • TIP:  If you are really a beginner or if you are trying to teach a youngster how to crochet,  I would suggest that you only wrap the yarn over your left index finger as your tension guide until you get the feel of both hands and yarn working together.   After you feel comfortable with practice, then proceed to weave the yarn around the additional fingers on your left hand.

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Crocheting “Extras”

Feb13

Now that you are sitting in your most comfortable chair and are surrounded by a pile of wonderful yarn just itching to be crochet into something special, take a moment to review the following items that I think will make your yarning experience much easier and more convenient.  These are some of my favorite crochet “extras”.

Having a crochet case to organize all your hooks by specific size will save you a lot of time and frustration.  When I first started crocheting, I would just place my hooks in a Ziploc bag and would have to rummage through them all to find the specific hook I needed for my pattern.  With the case, I just quickly slide my hooks into their own slot by number/letter size.   There are a wide variety of styles available.  I personally use a zippered style case because I can also enclose some of my other accessories with my hooks to keep them all in one place.

Another great accessory to have are some stitch markers.   I like the split lock markers that look like plastic safety pins.  They are light in weight, easy to use and colorful so you can select ones that will stand out when you are crocheting.  Budget constraints an issue, you can also use a different color of yarn and tie it in the stitch where the pattern calls for a marker to be placed. Works the same, just takes a little longer to tie and untie the yarn marker.

For me, a must have “extra” is a row counter.   I use to make pencil marks on a piece of paper to count my rows, which, believe me, is a very time-consuming way for counting.  Now with a counter sitting on the arm of my chair, one click and I’ve counted my completed row and can tell at a glance how many more rows I need to do.  I like the style that has a locking mechanism so my counter never loses its place, especially if I have to put my project away and all my rows haven’t been completed.

You’ll find that a necessary accessory is a tapestry/yarn needle.  They have a very large eye which makes quick work of threading your yarn through the needle.  There are different kinds of needles, ones with a straight tip or you can purchase a style with a curved tip.  It is nice to have both types of yarn needles in your crochet stash.

Of course, a small retractable tape measure and 4″ embroidery style scissors are needed too.  

A crochet tote or lovely basket is a great way to store your supplies and/or yarn.  Place it by your comfy chair and have everything right at hand when you decide to work on your project and looks great too.  *TIP:  one way to keep your working skein of yarn readily available is to seal it within a plastic Ziploc bag, cut a small hole in the corner of the bag itself and have your yarn come out of that opening.  Helps to keep the ball of yarn contained and tangle free.

An Ott Lamp or Daylight Lamp to work by is most helpful and helps reduce stress on your eyes.  Also, comfort grips which slide onto your hooks or comfort grip hooks themselves will help you with fatigued hands and wrists.

Of course, you will be able to locate some of these crocheting accessories at your big box sewing/craft stores.  But don’t forget to check out some websites like Knitting Warehouse and Yarn.com for a wide variety and unique crocheting “extras” too.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions will lend themselves to giving you a great crocheting experience!!!

 

HAPPY CREATING!!

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Abbreviations in Crochet Patterns

Jan30

 

I know from experience that reading a crochet pattern can be intimidating but with practice, it definitely becomes easier.  For starters, I’ve listed below some of the more commonly used abbreviations that you will find within a crochet pattern’s directions.  About.com Crochet is a wonderful site to find good demonstrations on these various stitches:

