Eight More Crochet Tips

Once you begin crocheting and have mastered the basic stitches there is always little problems that crop up inhibiting your progress and ruining the finish of your work. By following these crocheting tips you will ensure a neater and more even finish to your work each and every time you crochet.

Tip 1: Not enough space when working in the round.
Sometimes when working in the round there does not seem as if there is enough space to work all of the appropriate stitches into the centre ring. If you have this problem DO NOT work over the top of the previously worked stitches, instead do the following:

1. Enlarge the last loop on your hook and remove the hook from your work.
2. Starting at the beginning of the round gently push your stitches up together creating a space at the end of the round.
3. Re-insert your hook, tighten the loop and continue crocheting.
4. Repeat this process until you have finished the round.

Tip 2: Unexpected holes in your work or stretched stitches.
Sometimes you may find that you have a few holes in your crocheting that should not be there, or that some of the stitches seem to have stretched as the next row seems to be pulling them. The reason for this is usually simple; you are not crocheting into the correct part of the stitch in the previous row.

To rectify this always ensure that after inserting your hook into the stitch on the row below that you have gone through both loops of the stitch, unless the pattern tells you otherwise, as in loopy holey patterns.

Tip 3: Split Stitches.
Should you notice a split stitch, don’t just leave it. This makes your work look very unsightly as it leaves little parts of stitches across the pattern, which are very noticeable and detracts from the true crochet pattern. The time it takes to rectify these split stitches will be well rewarded in having work look neat and tidy.

Should you find a split stitch remove your hook from your crocheting, undo everything up to and including the split stitch, reinsert your hook and recommence crocheting again. It really is worth the extra effort!

Tip 4: Finding it hard to crochet into the foundation row.
The first row of any crochet project is always the hardest. It can be very difficult to crochet into a line of chain stitches especially if you are using thin yarn and a small hook!

If you are finding it hard to crochet the first row, try crocheting the foundation row with a hook one size larger than the one required for the pattern. This will make the chain foundation row a little looser and the stitches a little larger. This will not show on the end result but will aid you when trying to insert your normal hook into the correct part of your many chain stitches.

Tip 5: Crocheting beginning to curl.
If you find when working the straight line technique that your work is beginning to curl after working the first couple of rows, it is due to your tension. You have crocheted the foundation row tighter than you have crocheted the rest of the pattern. To solve this you have two options:

1. Use a hook one size larger to crochet the foundation row than the hook required to crochet the pattern.
2. Use the same sized hook but make your work (foundation row) a lot looser.

Tip 6: Trouble seeing where you should be crocheting.
When first learning to crochet it can be difficult to see exactly what part of the stitch you should be crocheting into, especially if you use dark coloured yarn. So when first learning to crochet use light coloured yarns and threads, which makes the stitches so much easier to see. Progress onto darker colours as your knowledge and confidence grows.

Tip 7: Losing stitches.
Counting your stitches is one of the most important tips to crocheting successfully. It is also one of the most common problems to find that after crocheting a row you have less stitches than the pattern says you should have, or with which you started with if not following a crochet pattern. The very most common mistake is to lose stitches at the beginning and/or ends of rows. This is due to omitting working in the first or last stitch of a row. So if you find yourself in this position check your beginnings and ends of your rows before looking at the body of the row itself!

Tip 8: Rectangular work tapering inwards or outwards.
This problem follows on from the one above and is due to either increasing or decreasing stitches without realising it! You should count your stitches regularly to ensure that you have not missed any out or inadvertently increased any. Again losing or adding stitches at the beginning or end of garments is the most common error and should be checked before preceding to check the body of the row.

Hopefully some of these tips will be useful with your next crochet project. Just keeping these pointers in mind next time you pick up your crochet hook will in itself help your crocheting to look more professional and neat.

Seven Important Crochet Tips to Remember

We all know the saying ‘Practice makes Perfect.’ In crochet you will find that this is very true, however it does not take too much practice to make your stitches perfect. Enjoy your crochet and follow these easy tips for pure crocheting success.

Tip 1: When first learning to crochet the whole process will feel very strange, as you will have to hold the hook, yarn and work all at the same time as you try to create the various crochet stitches. But work at it, practice the stitch until it feels natural, this will not take long. A great idea for practicing the basic stitches is to start making up a load of individual Granny squares (or one huge square) to get use to naturally and easily moving the hook. Also at the end you can sew them together and have a cozy blanket.

Tip 2: As you crochet, the yarn is guided through your fingers, this is what actually creates the tension of your work and therefore determines how tight – or not - your crochet stitching is!

If you look at a crochet hook you will see that it tapers inwards as it gets closer to the actual hook, therefore it has differing thicknesses. The further away from the hook itself the thicker it becomes. Therefore if you allow your loops to go up the shaft of the hook then your loops will be larger, and hence work will be looser. If you work near the hook itself, your loops will be smaller; and the smaller the loops the tighter the stitches. So if you find yourself working along the hook shaft and not near the hook, bring the loops down towards the hook and give the yarn another pull to tighten the loops, so that they decrease in size.

Sometimes it is necessary to tighten your stitches even more. To do this just pull your crochet yarn again at the end of the stitch just formed.

