Archive for: February 2007

The colorful styles of today, combined with the easy accessibility of all sorts of beads, makes it natural to want to add lots of beading to any crochet project. As with all things crochet, the process is easier than the finished project makes it look. Just remember, when you choose the materials for your project, that the beads have to fit on the thread or yarn that you will be using so make sure the hole in the bead is the right size.

Ready, Set, Bead

Some kind of beading is appropriate for any kind of project except baby things. Little baby fingers can get into many kinds of stitches and everything that comes off goes into the mouth. With the one and only warning out of the way, we’re ready to begin. Decide where you want your beads to go and about how many you’ll need. Just place the necessary beads onto the yarn or thread in the reverse order that you’ll need them and you’re ready to crochet beads onto any project.

As you get to the stitch where the bead goes, feed it up to the hook. Start the stitch as usual and just before the last yarn over, put the bead in place. The last part of the stitch locks it down. This method can be used to scatter clear, shiny beads randomly across the front of a sweater, or to crochet beads of the same color around the collar of an evening top. You can crochet beads of a contrasting color onto a lace motif to accent the fancy design.

If a project calls for sewing on the beads, use the same yarn or thread that you used to crochet the project and only the beads will show. On a tightly crocheted area, use an embroidery half-cross stitch to fasten each bead. Open, lacy work calls for you to crochet beads on. If a project calls for embroidery, you can use the little seed beads instead of – or in addition to – colored embroidery thread. You can accent embroidered or crocheted flowers with beaded dew with this method. Or you can add a little black eye to a lacy swan.

To add a fringe of beads while you are crocheting, use the first method. Feed the beads onto the yarn or thread before beginning the project. As you come to the fringe stitch, feed the beads you will need up to the hook. You should be looking at the wrong side of the project and the beads will go on the side away from you. Make a chain the length of the fringe and crochet beads into each chain stitch and then into each single stitch going back to the row. These methods are elegant, easy and versatile – in other words: crochet.

You must have at sometime or another seen a crochet bag somewhere. Whoever sees a crochet bag cannot help but be moved by its exquisiteness. These crochet bags are normally used as hand bags for different purposes depending upon personal preference.

A Crochet Bag Makes For a Great Gift Item

Learning to make a crochet bag is probably the first thing you’ll learn, whether it be from a hobby instructor or self-learned. The basics of creating a crochet bag are easy to learn, so this is why you’d probably want to try it first. However, after completing your first project, you’ll more than likely want to make another crochet bag or the like.

Being something that’s not only beautiful, but is made by hand with a lot of thought behind it, this can make a gift for all occasions, and for people of all ages. Though the bags look very delicate, they are actually quite strong and can be used with equal ease for carrying a big or uncomfortable purse, hand bag or briefcase.

Tips for Starting Your Business

You can turn your hobby into a very profitable business with the help of the Internet. You have a wonderful product in the crochet bag, which you can market with the help of a professionally designed and hosted website. With the help of this website, you may showcase whatever bags you are making yourself, and also highlight the works of other people - assuming you’d like to profit from the sale of other people’s works on your website.

Customers may like to have a crocheted TV cover, bed spread, bootie for a baby, anything at all. Starting with a crochet bag, start to work your way up to selling a bigger variety of products.

Be prepared with a price list and have a professionally drawn-up catalogue for those who request to know what products you have available. There is a lot of potential in this type of an enterprise and if you work hard enough and pursue it with all seriousness, you will be able to turn your hobby into a great business venture.

You have to your advantage a global market and the possibility to showcase and sell your products throughout the world. You will need a good marketing strategy so you can attract sufficient traffic to kick start a good return. You should concentrate on delivering on time and on offering the highest quality possible. Your customers, once they have bought their first item from you, should not even think of looking elsewhere. And to get such a response from your clients, you should be willing to offer a little more than they expect from you.

Ensure that you are prompt in all communications with your customers and that you maintain a good relationship with people that spend money with you. People love to be appreciated and acknowledged, so always ensure that your customers feel they are the center of your attention.

