Howcast

How to Add and Drop Crochet Stitches

Howcast — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:04:33 +0000

Transcript

Hey, I’m Andrea Lemire, the education coordinator here at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio. I’m going to show you some really cool techniques for beginning crochet, and hopefully, you’ll have as much fun as I have with it. Okay, lets get started.

So now I’m going to show you increasing and decreasing stitches. Some people refer to it as adding or dropping stitches, but it means the same thing. So we are going to start with increasing. Increasing stitches in crochet is really really straight forward. Your going to work the first stitch of the increase as you normally would. Now I want to add a stitch. So I am actually going to put my hook back through the same hole that the stitch is coming out of. So I am going back in the same space to make my second stitch. And I am doing it in single crochet but you can do it in any stitch you want, you just put more then one stitch in the same space. And you’ll see that space looks a little bigger as well. So now for decreasing, it’s different in every stitch. So I will show you in a single crochet first. I’m going in my next stitch, yarn over, pull it through. Then I’m going in my second stitch, yarn over, pull that through. So now you have three loops on the hook, these two loops are coming out of two different spaces or stitches. I’m yarning over and I’m going to decrease them into one stitch by pulling through all three loops. And that is the single crochet decrease. The half double crochet decrease begins with the yarn over, and going in my next stitch, yarning over, pull that through. You have three loops on the hook, I am going to yarn over again go in my next stitch, yarn over, pull it through. I have five loops on my hook now. So I am going to make these two stitches one by yarning over and pulling through all five loops in one motion. And that’s the half double crochet decrease. The double crochet decrease starts with the yarn over as well, going in my next stitch, yarning over, pulling that through. You have three loops on the hook, yarn over and pull through the first two. So now I am yarning over again and this time I’m going in my next stitch, yarn over, pull that through. And then I am going to yarn over and then pull through the first two loops again. So now I have three loops on the hook. And here is where I am going to decrease my first two stitches together by yarning over and pulling through those three loops. The treble crochet decrease is very similar to the double crochet decrease. I’m starting with two yarn overs, and going in my next stitch, yarn over, pull that through on to the hook, you have four loops on the hook. I’m going to yarn over and pull through just the first two, and then yarn over again and pull through the next two loops. So I am going to stop here while I have to loops remaining on the hook. So now I am going to start my next treble crochet with those two yarn overs. I’m going in my next stitch, yarn over, pull that through. I’m going to yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through two again. So this is what I want to see just before I decrease those stitches together, those three loops. I’m going to yarn over and pull through all three to make those two stitches one. And so that how you increase and decrease stitches.

How to Crochet Amigurumi

Howcast — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:57:39 +0000

Transcript

So, I’m going to talk about how you crochet Amigurumi, which are the adorable stuffed animals. They are simply a combination of a lot of those basic crochet techniques. I’ll show you on this little fish here the basic construction of how all these shapes are created. So, you’re going to start with one of the beginning in the rounds method, I do recommend the one that starts with the chain-to that’s in the crocheting in the round video, just because that makes a nice tight opening so when you’re stuffing them you won’t have stuffing spilling out of that area and then you’re going to work in the rounds increasing out until that tube you’re making is as wide as it needs to be. And here the pattern would specify how many rounds you’re going to work for that. To make it into an actual tube shape, like in this fish body, that’s when you stop increasing and you just start working in rounds until the tube is as long as you need it to be. At the opposite end, then you work decreasing rounds and to learn how to do that as well as the increasing you can check out the Increasing and Decreasing Video. And then once you’re back down to a small opening again, that’s when you fasten off. And what you want to do is stop almost two thirds to three quarters of the way through the tube that you’re making and that’s when you will stuff it. Fiberfill is a great stuffing to use for these because it soft and machine washable, so it’s great if you’re giving it to a baby as a toy.

So, that’s just one way to make a basic tube shape but all of these Amigurumi that you see are simply different combinations of tubes. So, different increasing and decreasing rounds to make all the shapes that fit together. Each one is stuffed and then they’re sewn together into the animal shapes.

Something else that you might want to keep in mind if you are putting eyes on an Amigurumi and you’re not going to sew the eyes in and you’re using these black eyes here, you want to make sure that you’re getting safety eyes. And safety eyes look like this, they’re in a package and they have a white backing which clips on, it locks in and you’re going to put these in before you stuff that tube. And it’s important to use safety eyes, in particular if you’re giving the Amigurumi to a child or baby just because they won’t pop out and so there is no danger of the child swallowing the eye. So that’s definitely important to keep in mind based on who you’re giving them to.

So, simply all combinations of all those basic crochet stitches, most of them are done with a single crochet, so if that’s all you know so far check out the Increasing and Decreasing video and you’d be making Amigurumis nonstop. For all these Amigurumi patterns in particular, you can go to Lionbrand.com under the pattern finder and the best way to search for them there is to actually search for the name of the animal you want to make and chances are you should find it there. So, as you can see, Amigurumi are simply a combination of very simple techniques. They’re really fun to make, they make great gifts, and they’re absolutely addictive.

