General Craft & DIY discussion

Does anyone know of a good beginner's book or site for crocheting? Everything I find just confuses me.

I know one crocheting stitch, but I'm not even sure what it is called. I found some cotton yarn on sale & decided to make some round wash cloths that a gal at work described to me. The first one didn't come out too badly, although when I set it down on the table, my wife burst into laughter because it looked like a bra cup.

I'm trying to make a second one, but it is getting all wavy. Apparently I'm not correctly adding stitches as I go around the circle. There should be some sort of formula for that, but I can't find it even after numerous searches online. Any help would be appreciated.

Increase (inc) in every stitch (st) on Round 2.
Inc in every other st on Round 3.
Inc in every third st on Round 4.
Inc in every fourth st on Round 5.
Inc in every fifth st on Round 6.
Etc.

Thank you!!!

You're welcome.

I can do some basic knitting, made a few things. I've always wanted to learn how to crochet.

I've got the crocheted Speedy pony almost done. The final step is creating the mane. I raided Speedy for some chunks of his mane - he has plenty to spare. The tail wasn't all that tough to do. I just tied a bundle of hair together, put in some yarn & superglued the top together, then sewed it on. The glued up section is a lot like his tail bone.

The mane is tougher, though. With yarn, I can just loop strands through the top of the neck & they fold over nicely making a mane. I don't think my homespun yarn will last all that long & since I have his real mane hair, I'd rather use it. The mane hair doesn't like to bend though. It sticks up like a punk rocker's hair-do.

So I made a press to hold his mane hairs & epoxied them together. I'll see how it came out tonight. I think I'll be able to just sew it on by looping over the epoxy. It should be somewhat flexible, too.

The glue & resin worked fine for the tail & forelock, but won't work for the mane. The resin did get the mane hair laid out & spaced neatly, so I've put masking tape on it & am going to try to sew it on the sewing machine. Then I'm hoping I can cut right along that stitching & use a little bit of superglue to hold it firmly in place, too.

Note to self: Do not sew through something with glue on it. Makes a mess & doesn't work well.

It took me forever to get the sewing machine set up right. I really need to use it more often so I remember how, but I sewed some old pillow case across the mane hair last night. I think I can trim down the cloth & hair a bit, then glue & sew them to the Speedy pony.

I got the Speedy pony done! Pics here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...

It took me over a year to learn to spin & crochet this up, but it came out pretty good, I think. The top layer of his mane needs to flatten out a bit, but I think time will do that. I included a picture of Speedy shedding this year, too.

Awesome job! (nice eyes!)

Thanks!

Jim wrote: "Note to self: Do not sew through something with glue on it. Makes a mess & doesn't work well.

It took me forever to get the sewing machine set up right. I really need to use it more often so I ..."

I'm a self-defense sewer and always have to read the instruction manual to do most any basic operation with my Sears Kenmore sewing machine. But then I met a lady in our Aging In Place group who really knows how to sew! Our group trades favors so I lugged my machine up to her house and got a lesson. Big improvement - and it was just little simple things I should have figured for myself. That said, I recently was forced to move (after 22 years in same apt the new landlord forced me out). So I lost my den with my work table and the sewing machine now sits packed in its box and I have to move earth (if not heaven) to set it up on my living room table for some sew efforts. I'll have to be desperate to fix something to go to that trouble. So, my advice is to beg for some lessons.

I actually did ask & get a few lessons years ago, Earl. Like any other skill, if I don't use it often enough, it dribbles away.

I also have the space problem with my sewing machine. Mine is a nice table with the sewing machine built in, but I use it as my computer table. The table was so cluttered with speakers & such that I couldn't use it without, like you, moving heaven & earth first. I made a shelf behind & a little above it & put most of the clutter on it, so now I just have to move the keyboard & I can sew small things. There's a bit more for larger projects, but it's still quite doable.

My main problem is that I usually just patch my old work clothes, so I don't care about thread color. That means it's probably been 5 years since I last changed the bobbin or thread. Too long!!!

You did a splendid job. It is lovely. :)

Thanks, Rhiannon!

I'm almost 2/3 of the way done making the granny squares for the upcoming grand monster's baby blanket. The Boss decided it should be 8x12 squares for a total of 96. I'm up to 62. Easy to count since I've made up a list of the 3 color combinations that I want to use & check them off as I do so.

I started it before we knew the sex (supposed to be a boy) so I used blue, white, & pink. Each granny square is made up of 3 rings alternating the colors & the colors vary. It's a good way to use up bits of yarn I've been collecting since I'm too cheap to buy it new when I can find lots of it at the GoodWill. Some are solid colors, others mixtures. It will be pretty busy looking. Probably make everyone cross eyed.

I'm not sure I'll need that many, though. I originally thought I'd sew the squares together, but now I'm thinking it might be nice to crochet or knit them together with some sort of bordering stitch between them & something frilly on the outer edge to hold it all together. I haven't gotten around to looking on Ravelry or CrochetMe, yet. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Crocheting is apparently a good way to pick up chicks. I went to get yarn the other day & was trying to figure out a color to go in between the squares, also had to switch brands for a color & the yarn, although 4 ply, looked & felt thicker, so I asked the first lady that came along.

She was a very pretty younger lady (45) with 2 girls (12 & 15), 4th grade teacher, no husband mentioned... I had 5 helping me before I got out of there. I told Marg she might have some competition.
;-)

All the granny squares are made! Now I just have to decide how to put them together.

