Join With a Slip Stitch

Leprosy Bandage Update

2008-05-12T19:53:00.007-04:00

Well, I wasn't off to a great start. This is what happens when you combine these three factors, a rookie crocheter, a migraine and starting a project past bedtime.

After taking my med, getting some sleep, and starting fresh in the morning, it is actually looking like a leprosy bandage.

What I have learned with these it to really watch your stitches. It is easy to skip a stitch, which is obviously what was happening the first go round. I also advice you to count your stitches every few rows to make sure you haven't lost any stitches.

I made my bandage with a D hook, No. 10 Aunt Lydia's cotton thread and a starting chain of 24 stitches, which gave me a bandage almost exactly 3" wide. Since everyone crochets a little differently, you may have to adjust yours by a stitch or two.

Oh, and I got to try out my new lighted hook, for 50% off at Michael's a couple of weeks ago. I love it!

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T09:23:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers of the world!

I am not technically a mother... I have two step-daughters. And my four-legged kids really aren't that thoughtful when it comes to holidays.

The first Mother's Day my husband and I were together, the kids took me completely by surprise by giving me a gift and card. It had never occurred to me that I would be included in what I believe is such an important holiday.

Even today, many years later, it still feels a little strange. But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Happy Mother's Day!

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Crochetville—A Must See Website for Beginning Crocheters

2008-05-05T19:29:00.005-04:00

Many of you reading this post may already know about Crochetville, but if you haven’t been there, you really must check it out.

In a nutshell, Crochetville is a community of crocheters. There are probably two dozen different bulletin boards covering everything from various forms of crochet help, which for a beginner is like gold, free patterns, boards for people to show off their completed projects, and what I really think shows the sense of community, a bulletin board for Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK). On this board there are lists where you can post 10 things you’d really like. Mostly these are crochet related, such as yarn and hooks, but they can be flavored teas, postcards, candy and chocolates (most requested from folks overseas), something for their children, etc. There are many other boards I haven’t mentioned here. You’ll see when you go.

What is really awesome about the help boards is that someone will almost always answer your call for help very quickly, which is nice when you are in the middle of a project and get stuck. There are a lot of crocheters with years and years of experience who kindly share their experience with us rookies.

It is also nice to hook up with (pardon the pun!) other beginners and just other crocheters in general. A woman I met recently has been crocheting with thread for many years… ooohhh, I so want to be able to do that, if I could just figure out how to keep the tension in the thread. But more importantly than the crocheting help, is that I’ve met a new mentor and friend.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Giving Back – Crocheting Leprosy Bandages

2008-04-30T18:50:00.005-04:00

There are often images in the news of people suffering, and often when I see these images I feel a bit helpless, not knowing what I can really do to help. With leprosy bandages, you can make a difference and know that the time and money you spend go exactly to those in need.

The word leprosy probably evokes many images. Many may not know it still exists. It does in fact still exist, and many still suffer due to its devastating effects on the body, as well as the soul. Often those afflicted with the disease are outcasts, shunned by society.

Now more commonly called Hansen’s disease, leprosy occurs mainly in Asia, Africa, Latin America—mostly in Brazil, South Central Africa and India, where conditions may be crowded and unsanitary. But it isn’t limited to these areas and can crop up in the U.S. as well. While the incidence has gone down over time, there are still almost a quarter of a million people suffering from the disease (World Health Organization).

Leprosy is a bacterial disease, mainly affecting the skin, eyes and peripheral nerves. Until the 1940s it was untreatable, but today, if caught early, treatment through modern medicine can be successful. But as you know, there are millions of poor worldwide who have little or no access to healthcare. And as you can see from this picture of a healthcare clinic in Vietnam, even if there is access to healthcare, it can be very limited, substandard and sorely in need of supplies. In addition to lack of healthcare, many, because of the stigma attached to the disease, fail to seek treatment or wait until the disease has progressed.

