Crochet tips and tricks

Crochet tips and tricks April 24, 2018

How to join Yarn. 3 Simple Methods

In today’ s post I want to show you how to join yarn. I found 3 simple methods, so easy and not to much time consuming and I wanted to share them with you.

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You can use one of this 3 methods, when you want to join 2 strands of yarn and you need a strong and tiny knot.

You can use this methods when you finish one skein of yarn and have to join a new one. You may also try this methods on changing colors and you can say goodbye to wave in ends.

Method 1

Square knot

Step 1

Lay the 2 ends of yarn in X, one over the other, then wrap one end underneath the other.

Step 2

Wrap the other end the same as the first one.

Step 3

Now tie the 2 strands together with one simple knot.

Step 4

Grab the both ends and pull to tie the knot.

Step 5

Cut the ends as close the knot as you can.

Method 2

Weaver’s knot

Step 1

With one end of yarn make a loop.

Step 2

Insert the second end of yarn trough the loop and then underneath the end of the first yarn.

Step 3

Insert the end of the second yarn trough the loop again.

Step 4

Grab the both ends and pull to tie the knot.

Step 5

Cut the ends.

Method 3

Magic knot

This will be perfect if you have a slippery yarn.

Step 1

Lay both strands of yarn one on top of other, with the ends in opposite direction. Then make a simple knot with each end.

Step 2

Grab the ends end pull to tie the knots. Then let the ends apart and pull only the strand of yarn. The knots will come closer.

Step 3

Cut the ends.

I hope you will find this 3 methods on how to join yarn useful and will help you in your crochet projects.

Bellow you will also find the video tutorial.

Hope you liked this post too and don’t forget to Enjoy Crochet!

Crochet tips and tricks March 24, 2018

Tips & tricks:How to change colors in crochet

In this post I’m gone show you 4 simple methods on how to change colors in crochet.

I’m sure that each of you already have your own method and maybe is one of these 4, but if you looking for a new method or want to find out how you can do this in other way, this is for you.

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All 4 methods have something in common, you change the color at the end of the row when you want to work with different colors for the entire row. When you want to change the color in the middle of the row is a different discussion and we will talk about this in this post too.

Method 1

You finished the row and made your last stitch (in this tutorial I made double crochet but it work with any stitch). You don’t have to finish the stitch, let 2 loops on your hook. Then grab your yarn in the other color and pull a loop trough the 2 loops on your hook, finishing the last stitch with the new color you want to continue. Then just continue with the turning chain and working your stitches as usual.

Method 2

This is pretty similar with the first one, only that before you pull a loop with the new color, first we make a slip knot.

Pull out the loop trough without the slip knot.

Method 3

This time you will finish the last stitch and pull the loop on your hook to make it a little bigger. Then take the other color yarn, insert it trough the loop and make a knot.

Then insert the hook trough the loop, pull the yarn and make it smaller and with the new color yarn pull trough the loop. Then continue working as usual.

Method 4

Well, this time finish the last stitch and fasten off.

Now, insert the hook in the last stitch, grab your new color yarn, pull out the yarn trough the stitch and make a knot.

Insert the hook in the stitch again and with the new color yarn pull out a loop, then continue working as usual.

These are the 4 method to change colors in crochet that I had for you today. Which one works for you?

Now let’s see how we change colors in the middle of the row.

When you want to change the color in the middle of the row, let the last stitch made with the first color unfinished (keep 2 loops on your hook).

Then grab your new yarn and pull it trough the 2 loops on your hook, finishing the stitch with the new color yarn.

And continue working as usual.

You can carry on the other yarn color, kipping it on the top of the stitches and work the stitches over it. In this way you have the other color on your hand when you need to switch again.

Hope this post will help, even if you are a beginner or not. Bellow you will find a short video tutorial in which I am showing you the 4 methods on how you change colors in crochet.

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https://ro.pinterest.com/katerina6795/crochet-tipstricks/

Enjoy crochet and save this post for later.

Crochet tips and tricks March 17, 2018

Crochet tips&tricks. How much yarn do I need?

Every time you start a new project, the first question to answer is How much yarn do I need?

Is so frustrating when you start a new project and in a middle of it you get out of yarn. I am used to buy the yarn online and every time this thing happens I have to make another purchase and not few times I was in situation, that the yarn I needed to be out of stock.

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So I had to figure it out how can I calculate the Yarn I needed from the beginning. This method is very close to the truth and I use it all the time.

Also, after I started to write patterns I wanted to give the approximate amount of yarn for other sizes too. So this calculator is great to find out how much yarn do I need if I want to make the item in another size.

You will see that is very easy and maybe some of you already make this.

Let’s see what you have to do.

After you choose your pattern and your yarn, you will make your gauge. Most of the patterns ask you to change your hook size until you obtain the gauge, just to make sure that the final result will be the same as in pictures. Well you can solve and adjust the pattern to your gauge not your gauge to the pattern. See here how.

You can use this especially for garments, as for other items is not so important the gauge.

But let’s go back to the question how much yarn do I need? After you made your gauge you now know how many stitches you have per row and how many rows. From now on just grab a measuring tape and we are about to do some math.

If you work on a garment you will have to calculate how much yarn do you need for each piece.

Step 1

Unfold 10 stitches from your gauge. Keep your finger exactly when your yarn ends before to unfold the stitches.

Step 2

After you unfolded the stitches, with a measuring tape measure the yarn used for those 10 stitches. Ok, so you now how much yarn do you need for 10 stitches per row. To be more easy to apply this to the number of stitches that you have per row in your pattern, divide the length by 10. Basically you have now the length of yarn for 1 stitch.

Step 3

Multiply the resulted number with the number of stitches that you have per row in your pattern

Step 4

Multiply the resulted number above with the number of rows that you have in your pattern.

After that, you will know the length of yarn you will need. Just look now on the label of the yarn skein to see how many yards per skein you have just to know how many skeins you will have to buy.

If you work with 2 or more different rows, you will have to measure 10 stitches for each row and then, when you multiply with the number of rows you will do it with the number of groups of rows.

And this is it. You now now the answer to the question how much yarn do I need?

I made a short video tutorial with this method and you can find it bellow.

Follow me on Pinterest to find out more tips &tricks and crochet techniques.

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Enjoy Crochet!