Tips and Tricks for Crochet

[Shandeh]

Do you have any helpful tips or tricks for your crochet projects?

List them here, so we can all learn something new!

[dogfoster]

viewtopic.php?f=151&t=1883

Double and treble instead of turning chain, this is great!

[dogfoster]

Someone already posted about this technique for joining yarn, but don't kow where the post is or what they called it. I first saw it about a year ago on youtube, it is called Russian joining. At the time I thought that is a lot of work to join some yarn, but actually once you join the yarn that way there are no ends to finish. And it is very sturdy join which is nice especially for charity crochet where durability-ease of care-is concern.

Also saw somewhere how to finish off that last stitch on a round after you have pulled it through with a slip stitch.
Now take needle, on the next complete stitch to the left with the front facing you, go up through the top loop part of that stitch, then down through the back part of the same stitch.. The slip stitch then looks like a stitch and you are ready to weave in the end on the back.

[karenarp]

Someone already posted about this technique for joining yarn, but don't kow where the post is or what they called it. I first saw it about a year ago on youtube, it is called Russian joining. At the time I thought that is a lot of work to join some yarn, but actually once you join the yarn that way there are no ends to finish. And it is very sturdy join which is nice especially for charity crochet where durability-ease of care-is concern.

Also saw somewhere how to finish off that last stitch on a round after you have pulled it through with a slip stitch.
Now take needle, on the next complete stitch to the left with the front facing you, go up through the top loop part of that stitch, then down through the back part of the same stitch.. The slip stitch then looks like a stitch and you are ready to weave in the end on the back.

Here is a tutorial:
http://twistyarnshop.blogspot.ca/2009/05/russian-join.html
I like this best when working with single colour yarns. Not sure how well it would connect a new coloured row?
Invisible join:
http://www.gleefulthings.com/blog/?p=1884
http://arpelia.blogspot.ca/2008/10/nearly-invisible-join-of-last-round.html
These should lead to tutorials on what dogfoster was referring to.

I have a tip:
in round crochet, to tell the right side from the wrong side (handy to know if you place your work down) just look at a(n) (finished) edge. If you can see a braid you are looking at the right side. If no braid is visible, you are looking at the wrong side. Not sure if this is true for thread crochet, since it is much thinner, but always works for me in yarn crochet.

[dogfoster]

Thanks for posting the links. It would be tricky to Russian join on new color row I think, you'd have to have really good idea where to place it. If you could get it pretty close I think it still would be neater than working over yarn ends, I just do not do that period.

Now I cannot remember if the second one is what i saw or not. Anyway, it is very close, adding to it my forgetfulness, and my own interpretation of doing things, what I described is pretty similar? Anyway, neater than just pulling through that last stitch leaving one thread. You have to get needle out sooner or later so might as well weave it around that first row stitch.

[karenarp]

Tip:
Crocheting rows (not rounds)
When making your beginning chain on an afghan, add about 10 extra chains.
Then work row one - this is when it is much much easier to count how many chains /stitches you need for the pattern. Sometimes I think I added ten extra and when I get to the end of the first row and count I realize I only added 3 extra.
Removing the extra chains is really easy - gently go to the first chain (your slip knot) and work the loose end through and repeat that till you catch up to where your pattern begins.
This tip works especially well when the first row is the start of a pattern. Then you don't need to add them all up, just work till you cannot work the pattern again.
I like adding one extra chain even for small projects. When you remove the extra chain, you remove that yucky bulky slip knot. Once the extra chains have been removed tie your end in and get back to creating your project.

[Shandeh]

I love that tip, karenarp!

[delgram]

Is there any special cleansing for the Mermaid bag made using crocodile stitch? Maybe something to prevent damage? Thanks,
delgram