Crochet-Along Week 7

[Shandeh]

Go to a store like Home Depot or Lowes and get packages of the cushion flooring squares to put together to make a surface to block the large single piece. These packages of squares have puzzle piece type edges so they hook together easily and stay hooked together until you decide to take them apart. Usually they individual squares are 24 inches square so you would only need 9 of them to make a 6 foot square. jaz

I looked everywhere for these mats. The store didn't even know what I was talking about. Had to order them on-line. They are a great idea to block. Never blocked before but a couple octagons need it.

Some people find their mats at dollar stores, in the toy section.

[Shandeh]

I tried blocking clue 6 for the second time and it just won't stay in an octagon shape! I can't steam it due to no equipment to do it with. Don't know what else to do to keep it octagon shape. Will have to hope the joining will keep it octagonal.

I think the seaming will make them get into shape.

[Shandeh]

(But I think I'll stick to knit scarves until my tension evens out.)

Dish clothes are a handy, small way to work on tension and still have something productive to use after. I also like that you can practice different stitches and not be committed to a huge project. Besides .. if you mess up the tension, your dishes won't care!

Thanks for the tip! I'm so slow at knitting compared to crocheting that I'm getting a bit discouraged. A small project will at least make me feel like I accomplished something!

A great small project to practice with is coasters. Little squares or circles. Smaller than a dishcloth.

[generationsue]

So happy for the catch up week! I have been distracted by learning to knit . Still have 1 block to finish...

Ohhh, and so excited to try the full layout! I'll be back to share

Happy week everyone

How did casting off go for your dishcloth?

It went great! I need to post pictures!

[crochetnut]

I tried blocking clue 6 for the second time and it just won't stay in an octagon shape! I can't steam it due to no equipment to do it with. Don't know what else to do to keep it octagon shape. Will have to hope the joining will keep it octagonal.

I think the seaming will make them get into shape.

Thank you for the encouragement!

[Verndolly]

I tried blocking clue 6 for the second time and it just won't stay in an octagon shape! I can't steam it due to no equipment to do it with. Don't know what else to do to keep it octagon shape. Will have to hope the joining will keep it octagonal.

I think the seaming will make them get into shape.

Thank you for the encouragement!

I used my clothes iron, on steam, and held it about two inches above my blocks, it works great.

[dcrozier]

Dish clothes are a handy, small way to work on tension and still have something productive to use after. I also like that you can practice different stitches and not be committed to a huge project. Besides .. if you mess up the tension, your dishes won't care!

Thanks for the tip! I'm so slow at knitting compared to crocheting that I'm getting a bit discouraged. A small project will at least make me feel like I accomplished something!

A great small project to practice with is coasters. Little squares or circles. Smaller than a dishcloth.

I just found some Bernat Handicrafter that I forgot I had in my stash--think I will try knitting some dishcloths since the ones my mother made for me are starting to shred. I think I would like them made from Cotton Tots also--have lots of left-overs from bibs that I make. So many projects, so little time!!!!

[crochet612]

Hooray!!! I FINALLY finished the last of my motifs last night! Now I just have to block them...which I've never done before...but I'll give it a try tomorrow. Mom will be out of the house all day, so she won't get a sneak preview of her Mother's Day gift Hopefully I can try using the iron to steam them...it's going to be an adventure!

[karenarp]

I think the seaming will make them get into shape.

Thank you for the encouragement!

I used my clothes iron, on steam, and held it about two inches above my blocks, it works great.

I was using my clothes iron this way but I don't have the strength to hold it up for long enough, had to keep asking my husband to do it for me, he got so sick of it he went on kijiji and found me a steamer for only $25. Sadly the steamer says you can't use it lying down, so now I have to hunt down a way to mount my motifs so I can get them vertical to steam them. Tried a pillow and that was too soft.
Heading out to try and hunt down the Dollarama one - $1.25 won't kill me to test it out.
My son is a puzzle fiend, so when he was small we used to buy those puzzle mats, which at the time were not advertised as mats, we used to have tons, but he outgrew the challenge of putting them together so we donated them to a church. Soon after they start advertising as play mats and we realize we could have kept them for him to sit on. They were thicker too back then.
We figured if the steamer didn't do the trick for us we got a super great awesome gift for my daughter who learned to use a steamer for her clothing back when she worked at a boutique, so not a waste!

[nankaeia]

Go to a store like Home Depot or Lowes and get packages of the cushion flooring squares to put together to make a surface to block the large single piece. These packages of squares have puzzle piece type edges so they hook together easily and stay hooked together until you decide to take them apart. Usually they individual squares are 24 inches square so you would only need 9 of them to make a 6 foot square.

jaz

I looked everywhere for these mats. The store didn't even know what I was talking about. Had to order them on-line. They are a great idea to block. Never blocked before but a couple octagons need it.

I just bought a pack of foam activity mats for kids. Same puzzle piece construction and I can make it up to 9' square. I'm excited to try my hand at blocking this week!

I tried toy stores, home improvement stores, craft stores. discount stores to no avail. I must have looked pretty silly casing each aisle of these stores. Every store had them in the on-line stores only. My mats should arrive at my door sometime today.