How to Crochet Booties

Howcast — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:15:48 +0000

Transcript

So, I’m going to talk to you about how to make a baby bootie. It’s just a combination of all those basic stitches that you learned in all the beginning crotchet videos. Most baby booties start with the sole, or the bottom of the foot. And it starts working your rows with your beginning chain, and then choosing a stitch: the single crotchet, half-double, double, or triple. And for a baby bootie, you would want to choose a single crotchet or the half-double crotchet since it is tighter, so it would make a warmer, stiffer fabric. And you’re going to work your rows back and forth for the sole here, and then, after you have a little rectangle at the bottom of the foot, you then actually switch to working in rounds, so working around the outer edge. And so you’ve switched from working flat, back-and-forth in rows, to working in rounds, like in the crocheting in round video. Rounds are worked for the height of the foot, and then, for this front part, which is called the instep, you then have to switch to working back in rows working up to the cuff area, and then, you join back into the round to make the cuff. And this is worked in a circle until the cuff is as long as you want it to be. So, a great way to combine all those techniques to make an adorable, little gift. And these are the oh-so easy booties which are a free pattern on lionbrand.com, so if you like how these look, go check it out.

How to Crochet with Lion Brand Yarn Studio

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:09:33 +0000

Transcript

Patty: Hi, I’m Patty Lion, studio director of the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York City, here in the heart of Union Square. Lion Brand Yarn Studio is the retail store and education center for Lion Brand Yarn Company, the oldest yarn brand in America. Lion Brand also offers one of the best online resources for yarn crafters, lionbrand.com, where you can find thousands of free patterns, frequently asked questions, and more. Today I’m here with Andrea Lemire.

Patty: Hey, Andrea.

Andrea: Hey, Patty. I’m the education coordinator here at the studio. I’m here to talk to you a little bit about crochet. I learned when I was four years old, and I’ve been absolutely obsessed ever since. I just want to share the wealth of crochet knowledge that’s inside me with you guys and get you absolutely as excited as I am about it.

What Is Crochet?

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:07:32 +0000

Transcript

Crochet is a yarn crafting technique, meaning it uses yarn to make things, and the tool that people use in crochet is a hook. They come in different fibers, materials that the hooks are made from, different lengths, etc. But this is a pretty basic common one. In knitting you have all of the stitches on the needle, all in the same row. They are all open, meaning if one drops off it can fall down. In crochet you only have loops on the hook belonging to one stitch so all you have to focus on are the loops that are on that hook. If it falls off, just rip it off, no big deal. You’re only moving one stitch at a time, and everything’s ended once you finish that stitch. The types of fabric that you can create in crochet are all based on the yarn you choose. Some examples of that are very very fine delicate fabrics like this one. Or using a thicker yarn to make a big thick fabric. Crochet fabric is generally thicker than knit fabric, Knit fabric lies very flat and is thin. Crochet fabric is a little bit thicker, it does use about one and a half times the amount of yarn, for the same project. If you were to knit that project it would take a little less yarn, so that’s something to keep in mind as well. There are so many things you can make in crochet, Hats, garments, for adults, and for babies. Delicate beautiful things, toys the sky is the limit in crochet.

How to Turn at the End of a Row of Crochet Stitches

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:06:38 +0000

Transcript

So, now that you’ve finished your first row of whatever stitch you were working in, you do need to do what’s called turning, to get to the next row. And this happens at the end of every single row that you work, until the piece is as long as you want it to be. So, I’m all the way at the left side of my work now. If you’re left handed, it’s going to be the right side. So, now I need to make what’s called a turning chain, to get to the height that the next row’s going to be in. It’s different, depending on what stitch is coming next. Don’t worry about what stitch you just worked the last row in. All that matters is what the very next stitch you’re working is. If it’s a single crochet, I’m going to chain one. For the half-double, here, I would chain the second. For the double, I would chain the third. And for the triple, or the treble stitch, I would chain 4. So I’d have a really tall chain for the treble. But I’m working my next row in single crochet. So I’m gonna stick with a short chain of one. So now I can turn my work. So I’m just gonna flip it to go back towards the left for me, and now I’m ready to work my first stitch. To find it, you wanna look at the base of that turning chain you just made. And it’s the space closest to the right side of the fabric. When you’re looking at the tops of your stitches, and going in that first space, here, you want to make sure that you are seeing 2 pieces of yarn there. You only saw one when you were working your first row of stitches into your chain. But here, you should see 2. And the reason for that is, we want to go under the entire stitch. Which is made up of 2 pieces of yarn at it’s top. So now that I’m in it, I can pull my yarn fully under that stitch onto my hook. And then I can finish whatever stich I’m working. So, since I’m working the single, I’m just yarning over, and pulling through 2. So my next stitch, I wanna go in that next space. When I’m in it, check and make sure you are seeing those 2 pieces of yarn that you’re under. That’s the full top of that stitch. And I’m gonna work a single crochet, yarn over and pull it through. You have 2 loops. Yarn over, pull through both. And so, you wanna work in every space, all the way across your work. And when you go in each space, just make sure that you’re under the full top of that stitch. So those 2 pieces of yarn. So that’s turning your work. Again, that happens at the end of every row, for the rest of your piece.

