22 Easy Crochet Tips and Tricks

Here are some helpful and handy tips and tricks thatto keep the wool smelling good and prevent static.
will make crocheting easier and keep you more10. Use a three-ring binder with clear sheet protectors
organized.to organize your patterns. Use a pencil pouch also with
1. When the afghan you're crocheting becomes toothree holes for extra hooks, gauge check, and anything
long and heavy, place quilting rings around the endelse you need to keep handy.
you've already finished. It will make it easy to just flip it11. When you open a new crochet ball of thread, take
over when crocheting the next row.the paper and put it inside the center of the ball. Then,
2. When someone asks you to make something forwhen you need new thread, you'll have the color and
them, write it in a notebook. Write their name, whenall the information for your next ball of thread.
they will need it by, and the item they want crocheted.12. Use a tooth brush holder to hold your hooks. It's
Also write down where the pattern can be found.easy to find and you can drop hooks in your purse
When you finish the crocheted item, take a picture of itand go.
and keep it in a photo album so when someone asks13. To store scrap yarn, buy an inexpensive collapsible
what you crochet, you can show them.hamper, put the same color yarns in plastic grocery
3. Threading a large-eyed needle with the loose stringsbags and store all the bags in the hamper.
after finishing a project and weaving the loose strings14. Take a two-liter plastic bottle and cut the middle to
into the project are easier than using the hook. It justmake a door. Then place your large yarn inside and
takes minutes to do a whole blanket with multiplepull the string through the neck .It keeps the 8oz yarn
thread changes.organized.
4. If you are a beginner and frequently lose your place,15. Make your new hook smooth and slick by rubbing it
write the patterns on lined paper, one instruction at ainto your hair.
time.16. To prevent woven-in ends from coming loose,
5. When traveling, use an empty plastic coke bottle toweave on a diagonal line instead of straight up or
keep the hooks from escaping.across.
6. To keeping blocks clean as you crochet them17. To keep your crochet yarn/cotton ball from rolling
before putting them together, keep them in a lockedacross the floor, put it in a small plastic store bag with
plastic bag. Use a small pad of paper and pen to keephandles, hang it on your arm and crochet in comfort.
track of how many blocks are made.18. Use a bobby pin as a marker for the end of rounds.
7. Use a small safety pin to hold a stitch when you putIt slips off and on easily and doesn't fray like scrap
a project away.yarn markers. You can also use bobby pins to hold the
8. The fabric store sells yarn cutters to wear aroundlast stitch if you need to take the work off the hook.
your neck. Keeping cutters on a yarn around your19. Store yarn in a zippered comforter bag.
neck will keep you from constantly having to search20. Paperclips make great stitch counters. Just pop
for them. The fabric store sells them.one on the stitch you want to mark. Safety pins work
9. Keep skeins and balls from getting tangled by cuttinggreat too, and are a little easier to put on and take off.
a hole in the top of an empty plastic coffee container,21. Use a wooden wine rack for yarn storage. It works
then melting the edges of the hole with a lighter orgreat, looks terrific, and is a nice conversation piece.
match to keep the wool from snagging. If you have22. Empty prescription bottles can be very handy for
several projects going at the same time, use labels orkeeping smaller crochet tools like row counters, beads,
tape on the tops or sides of each container to writeand yarn needles.
the project name and other important information.Now that you're organized, have fun crocheting!
Tape a small bit of dryer sheet to the inside of each lid