Missy Beckett asked:


When you think of learning a new skill like crochet or maybe even knitting, it often seems like it is something that will require a huge investment in time and result in many frustrating hours trying to learn something that looks almost impossible when you observe someone who has years of experience.

Actually, learning how to crochet is a lot less difficult than you may think. I have personally taught people to crochet in as little as 20 minutes. That’s not to say that they know how to perform every stitch and make any project imaginable, but they do come away with a basic knowledge of crochet which certainly allows them to start creating their own items right away. It is very easy to learn how to crochet things like dish towels and scarves.

If you have explored the world of crochet at all, you may have heard the names of various kinds of stitches that sound a bit strange. Things like the cluster stitch and reverse single crochet stitch. Yes, it can take some time to learn some of the more advanced techniques, but there is a vast array of things that can be made with the knowlegde of just three of four easy stitches. That is all it takes to get you started and keep you busy with different project for quite a while.

There are other possible benefits to learning crochet as well. Some people find that they have a natural talent for creating their very own designs and may even decide to start their own small business selling the items or the patterns that can be used by others to make them. Although there are thousands of free patterns available on the internet, original and unique patterns are still purchased by crochet enthusiasts all the time.



If crochet is something you have thought about learning and have held back because it seems too difficult, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. With the proper instruction, the vast majority of people pick it up quite quickly and easily. Don’t hold back. Take that first step today to learn crochet and find out if it is something you will enjoy.



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Kris Perry asked:


eople enjoy crochet for its relaxing qualities and satisfying results. It appeals to a wide number of people, as most of the materials still remain inexpensive and easy to obtain. Young children are often taught crochet to increase their fine motor skills, to help in their learning to count and follow instructions and to bolster their self-confidence. Amongst older people crochet is popular as a social activity and to help keep arthritic symptoms in check.

Many people find that crochet can reduce stress levels. It’s an easily portable craft and can provide inexpensive and original gifts. Crochet can help with dexterity; help with eye-hand coordination; help develop concentration and can be incorporated as part of other crafts.

Crochet means hook in French and this is the name given to the craft amongst French, Italians and Spanish speakers. It’s known as haken in Holland, haekling in Denmark, hekling in Norway and virkning in Sweden. Although other forms of handwork can be dated far back in time, owing to archaeological finds no one is quite sure when and where crochet began.

Crochet is a series of interlocking loops of thread onto a chain using a thin rod with a hook at the end. A chain of loops is created, with each new loop catching the thread and pulling it through the previous loop. After the chain is completed, the thread is then turned to start a second chain. There are a large variety of patterns and stitches. Some of the more common stitches are chain, single crochet, half-double crochet, double crochet, popcorn crochet, and cluster crochet.

In the past it was very common to work directly from a picture of finished work or from a sample. This is why in early patterns many of the directions seem to be missing. Women in the nineteenth century were familiar with crochet and therefore instructions that we need today were unnecessary at that time.

The story of crochet continues.  By referring to old books, magazines and brochures, people find techniques that have been forgotten.  Often crocheters think they have invented new crochet stitches, when they are actually reinventing stitches that have been around for over a hundred and fifty years.

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Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Both a skill and a hobby, crocheting is the joy of many women who get to spend their time in the most pleasant of ways: embroidering, knitting, decorating and more. Varied colors, diverse materials, different objects, sometimes they all get to have a little thing in common: the beautiful crochet flowers used for embellishment. Watch crochet flowers for just a second and you will see that they look perfectly inspired from a joyful child’s drawing: the colors and the shapes are a lot bolder than you’d expect Mother nature to have made them: this is actually the art of flowery transfiguration.

You can make crochet flowers of almost any type of yarn, and then apply them as decorations on a variety of objects such as hats, pillow dresses, tables cloths, bags and so on. According to the season you may toy with models and colors to match holidays in a variety of motifs; variations also result from the choice of rejecting a repetitive pattern. For instance, not all crochet flowers on a table cloth should look the same; you can always improvise in terms of petal and flower center sizes. Even the same flower can have smaller and larger petals in a perfectly artistic combination.

In case you use pointed crochet flowers to decorate a specific house item, you could easily scatter some smaller round ones too in between the larger decorations. As for models, colors and materials, the Internet is probably the richest source to find new challenges and tips for improving skills of the kind. Magazines also provide good sources of inspiration for someone who’s trying to find new ideas for crochet flowers making. Presently, there are even companies that supply you with all the yarn types you may need; simply place your order and have them delivered at home.

You could choose to even attend some craft classes and learn the secrets of crochet flowers making, but many people think they could more easily succeed by trial and error than otherwise. If you are a beginner it is probably a good idea that you start by crocheting simple models, using just one type of yarn. Color variation and more exquisite patterns can only be achieved when you have developed your skills to a certain level already, and you are actually ready to move to the next difficulty level. Many women even discover that they get to improvise various models on their own, without having to check in a magazine or ask for advice. Enjoy it!