I looked around & didn't find any way to put the granny squares together that I really liked, so I made up my own way, kind of a combination of several ways. I'm doing 3 stitches between each stitch on the edge of the squares. The first & last catch the edge of the square & the one in between catches the previous one in between. It's in a color not used in any of the squares. It looks pretty good.

I just learned to crochet and I love it! Right now I'm making an amigurumi octopus and a pair of arm/wrist warmers. I'm trying to write out a pattern for the wrist warmers, so the pair actually looks like a pair. Its a bit of trial and error...

It is relaxing & amazing. My son saw some of the stuff I'd made & mentioned how cool it was that so many different things could be created just by hooking yarn together in different ways. He's right.

The kids loved the baby blanket & pony that I made for the grandmonster. My DIL has them both in the bassinet already.
:-)

Okay, I have a question. When crocheting in the round (trying to make a tube-like apparatus) do you always join with a slip stitch and then chain one, or do you just work in a spiral-like way? I can't seem to get a straight answer.

I just do it like a spiral, but that does show that way especially when switching colors. It's not bad on pony feet or the pony head I've tried it on. If I wanted it to end flat, I'd try to end the loop, then slip stitch up, then chain one over, I think. I'm no expert, though. Fiddle with something small & let me know, please.

The way I've been doing it so far is to slip stitch the beginning and end of the chain and then spiraling. We'll see if I can get the pair done before school starts. (I foresee many late nights in my future.) Thanks!

Okay, last question before I finish the first of the pair. Shells. I know you chain x, skip y number of stitches, single crochet 5 or 7 into one stitch, chain x, skip y number of stitches, and anchor it. My questions are as follows: How many do you chain on either side (that's the x)? How many stitches do you skip (this is the y)? Do you do the 5 or 7 stitches in the same stitch you anchor the chain in? Or do I have this totally wrong?

I've been meaning to post the pictures of the grandmonster's baby blanket. Here's the whole thing.



Here is a close up of part of it. It's mostly triple crochets both to make the granny squares & the edging. Three single crochet stitches hold the squares together.



I also sent along this crochet pony I made while practicing for the Speedy pony.



You can see the change at the top of the hooves & the spiral.

Lady Alexandra wrote: "Okay, last question before I finish the first of the pair. Shells. I know you chain x, skip y number of stitches, single crochet 5 or 7 into one stitch, chain x, skip y number of stitches, and anch..."

Sorry, I'm clueless.

That's a beautiful blanket! I think I might have to look up how to do shells, although given some of my latest searches, it probably won't help. Oh well, thanks anyways!

Where are you looking? I use crochetme.com, knittingdaily.com, lionbrand.com, & ravelry.com, although general Google searches can be even more productive, especially on YouTube.

Crochetgeek.com has a page on them here with links to YouTube videos:
http://www.crochetgeek.com/2007/12/cr...

Thanks for the ideas! I'll see what I can find.

I can't read written instructions for making anything but the simplest stitches & sometimes even those confuse me, but if I watch a video, I usually pick it up immediately. For one complicated operation, I had my daughter help me. She paused & rewound the video for me until I worked through it a couple of times. Don't recall what that was any more.

I can figure out most of the written patterns (most being the key word here). Writing patterns is a tad confusing and reading the charts seems mind-boggling.

I wasn't clear. Patterns I can usually read, although I'm a beginner so I stick to fairly simple ones. What I can't read is how to make different stitches easily, if at all. The granny squares used a triple crochet stitch & I tried for a while, but just didn't get it. A minute of a YouTube video & I had it, though.

Oh... I took a class at one of the craft stores near my house. People learn in different ways, I suppose.

I've never been good at learning in class. I'm more of a fiddler. I have very good reasoning & spatial skills, so tend to get bored while learning at the normal rate. Of course, I tend to get in over my head, too. Oh well, yarn is cheap.
;-)

I was one of three people in the class, so we all got to go our own speed. As for the shells, it seems that there is no 'one way.' It's basically:
Single crochet in the first stitch, chain 2, skip two stitches, double (or triple/treble) crochet 5 (or 7) in that third stitch, and repeat for the rest of the border.
Now, to finish that first wrist warmer... I've a mere six (sort of) days to do the second one.

Good luck. That seems pretty complicated to me. I think I'd lose count.

It sort of fell into a pattern for me. And I finally finished the first one! I'll try to start the next one tomorrow.

Congrats! That's what happened to me with the granny squares, eventually. I ruined a number at first, though.

Hi everyone, I just joined the group. My name is Maria. I enjoy all sorts of crafts but particularly cake decorating and crochet. In fact I've just been asked to teach a crochet class in my local village. Any tips or insights you might have will be appreciated. Thanks

Welcome, Maria. Sorry, I'm a tyro & a horrible student to teach. The thing I like best about classes is being able to do my own thing.
;)

I've decided to crochet an afghan. We have a few around, but all save one are too short by 2' or so. I have a lot of baby yarn around - found it on sale at Walmart & thought I'd make baby stuff out of it. I did a couple of projects, but don't care much for the tiny stitches. Besides, the kids aren't spitting out babies, so there is no need.

Anyway, I looked around & decided to try to use a big crochet hook with the thin yarn to make one with a fan pattern to it. It's just a triple crochet every 4 stitches. I hope it's not too loose, but we'll see. I'll change colors every now & then to create stripes. I have lots of white, baby blue, a light pastel green, & yellow.

Hah. As soon as I say the kids aren't having babies & got the afghan going well, I find out another grandmonster is on its way.

Kerry Lord has many good crochet patterns, largely meant to be simple and interchangeable.