Crochet tension is important in most crocheting projects especially for clothing. Tension dictates the size of the finished garment. The tighter you crochet, the thinner the yarn and the smaller the hook, the smaller the end project will be and vice versa. So always check your crocheting tension against the pattern to ensure that the finished item will be of the correct fit. Alternatively begin crocheting with something where tension is not so important such as a mat, shawl or Granny Square.

Tip 3: When making project items where tension is vital, always take the time to prepare a practice swatch. This added time at the beginning of a project will save you time and heartache later. (Practice swatch instructions are always included in the patterns where they are applicable.) Practice swatches are just practice pieces of crochet using the hook and yarn that the garment will be made from. Patterns tell you how many stitches and rows should equal a certain length and width.

Remember you do not have to use the same yarn or the same size hook as instructed in crochet patterns. Adjusting the sizes of your crochet hook when you tension is too tight or too loose for the individual crochet pattern, will alter the finished projects size. Just be wary that if you use a different thickness yarn or a different size hook, check tension by crocheting a practice swatch to double check sizes. This is only really important when making any crocheting clothing garments.

Tip 4: Relax and enjoy your crochet, it really will show in your work. Do not hold your hook or yarn too tightly, nor too loosely. Look back at your stitches and ensure that they are all of the same size. Try to allow your crochet hook to move freely and tighten the yarn automatically after you finish each crochet stitch.

Tip 5: Hold your work at all times. Your thumb and forefinger should be holding your crocheting just below where you are stitching.

Tip 6: When joining new balls of yarn always do so at a chain stitch and try to ensure if straight line crocheting that it is at the end of a row, as this makes it easier to weave in the yarn ends. This will also give a more professional finish.

Tip 7: Crocheting with fun fur is not easy, due to its many eyelashes. For a beginner this is not at all easy, as these eyelashes make it very difficult to actually see your crocheted stitches. If you cannot see your stitches, correctly positioning your hook into the back and front of stitches is extremely hard work and can be extremely frustrating. It is therefore very easy to go wrong.

By adding a second ball of yarn of a different type (any type without eyelashes) to the fun fur and crocheting with a strand of each yarn at the same time, you will make your stitches much more visible, making the work much easier to handle. This will make your yarn and therefore work much thicker, so ensure if making a clothing garment that this will still fit and adjust hook sizes appropriately.

Crochet: How to begin

Crochet hooks come in many different sizes and are made of various materials. In times gone by this would include ivory and bone. Generally today you will be using thicker hooks made of aluminum or plastic. Smaller steel hooks are used for more delicate lace work and for Filet crochet otherwise known as mesh stitch.

The size of hook should always compliment the yarn used. There is no point using a large crochet hook with thin 4ply yarn or vise versa or to use a tiny steel hook for double knitting yarn. Generally the rule is to match the size of yarn to the hook, the smaller the hook, the thinner the yarn. Then to actually form the different crochet stitches we will use the hook at the end of the crochet hook.

Different crochet stitches are formed by inserting the tip of the hook into the work, then wrapping the yarn around the hook and finally by pulling the hook through the loop or loops on the crochet hooks shaft in a precise series of movements.

There are many different ways of holding your crochet hook. The majority of people, including myself hold their hook just as if they were holding a pen, with their thumb over the flat part on the hooks shaft. A few people like my husband holds his hook as if it were a knife.

Use whichever grip feels the most comfortable for you. There is no right or wrong way to hold your crochet hook, but it should feel comfortable. As you begin to crochet you will soon work out which hold suits you better and you may find experimentation helps until you find a hold that suits you.

No matter what project you are going to crochet, work will always begin in the same manner and this is with a slip knot onto your hook. To do this:

1. Loop yarn round in a circle.
2. Insert the hook into the loop and catch the yarn with your hook.
3. Pull the yarn through to make the slip knot.
4. Tighten stitch on the hook.

The next stage is to hold both your crochet hook and your yarn. This becomes easier with time and is once again a matter of practice and experimentation. Hold your crochet hook in the hand you would normally write with and in the style you prefer as described above. Then with your thumb and forefinger of your free hand hold the yarn just below the slip knot.

Try to hold the yarn between your index and ring fingers. Any grip you have on the yarn here will dictate the tension of your stitches. Then as you work, allow the yarn to slide through your fingers. Obviously as you do so you will need to keep a grip on the yarn. This will help you make fairly tight stitches so that you can maintain your tension. This as already stated becomes easier with practice.

Each pattern will begin with a series of chain stitches, often referred to as the abbreviation ch in crochet patterns. Each project pattern will require different numbers of chain stitches so you will need to refer to your pattern to see how many are needed. When first beginning to crochet just practice making a long line of chain stitches.

To do this ensure you are holding the hook and yarn as outlined above then put the hook down between the gap between your fingers and the yarn. Then take the hook under the yarn and up the other side, this will catch the yarn onto your hook, - you will now have two loops on your hook. Next draw the hook through the previous stitch on the hook whilst holding onto the yarn. You now have only one loop on your hook. This has formed one chain stitch. Repeat this process over and over again to crochet a row of chain stitches.