Leprosy Bandages

Simply stated, the bandages are just rows of single crochet using No. 10, 100% mercerized cotton in white, cream or ecru. There are several brands available, and some offer large balls, which saves you quite a bit over the smaller balls.

Instructions and mailing instructions can be found on the blog Leprosy Bandages. (See picture at right) The site contains pictures and posts on delivering the bandages and how this effort touches the lives of so many.

When you are done with your bandages, they should be sent directly to the "Bandage Brigade" (address posted on the Leprosy Bandages blog referenced above). They take care of all arrangements for the bandages to be delivered and distributed to the remote villages of Vietnam where they are most needed.

Bandages are transported in the luggage of Vietnam Veterans returning to do humanitarian work in Vietnam. Two of the groups involved in this are TOP and The D.O.V.E. Fund.

TOP (Tours of Peace) Vietnam Veterans, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, provides programs to help veterans and families heal and recover from the trauma of the Vietnam War. An important part of TOP is its humanitarian effort, which includes helping distribute bandages and other supplies to leprosy villages.

The D.O.V.E. Fund is a non-profit corporation founded by several Vietnam veterans, Rotarians, and other concerned citizens in January 2000, in Toledo, Ohio. Their mission is to provide humanitarian and development assistance to areas in Vietnam; to promote communication, education, and cultural exchanges that reflect the best qualities of both cultures; and to create an environment brightened by hope and sustained by peace.

So here is a chance to use your crocheting skills, no matter what skill level, to help others in need.

In future blogs I will share information about other charities looking for crocheted items that even a rookie can make.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

PS--if you make a bandage(s), I'd love to know. I will keep track of the number donated here.

Crocheted Frog Pincushion by Roman Sock

2008-04-26T21:14:00.023-04:00

Right after posting on frogging, I came across the blog Roman Sock on Crochetville with the cutest crocheted frog pincushion. I don't usually go for these types of things, but this one is too cute. The pattern may be too advanced for some, but if you look through the pattern, it is made in layers, and she has a great tutorial that goes with it.

I'm going to give it a shot, and I'll post my finished project. I'm sure it won't look anywhere near as good as hers, but I love frogs (not to be confused with frogging) and can't resist taking a stab at it. Should be interesting... I'll probably be frogging my frog. How many people can say that?

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Frogging...

2008-04-23T19:28:00.010-04:00

OK, you may have come across this term when reading boards or blogs. What, you ask, is frogging. Basically it is when you find you've been crocheting for 2 hours and an hour ago you made a mistake but have just now discovered said mistake... sometimes you have no choice, but sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils, leave it alone and forever remember it is there, or frog it... rip it, rip it, rip it! All the way back until said mistake is gone.

Anyone who has made more than one project is likely a member of the frogging club. So when you find yourself having to frog a project, take comfort in that fact that you belong to a club with many, many members.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

It Will Happen to You -- a Yarn Stash

2008-04-19T09:32:00.021-04:00

Mine started before I even started to crochet. I should have known I was doomed, but no one realizes that yarn takes on a life of its own. It calls to you like chocolate when its that time of the month. Men must feel this way around tools.

Admittedly, I didn’t keep my first stash.

This is how it the story goes…

My husband and I frequently went to estate sales. We mostly went to buy stuff we needed, but I did pick up stuff to sell on EBay when I saw a good deal. He was already sick then, and the estate sales were lifesavers.

I had gotten the “bug” to learn to crochet and was hoping to find some yarn. We were at a house that was packed to the gills. In a small room in the basement, there were some bags and boxes of yarn and craft supplies. There was also a Rubbermaid chest packed full of yarn. It was in pinks and blues, greens and yellows, very shiny and soft. It was Dazzleaire. Of course, I had no idea what it was other than soft and fuzzy. The woman sold it to me, chest included, for $20! Hubs really didn’t want me to bring home that much yarn as he wasn’t sure I was really going to use it, and money was really tight.

