Crochet Scarves
One of the easiest projects for a beginner is the crochet scarf. It’s great for any skill level, it’s quick to make and when you’re done, you can wear it with pride. The really great thing about making a crochet scarf is that there is no wrong look. You can use your favorite crochet technique or try a brand new one. You can use bulky, fluffy yarn, fine baby weight yarn, crochet thread or a crazy novelty yarn. It can be made in one piece, motifs or have ribbons or other yarns threaded through open work. And don’t even start asking about the possible colors. The crochet scarf is the project of your dreams.
The Long and the Short of it
Before you start on your crochet scarf project, take the time to look on the Internet for ideas. The free pattern sites are one place to start but so are the fashion catalogs online. You may need a pattern for a complicated stitch pattern, but you don’t need help from anyone to find out how to start and shape the scarf. It’s straight. It’s as long as you want it to be. That’s it.
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June 14, 2007
Crochet Poncho Patterns
Sometimes when a fashion comes back, it makes a big splash. Never has that been truer than with the crochet poncho pattern. The late 1960s’ hippy look came into its own in the 1970s when it combined funky with crafts-look. If someone wore a macramé belt, there almost had to be a crochet poncho pattern worn over the peasant blouse.
When that macramé faded, and when no one wore shoulder bags made of old jeans, when head bands were no longer worn on the forehead, the crochet poncho disappeared as well. It’s back now, along with everything crochet. You can make a crochet poncho because it’s hot or you can make a crochet poncho because it’s cool but the best reason to make a crochet poncho is because it looks good in every possible style.
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June 12, 2007
The New Crochet Poncho Craze
Martha Stewart wore one when she left jail. Jennifer Lopez wore one in her film, “Monster-in-Law”. It appears that the crochet poncho is making yet another comeback as a fashion staple. The good news is that you do not have to spend a bundle to purchase this fashion statement at the mall. With a few skeins of yarn and some crochet know-how, you can create your own for just a little time and cash.
The patterns for a crochet poncho are truly abounding these days, so you should have no trouble finding something to your liking. There are crochet books with poncho patterns, magazines that sport the latest styles, and even free patterns on the internet for your perusing. A crochet poncho can be created in a variety of materials – from the bulky yarns that will create a cozy cold-weather accessory to the linens and cottons that make up summertime favorites. Some ponchos are even embellished with beads or fun fur for a more exotic look.
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May 4, 2007
Crochet Hat Patterns
If you’ve never worked a crochet hat pattern, you shouldn’t be afraid to try. If you’ve only done flat work before, there isn’t much that’s different about working in the round. The first thing to do is find the right crochet hat pattern for you. If you need practice, try a child’s size hat to limber up. There are many free crochet hat patterns on the Internet.
Before you commit, read through the pattern and make sure that you understand the instructions. Start with something simple. If it starts to go wrong, try another crochet hat pattern before you give up completely. The masses of free patterns on the Internet are a wonderful treasure trove. Just remember that some of the diamonds are unpolished.
Round and Round We Go
If you’re used to working in rows, the first thing you’ll notice on a crochet hat pattern is that you’re now working in rounds. If your crochet hat pattern has earflaps or other flat work, you’ll see rows again. Before you begin, find out if the rounds are worked without stopping. Usually they are for a crochet hat pattern.
First you will need something to mark the beginning of the round. A short piece of yarn in a contrasting color is good. You can just work the first stitch of the round around it. When you get back to that stitch, pull out the marker and work around it again. You can use a safety pin or bobby pin just as well. You need to mark the rounds because it’s very difficult to spot the beginning of a round after it’s been worked over. For counting stitches and shaping, it’s a good idea to know where the current round begins.
If you are familiar with reading patterns and know your stitches, you shouldn’t have any more problems. A crochet hat pattern can start at the top of the head and get larger or start at the brim and get smaller. Either way, there’ll be shaping involved. To add more stitches, the crochet hat pattern will just say to increase.
That only means that you put two stitches into one stitch in the previous round. Decrease is the opposite. Make two stitches into one by starting the stitch and instead of doing the last yarn over, leave the last part of the stitch on the hook and start the next stitch. Yarn over and pull through the last of both stitches. On the next round, the decrease will look just like a normal stitch. Beyond that, all you basically have to do is just follow the directions and have fun.