How to Do a Triple or Treble Crochet Stitch

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:05:36 +0000

Transcript

So now we’re going to do the triple or treble crochet they both mean the same thing. And the treble crochet is not used as often as the double, the half double, or the single just because it is so tall. It’s going to look much taller than any stitch you’ve done before if this is not the first stitch you’re trying. It’s used mostly whenever you want an open effect in a piece because there’s a lot of space between the triple crochets and so it gives you that open more lacey look. It’s also going to be the best stitch to use if you really want to get that project done superfast, because it is so tall you know one row and you have like an inch and a half done already depending on the yarn you use. So let’s go ahead and make the treble stitch now. And we do have to skip over a lot of chains to make the first one. So a total of four. So we’re gonna count one, that’s where that yarn is coming out of there, two, three, and four chains from the hook. So in the fifth chain is where I want to work for my first treble crochet. It begins with two yarn overs. That’s a whole lot of yarn. And now I’m going under my fifth chain from the hook, and when I’m in that chain I’m yarning over and bringing it through the chain onto my hook. So now I have four loops on that hook and I’m working them off the hook in groups of two. We’re gonna have three different ones so it’s a three step process. The first yarn over and pull through two. You have three loops remaining. Yarn over and pull through another two. Now you have two loops. And yarn over and pull through the last two. So there’s my first treble crochet. Let’s make one more. I’m starting with two yarn overs. Go under my next chain. Yarn over. Bring it through the chain onto the hook. You have four loops. Yarn over. Pull through the first group of two. You have three. Yarn over. Pull through the second group of two. You have two. And yarn over and pull through the last group. And that’s the treble or triple crochet. So work that across all of your chains until you get to the, , end of your row and then check out the turning video to see what happens next.

How to Do a Crochet Slip Stitch

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:04:27 +0000

Transcript

The slip stitch has a couple of uses in crochet. One use is when you’re working on a flat piece. It’s used to move yourself across a row without gaining any height. It’s also used when you’re crocheting in the round to join your rounds when you complete each one. So, I’m gonna show you how to do it. And I’ll just show you in the middle of a row here. I’m going under the next stitch. I’m going to yarn over. And I’m going to pull that yarn through my stitch. But continue to pull it through the loop on my hook, all in one motion. So again, I’ll show you in the next stage. I’m going in, yarn over the hook, pull it through my stitch and keep on pulling right through that working loop.

And that’s the slip stitch.

How to Do a Single Crochet Stitch

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:03:28 +0000

Transcript

So the single stitch or the single crochet is the shortest of all the basic stitches. Its the least amount of steps that exist in any of the stitches. We are going to be working in rows. There is a different way you would be working this stitch if you were working in rounds, which I will be showing you guys a little later. We are going to be making these flat sort of swatches here. when you’re in your first row after you have made your chain, there’s a slightly different way that you go into the fabric and then it changes after that first row. So I’m going to show you both in a single crochet stitch. It is important that you skip over that first chain closest to the hook, where that yarn is coming out of and the reason for that is if you go in that chain, it will undo it because you are basically following that yarn back through and then the whole chains going to come out. So we are going to skip over that first chain and if you’re a right handed person your going to be working from right to left, if you are left handed you will be working left to right in your rows. I am showing you guys right handed so I am working towards the left, so you can sort of position your chain going in that direction, to make it easier to find where to go and where we want to be going for the very first stitch is in that second chain from the hook and if you look at the front of your chain it looks like little V’s all stacked on top of each other and if I turn that to the side there’s a top layer and bottom layer and where I want to go with my hook for the first step of this single crochet. We don’t want to go into the first chain here, where the yarn is coming out of because that would undo that chain, which we don’t want. So the first chain we are working into is that second chain from the hook and what I want to do with my hook is insert under the top of my V from front to back. So I’ve gone into that chain. Once I’m in it, I want to bring my yarn over the hook, swivel down here to lock that in place. Now I’m just going to bring that yarn through that chain on to my hook. So you should still have two loops at this point. To finish my single crochet, I am going to yarn over again and this time I am bringing it through the both loops. and it helps to pull down a little here on what’s below those loops to help get through them. To find where to go next, it’s a good idea to position your hook so its horizontal to your work so that will line all the stitches up nicely. The stitch that we just worked into is going to be a little open, so that makes it a little easier to find and we used up that space so we don’t need it anymore. So where we are going to go next is just the next available space to the left and I’m going to go in with my hook, front to back, bring my yarn through the chain on to my hook, you have two loops. Yarn over and pull through both. And you’re going to do this across every available chain, until you get to that knot, that last chain. So now your finished your first row of single crochet into the chain that is different from every other row that your going to move onto now. So make sure to check out the turning video next.