Every new little bundle deserves a customized blanket created just for him. These crochet baby blankets are found in cribs and strollers everywhere you look, and they absolutely never seem to go out of style. The truth is that a new mom and her precious babe never seem to have enough blankets to go around, so the need never ends!

What’s more, a beautiful handmade crochet baby blanket will become a heirloom that will be handed down through generations. There is simply no more special and practical gift that you can choose to give to a little one. The big advantage to a crochet baby blanket, instead of a sweater or bunting, is that the maker does not have to fret about proper sizing and fit. With a crochet baby blanket, one size fits all!

Finding the Perfect Materials

Because crochet baby blankets are one of the first things one will think of when thoughts turn to the craft, there is a seemingly endless supply of patterns and materials to create those patterns. Two things to keep in mind when creating a gift for a new born are washability and safety. Those precious little bundles spend much of their time during the first few months of life spitting up formula and blowing out diapers.

Because messiness is a serious factor, everything for a baby should be able to hold up to the washing machine and dryer. Fortunately, there are many beautiful baby yarns of various fibers that are completely machine-washable. If you are in doubt, check the wrap around your yarn skein for washing instructions. It is also a good idea to enclose those instructions with your gift, so Mom has the scoop on the safest way to care for your crochet baby blanket.

Another concern with a crochet baby blanket is safety. A lacy pattern that is full of openings can catch little fingers and toes. Embellishments, such as ribbons, bows and buttons, are potential choking hazards if they come off easily and end up in a baby’s mouth.

Look for patterns of a crochet baby blanket that are fairly solid in design to avoid openings that can hurt small fingers and toes. If you decide to sew bows or buttons to your blanket, make extra sure that the items are secure. Finally, any fringe that is used as edging can get chewed on and become a choking hazard as well, so skip the fringe in favor of a scalloped or picot edging instead.

A handmade crochet baby blanket is always a good choice for a special little someone. With the nearly infinite number of patterns to choose from, you will find something for every single tot on your gift list.

In today’s stressful society, it is no wonder that more and more people are turning to arts and crafts for fun hobbies. Beginners crochet patterns allow those not overly familiar with crocheting to easily learn this valuable creative skill.

Making a Beginners Crochet Block

Before one embarks upon the path of learning beginners crochet techniques, one must first prepare the necessary items. Beginners crochet accessories include any color yarn one prefers (which must be the worsted-weight type), a small pair of scissors, a crochet hook that is Size G, and a yarn needle (the eye must be big enough for the yarn to fit through).

The beginners crochet block is generally what novices use to start with, because it is the basis for creating lots of other projects, such as a hat. The beginners crochet block in itself can be useful, because if one makes enough of them, they can be sewed together to create a lovely warm afghan.

To begin, the crochet hook should be held in the right hand (this might be a bit tricky for left-handed people at first, but it will come with practice). Then, a slip-knot should be made on the hook. The yarn that is free-flowing at the back of the hook should be brought to the front and grabbed with the hook. Position the slip-knot so that the hooked yarn goes through the knot and back onto the hook.

After the process has been completed, the resulting stitch is known as a one chain stitch. This entire process of making the slip-knot and drawing the remaining yarn through it onto the hook should be completed a further 28 times, so that there will be 29 stitches in a chain, and one loop on the crochet hook.

Now, the first chain stitch that was created should be skipped, and the hook should be inserted into the middle of the second chain stitch. The yarn should be pulled through that stitch and back up onto the hook, where there should now be two loops. The free-flowing yarn that is left on the back of the hook should then be pulled through both of those loops. The result is one loop remaining on the hook, and the first completed crochet stitch.

This process should be repeated a further 27 or so times. It should be noted that when starting a new row, the direction of the crocheting should make a counter-clockwise turn. To make sure this is being done correctly, be sure to get directions that have both step by step diagrams as well as written instructions.

Those beginners who are learning to crochet are sure to find numerous reasons for continuing such a hobby for many years. One can create so many different usably decorative items, from tablecloths to clothes. Indeed, with the proper practice, beginners crochet patterns will be exchanged for more advanced patterns in no time.

