Tips & Techniques
This is the place you will find “how tos” for the things most trending in the crochet world, along with all the basic tips and techniques you need to make your favourite crochet projects.
My mission is to help educate and inspire you along your crochet journey…which I am happy to say seems to never end. I am learning new things about yarn, tools and stitches everyday myself and am eager to share them with you.
Tip: Bobby pins and paper clips make great stitch markers too.
POSTS
• Gauge Swatches – don’t loathe them anymore
• How to Crochet C2C
• How to Crochet Back Bar Double Crochet (BBDC) / Front Bar Double Crochet (FBDC)
• How to Crochet Stacked Single Crochet (stsc)
• How to Make Butterfly Yarn Bobbins
• How to Refresh Your Poms
• How to Sew Amigurumi Parts Together
• How to Weave in Ends
• Select Colour For Your Crochet Project
• To Block or Not to Block
• Yarn Hack – get coordinating colourway
How to Select Colours for your Crochet Projects
Putting colours together that are pleasing to the eye can be a challenge for many crocheters. There are all kinds of formulas that work when using the colour wheel, but those formulas can be tricky to understand. One of my favourite ways to come up with a colour pallet is to use a picture for suggestions. Google a picture with the colours you are working with. The picture can be of anything, landscape, fashion, decor, advertisement…they all work.
To the left, is the picture that I found when I googled “picture with cranberry and blue”. There were lots of pictures that came up, some of which had colours that I wouldn’t have thought of using yet looked really good, but I selected this one as it was the closest to the colours of yarn I had on hand. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
How to Crochet Back / Front Bar Double Crochet (BBDC / FBDC)
The back bar double crochet (BBDC) and front bar double crochet (FBDC) add decorative texture and interest to your crochet projects. It has been used as one of the feature stitches on my Flower of Life Comfort Shawl .
• How to Crochet the Stacked Single Crochet Stitch (stsc)
Use the stacked single crochet to replace a turn chain 2 on a pattern. The stsc provides a straight edge on the sides of your fabric with no gaps between the first stitch and the rest of the row.
Pattern: Heather’s Shawl…coming soon
How to Sew Amigurumi Together
Don’t be afraid of sewing amigurumi parts together. This video tutorial will show you how easy it can be. Learn how to take the wobble out of the head and keep the limbs securely attached regardless of how much playtime your project gets.
Pattern: Bunny Buns Lovely
How to Weave in Ends
Learn how I weave in ends on my crochet projects.
I am using the Sly the Fox Blanket to demonstrate how I weave in ends, but I use the same technique for all my project. I prefer to sew in the ends rather than crocheting over them so I am sure they don’t poke out.
How to Crochet C2C
The C2C crochet technique makes a beautiful texture for blankets and afghans. It is also a fun way to add images to baby blankets called graphgans (see the Sly the Fox blanket). On this video you will learn how to make a tile, and then increase and decrease tiles.. Once you master these techniques, you can make any C2C project.
Butterfly Yarn Bobbins –
Colour work crochet such as tapestry crochet, intarsia crochet and Corner-to-Corner (C2C) graphgans usually requires multiple balls of yarn and often they don’t need to be full balls. Butterfly yarn bobbins allow you to make smaller balls from the same skein to use throughout your project.
Yarn bobbins also reduce your colours getting tangled up as when they are not in use, they can be conveniently clipped to your project waiting for their next use
Yarn Hack –
Do you get frustrated trying to find coordinated yarn colours in the same yarn series. This hack might help solve that problem for you as it has for me.
“To block or not to black”….that is the question. For some blocking a project seems scary, but it’s not.
I don’t block everything, but some things are better after blocking. Here are some of the results I like:
– gives more definition to open work
– relaxes stitches
– straightens edges
– if row are drawing in, it helps to relax them and stretch them out
– gives nice “hand” to the fabric, meaning a nicer drape
What you need for Steam Blocking
1. BLOCKING MAT: I use yoga mats for blocking. They can be put end to end for longer items or side by side for wider makes. There are blocking mats available too or you can use some heavy towels or blankets. Whatever you use it needs to be stable enough to not shift when you pin to it.
2. BLOCKING PINS: There are a variety of pins and bars to use. I have basic pins purchased at Wal-Mart.
3. STEAMING DEVICE: Either an iron that has a good steaming option or a hand steamer.
HOW TO STEAM BLOCK
1. Pin your make onto the mat ensuring that the item is in the desired finished shape you want.
2. Hold the steaming device ABOVE your make, steaming in small sections. You might have to adjust your pin placement as you use your HAND to smooth out any open work, easy in any stretched sections and/or stretch a section that may be drawn in. Apply some pressure with your HAND to press the steam into the yarn fibers. DO NO APPLY IRON DIRECTLY ONTO YOUR MAKE AS YOU CAN MELT THE FIBERS IF IS SYNETHIC YARN.
3. Leave your item pinned to the mat until it is cooled down and totally dried. I usually leave it over night.
Refresh Your Poms
If your poms are looking a little worse for wear, use your hairdryer on medium heat to fluff them and then on cold to set the fibers. They will look like new again in a jiffy.