Proper Posture & Hand Position for Crocheting

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:02:22 +0000

Transcript

So, when you are crocheting, especially as a beginner, I know a lot of people have the tendency to scrunch up, hunch up. And that’s something you want to avoid, just because you’re gonna get back pain. A lot of problems are going to ensue the more you do that. So make sure you’re nice and relaxed. Take a comfy seat in your couch or whatever, and just keep your elbows down, and make sure that your back is nice and straight. So that’s the first step when thinking about posture. And then something else that you want to keep in mind is crocheting is an exercise. It’s a craft. You’re using your hands for it. So you want to be careful that you’re being kind to your hands and your wrists. A lot of people power through, especially if you need to get that baby hat done, you know, for your friend’s shower or whatever. And you can sometimes push through pain. So I just want to tell you guys a couple things to keep in mind to avoid injury. When you start to get tingling in your fingers or slight twinges in your wrists, that is a warning sign. I personally learned the hard way, that pushing through will really cause a lot of damage. And I did develop tendonitis in both my wrists, and so what you want to be careful to do is prevent that from happening for yourself. So a couple things you can do is just be aware that when you’re holding your hook, you want to keep it nice and loose. You want your wrists to be able to flop, and you don’t want a lot of tension in it. If you can see any of those bones in your hand or veins popping out, that would be, you know, extreme. So make sure you’re not seeing that. But you want to see a nice smooth hand, cause that means you’re relaxed. If you find that you’re not able to loosen up enough to be relaxed and crochet, you can use what’s called an ergonomic crochet hook. We do sell them here at the Lion Brand yarn studio and on our website. What it does is it puts this ball in your hand to give it that optimal position that you’re looking for, and so that way, its cupped around that ball and you’re not gonna grip so tightly that you’re going to do a lot of damage. So, the last thing that I want to tell you guys about is wrist position. And this glove that I’m wearing is a great way to make sure that your wrist is in line with your hand, which is what you want to be paying attention to. It’s gonna keep nice tension on those wrist bones so they’re not gonna bend too far in one direction or the other. The stress relief gloves, you can find on lionbrand.com as well as here in the studio. They’re just a great preventative measure to implement. So, all of those remember, just preventative measures, but what you should remember is that crochet is an exercise, so you should stretch before and after. Go ahead and bend those fingers back, move your wrists around a little. And the last thing you should keep in mind is, it’s fun. It’s supposed to be enjoyable. You’re supposed to be relaxed doing it. I know it can be challenging when you’re learning. So if you do find yourself just really really tense, just chill out. Put it down, walk away, come back to it, and just try to have some fun with it.

How to Tie a Crochet Slip Knot

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:59:44 +0000

Transcript

What you have to start with when you’re starting anything in crochet, is what’s called a slip knot, and all it is is just an adjustable knot meaning it can get bigger and smaller. So I’m going to show you how to make that right now. My favorite way to make a slipknot, and there are many ways, so someone else may show you a different way, and as long as it can get bigger and smaller then its fine. You just don’t want to tie a knot itself. But my favorite way to make it is to begin with almost like a pointer with your pointer and your middle finger out and your thumb upright at ninety degree angles. And your going to take the tail of your yarn, and just drape it over the fronts of your fingers like this. Then you’re going to take the long piece of your yarn, the one that’s still attached to your ball, and it’s going to come back around and then over, back over your fingers kind of like to make an X there with your tail underneath. So then if I turn this around, on the backside of your fingers you should see kind of a loop here on the outer side with that long piece of yarn coming to the right. And so all we need to do is either take your finger or your crochet hook and that’s just going to go right under that loop, hook that long piece of yarn, and just pull a little bit through. Now, here you want to be careful that you’re not pulling the entire tail of your yarn through, because then it won’t actually make the slip knot. So I’m just pulling a little bit through like this. Once I’m here I can take my fingers out, bring your ends together and pull apart to tighten. And now I can pull my ends apart to just tighten that up against my hook. And when you are tightening that slipknot on your hook, you want to be able to see enough room in that skip knot for almost two hooks to fit in there, you don’t want it to be choking that hook. So if it is too tight, you can just tug on that knot part to open that loop up and that’s about what you should see. So that’s how you make a slip knot, and now you are ready to make your chain.

How to Join a New Ball of Yarn or Color in Crocheting

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:58:52 +0000

Transcript

So I’m going to show you how to join a new ball of yarn or another color. It works the same way. You can do this in rows, in rounds, any time you want to throw a different color in there, or, run out of yarn and need to join that next ball. So what you want to do is get to the end of the row or the round that you’re working on. So here, I’m working in rows. I’m at the end of my row, and I’m ready to start the next one. So I would, at this point, make my chain, and continue, turn, and go back for the next row. But where I’m going to change colors, now, just to show you how you can change colors using this technique to make stripes, but if you are using all the same color, it’s exactly the same way. I’m going to stop before I chain for the next row. I’m going to take my new color here, or another ball of yarn, whatever you’re doing, and I’ve stopped just before I’m making my chain to go to the next round. And when you are looping that new yarn around the hook, you want to make sure you’re leaving a nice long tail. And the reason for that is you want to give yourself enough yarn to sew back into the fabric when you’re done with everything. So I’m going to pull that new yarn through, to make my turning chain. And at this point you can continue on with what you’re doing. If you need a longer chain for a taller stitch like the double crochet, you can continue chaining with your new yarn. Or if you’re working in rounds, so in a circle, you would just keep going for the next round. So with these tails, at the end of your entire project, what you need to do is sew them back into the fabric, just through the loops on the stitches. And if you’re using different colors, it’s usually a good idea to sew the tails back into the fabric in the same color sections. So this blue tail I would sew back into this area. And my yellow up here I would sew into my yellow stripe. And that’s how you join a new ball.

