Tutorials: How to Crochet

Great, now you have seen something really nice and you want to try and make it, but you have no idea how. Well, luckily for all the crochet beginners, I have a line of tutorials planned out. It will start with the chain and end somewhere spectacular. We all start somewhere right?

To make it easier, I am writing down the links for the tutorials below. This way you have easy access to them. As we go along, I will update this post of links. If you have any questions, you can drop me a comment at any time and I will reply as soon as I can. I might even answer you with a proper blog post - so please, feel free to voice your fears, theories and misunderstandings of crochet.

Now, the not so long-awaited list:

How to make a Slip Knot
Choosing Your Hook Size
How to Handle Large Crochet Projects
How to make a Chain in Crochet
How to Crochet: Making a Single Crochet Stitch
How to make the Double Crochet Stitch

Comment below!

How to Handle Large Crochet Projects

In another post (Irish Crochet Throw Degrades into Tablecloth) I told you about the Irish crochet tablecloth I was busy with. This is a blog to help you start a big project like that one. In another post, I will tell you how I made one of these motifs.

Starting a Large Project

Starting a crochet project right is just as important as ending it with a beautifully homemade creation. You can't expect to start with a chain and end up with exactly what you want without proper planning, unless that of course was your plan. I'm not going to go into details about selecting yarn and hooks, if you want more info on this subject, look at this blog post.

Draw it out

I started with drawing my idea on a normal A4 paper. You can go into great detail if you want by drawing your motifs, or you can keep it simple by using rough forms. I looked around on the internet for some inspiration and ideas. Often the internet will help me decide how to get the look I have in my head.

Cut it out

This part I find really fun. When I was still planning on making a throw, I cut up any papers I could find and placed them where I wanted the actual motifs to go. Each paper circle got a letter on it, which corresponded with a paper I had, telling me which motif will go in that space.

After I placed them as I wanted them, I start making the motifs. Often I will make changes to the motifs I had planned in my head to fit the pattern, or I will change the pattern for the sake of the motif I really like. Go with it.

Put it Together

This is a personal matter between you and your crochet project. You will have to decide how you want your project linking together. Do you want mesh? Do you want a thick, bulky lining? Do you want a nicely hidden stitch?

Mesh

Mesh is open work that you use to put your crochet motifs together. It will look like a spiderweb between motifs, and can look great in a design. Below is an example of mesh. The small balls are pivots and are not a must. There are also plenty of ways to design mesh, so make sure to do research first!

Bulky Lining

This is what I used for the tablecloth. I created the bulkiness by using single crochet stitches to stitch the two motifs together. In the image below, you can see the bulky lining used in the middle of the combined motifs, whereas the motifs on the outside are combined using hidden stitches. It all depends on what you have in mind.

Hidden Stitch

A hidden stitch can be accomplished with the old fashioned needle - work your motifs together like you would work two pieces of material together with needle and thread, but obviously use your large eye needle and your chosen yarn.

End Result

I find it helpful to take a break from my work (if I have enough time) to give my mind a chance to process the crochet pattern I have worked on. This will allow me to notice and change anything that I might not be comfortable with; something I might not have noticed if I plunged right in.

By thinking of the smaller details beforehand, you can save yourself a lot of time, thinking and struggling once you near the end of your project. Just keep focused and plan it out in any way you feel comfortable with.

Just remember: Planning a pattern does not mean it is now set in stone. You can always change something if your artistic heart calls for it. At the end of the day planning can let you down, but following your heart mostly pays off!

The Ribbon Mat - Crocheting with Ribbon

This round mat was crocheted with ribbon and a 9mm hook. It came out soft and elastic.

I love my excuses. I am actually quite good at making them. When I don't feel like crocheting, I would use the excuse, "I don't have any yarn". This time, however, I didn't allow myself that excuse and I used ribbon instead. Crocheting with ribbon was better than I would have hoped.

My first try was with soft ribbon, which is the homemade home decoration you can see in the photo. It came out looking smooth and soft, which it is. My second try I didn't bother finishing, as the ribbon was hard and just didn't have the effect I wanted. Hard ribbon does have it's possibilities, but I just didn't want to use it for anything at the time.

The Pattern

It is made in a very ordinary way, so this is simple and quick for those who need either a quick birthday present or just want something new for the house without much effort.

I will only tell you how to do this in a short way. If you don't know how to slip stitch, then you will need to learn that first (I will eventually make a tutorial for this). If anything is unclear, ask away!

Base: Chain 6 and slip stitch into the first chain to make your circle. Chain 1.

Row 1: Single crochet twice into every chain stitch. Slip stitch to finish the row and chain 2.