When one thinks of crochet, the first thing that often comes to mind is a beautiful handmade afghan. This is still one of the most popular things for a crochet lover to create. The enormous selection of an afghan crochet pattern and the never-ending possibilities for materials guarantees that you will be able to fashion a unique afghan for any room in your home, or any person on your gift list.

From thick, bulky yarns that will make up the coziest of winter wraps, to the fine gauge fibers that go into the airy summer throws; you will never run out of ideas for handmade blankets. The other great thing about the wide variety of an afghan crochet pattern is that you can take on a project like this at any skill and experience level. Just keep in mind that afghans do tend to take some time to complete, simply because of their size alone, so make sure you are prepared to commit yourself to a project that might be somewhat long term.

Different Types of Afghan Crochet Patterns

One of the most popular types of an afghan crochet pattern is that of the timeless granny square pattern. This can consist of many small squares sewn together, or one gigantic square that does not end until your blanket is the desired size. You can create granny square blankets that are all one color, or construct a design of stripes or checkerboards. You can use different types of fibers to vary the texture within your blanket, or keep your yarn consistent throughout.

Your choice in a granny square afghan crochet pattern is virtually limitless; another popular afghan crochet pattern is called the “mile-a-minute” afghan. These patterns are made up into long strips that are then sewn together. These are fun to make, because each panel is a great take-along project to bring with you to kids’ activities and in the car. There are also filet afghan crochet patterns which utilize one basic stitch combined with chain stitches to form shapes and pictures in your blanket.

You could even use this technique to create a customized blanket with your initials worked into it. The ripple afghan crochet pattern has been circulated in various forms for years, and remains a popular choice for many crochet gurus.

The Finishing Touch

Most times an afghan crochet pattern will include instructions for some sort of finishing effect, like a border around the perimeter of the blanket. You can create your own finishing touch as well, by using shell stitches, picots, or a simple single crochet edging. Whatever your choice the final elements will give your project that last spit and polish to make it your very own work of art. An afghan crochet pattern is a great project to have on hand when the weather turns chilly. Start shopping for your favorite afghan crochet pattern now!

Doing crochet is so easy that anybody can learn the basics in just a few days time. It is something else to gain speed and expertise when crocheting a given pattern; but the fact remains that anybody who likes to learn can effortlessly learn to crochet. Yes, it is easy and it is also a lot of fun. In fact, using the fun element, many summer hobby classes teach children to crochet. This is very often one of the most popular hobby choices since it is easy to learn and the results are invariably stunning.

You Can Be an Entrepreneur with Crochet

Crochet is versatile, and crocheting is an exceptional hobby. You can at anytime you want, turn this wonderful hobby into a home-based enterprise. There are a lot of things you can do to establish yourself as a business person dealing with crocheting. You need not depend upon the local market; rather you should and could develop your own market with the help of a good website.

In order to have a great start, ensure that your website is designed by a professional and hosted on a server with a big uploading capacity.  Once you have settled down, you may proceed with the developing of a good marketing strategy whereby you can showcase your wares and attract customers.

One great way to attract customers is to give something for free. If it is regarding crocheting, it is even better. You can offer free shipping on all new orders, or you can offer a buy 2, get 1 free deal. Whatever method you choose, make sure it revolves around the products you offer.

Fortunately, there are a great number of sites where people share their patterns, tips for best crocheting, types of crocheting, types of yarns to be used and so on. You could use all such inputs and a lot of hard work to turn your home-based enterprise into a great success.

For example, use these websites as a source of advertising. You can choose to offer crocheting materials like a fabric store might do, or you can do the crocheting yourself and sell the items you make online. Whatever you choose to do will shape the mold of your home business.

It’s easy to market your things once you know how. You will need to generate a lot of traffic to your site using a tailor-made marketing strategy, if not coming up with it on your own, hiring a professional to do it for you. Once you have products to sell online, an audience to market your products to and a steady stream of website visitors, you’re well on your way to creating a successful crochet business!