Crocheters Thread

[Love Donkeys]

There are no cat or dog hairs on your black pillow. This is a serious design flaw in your living room. On the other hand, it means that your projects are a lot cleaner than ours.

My afghans always have hair or cat fur in them. When they're finished and I throw them in the washer I can't believe how dirty the water looks.

 

[Love Donkeys]

Sorry my replies are one after another. I've finished bush-hogging the fields and today it's raining, that means it's time to catch up with BYC.

This is the afghan I'm working on, I started it 8/10. The pattern is an Overlay Mosaic. It may look hard but it's easy, it's made with sc, dc and best of all you never turn your work.

 

[paintedChix]

Just stumbled on this thread. Very talented people and some beautiful creations!
I attempted to learn how to crochet on a number of occasions. With each person they would get impatient with me, take the needles from my hands along with the thread and say, "no like this", and then proceed to stitch themselves. Both were relatives so maybe that was the problem. I gave up trying to learn and gave away two 40 gallon bags of yarn. Wish I would have kept it to attempt it once more.
How does one learn how to crochet anyway? I've tried to learn from an instructional book with pictures and that didn't work either. Perhaps I'm not cut out for it.

The 1st time I tried crochet, was also with family. In IA, at the time, there were/was a women's group(church group?). They did a lot. Some crocheted, some knitted some "tatted" (dont know if it is right word?). Almost all sewed & some did both hand & machine quilting. All cooked & each had one or several dishes unique to their family lines... I think it was basically a German or Scandinavian "thing"? Grandpa was a Finnish man - did 7 years as indentured ship worker to get passage to US (NOT paid, other than trip to US). Grandma was dutch, I think. Never got story of how they met...

My grandmother & a friend of hers worked w/ me & eventually I turned out "regular" granny squares over the 3-ish months i stayed w/ them in 1976. Remember much less than i thought.... I dont remember them taking my work away, but holding my hands w/ the hook to show me how. Then also, holding their work so I could watch & make same stitches.

My mom both sewed & crocheted. But it wasn't something I really wanted to learn from " my mom"(rolling teenage eyes). Wish id learned more!!

Fast forward. Taking an interest in crafts in different ways.

Crochet finally pops back into my life. When in rehab last year, Larry bought me a crochet kit from Amazon. I used the book to start learning the stitches. Then started looking for you tube videos that I could follow & learn from. Took a while, but I think ive saved/follow 3 now that I can sorta copy now. Nothing fancy. Ive completed several dish scubbies & LOTS of Granny Squares. Dont know what im going to do w/ them.

Made a mistake. I have no real idea which stitches I used from each person. Will take time to go back & figure that out. Should have used the project/note booklet that came w/ kit...

If you really want to learn, watch different types of videos. Maybe watch other crafts, too... I did a cross between macrame & braiding for many years - made a HUGE amount of pony & horse gear that I still have & would use now if still had equine... Used a knitting loom to make some other projects (small, handheld Boye - from Walmart). Have done various others - takes time to become proficient in each & find what works & YOU FIND ENJOYABLE.

Have fun!!

 

[paintedChix]

Oh happy days. Let us know how the kit works out. If you're willing, share the links to the videos if they were helpful.

I've yet to have time to pursue this endeavor, but soon I hope. I just recently found my supplies and some yarn; although I donated two large boxes of yarn about 6 months ago. Why is it that something sits around for years, we get rid of it and then want or need it shortly thereafter? Am I the only with this ailment?

No, definitely not

 

[muddy75]

I got my yarn all tangled last night and had to wrap it in 3 separate balls

 

[muddy75]

The first side of my sweater came out wonky so I’m frogging it and starting over

 

[Love Donkeys]

The first side of my sweater came out wonky so I’m frogging it and starting over

If I noticed a mistake, no matter how far down it is I have to rip down to fix it. It drives Hubby crazy! He always says no one will even know. The only time I left an awful mistake in was an afghan I was making for my sister-in-law, to this day she has never noticed it. I know I'm bad!

 

[Finnie]

Sorry my replies are one after another. I've finished bush-hogging the fields and today it's raining, that means it's time to catch up with BYC.

This is the afghan I'm working on, I started it 8/10. The pattern is an Overlay Mosaic. It may look hard but it's easy, it's made with sc, dc and best of all you never turn your work. View attachment 4236996

Tunisian crochet? It looks beautiful! Can you share the pattern?

I got my yarn all tangled last night and had to wrap it in 3 separate balls

Do you have a yarn winder? There is something so fun and satisfying about de tangling and winding yarn! I’ve found that if you don’t allow anything to pull tight (or at least stop right away as soon as you notice tightening) just about every tangle can be loosened and worked apart. Then you wind it up and it becomes a beautiful cake! Sometimes I wind balls or skeins into cakes just for the fun of it, even if they aren’t tangled or messy. And I love when I find a grab bag of yarn at Goodwill that has messy yarn inside it.

The really good yarn winders are expensive but mine is a (relatively) inexpensive plastic one from Amazon.

 

[muddy75]

Tunisian crochet? It looks beautiful! Can you share the pattern?

Do you have a yarn winder? There is something so fun and satisfying about de tangling and winding yarn! I’ve found that if you don’t allow anything to pull tight (or at least stop right away as soon as you notice tightening) just about every tangle can be loosened and worked apart. Then you wind it up and it becomes a beautiful cake! Sometimes I wind balls or skeins into cakes just for the fun of it, even if they aren’t tangled or messy. And I love when I find a grab bag of yarn at Goodwill that has messy yarn inside it.

The really good yarn winders are expensive but mine is a (relatively) inexpensive plastic one from Amazon.

I think I’ll put a winder on my wish list!

 

[Love Donkeys]

Tunisian crochet? It looks beautiful! Can you share the pattern?

No, it's not Tunisian crochet. It is Overlay Mosaic made with single crochet in back loops and double crochet on lower row front loop. When it is made you don't turn your work. The row is ended, then a new row is started from the beginning. The yarn tails are used as fringe. I don't like fringe so I make an envelope border to hide all the yarn tails.
The pattern (Diamondback Blanket) was made by Casually Kind who is a designer that sells on Etsy.com. There is all different types of crochet patterns on Etsy, the patterns are down loaded to you as a pdf. Try to stay away from "vintage" patterns, sometimes they are extremely vague due to the way the seller originally downloaded them. I made a vintage pdf pattern afghan and it drove me absolutely crazy! I'll never buy another one. I've attached a photo of it.
Some of the pattern sellers will make a graph crochet pattern for you from a favorite photograph that you send them.