  • alt           –      alternate
  • beg         –      begin/beginning
  • BLO       –      back loop only
  • bls          –      boucle loop stitch
  • BPdc      –      back post double crochet
  • BPsc      –      back post single crochet
  • C             –      crossed stitch
  • CC          –      contrasting color
  • Cdc         –      crossed double crochet
  • ch           –      chain stitch
  • ch-sp     –      chain-space
  • CL          –      cluster
  • cont       –      continue
  • dc           –      double crochet
  • dc2tog  –      double crochet two together
  • dec        –      decrease
  • dsc        –      double single crochet
  • dtr         –      double treble
  • ea          –      each
  • Els        –      extended loop stitch
  • Esc        –      extended single crochet
  • FLO      –      front loop only
  • FPdc     –      front post double crochet
  • FPsc     –      front post single crochet
  • FPtr      –      front post treble
  • hdc       –      half double crochet
  • inc        –      increase
  • KS         –      knot stitch
  • lks        –      locking stitch
  • lp          –      loop
  • ls          –      loop stitch
  • MC       –      main color
  • och       –      overlaid chain
  • pat st   –      pattern stitch
  • pc         –      popcorn stitch
  • pm       –      place marker
  • qtr        –      quadruple treble
  • rem      –      remaining
  • rev dc  –      reverse double crochet
  • rev sc  –      reverse single crochet
  • rf          –      relief stitch
  • rnd      –      round
  • RS       –      right side
  • sc        –       single crochet
  • sc2tog –      single crochet two together
  • Sl st     –      slip stitch
  • sp         –      space
  • st          –      stitch
  • tch       –      turning chain
  • tr          –      treble
  • tr2tog  –      treble two together
  • WS       –      wrong side
  • yo         –      yarn over

These are pretty standard abbreviations that you will find in most American written patterns.  When starting a new crochet project, I would recommend reading through the pattern to familiarize yourself with the abbreviations used.  Most of the time, you will find a stitch guide within the pattern or pattern book itself showing you or telling you exactly how to make a certain stitch or cluster.

One of my favorite books to use as a reference is The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Hubert.  Within the pages of this book are wonderful colored pictures of stitches, tools, tips, techniques and some patterns.  I like to have it readily available especially if I’m working on a new pattern and have to refresh myself on how to do a certain stitch or planning a new project.

Should a pattern use a new stitch for you, why not practice that stitch over and over again with some old yarn (making swatches) so that you will have it mastered and looking perfect for your special crochet project.  This would be a super time to encourage crocheting to a young child; you both could practice the new stitch/cluster together.  What a wonderful and creative way to spend an hour or so one-on-one making your own swatches!!!

HAPPY CREATING!!

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The Mystery of Yarn Unraveled

Jan13

Since I had a comment about yarn, I thought I would take a minute and briefly highlight some facts about crocheting/knitting yarns.  It is so much fun to go to a store and just look and, of course, touch the various skeins of yarn that are on the shelves.  There really is a little more thought needed when purchasing yarn especially for a pattern or project that you have in mind.

When you look at a skein of yarn, there should be a yarn symbol with a number in the center.  Those numbers actually tell you the diameter or weight of the yarn and then you will find a number telling you the yardage/grams/ounces which is how much yarn is in that particular skein.  So you pick up a skein of that luscious purple that you think will make a wonderful scarf and you read that it is a number 4/100 yards.  So you are really purchasing a medium diameter or worsted weight yarn with 100 yards available for your use.   The Standard Weight Guidelines is a great website to check out for all the industry standards used on the labels of various yarns. https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/yarn-weight-system

A simple review of yarn categories and weights is this:

(0) is a LACE weight perfect for shawls or extra find projects

(1) is SUPER FINE  fingering yarn mainly used for socks and/or baby items

(2) is FINE good for baby and sport yarn

(3) is LIGHT good as sport, light worsted for clothing

(4) is MEDIUM worsted weight for afghans and clothing

(5) BULKY for scarves, hats

(6) SUPER BULKY crafts, rugs

On the labels, you will find the company’s recommendations for what the yarn should be used for and what needle size to use.  When just starting out, I would stick with the pattern recommendations for both needle size and yarn diameter/weight to help you get the correct finished size.  Make sure you purchase enough skeins to complete your project using the yardage/gram information.

As you become more proficient, the needle size might be different based on how tight or loose your stitches are (which is called your gauge, a whole new blog) and you will find that you will either use a smaller size or larger size needle(s).   Also, it can be very creative and fun to take a pattern and use a different yarn than what is suggested, the results can be very interesting.  You just need to remember that when changing anything about a pattern, you will have to readjust your yardage amounts which means you will either need to buy more or less skeins of yarn.  Of course, having left overs is always a plus for those small items just needing to be made.

HAPPY CREATING!!

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