How to Join Motifs or Make Seams in Crocheting

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:57:15 +0000

Transcript

So, I’m going to show you how to seam or join in crochet. It’s used to join motifs, to seam pieces of a sweater together, anything where you need to join two pieces together, you can use one of these methods. The first method I’m going to show you is a sewn method and to do this type of seam you need what’s called a large-eyed blunt needle. It has some other names like, you may see yarn needle or darning needle, they all mean the same thing. And you may find them in metal, in plastic, they do come in different sizes. Sometimes you might see a big package like this, this is the package of 6 that’s available on lionbrand.com, but you really only need one per project and so you can choose the size of the eye that you need to accommodate the thickness of the yarn, so you’d use the biggest eye for the thickest yarn and the smallest one for the thinnest yarn. So, to sew two pieces together, the easiest way in crochet is to do what is called a whip stitch seams. So, to begin I’m going to come in underneath one corner of one side that I’m joining, and I’m going to do the same thing with the other side. So, I’ve just come through the bottom corner of both of these pieces. Now I’m going to start my whip stitch and the whip stitch has a very fluid motion, you go down through one side and up from the back through the opposite side. So, what the yarn is going to do is loop over the top like this. Keep it loose to begin with because you want to see where you’re going and then later you can pull it tight. So, I’m going down on one side through the entire fabric, and I’m coming up from the back of the fabric on the opposite side. Another easy way to position your work when you’re doing this is to put the pieces together with the fronts facing each other on the insides so, you should be looking at the back of the pieces and this way you can go through both layers in one fluid motion, so that sort of makes it a little bit faster as well. Come back round to the front, through both layers with the darning needle, and your yarn loops over the top. And what this seam does is it makes a nice flat seam, it’s perfect for joining motifs like on this afghan here. It’s also really great to use for joining pieces together on a sweater or a garment because then you don’t get these big bulky seams like, at the shoulder or areas where you don’t want to add more bulk. Another type of seam that’s faster than the sewing seam is a crochet seam and you can use 2 different stitches for them. These do create a ridge on the back side of the piece but they are faster and a little easier to do than with a darning needle or yarn needles. So, some people really like to use the crochet seam instead. So, you are going to use a crochet hook for this type of seam and you want the outside of whatever you’re seaming facing each other on the inside so you should be looking at what’s going to be the inside or the wrong side, the back of the piece so that way you hide the seam. So, I’m going to take my crochet hook and I’m going to insert it through both layers of the fabric, just right through both. And I’m going to pull up a loop. I’m going to do that again, and pull up another loop. And now I’m going to work basically a single crochet stitch by yarning over and pulling through both of those loops. So, what I’m doing is I’m single crocheting these two pieces together, essentially. So, now I’m going to work a slip stitch seam, it starts the same way as a single crochet seam, through both layers of the fabric. Grab the yarn, but this time keep pulling it through that loop. So, you can see where it’s already coming together, and how those seams look. So, there’s a sewn seam and then there the two main types of crocheted seam, the single crochet seam and the slip stitch seam. So, those are just three basic ways to join pieces together.

How to Hold a Crochet Hook

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:55:25 +0000

Transcript

There are 2 main holds that exist in crochet. The first one is called the ‘knife hold,’and that’s my personal preference. And that’s just holding the hook under these fingers with your thb at the base, with your fingers coming over that hook—kind of like you would hold a knife or a fork, hence the name. And the reason why I personally like this one a little bit better is because I do have wrist trouble, and it does act as more of a back and forth motion allowing my wrist to stay nice and straight. The other very common hold – about half of crocheters use one or the other, so it’s pretty 50/50 – is what we call the ‘pencil hold.’ And that’s just how you would hold a writing utensil – so eating utensil versus writing utensil, essentially. And this one is more of a scooping motion so there is more wrist action involved. But a lot of people do find this one more comfortable. So my suggestion to you, give both a shot. Try making one project in one hold, one in the other, and you will find what is the best one for you.

How to Find a Good Crochet Pattern

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:53:54 +0000

Transcript

When you are looking for a crotchet pattern, there are a few things to keep in mind. A lot of people get hung up on skill level, such as beginner, intermediate, advanced. My advice to you is just read through the pattern. It’s just like a recipe. You need to read through it first to figure out what your prep work is, what you need to know to do it. And a lot of people get daunted if they don’t know, maybe, one or two things in it, but I say, try it out, go to your local yarn store for help, give it a shot. Because at best, you’re going to learn something new. At worst, maybe you’re not ready for it yet, and that’s okay. There are many different resources in terms of finding patterns out there. The Internet is a huge database for patterns. LionBrand.com has a ton of free patterns. We have over 3,000 free patterns on there. You can search for them through the pattern finder, but besides LionBrand.com, there’s a lot of other stuff out there. You can just type in ‘free pattern,’ print them out at home. You should definitely check out your local yarn store for patterns, too. Most local yarn stores do have a large magazine database. There’s some really gorgeous magazines out there that have great patterns in them. Books will also have how-to’s, not just the patterns, so that’s one good thing to think about when buying a book. Start building that library at home. I don’t know any yarn crafter who doesn’t have at least a couple yarn crafting books at home because that’s going to be your resource to go to if you’re not sure of a technique. So keep in mind, patterns do use abbreviations. They asse you know what they mean. Obviously, if you’re starting out, you probably don’t know what they mean. So you can ask at your local yarn store. You can also check out lionbrand.com under the ‘learning center.’ There’s a whole list of what all those tricky abbreviations mean, and a lot of them do actually link to a video of how to execute that stitch or step. You should definitely use that as a resource as well.