By the way, our other great find that day was a complete set of Mikasa Strawberry Festival dishes for $20. It had all the completers, casserole, pitcher, salt and pepper… We hit the mother lode that day, although I had yet to realize that with the yarn.

When I got home of course I got on line and looked up the yarn. My eyes about popped out of my head when I realized it was worth a bit of money. I ended up selling all of it on EBay and made over $200. It was truly a gift when we really needed the money.

After that I started buying yarn at estate and garage sales and selling it on-line. It’s like an alcoholic working at a bar, although I was making money. I ended up selling all but a couple of bins full before we moved. Of course, it has mysteriously grown since I’ve been here.

It will happen to you. In the beginning you will say you’ll only buy what you need. Then you’ll be at Joann’s or Michaels, or at a thrift store, and it will call to you… There will be a great sale, a close out, a color discontinued that you just love. Your mom will pick it up at garage sales. It will happen. It happens to all of us.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due – A Salute to Those who Help Fellow Crocheters

2008-04-11T11:31:00.007-04:00

If you already blog, you know it takes a bit of work. But most of you reading my blog are new to crocheting and may not realize how much work goes into creating and testing a pattern. Add to that taking pics as you work the pattern if your are writing a tutorial, writing instructions and posting all of this… Not to mention the overall generosity of sharing your pattern or tutorial with the rest of us.

Join With a Slip Stitch would not be what it is without all those generous folks. And, thanks also goes to those who take the time to answer questions on sites such as Crochetville.org. If you haven’t checked it out, it is worth a visit. And the woman responsible for Crochet Pattern Central, Rachel is a member of Crochetville. Crochet Pattern Central is always the first place I go to find free patterns. A big thank you to Rachel!!

Crochet Me has a nice blend of patterns, tips, etc. and Crochet Cabana has some very good tutorials. I'm sure there are lots of other sites as well.

All the major yarn makers post patterns, as do sites such as Michaels.com, Joann.com, and HobbyLobby.com, and many list the difficulty. The problem with these sites is that many of their patterns take expensive yarns. After all, they are selling yarn. So keep that in mind. Often you can use different yarns than called for in patterns, but of course, you won’t get the same look. For chunky yarns, you can try using a double strand of worsted weight instead. While I don't often buy retail, if I am making something special, or I just can't find the right yarn, I will splurge.

Crochet Cabana has a lot of very good tutorials as does NexStitch. Their patterns are more at an intermediate level. Thank you to Kalurah H. for the link to NexStitch.

A long time ago I found a tutorial on rooting roses. The man who made it spent A LOT of time putting together an extensive picture/text tutorial. And anyone who gardens knows rooting roses can be difficult and often takes several months, so I was thrilled to find it. I sent him an email (a bit before blogging became what it is today), and he told me I was the first person to actually email him and thank him. And I’m sure I certainly wasn’t the first to visit his tutorial, which was probably the best I had come across.

So when you visit another’s blog or website and find you like their patterns, learn from their tutorials or just appreciate their efforts, please post a comment and/or sign their guest books. I think everyone appreciates knowing their efforts are not going unnoticed.

This also applies if you post asking for help on bulletin boards. I recently read a thread on Crochetville where someone commented that it would be nice if the original posters would post again, letting those who answered know if their questions were answered, or just to say thanks. While I've always tried to do this, I realized I'm not consistent about replying. I now make a conscious effort to do so. After all, if someone in real life helped me out, I would certainly thank them, so it shouldn’t be any different in the cyber world.

So please take a moment to recognize those who take the time to help out others.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Buzzzzzzz... Attention Span While Crocheting

2008-04-05T10:57:00.020-04:00

"Cats regard people as warm-blooded furniture."
- Jacquelyn Mitchard

Sometimes I think my attention span rivals that of a house fly. It’s true that usually I don’t start crocheting until after I’ve eaten dinner after a day at work, so I am tired.

However, another thought has recently occurred to me… perhaps my houseful of pets has a bit to do with it.

