Crochet – 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 much practice for your stitches to be perfect. Enjoy your crochet and follow these simple tips for sheer crochet success.
Tip 1: When you first learn to knit, the whole process will feel very strange, as you will have to hold the hook, yarn, and work at the same time while trying to create the various crochet stitches. But work on it, practice stitching until it feels natural, this won’t take long. A great idea for practicing the basics is to start making a load of individual Granny squares (or a huge square) to get used to moving the hook naturally and easily. 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 really creates the tension in your work and therefore determines how tight, or not, your crochet stitch is.
If you look at a crochet, you will see that it tapers inward as you get closer to the actual crochet, therefore it has different thicknesses. The further away from the hook, the thicker it becomes. So if you allow your loops to go up the axis of the hook, your loops will be larger and therefore your work will be looser. If you work close to the hook, your loops will be smaller; and the smaller the loops, the tighter the stitches will be. So if you find yourself working along the axis of the hook and not close to the hook, lower the loops towards the hook and pull the thread another tug to tighten the loops so that they decrease in size.
Sometimes it is necessary to tighten the stitches even more. To do this, simply pull your crochet yarn back to the end of the newly formed stitch.
Crochet tension is important in most crochet projects, especially for clothing. Tension dictates the size of the finished garment. The tighter you knit, the finer the yarn and the smaller the hook, the smaller the final project and vice versa. Therefore, always check the tension of your fabric with the pattern to make sure the finished item has the correct fit. Alternatively, start knitting with something where the tension is not as important, such as a doily, shawl, or granny square.
Tip 3: When doing project items where tension is vital, always take the time to prepare a practice sample. This extra time at the beginning of a project will save you time and pain in the future. (Instructions for practice samples are always included in the standards where applicable.) Practice swatches are simply crochet pieces to practice using the hook and yarn that the garment will be made of. The patterns tell you how many stitches and rows should be equal to a certain length and width.
Remember that you do not have to use the same yarn or the same size of crochet as indicated in the crochet patterns. Adjusting the sizes of your crochet hook when the tension is too tight or too loose for the individual crochet pattern will alter the size of the finished projects. Just be careful that if you use a different thickness yarn or a different size hook, check the tension by knitting a practice swatch to check the sizes. This is only really important when making crochet garments.
Tip 4: Relax and enjoy your crochet, it will really show in your work. Do not hold the hook or thread too tightly or too loosely. Look at your stitches and make sure they are all the same size. Try to allow your crochet hook to move freely and automatically tighten the yarn after you finish each crochet stitch.
Tip 5: Keep your job at all times. Your thumb and forefinger should hold your fabric just below where you are sewing.
Tip 6: When joining new balls of yarn, always chain stitch and try to make sure the straight crochet is at the end of a row, as this makes it easy to knit at the ends of the yarn. This will also give it a more professional finish.
Tip 7: Crocheting fun fur is not easy, due to its many tabs. For a beginner, this is not easy at all, as these tabs make it very difficult to see the crochet stitches. If you can’t see your stitches, correctly positioning your hook on the back and front of the stitches is extremely difficult work and can be extremely frustrating. Therefore, it is very easy to be wrong.
By adding a second ball of another type (any type without eyelashes) to the fun fur and knitting with one thread of each thread 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 make sure that if you make a garment that still fits well, you adjust the hook size appropriately.
Above all, have fun … Remember that crochet is a pleasant hobby even for a beginner. So grab a hook and get started today.