How to Crochet a Flower

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:52:51 +0000

Transcript

There are two main methods for crocheting a flower. The first one is like this flower here, and this is the rolled rose. And the way this was done is in a long strip. They’ve made the petal shapes and then rolled it up and sewn it in the back. The way you make your petals in a flower is simply by going from shortest stitch, which again is that single crochet stitch, then a half double, then a double, then back down to a half double, and then a single. So you’re going from shortest to second highest to third highest, back to second highest, and then to first highest stitch. So simply by changing stitches, it changes the height of that row, and so you get a very fluid petal shape. In the center, you can also add more than one double crochet to make a wider petal for that tallest point. And of the course the pattern will tell you how many stitches they want you to make that petal out of.

The second type of construction is done flat like this, it’s not rolled. And it’s done in one piece in rounds. So you can check out that Crocheting the Round video if you haven’t already. You’re going to choose a beginning, and then you’re going to work rounds in your petal shapes. So over the first few stitches, you use that same technique of starting with the shortest stitch, the single crochet, moving up to the double, back down to the single, in whatever sort of amount or width you want. And that’s how you get those petal shapes. It’s the same way as in the rolled rose here. And this pattern is the Irish Rose. Both of these flower patterns are available on our Stitch Finder that’s found under the Learning Center on LionBrand.com. It’s a great resource to go to, to find many, many more of these crochet flower patterns as well. And they’re all free. So it’s a great way to just practice how to make a lot of these patterns, and put a lot more techniques into one very small, very fast project.

Some ways that you can use flowers in a piece, besides have a lovely bouquet that never dies, is putting them on something, or making a crocheted chain and putting flowers in between the chains to make fun things like this posie belt here. This scarf also uses those Irish Rose flowers, and they’re just sewn on to a basic crocheted scarf. So it’s a great way to add a little bit of whimsy to a project. And this other one as well is similar to the Irish Rose flower, but it’s a little bit flatter. And this is the Garden Scarf.

So all of these projects, the Garden Scarf, the posy belt, the flowered scarf, the Irish Rose, and the rolled rose are all available for free on LionBrand.com, so go and check it out.

How to Do a Half Double Crochet Stitch

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:50:21 +0000

Transcript

So now, we’re going to do the half double crochet. It’s the second highest stitch that exists out of the 4 basic stitches. So we’re gonna do it into our chain. This step is important. We need to skip some chains. And the nber of chains you skip for the half double crochet is 2. So we’re gonna count them away from the hook. You’re gonna start at the loop on your hook, and that doesn’t count as anything. And we’re gonna count each V, like, little V shapes away from the hook. So there’s one, where my yarn’s coming out of. The next V or space is 2. So the third here, is where I’m going to go in with my hook. So step 1 of the half double crochet is yarn over the hook. And that’s just bringing that yarn from back to front over the hook. And that’s the same way that you always yarn over in crochet. I’m going to insert under that third chain from the hook now. The yarn comes back over the hook. And I’m gonna bring that yarn through the chain onto the hook itself. So at this point, we have 3 loops on the hook. And the last step in the half double crochet is yarn over again. And bring it right on through all 3 loops. At that point, it helps to kind of grab right at the base of those loops, and gently pull down as you’re sliding through with your hook. And that just opens those loops up, and makes it a little bit easier for you to do that motion. So one more time. We’re going to yarn over the hook. Insert under the next chain. Bring the yarn over the hook. And pull it through the chain onto the hook. So you now have your 3 loops. We’re going to yarn over again, and bring it right on through all 3. So that’s the half double crochet. What you’re going to do is work that across every chain to the end. And then definitely check out the churning video to see what happens next.

4 Gifts that Are Easy to Crochet

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:49:03 +0000

Transcript

So there are so many different choices out there for gifts and the cool thing about crochet, they’re all going to be really, really fast. An example is using a very, very chunky yarn and a big, fat hook to make a really, really easy and fast scarf. Literally pop in a movie, you have a scarf done at the end of it.

Other great ideas for gifts? Making a hat. It’s nice and small and is going to go fast because it’s not a very large piece. Amigurumis are great ideas for gifts as well. Amigurumis are those little toys, those stuffed toys you see everywhere and so these can make great ideas if you need something really great for that baby shower you just got invited to next week. That’s a great thing to sort of whip as well.

Baby sweaters also don’t take a lot of time since they are smaller items for smaller people. And again, the thicker the yarn you use, the faster it’s going to go so you can finish an item like this in a shorter amount of time than you think.

So not only is it going to be super fast for you to make this gift, you don’t need to tell anyone how fast it was. So they’ll be wowed by something they’ll think took ages to make.

