2011 Crochet Corner

**dcompton** · 01-08-2011, 12:30 PM

I'll do some searching around later at work if I have time. Meanwhile, I know you can make dishcloths of cotton worsted weight. Acrylic? I don't know. Not wool. Worsted weight is just the "ordinary" yarn. Peaches and Cream cotton, Red Heart Super Saver, Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn.

For that size thread, the hook depnds of how tightly you crochet and the pattern. I almost always used an H or I. I have one pattern I use a J on, because the pattern is rather dense.

You can also look at some of the free dishcloth patterns on the internet. Check out pattern central. I think the link was posted a few pages back. I don't have it handy. You can google "free crochet patterns" and it should come up very near the top of the search. This has links to bazillions of crochet patterns.

There are people here who make dishcloths and will able to give you more help.

And welcome to crochet corner! We have a lot of fun here, and we'll help you with anything we can.

**Shelli_wnj** · 01-08-2011, 12:42 PM

For dishclothes, I would start with peaches n cream cotton worsted weight cotton and an I hook. Especially for a beginner, this would be easiest in my opinion. For anything else, worsted weight acrylic with an H hook would be a good start - scarves are a good thing to start with. Which starter book/kit did you get?

**renmerc446** · 01-10-2011, 11:51 AM

Agree that a scarf or small dish rag would probably be the best project to start with. They're pretty simple and quick so you don't get bogged down in the 'black hole' you might get with a larger afgan. (I'm sure plenty of you knitters/crocheters know that hole... where you just keep going and going and it seems the blanket's not going anywhere until suddenly, you're at the point where one or two rows will finish the project...)

Another suggestion: don't use any of the fancy, wispy yard for your first projects. It's easier to see what you're doing in the beginning with the worsted weight / "plain" yarn. The wispy yarns hide the skipped stitches because they're so wispy.

Do you have a knitting / crocheting group in your area? The one that I go to on a regular basis is actually held in a local bookstore. Most yarn stores offer classes these days too. If your schedule won't permit that, I think there are some YouTube examples on the internet. Personally, I found a crochet instructions DVD at my local Joann's Fabrics but that was a couple years ago. I seem to recall it was pretty good but I haven't watched it in a while.

**wjcalderon** · 01-11-2011, 09:30 AM

It's also best to start with a light-colored yarn.
It's very difficult to see your stitches with darker colors.
Check out the following website for video instructions.
It really helped me a lot when I was first learning to crochet.
Watching someone actually do it makes the written instructions and still pictures much easier to understand.

YouTube - tjw1963's Channel

**ravenmaniac** · 01-11-2011, 08:31 PM

I crocheted two table runners for Christmas presents. One for my mom and one for my sister. Both big hits. I am working on crocheted hearts for Valentines Day. I would love to crochet a rag rug. I have the hook and am collecting scraps!

**dcompton** · 01-12-2011, 01:05 AM

Ravenmaniac - I've never made a rug. Please show us pictures when you do it!

I've been a big washout at crocheting. Tonight at work I was wondering why I was so tired, and then realized it was my seventh day in a row at work, and two of those were my long shifts. And I have another tomorrow. I'll be comotose by the time I lock up tomorrow night at 11:00.

But I'm off Thursday and Friday, and my plans are mostly just to recuperate. That means playing on the computer, and crocheting and listening to an audiobook. I'll make some progress soon. I have some WIP's that are so near done that if I could just sit and work on them, I could easily finish them.

**renmerc446** · 01-12-2011, 08:11 AM

I didn't get much done yesterday on my current project. But I do have the title of the crochet DVD I have: Crochet Stitches in Motion.

**Labontet** · 01-12-2011, 12:13 PM

Over the years whenever I would take apart something that I had half way crocheted and never finished, I never knew it was called "Frogging".

Either way, I am an expert at "Frogging"

**dcompton** · 01-12-2011, 02:58 PM

Labontet - I could join you on a panel of experts. Maybe we should advertise it, so if anyone in the village needs advice about "frogging" they could call on us!

I've started on the thread snowflakes for a challenge over on Crochetville. Thread is So Not Fun - and I'm using the big stuff, #10. However do you crochet anything finer? I wouldn't even be able to see it. As it is, I'm going to do them late at night at work, where I am sitting under a mass of fluorescent lights! Of course, the student workers will see me and probably think - "I thought she could crochet. Look at her! She's all thumbs!"

**knotme** · 01-13-2011, 12:15 PM

Mind if I join in too???

I had to frog a block I was working on while waiting for my son at scouts. The men that were there waiting too, were like.... Oh my gosh, she is ripping it out. Why???? I told them there was a mistake and I needed to fix it.

Quite funny actually.

I am presently working on an afgan for my first grandchild. ( a granddaughter due the end of this month)

One thing I like to do is put 3 strands on #10 cotton thread together to crochet dishcloths with. Interesting colour combinations and uses up the odds and ends left over from other projects.

HTH's someone out, and have a great day!!!!

**dcompton** · 01-13-2011, 12:47 PM

I hadn't thought of using multiple strands of thread - that's a good idea. I might experiment with that for coasters.

**renmerc446** · 01-13-2011, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by knotme

Mind if I join in too???

I had to frog a block I was working on while waiting for my son at scouts. The men that were there waiting too, were like.... Oh my gosh, she is ripping it out. Why???? I told them there was a mistake and I needed to fix it.

Quite funny actually.

I am presently working on an afgan for my first grandchild. ( a granddaughter due the end of this month)

One thing I like to do is put 3 strands on #10 cotton thread together to crochet dishcloths with. Interesting colour combinations and uses up the odds and ends left over from other projects.

HTH's someone out, and have a great day!!!!

LOL - sounds like something from my k/c group. One of the knitters was saying she knitted a hat while waiting at court. Some of the people around her would peek over to see how far along she was with it.

I use my left over skeins in what I call my rag bag afgans. Right now I'm working on a one where I'm trying to use up all my left over blue yarn.

**Debbie-cat** · 01-13-2011, 07:58 PM

Welcome knotme! Thanks for the idea of using multiple strands. I hadn't thought of that! It will be a great way to use them up.

**ravenmaniac** · 01-13-2011, 08:30 PM

Donna - I'm saving scraps of flannel right now. I'm using old flannel shirts and cutting squares to make a rag quilt. The excess flannel I'm going to cut and hem the edges so they will be 1" strips. So it's going to take me a while to do this rug but it will be worth it.

I also want to crochet a denim rug using the scraps from Parker's denim pocket quilt I'm working on for him. I will post pics when I'm done. When I start hemming the strips I'll post some pics and then do some updates.

By using scraps and hemming edges it will be a bit time consuming but I feel worth the effort.

**knitnmom** · 01-15-2011, 12:13 PM

Hi everyone! I wanted to toss out this website in case you wanted to check out some free patterns. ~ Bev's Country Cottage ~

I love Crochetville!! I haven't visited in a while though.

I am currently working on a pair of slippers for myself. I traced my feet and cut out denim and flannel and sewed them together to make the sole. Then I punched holes around the edges so I could crochet the rest. I've got one done.....but now I have to make the second one to match....oy vey! But I can't wait to wear them!! I will post pictures if I can figure out how.

I don't know if anyone posted this idea yet or not, but you can cut up old t-shirts and crochet them into rugs or purses, or whatever you can think of!