To say I’m a pet lover is an understatement. Growing up, our household consisted of pets of every kind--dogs and cats, fish, newts, frogs. I think at one time I had three tanks in my little bedroom.

As an adult, while I no longer have tanks (but I would if I had someplace to put them), I have an elderly, somewhat senile Shiba Inu and two young ‘uns, as the locals here would say. Add to the chaos three cats. They all have stories to tell and their own ways of causing distractions while I crochet.

By far, my cat, Pooh Bear (Penny is her given name) is the biggest culprit. She is a very insistent lap cat who loves to play with the yarn. My husband and I met her on a camping trip to Pennyrile State Forest in Kentucky. She was about 8 months old and the women working in the camp store told us someone had left her there. So after 5 days in a tent and being smuggled into two hotel rooms, she joined our household.

Next came Margot (named by my stepdaughter for Gwenth Paltrow's character in Life Aquatic). She is polite when sleeping on my lap while I work but insistent that she be there. She's much preferred to Pooh when crocheting. Did I mention Pooh drools a bit when she gets lovey dovey. Yeeks!

I had seen young black cats in the neighborhood off and on all summer, and in early fall I was walking home from the train, and there she was, sitting on my porch. She was skinny and only had half a tail. The tail had healed well, so the injury must have happened at a young age. Because my oldest cat at that time ruled the roost with an iron fist, Margot had a tough time adjusting. She would pull open a cabinet door above my frig, that happened to be empty, and hide in there. Eventually I put a towel in there for her and food on top of the frig. When Katie the roost ruler died of thyroid disease, Margot came out of her shell. She and Pooh are best of friends.

Holly. In her senility, if I don't pet her she will sit and stare at me. Just stares. She seems to have no concept of time. If the other dogs get too rambunctious, though, she scratches on the floor, over and over again. The chaos becomes too much for her. If we can't distract her, we put her in her crate and she will go to sleep, able to finally relax in the quiet of my bedroom.

Holly came to us on a very cold Christmas day evening in Chicago. We had put the dogs out for their last bathroom run and they started barking the “something’s wrong” bark. My husband to be also recognized the alarm barking and went outside to investigate. There in the alley was Holly. And she was a mess. She was skinny, had lost probably 40% of her hair, had open sores, her eyes were so infected she could hardly open them and her ears were infected as well. Eventually we learned she had heartworms. I wonder if she could have survived the night, which was subzero that evening, if our dogs hadn't sounded the alarm. Perhaps she just knew where to go, that we would take her in on such a cold night.

Thirteen years later she is still going strong, although she has arthritis and has gotten a bit loopy in her old age.

Next came Big, our German Shepherd, who takes his job as big brother very seriously. And, no, he isn’t named after Big from Sex in the City. He was 40 lbs at 4 months of age, so Big Boy seemed appropriate. He's given to fits of energy that can cause chaos in the house. As it rains a lot here, they are sometimes cooped up for days. One swipe of a paw and there goes my project on the floor.

He also has an interesting story: I had taken a day off of work and hubs and I went for breakfast. We agreed that we’d get a Shepherd when get got his disability, and the time had finally come. As we were talking about this over breakfast, a woman in the next booth over asked us if we were looking for a Shepherd. A bit strange, to say the least. It turns out two months earlier she had taken a bad fall and had to have bone grafts in her right shoulder. So Big had never been on a leash. She could only pet him and couldn’t even pick him up. She said she couldn’t just give him to a rescue. We came home with another dog that day.

After relocating here to the Blue Ridge Mountains, we were ready to get Big friend. I’m a strong believer in multiple dogs, and an elderly, loopy Shiba Inu just wasn‘t doing it for a young dog. We really wanted another Shepherd or at least a mix. We found Emma (aka "Peanut") on Petfinder.com. Her mom was a Shepherd, and by the looks of the puppies, her dad was a yellow Lab. Her mother came to the Lake Norman Animal Rescue via animal control. She was pregnant and set to be put down. A Rescue volunteer brought her home and kept her and the pups in her house, along with her young children. Emma is a breath of fresh air and a great companion for Big. She is less hyper than a Lab but contains the wonderful Lab outlook on life. Unfortunately, she has the lab need for something in her mouth, and can be a thief if you aren't careful. A ball of yarn, perfect. So now I have hairy yarn mixed with a bit of dog spit.