How to Fasten Off Yarn

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:44:58 +0000

Transcript

So, now we’re going to fasten off. The first step: you’re gonna cut your yarn. Make sure you leave a long tail. Because you’re gonna have to sew that into the fabric at the end. So, now that I’ve cut my tail, I’m going to yarn over with the tail, pull through the loop on my hook and keep pulling until the whole tail comes through. And then just give a little tug to tighten that up.

And that’s fastening off.

How to Crochet an Afghan

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:43:40 +0000

Transcript

So, I’m going to talk to you about how to crochet an afghan, or a blanket. They are the same thing. So I have a few examples here, just to show you the differences in construction. Afghans or blankets can be crocheted either in pieces or blocks, and then sewn together or joined. Or they can be done all in one piece. It depends on what your crochet style is. Some people find it easier to think about crocheting an entire blanket in one piece, and then when you’re done, you’re done. Other people like the convenience of blocks, because these are easier to travel with. And so this would be a great on the go afghan project. And with something like blocks, you can get as simple or as creative as you like. And a sampler, throw like this, or sampler afghan is a great way to practice combining those basic stitches. The single crochet, the half double, the double and the treble. All these blocks are again, your beginning chain. Either the single, half double, double, or treble stitches, and then fastening off. So, you can combine those stitches in different ways to create different textures. But, as long as you know those basic stitches, nothing in this afghan is going to be new for you. A different kind of a joined afghan is what is called a motif afghan. And that is made up of what we call crochet motifs, which are blocks that are done in the round. So if you’re trying to practice crocheting in the round, this would be a great practice piece for that as well. And so each of these begins with one of those rounds joined methods. And then you work your rounds until the blocks are as big as you want them to be. And then they’re joined or sewn together. So that’s another way to practice a different technique if you do not want to work in rows or work flat, back and forth, like this sampler afghan. So 2 different types of joined afghans. Both great ways to practice, and have that project be an on the go piece. The last afghan I’m going to show you is just a really fun one to make. If you want to practice those rows, and you feel like it’s not as daunting for you to work that afghan all in one piece. And this is a great lap throw size. It could be a child’s blanket as well. But a lap throw is about 30 inches by 40 inches. About the same as the child’s blanket. Larger adult size afghans are either 50 by 60, or 60 by 70, around there. And this is a Chevron stitch. A Chevron stitch is a great way to practice your increasing and decreasing. So this afghan begins with that beginning chain. It’s done in the double crochet. And then, at the bottom of every Chevron, so where it dips, there’s a decrease. And at the top of every point in the ripple, there’s an increase. So, decreasing, increasing, double crochet, chaining, all that stuff from those basic stitches, combined to make a really interesting texture. So all of these patterns, the child’s ripple throw, the motif afghan, the crochet sampler afghan, and the summer flower baby throw are all available for free on lionbrand.com. So choose one, and start crocheting.

How to Crochet a Scarf

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:41:49 +0000

Transcript

I have here your very basic beginner scarf. It’s a great way to practice any stitch of your choice, working your rows back and forth. This scarf was just done in the double crochet. Of course, the double crochet is the tallest stitch of the basic stitches. And so it’s a great stitch to use if you really want to finish that scarf in no time. And so what you can do is make your beginning chain as wide as you want your scarf to be wide. And then you choose a stitch, whether it be the single crochet, half double, double, treble, picket. Work in in rows back and forth turning between each until the scarf is as long as you want it to be and then you’re going to fasten off, and you have a scarf. A couple other types of scarves that are great ways to practice other techniques are these. This here is the flirty ruffle scarf. It starts with your beginning chain actually as the length of the scarf, so this is an alternate construction that you can choose. And some people find it a little less daunting to start with their length actually already done so then you have fewer rows to work, so that’s kind of a fun incentive. And then, to make the ruffle, every single row in this scarf is increased rows. So, in the first row, you would put two in every stitch. In the next row, you would put two in one stitch, one in the following, and so on. So you would keep increasing in every single row to make the final row the widest one, which forms the ruffle. A couple other types of scarves that are great to practice increasing and decreasing on are chevron scarves. And this stitch is really really fun to do. And this scarf here is the vertical ripple shawl. So, of course, a shawl is basically just a wide scarf. You don’t have to make it this wide if you don’t want to. And I have another example of a ripple stitch scarf. And this is the Bergamot ripple scarf. And both of these ripple scarves simply use increasing and decreasing to form their shape. So you start with your beginning chain and then you can pick a stitch, again, either the single, the half double, the double, or the treble. These were done in double crochet. And every time the chevron goes down, the decrease is at that lowest point. You work even, and then at the tip, you increase. Work even, you decrease. Work even, you increase. So it’s a great way to really practice changing between those two different techniques, and you get a really cool stitch pattern at the same time. So the Bergamot ripple scarf, the vertical ripple shawl, and the flirty ruffle scarf are all starting with their length finished as well. So, that makes a nice quick project. The whole length of the scarf is done at the same time. And all of these patterns are available for free at lionbrand.com, so definitely go check them out.