Row 2: Double crochet (DC) in the back loops only. You will crochet like this: DC x 2 into the first single crochet, DC x 1 into the next single crochet, continue with this pattern until you slip stitch to finish your row. Chain 2.

Row 3: DC in the back loops only. You will crochet like this: DC x 2 into the first single crochet, DC x 1 into the next single crochet, DC x 1 into the next single crochet and then DC x 2 into the stitch after that. Continue with this pattern until you slip stitch to finish your row. Chain 2.

You will continue doing more single DC in the stitches for every new row you make.

Working with Ribbon

One issue is that the softness made it hard to hide the lovely seam...

Working with ribbon is definitely something every crocheter should try at some point in time, as you get experience working with different materials.

I have tried making this with a harder, see-through ribbon, but it came out looking completely different, and not at all in a good way.

If you want to try crocheting with ribbon, I would highly recommend it, as it is fun and nice to work with. However I will say start with soft, silky ribbon. I will definitely work with this ribbon again in future to make a variety of home decorations!

Happy creating!

Irish Crochet Throw Degrades into Tablecloth: Retrenchment Life Lesson Learned

The Irish crochet motifs that I am still working on.

Things often don't go according to plan. The Irish crochet throw I was working on has now become an Irish crochet mini tablecloth, or something of that kind. Seeing that I might need to move country again, second time within a period of 3 months (tiring and exciting at the same time), I have to lower my costs and baggage. So, dum-dum-dum, the throw won't get what it needs to grow into a full throw.

Disappointment: Only an Emotional Stage

I cannot afford the wool to finish this project, neither can my new sponsor. My mother is so kind as to buy me the wool to (at least) make a small table decoration of some kind. Since I can't take my entire apartment with me, I have to leave a lot behind, and the throw-decoration thing goes to my mother.

It is rather disappointing, as this project was going quite well and I was enjoying it, but sometimes we need to accept we are not in charge of our own lives. We are also having quite an adventurous life, one that I know many people would love to live. We are still young, so we can afford restarting a few times until we truly find our feet.

Disappointment is short-lived, or it can be, if you allow it. You can stay disappointed or you can work with what you have. I went through my disappointment stage, like we all do. You just need to push through to the next stage, namely acceptance.

The Life-Lesson

The Cause

This whole affair was quite a life-lesson. My husband was retrenched from a job we never thought would sell-out or go under. We were comfortable, thinking we are okay now, financially secure, as he got a promotion. Not even a month later, we heard the news: Everyone needs to panic. We are calm through this; our only issue is the rental apartment, which is turning into a real headache.

Life Tip

Never get stagnant and too comfortable in your current situation, as it can change so easily and quickly. If you have wanted to live in a caravan while you explore the world, then start planning. Don't just dream, plan out and then live the dream. Don't plan for years, though, as that is just stagnation as well. Anything can change in a few days time and then you might never get to do what you want to.

Also, don't look at an issue like retrenchment and think "Oh no, I'm done for". Take a deep breath and think of all the open doors, all the possibilities that you couldn't try before. Your safety net is gone, what will you do now? You fly. You go do whatever you wanted to do, because if you do nothing you will be in a very bad situation. If you do something, it might change your life for the better.

We know that retrenchment sucks - it really does, but when we really thought about it, it became exciting. What do we want to do now? Where do we want to go. Yes, it is easy to say when you have the money for it, but guess what? We don't have the money for it, but we make it work either way, because we have to. We cut our costs, we take action immediately, we look for lower positions and we go for it all out.

Different Perspective

My throw is now a downgraded little tablecloth, but at least it is still something. I will post another blog the moment it is done, so you can see that even when it isn't what I wanted it to be, it can still be something great when you look at it in a different light.

Hope you are inspired to make that change and find your happiness in the disaster.

Handmade Gift: My Grandmother's Birthday Necklace

I have never been good at remembering birthdays. I almost forgot my own grandmother's birthday! I am blessed to still have my grandmother. This necklace I made with her in mind, and luckily she likes it. Here is what I did and my thinking pattern for those interested.

Take note that I haven't made any jewelry in such a long time, and I was quite worried that I would have forgotten how. It is like riding a bike - I was quickly able to get the hang of it again. I started off by choosing my colours and arranging them as I would like them.

I decided to give it different levels, which I did through the use of crimping beads. I covered the crimping beads up to ensure that it all fits in nicely with the design. I wanted to use ribbon, but decided it wouldn't really enhance the elegant, yet simplistic look - always know what you want and how to get it!

My table soon looked like this:

Quite an organised mess...

In the end, my grandmother was very happy with the necklace and it fitted perfectly with her top she wore on her birthday outing. There is nothing like giving a gift made by hand with love. Next time, try making someone something rather than running to the shop; most people would appreciate the gesture of time and effort.

Feel free to tell us about your own crafts!