And, last but not least, Love. About 9 months after my husband and I moved here, my stepdaughter and her fiancé followed so they could go to college. Along came another fur, little miss Love, their black and white kitty. She is about 5 lbs and has the attitude of a temperamental movie star. And is unbelievably adorable. She is the only one of the motley crew that can claim innocence when it comes to my crocheting. She is well behaved and prefers to just hang out on the couch.

So, when I am frustrated when I lose my place in a pattern or forget my stitch count, I need to count my blessings. I wouldn’t trade them for the world!

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Size Matters for a Beginning Crocheter

2008-03-30T15:57:00.011-04:00

OK, it is a worn out cliché, but when learning to crochet, size matters. Thicker yarns are easier to work with than thinner yarns, and a larger hook is easier to work with than a smaller one.

There are many different yarn weights. Look for patterns that call for worsted weight or thicker yarns.

For beginning crocheters, I would start with patterns requiring at least an H or I hook. Larger hooks create a looser stitch, and this is important as most of us crochet tightly when we first learn. Using a larger hook also means fewer stitches per inch, making the project work up faster. I would use plain old acrylic worsted weight yarn. Avoid cotton yarn as it has no give and is difficult to work with when you are learning, although a cotton blend would work fine.

Tip (previously posted): Create your first chain, also called your foundation row, with a hook one size larger than you will use for the rest of your project. Chain rows often end up being too tight, making the piece pucker, so using the larger hook will help prevent this problem.

Along with size, color matters as well. Dark colors are difficult to work with as the stitches are difficult to see. I don’t use them unless I’ve already worked through a pattern successfully. Light colors are much easier to use when learning; variegated yarns are the best.

Recently I bought a grab bag of yarn from Peaches & Cream yarn and got some variegated crochet thread along with cotton yarn. (Yes, I just said not to use cotton when learning.) I ended up with a very cool brown bag (click to see full picture) by mixing brown cotton yarn with variegated thread and using bamboo handles I picked up at a thrift store. This is by far my best project. I saved a ton of money on the yarn, got the handles for 25 cents and ended up with a very cool purse. My point is that I made a dark yarn easier to work with by adding the bright thread.

Size also matters when picking out a project. They are always bigger than they seem. I found this out when starting (starting being the operative word) a throw for my mom. At first when I was all excited about starting, it seemed to work up quickly. But with each row it seemed to go slower and slower. And slower. Finally I put it aside.

Keep this in mind. Learn with small projects. As new crocheter, all projects will take you a lot longer to complete than someone with more experience. I don’t think I’ve ever completed an “easy” anything in the 45 minutes. And “complete in an evening” seems to be a feat that only those who actually know how to crochet well can perform.

The bonus with small projects is you have something to show for your effort in a lot less time.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Thrift Shopping -- a Great Source of Buttons, Beads and Purse Handles

2008-03-19T12:09:00.018-04:00

I am having an out of money experience. - Author Unknown

Thrift shops require a post all their own when it comes to saving money. Good ones are a treasure trove. Many have a craft section that includes yarn. Often the yarn is a bit musty, but once you wash your project, it will smell fresh.

The outcome of not being able to be choosy about the yarn I buy is that I end up with colors, weights and fibers that I probably wouldn’t choose given the choice. What is good about this is that I end up with colors, weights and fibers that I probably wouldn’t choose.

The end result—I work with colors I never would have bought and end up loving the result. With some fingerling yarn I tried a purse pattern that required a double strand. I didn’t have to use a small hook, and it gave the finished project a bit of extra class. If I hadn’t had the yarn, I probably wouldn’t have tried the pattern.

