Columnists > Debra Frick > CraftsJune 27, 2007

By Debra Frick

I started crocheting when I was a teenager. I went to visit with my great Aunt Reba and I was bored to tears. She gave me a ball of yarn and a hook and taught me how to single crochet. To this day, I think of and thank my Aunt Reba for teaching me this wonderful skill. The only problem was that she lived many miles away so when I wanted to learn more, I was out of luck. My Mom was a knitter and did not know the first thing about crocheting so I went to the library and checked out some books. It took me quite awhile to learn the patience to finish a project and I always had a few mistakes but I learned to keep at it. I have learned quite a few tricks and tips that would help any beginner so I thought I would pass it on.

Read And Understand The Pattern

First learn to read a pattern; sometimes those abbreviations can be tricky. Make yourself a little chart and keep it with your crochet hooks, that way if you come across a DCFP and are not quite sure which stitch they mean, you can look it up. Even now, I have one that I have laminated and keep with my hooks in a picnic basket where I keep my stuff. Here are two tips for reading patterns: The term "turn" in a crochet pattern means to turn the work over and crochet in the opposite direction. And the asterisk ( * ) is used in a pattern to specify the repeating of certain instructions. For example, if a pattern says " * sk next st, dc in next st. Repeat from * across." This means that you skip the next stitch and do a double crochet stitch in the next stitch then you back up to the * and do it over and over till you get all the way across. Sometimes a pattern will contain an asterisk on both sides of a set of instructions. In this case the pattern should state that these instructions are to be repeated somewhere in the project.

Be Familiar With Hooks And Stitches

Always work a gauge swatch also. It is always easier to change hook size in the beginning than when you are making your actual pattern. Always read through your pattern first before you start. It is easier to learn a new stitch by making a chain and practicing then trying to do it in your actual project. It is kind of like cooking, you would not cook a new recipe without making sure you had all the ingredients. If you are having trouble keeping your place in a pattern, there are quite a few ways to mark your place, you can mark each line with a different color marker as you finish that row. You can cover up the rest of the pattern with a sticky note so that just the row you are working on shows. I have a friend that cuts her patterns apart and puts each row on an index card and then puts a ring through the corners and flips her way through patterns. You just need to find what works for you.

Hooks

You will find as you become more experienced and have worked through some patterns that not all patterns take the same size hook and that keeping track of your hooks can be a pain. There are many sizes of crochet hooks so here is an easy way to remember what size for what project. Most thread crochet hooks are marked with numbers and most are made out of steel and are silver in color. The bigger the number, the smaller the crochet hook. Yarn crochet hooks are marked with the letters of the alphabet. You can buy yarn crochet hooks in aluminum or plastic. They come in many different colors. You can also buy wooden hooks that have been hand carved but they are very pricey. (But would make a great gift).

Another great tip for buying hooks: I found that there are many vendors on EBay that sell lots (meaning large quantities) of crochet hooks. I have bid and won some of these large lots that had between 25-30 hooks for around 15 dollars. Now what in the heck does she do with all those hooks? Well, I made sure that I had 2 full sets of hooks and then I gave a lot of hooks away as gifts. On some of the hooks, I was paying less than a dollar.

There are many ways to store your crochet hooks but here are some of my favorites. The large mini M&M tubes make great holders for hooks and they come in a lot of colors. The regular size also makes a good holder for needles. This makes your hooks portable. I have also made crochet hook cases out of yarn using a pattern. I have used tubes that beads and buttons have come in. You can also store your crochet hooks in a zippered pencil or cosmetics bag or a pencil box. I always have two complete sets of hooks, one for traveling that I keep in my purse or backpack, and one that stays at home. My husband took a piece of two by four and drilled holes the sizes of the handles of my hooks so that I could have permanent storage for the ones I use in my family room. They stand up and are right there when I need them. To make it more fancy and I have had him make several for gifts, I decoupaged a picture on the wood before he drilled the holes, then stained and varnished them. They were beautiful.

Patterns

Now on to pattern storage. I have a syndrome called PAS. That stands for Pattern Acquisition Syndrome. I never found a pattern I did not like. This meant that I spent a lot of time on my computer copying, pasting, and printing all those free patterns you can find on the web. I have found that there are two things that make my life easier, first is to have a CD burner so that I can make a permanent record of the patterns. Second is to have a good printer. When I am at yard sales or my favorite thrift store, I am always on the lookout for used binders. I print my patterns out and put them in the binders. I use index pages to separate patterns and I try to keep them in categories like babies, afghans, etc.

