I learned to read written crochet patterns in my late teens, but it was a few years more before I discovered the benefits of the crochet chart. Written instructions of a simple pattern are adequate, however, when the pattern becomes very complex, a written description is hard to visualize. It helps to “see” the stitches …
Protect your dresser top and your jewelry from scratches with one of these easy-to-make Crocheted Jewelry Trays! About a year and a half ago, I graduated to fully adult status and purchased a matching bedroom set. Headboard, bedside tables, dresser, and media cabinet, all in a style and color I LOVE! Yay! It only took …
I recently filmed a video on how to crochet a store-bought purse handle right into your crocheted purse as you are crocheting. (View it here.) You can also crochet metal rings into the purse and attach handles that you’ve crocheted for a perfect match to your work. But how do you make crocheted handles? The …
I love crocheting purses, but in the beginning, figuring out how to handle the handle was my biggest obstacle. I tried a few methods before I landed on this one and liked the results. Adding a handle to your crocheted purse doesn’t have to be hard. You can crochet the handle yourself, or buy a …
How to Crochet a Handle into Your Crocheted Purse Read More »
I love crocheting purses, and I am especially fond of the smaller coin purses and makeup bags. They are such a convenient size and I have found any number of uses for them over the years. One thing I have learned is that they can be very useful when I want to travel light, like …
Macrame a Wrist Strap for Your Coin Purse or Makeup Bag Read More »
Last week we talked about the basics of reading a pattern. Just when you thought you were getting a grasp on the abbreviations and terms in patterns, the world goes and throws another layer of difficulty at you. Not all countries use the same terms to describe the same stitches. The US and Canadian patterns …
It’s officially spring! I’m so excited. I live in the northern part of the US and it gets COLD and snowy and blowy in the winter months. Of course that makes for some great crocheting days when it’s too cold and nasty to venture out of the house. I sit by the fireplace and make …
You have a hook and some yarn, and now it’s time to start crocheting. One of the first things every beginner has to learn is how to hold their yarn. Before you begin, it may help to understand the purpose of threading the yarn through your support hand. In much the same way that you …
You’ve found a pattern you are excited about, and you are ready to get started as soon as possible. But you don’t have the yarn the pattern calls for. A visit to the store proves to be equally frustrating as they don’t carry the yarn the pattern calls for either. Can you substitute something else? …
You go to the craft store in search of a crochet hook. You arrive at the “hook aisle” and suddenly you are faced with a dilemma. Who knew crochet hooks came in so many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Metal ones, wooden ones, straight handles, curved handles, skinny shafts, thick shafts, and some of them …
I love to crochet, but there are times that crocheting becomes tedious or even a strain. Crocheting with very dark yarn, like navy blue or black, can make crocheting less than fun. The dark fibers of the yarn seem to absorb all the light and it becomes much harder to distinguish the individual stitches. I …
Many times I pick up a pattern and rather than giving me a hook size that I’m familiar with — which here in America that is usually a letter A – N or a number for the smaller thread hooks ie. 00, 0, or 1 – 14 — sometimes, the pattern simply gives a metric …