The Business Card Holder I made was out of thrift store yarn, inspired by a pattern on Suzies Stuff blog. The little bit used on the bottom came in a bag of various yarns. All there was is what is pictured, but I loved the colors. I found yarn to match (also thriftstore yarn), and voila! In all, it probably cost me less than a quarter to make, and it was given to a friend at work who was moving out of state.

But it certainly doesn’t end with yarn. I have bought zippers, which I have yet to try, for a quarter, and various buttons and beads for next to nothing as well. Now, what to do with them. Again, it forces you to be a bit creative. My future son-in-law drilled holes in some macramé beads so I could use them as buttons. When I use them I will post a "after" pic.

Another choice is cannibalism… not of people, of course, but of old items. For example, you may be able to find an old purse in poor condition but the handles are still in nice shape. Toss the purse and keep the handles. The purse on the left was purchased at a local thrift store. The picture to the right shows the final product. You can salvage all kinds of things this way… beading is a big one. Beads are expensive, and you can get vintage beads this way.

Buttons is another obvious one. Often old clothing is cheap but they have some great buttons on them. A quick look on Ebay will give you an idea of how expensive vintage buttons can be.

This one I haven’t tried, but I know people who buy old sweaters, unravel them and wash the yarn. Seems like a lot of work, but you can get merino wool sweaters for probably half the cost of a single ball of new yarn. Not having tried this method, I can’t say how much work it really is, but if it is the only way to “purchase” yarn, it would be worth a try in my book. If anyone has done this, I would love to hear how well it works.

This one came as a brainstorm just the other evening… using old shirts as purse linings. I’m sure it isn’t rocket science, but it was a light bulb moment for me when I was just about to throw away a shirt with a stain. While you may not be ready for trying your hand at lining purses, especially if you are like me and don’t sew, it is something to keep tucked away for further use. If you do sew, it may be second nature.

If you are to the challenge, here are some great tutorials on lining purses. Lining a Crocheted Bag on While They Play blog is the most comprehensive. Lining a Purse from Crochet Style, Etc. is a very good tutorial as well as Every Bag has a Purple Lining from Freddy Knits. Every Bag has a Purple Lining is probably the best for those who don’t sew as it only requires a couple of seams.

I just came across this blog, My Recycled Bags.com, which has loads of ideas on making projects with "recycled" stuff.

Happy Hunting (and Hooking)

Blue Ridge Crochet Girl

By Hook or by Crook…Learning to Crochet

2008-03-13T12:36:00.001-04:00

Definition: By any means possible.

Holding the hook… that’s by far the easier of the two fine motor skills necessary to crochet. Holding the yarn is the real bugger. Having tried dozens of different ways, and having to admit to myself that my fine motor skills rival those of many 6 year olds, I simply loop the yarn around my index finger and try to keep even tension by keeping the yarn between my fingers. This works when using thicker yarns, but I recently took a deep breath and bought steel hooks to try my hand at using thread… Needless to say, there isn’t enough flesh on my fingers to keep the thread there. But I digress…

Unfortunately, the naked truth is that almost no one holds the yarn the same way, and you will have to figure out what works best for you.

Here is basically how I hold the yarn.

Here are a few of the methods I have tried that may work for you.

For me, the method above threatened the loss of an appendage—rather than flow around my pinkie, it merely tightened with each stitch.

This site has some great pictures and shows a few different methods of holding the hook.

This site shows directions for lefties. While I’m not left handed, I know others who have had a difficult time learning what is already difficult to learn, because all the pictures were for righties.

The bottom line—don’t be discouraged. It took me months of trying different methods before I just went with the loop over the finger method. Of course, this isn’t working with thread, so I probably need to rethink this whole thing, at least when working with tiny hooks and skinny thread that slides through my fingers. But, at least my pinkie is safe!