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Ling Tong asked:

Whether you are just learning to crochet or you are a veteran, everyone likes to have easy crochet patterns that they can complete very quickly. When a beginner uses an easy pattern and does not have any problems completing a project, this provides incentive to do more and more projects and to graduate to more difficult ones with intricate stitching details. One of the easiest patterns to crochet is that of an afghan made of Granny Squares. There are two basic stitches in this pattern and you can make it as large or as small as you wish.

You need to use weight worsted wool and a Size G crochet hook. You can have all the same color or you can use contrasting colors so that you have all different colored squares in the afghan. Many people who do a lot of crocheting use this type of project to use up all the extra pieces of wool that they have lying around.

To get started making a Granny Square, you make a loop with an end of the wool. Insert the needle through the loop to pull the wool through. This makes a chain stitch and you need to make eight of these stitches. Then you join the loop that you have on the needle to the beginning loop to make a circle. To do this, simply insert the needle through the knot at the end and wrap the wool over the needle pulling it through. From now on you work within the circle that you just made.

You will need to use the double crochet stitch and the chain stitch for the rest of the pattern. Start off the second round by chaining three stitches. This is equivalent to one double crochet and it is how you will begin every round. After you chain the three stitches, wrap the wool around the needle and insert it into the circle, pulling the wool through the circle. Then wrap the wool around the needle again to draw it through two loops on the hook. Repeat this again so that you have one loop left. This is a double crochet stitch. For the rest of this round, make one more double crochet stitch and chain three. Make three double crochets and chain three stitches, three more times, ending with a chain three. Join to the top of the chain three with which you started the round.

The next round allows you to make your corners so that you have the shape of a square. You start off in the same way as you started the previous round. In each chain three space, you make two sets of three double crochets and three chains. These will be the corners of the square. When you start the third round, you always do the two sets in the corners, but now you will have chain three spaces along the sides. You only do one set of three double crochets in these spaces.

You can end the square at any point once you complete a round and you think the square is large enough. Now you can start another square of the same color or use a different color. As you complete the squares you sew them together to make an afghan.

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Amber Green asked:


Hello all you nifty crocheters,

Everyone who knows a little bit of anything wants to make money from it. Theres nothing wrong with that, except that you need to be sincere and careful about the means you follow to make money.

Crocheters are without a doubt creative people full of ideas all the time. Some of these ideas are inspired from other people’s work while some thoughts are absolutely original. You may find the thought of creating an original crochet pattern quite confusing. And I agree with you. There are so many stitches and patterns to work from.

It really is difficult to create an original pattern for certain things. Take granny square for instance. The original granny square pattern was probably the one created for the first time way back when. The situation becomes complicated due to lack of a comprehensive database of original crochet patterns created ever in the world!

Anyway, with so many variables, you can still create an original. Consider the following when doing so:

Crochet stitches are not copyrighted. You are free to use whatever stitches you like.

Understand the difference between original and inspired from. There is a fine demarcation between the two. Take care not to overlap them.

Maintain a crochet ideas journal wherein you can jot down all the ideas you come up with.

Develop your ideas one at a time. Some will turn into beautiful articles, while you will seriously question your creativity when working on others.

Take notes when working the pattern. Capture information such as the type and amount of yarn used, hook size, final size of the pattern, purpose of the pattern, stitches used in specific rows, average time it took to complete, and any anecdote or personal story associated with the pattern.

Use standard crochet abbreviations when writing instructions.

Write down the details. For this you can look at a well-written pattern and follow the headings. Otherwise, use one of the several templates available online. Download one such template from:

http://www.lolaness.com/CrochetPatternTemplate.rtf

Check the pattern thus written by following the directions written in it. If possible, request trustworthy crocheter friends to follow your pattern. Rewrite directions or improvise the pattern if certain steps are difficult to follow.

Include additional information such as photographs, abbreviations, tips, hints and alternate uses.

Determine directions for additional sizes if your pattern is that of a wearable. For instance, if you come up with a sweater, make it in different sizes, so readers can make it in the size they want to.

Double-check the written pattern for any grammatical or spelling errors. Even a single language related mistake is a complete turn off for many. It immediately diminishes your credibility.

Submit the pattern along with its details to crochet web sites or magazines. Some pattern submission links are:

http://www.crochetme.com/submit.html

http://www.leisurearts.com/customer_care/la_information/designs.html

http://www.maggiescrochet.com/pages/designer_guidelines.htm

http://www.breakthroughcrochet.com

Detailed instructions and guidelines about creating and publishing original crochet patterns are also available at, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/229853/how_to_create_publish_crochet_patterns.html

Good luck being creative!!



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