How to Crochet a Beanie

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:40:16 +0000

Transcript

So I’m going to talk about crocheting a beanie or a hat. There are a few different types of constructions so I’m going to show you and walk you through each one. So this hat here is going to be the most basic hat to start out with. Going to be nice and easy, done in one piece, so once you’re done, you’re done. And that’s pretty awesome. So I’m going to show you where it begins. Most hats in crochet do start at the top, or what’s called the crown of the hat. And you’re going to start with one of the beginnings that I talked about in Crocheting in the Round. And this width of the crown section. So up to this point is exactly the same steps as in crocheting in the round. So you pick the beginning you want, pick a stitch, and just work out using your increasing until the hat is wide enough to fit whatever head shape you’re trying to fit. And then to make it come down like this, that’s when you switch to just working even or just working one stitch and every stitch all the way around until the hat length is as long as you want it to be, and then you fasten off. So that’s a very basic hat construction, using all those techniques.

This one here this is the woolies ear flap hat it starts the same way. You can use the same construction up until the bottom rim here and then these flaps for the ear flaps are added on by just starting to work in crochet rows. So just like the How to Single Crochet video, if you want your flap in single crochet you can start working your rows and then turn, go back , and if you want it tapered like this point then you can just throw m some decreasing in there. So you can check out the increasing and decreasing video to learn how to do that. And that way you can get these shapes like this. So this is the woolies ear flap hat, and this hat is the comforting blue cap. Both patterns are available for free on lionbrand.com. So if you want to download them, try them out they’re great first half projects to get some practice on.

This last hat here, this is a slightly different construction, it’s a really great way to practice for working your rows, because the way this hat is worked is flat, so in rows. Choosing a stitch working a row, turning, going back until the square or rectangle that you’re making is as long as you want your hat to be. And then what we’ve done is taking the tail that’s left after you’ve fastened off, and you’re just going to weave it through all those stitches at the top, cinch it up and sew it down the back. So this type of construction is great for those of you who maybe are still practicing your rows, aren’t ready to crochet in the round yet. and this hat is called the organic green hat its also available for free on lionbrand.com so now you can see how all these elements that we’ve talked about in the how to videos come together to form specific projects.

How to Crochet a Bag

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:39:14 +0000

Transcript

So I’m going to talk to you about how to crochet a bag. I have two different types of very common bag constructions, both great ways to practice your beginning crochet techniques. This blue one here is done in pieces and then sewn together, so it’s a great way to practice working your rows back and forth in the stitch of your choosing. So it starts at that beginning chain. The chain is the height of this block here, and then you work an entire rectangle that’s twice the width of what you want your bag to be. It’s folded over and sewn together. The strap is just a very narrow piece of crocheted fabric. And then it’s seamed around the edges attaching to the sides to form your strap. So they’re all rectangular pieces. Great things to do as a beginner. Since there’s no increasing or decreasing, you can just work back and forth in whatever stich you wanna choose, whether it be the single crochet, the half double, double, or treble. If you want to practice working rounds in your crocheting-in-the-round technique, you can make your bag in one piece. So this bag begins at the bottom. You can choose any one of the beginning techniques that are in the crocheting-in-the-round video, and then you work your increasing rounds until the bag is as wide as you want it to be. When you want to start making the sides of the bag, then you switch to working even in the stitch of your choice. And again, working even is just working one stitch in every stitch all the way around until the bag is as tall as you want it to be. Then you fasten off. The strips are crocheted separately. Just working your rows back and forth, so you make your beginning chain, choose a stitch, and work a few rows until the strap is as wide as you want that strap to be, and then it’s attached to the bag where you want the straps to go. Two very simple types of bag constructions, both great ways to combine all those beginning crochet techniques you’ve learned. And this bag, the crocheted tote, and the beach bag are both found as free patterns on lionbrand.com. So choose one and have fun crocheting.

How to Crochet a Baby Hat

Howcast — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:37:28 +0000

Transcript

So let’s talk about how you crochet a baby hat. So there are two main methods for crocheting a baby hat. The first one is the exact same method you would use to crochet an adult hat, which is what I talk about in the Crocheting a Beanie video. Basically, you start the same way, and you work your increasing rounds to make your circle. You just stop a little sooner than you would for an adult hat, which won’t make it as wide, so it’ll fit a baby head. And then you start working in your continuous rounds, working one stitch and every stitch, or working even, until it’s as long as you want it to be. And you would wanna stop a little sooner than you would for an adult hat, just so it doesn’t cover the baby’s eyes. But this type of baby hat is really great to practice your crochet “rows” method. This is simply a rectangle that is then sewn at the top, after you fold it in half, to make kind of like a square that’s joined just on two edges. So that makes this point here. And then what you can do is make a crochet chain, joining a new ball of yarn at these two corners here to make little ties. And so this is great if you’re maybe not ready for crocheting in the round yet, and you wanna practice those crocheting in rows. Just pick either a single crochet, half double crochet, double, or triple stitch. Just keep in mind that baby hats or bonnets, you wanna keep pretty warm, so you probably want to go with a tighter stitch like the single crochet or the half double crochet. This baby bonnet is part of the Simple Baby set, which is a free pattern on LionBrand.com, so go check it out.