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Tried and True Patterns for Beginners

2008-03-10T12:23:00.001-04:00

Because I have looked at probably hundreds of patterns, with the majority being too difficult for me, I created Tried and True Patterns for Beginners with the hope of saving others from spending a lot of time looking, only to find a few that a beginner could make. Many claim to be for beginners. I think they need to redefine the term.

All the patterns in this section are patterns I have personally made. They are complete and have clear instructions that newbies can follow, along with at least one picture of the completed project. None of these patterns require expensive or unusual yarns—all can be made from yarn picked up at a thrift store or from Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, or Michaels.

Because there is a big difference in skill levels, from those literally just learning to chain and single crochet, to those like me, who can follow simple patterns and have learned some stitches other than the basics, I am putting a number rating after each pattern.

The number rating is based on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the easiest, all at the beginning level.

I must admit I am partial to bags and purses, and you may not see many lengthy projects, even if they are simple. I just don’t have the attention span. The throw I started for my mom for Christmas will hopefully be a Mother’s Day gift, if not, a birthday gift next November. See what I mean?

I would love to hear feedback on these patterns—did you like them? Did you feel the instructions were clear? Do you agree with my rating?

If you find a pattern you think would be appropriate for this list, please feel free to share it with me.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

In the Beginning... My First Days Crocheting

2008-03-06T11:36:00.004-05:00

As soon as I learned to crochet a few rows, I was chomping at the bit to make something, anything. Of course, in the beginning, there really isn’t much you can make, especially when you are still trying to figure out how to “dc in the ring”.

After practicing a few rows, and being the patient person that I am, literally a few rows, my first project was a dish cloth… not so exciting when all you can do is single crochet.

Undeterred, I did a search to find something I could make… Early on I came across the site Crochet Central, a site that has hundreds of free patterns. First one up, chain 3 and join with a slip stitch. Next. “Simple Circle”, I don’t think so. I quickly learned to avoid patterns with “Basic” in their names… they never are. Ditto for “Easy”.

Admittedly it was a bit discouraging to look at all the pretty dishcloths with patterns written in a language I had yet to crack. I did eventually find one I thought I could do, Bev's Crocheted Dishcloth.

Pretty much all dishcloths are made from cotton yarn. Sugar‘n Cream is probably most commonly used. The problem with 100% cotton yarn, though, is that it has no give, so when you are starting and your stitches are tight—it is a bit like trying to put a square peg into a round hole.

Tip: Create your first chain, also called your foundation row, with a hook one size larger than you will use for the rest of your project. Chain rows often end up being too tight, making the edge pucker, so using the larger hook will help prevent this problem.

An alternative to Sugar’n Cream is TLC Cotton Plus. Admittedly I haven’t made a dish cloth with this, but recently I purchased a three-skein lot on-line and am making a small bag with it. It is about 50% cotton/50% acrylic. It has a lot more give to it and may be a better choice for beginners. The other advantage is it probably dries faster with the lower cotton content as 100% cotton yarn takes a long time to dry. The disadvantage is that Sugar’n Cream will probably hold up better.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Welcome!

2008-03-02T10:13:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog. I started this blog as a way to connect with other beginning crocheters and to share my thoughts on the frustrating and rewarding process of learning to crochet without a "teacher".

Maybe I am slow to pick up crocheting, but it seems even what should have been obvious, wasn't. Join With a Slip Stitch reflects my early frustrations... How the heck do you hold the hook with one hand and keep tension in the yarn with the other? join what with a slip stitch? 12 dc in the ring? Maybe I'm too literal, but there isn't anything in the ring. And trying to follow a pattern, wow, what can I say? How many of us newbies continually lose their place while trying to figure out where to place their hook?

Those of you new to crocheting have probably had similar thoughts. I have spent countless hours trying to figure out these basic instructions and continue to struggle with learning new stitches and trying more complicated patterns.

I hope this blog serves as a place to share these frustrations with others as well as share my successes. I also hope to share patterns that really are "beginner" patterns as well as share tips from one beginner to another and links to good tutorials.

Happy Hooking,

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl