7 Tips and Tricks for Crochet
7 Tips and Tricks for Crochet
Hello my dear crochet friends! I hope you are well. Today I am bringing to you a bit of a different type of blog post. Indeed, I wanted to give you 7 tips and tricks for crochet which I apply daily. These tips and hacks are so important, and I do believe they can help you too. These are my personal tricks that I have developed over the years as a crocheter. Let me know what you think of these and if you have applied them to your crochet life.
The link to the Youtube video can be found here: My 7 Crochet Tips Video
1) Have a notebook and pen at hand at all times
So this is one of my top tips for crochet. Indeed, I really recommend having a notebook and pen every time you crochet. This is so you can write down all the important details for every crochet project you do. This includes the name and reference of the project/pattern, the yarn you are using, as well as the crochet hook number too. This is to prevent you from forgetting this information down the line.
I often have a few crochet projects on the go, and this helps me know what I am doing exactly. I can sometimes be side-tracked from a project, and go back to it weeks later. Honestly, I am really glad to just be able to open my crochet notebook and find out which hook and yarn I was using for each project.
I recommend using a notebook also because everything will be written within it. This means you know where and what to look for when you crochet. You will therefore not waste time rummaging through drawers and desks looking for bits of papers scribbled onto, or various projects scattered everywhere.
I use my notebook to write down my patterns as I go along. This makes it so much easier to write patterns. I just take my notebook and transcript what I wrote directly onto my computer at the right time.
2) Use good quality materials as much as possible
So tip number 2 is to use good quality materials as often as you can. I am talking mainly about yarn and crochet hooks. So by this tip I don’t mean you should buy only expensive materials (as you know I love crocheting on a budget!). However, I do believe good quality brands can be bought for a very reasonable price, such as Stylecraft Special collections. Usually each yarn brand has a fairly reasonably priced range, which is perfect for a lot of projects. Cheap yarns are really hard to crochet with, and I don’t recommend spending so much of your energy and time on crochet projects if the material you are using is cheap.
Crochet hooks are super important too. I prefer hooks with a cushion grip, and my favourite hooks are Tulip Etimo hooks made in Japan. However, you do not need to buy those exact ones, but a good mid priced hook is definitely going to be kinder to your hands and wrists. It’s very important when you crochet to think of the health of your hands and wrists.
I also love a good pair of scissors and cute stitch markers too.
3) Crocheting in the round hack
This is definitely one of the most important of my 7 tips and tricks for crochet.
This little trick is perfect for those projects where you have to crochet in the round. This means you have to chain a number of stitches, before slip stitching to the 1st chain to form a ring. So this can be a bit tricky because if your number of stitches is high, you can twist your chain easily before slip stitching.
My hack for this problem is super easy and amazing. You should start of by chaining 5. Then take your hook out of the end chain, place it through your first chain, and through the 5th chain you just made. Now carry on chaining the exact number of chains necessary for your pattern.
With this technique, you are sure to never twist your chain. If you want a more detailed explanation, please check out the video I made on You tube. The link is at the top of this article.
4) Leave a long tail for sewing
This is super important to me, because leaving a long tail for sewing in loose ends is so much easier. You can just glide in and out of your project, and once you are satisfied with what you have, you can just tie a knot and snip of your yarn.
You can check out my video on how to sew in loose ends here: Sew in your loose ends video tutorial
5) Use yarn as a stitch marker
My 7 tips and tricks for crochet would not be complete if I did not speak of this hack.
So this is a great tip when you are in the middle of a project and don’t want to stop what you are doing to go rummaging around for a stitch marker. You can just snip off a piece of scrap yarn and use that as a stitch marker. Some crocheters may even say this is the best type of stitch marker as it does not snag or damage your project like a normal stitch marker would.
6) Have a box or pencil case to pop all your tools in
I definitely recommend having a box or pencil case to put all your crochet tools in. This makes your life so much easier. Indeed, this means all your hooks, stitch markers and tapestry needles are all in the same place. It also means that they are safe and protected from being lost or damaged. It’s really pleasant to have a nice, organized space for all your tools.
7) Be Confident
So this is my final, and possibly most important tip. Indeed, it is really important to be confident when you crochet. I know this can be hard when you first begin your journey, however, please know and remember even the most expert crocheter began somewhere. No one is perfect, and that’s absolutely fine!
I suffered from lack of self confidence when I first started my crochet journey, and I know I had to develop my self-confidence on the way.
Crochet is a creative activity so believe me when I say that there are no rules. You can do whatever you wish in crochet, just follow your creative heart. There are no rights or wrongs, just your hook and yarn.
I know that when I used to follow a lot of patterns that weren’t my own, I would tweak and modify them to suit my needs. This is perfectly fine, and please don’t worry too much about the “dos” and “don’ts” of crochet.
To conclude
To conclude, I hope you enjoyed this article. It was super fun to write, and I love writing articles about creative blogging. Don’t forget to check out the Youtube video for this article, and in the meantime, let me know if any of these tips and tricks have helped you in any way.
Take care my dear friends, please do follow me on Social Media, and take care my lovelies,
Xoxo Selina.
2 Comments
Luanne
I just found your website. Bravo. Ive been crocheting for over 50 yrs, my grandmom taught me when I was 6. I always check out others tips & tricks because you never know if you’ll learn something, theres ALWAYS something to learn. Your crochet in the round is a FANTASTIC tip. Thank you. You’ve solved a pain in the butt issue of mine!
Selina Veronique
Hello and thank you for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate it! I also really appreciate your kind words, they mean the world to me. Have a great day!
Xoxo Selina.