When I find a pattern I like on the internet, I highlight the whole thing, go up to edit and hit copy and drop it into my Word program. I use Word because it will import the pictures that usually come with a pattern. I then name the pattern in Word. In My Documents, I make a folder that says, for instance, "Baby Afghans" I'd I move all the baby afghan patterns into this folder and then I burn a CD. Now if I write all over the pattern or my friends want a copy, I can pop in my trusty CD and print them one. For the crochet books I buy, I punch holes in them with a three hole punch and arrange them in binders also. I also researched the many different stitches you can do on the internet and made myself a stitch guide with instructions on different stitches. Most of these come with pictures and I find them very handy.

Yarn

Yarn also has a syndrome you may find yourself afflicted with and that is YAS which stands for Yarn Acquisition Syndrome. Knitters and Crocheters both find themselves afflicted with this. Here are a few yarn buying tips if you find that you just can't help buying yarn. Always buy your yarn on sale! Michael's and Hobby Lobby usually every week have some kind of yarn on sale. Always keep your eyes peeled for yarn at your favorite thrift store. Places like Goodwill and DAV usually bundle yarn in bags and hang them on the walls. You can usually get lots of small skeins for a reasonable price. Look for hand knit and crocheted items in good condition these can be taken apart and the yarn used for other projects. Yarn is made from different materials some of which are acrylic synthetic yarn, wool and yarns made from cotton and other natural materials.

Here are a few explanations about yarn so you know what you are buying. Yarn comes in many weights and diameters so here I will try and give a simple explanation of weights:

• Fingering yarn is very thin and has a very small diameter just a little bigger than sewing thread. This is used in socks and some baby items.
• Sport weight yarn is the next weight up and it can be used for baby items, baby afghans, and clothing items.
• Worsted weight is the most common yarn and it is used in afghans, clothing items, decorator items.
• Bulky and Chunky weight yarns are very thick and are use for afghans and heavy sweaters.

Handy Tips

Here are some handy tips that I have come up with to help you with your projects.

• When I am starting a project, I put safety pins in every 10-20 stitches so I don't have to keep recounting my chain.
• When crocheting two strips or two squares together, always use a small crochet hook (smaller than the one used) to avoid bulky seams.
• Always weave yarn ends in as you are crocheting whenever possible. Your project will look neater and this eliminates having to do it all at once at the end. This is especially good when working with strips or squares or any motif.
• If you stop crocheting on your project, insert a paper clip on the stitch still on the needle. You will never lose that stitch. When you pick up your project, just take the paper clip off, and insert your needle.
• Always roll your leftover yarn into balls, they are easier to store and does not get tangled as easily. Store your yarn by color in clear plastic storage boxes, this will make it easier to find what you need when you need it.
• To determine how much yarn or thread you will need for a project, see how many motifs (or rows) you can get out of one skein of yarn or ball of thread. Then figure how many motifs/rows it will take to make the project as large as you want. Divide the number of motifs/rows you need for the project by the number of motifs/rows you got out of one skein or ball and you have how many skeins or balls you need to buy to finish the project. Stiffening or starching your projects can be done much easier if you get yourself a piece of foamcore board and take a ruler and mark out one inch squares on it for blocking doilies and other items. You can cover this with plastic wrap and lay out your pieces and know exactly how big your finished piece is.
• I am not a big one to crochet with thread but I do make some pretty great fingerless gloves for proms. I found this tip from someone on the internet but I use it all the time and have found it is a great way to recycle those spools you get when you buy blank CDs to burn. I used an empty blank CD holder I use a standard drill to drill a hole on the side of the cover (near the top). I place the ball of yarn over the post in the bottom and feed the yard through the hole on the side and then lock the cover in place. I've also found that if I cut a piece of the non-slip drawer liners and glue it to the bottom of the CD holder it will stay in place when I pull on the yarn.
• When using up leftover yarn and you have different weights remember that you can hold two strands together of a lighter weight yarn to make it more bulky.

One last tip: Make this the second side of your abbreviations chart so you always have it handy.

• 2 strands of fingering weight yarn = 1 strand sport weight Yarn
• 2 strands of sport weight yarn = 1 strand of worsted weight
• 2 strands of worsted weight = 1 strand of bulky
• 3 strands of worsted weight = 1 strand of super bulky or chunky weight yarn

Hope this helps answer some of your questions and gives you some ideas how to make your love of crochet easier. Happy crocheting!

Editor's Note: Here is a link to some basic crochet abbreviations. Beginners may want to print this out as a reference.

• Basic Crochet Abbreviations Chart

About The Author: Debra Frick is a mother of 5 and a grandmother to 7 grandsons. She is a published author and poetress. Born in California, she now lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and many pets. Her hobbies include crocheting, reading, arts and crafts and bargain hunting.

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