Crochet Tips and Hints

	From Dave "crochetman"
	Here is one for hairpin lace: Cut the hook to 4 or 4 1/2 inches and it makes passing the hook through the loom much easier.
	From Renee Daphne Kimball, rrrrenee@aracnet.com
	In the past I have destroyed many patterns doing a project. Now I photocopy the page and place it in a plastic sleeve. It last longer, it doesn't matter if it gets crunched, I preserve my original for the future AND I can sort the individual patterns by category. Warning: Please be considerate of the designers' "right to make a living from her/his work" by NOT passing the pattern on to someone else.
	From Doris
	It takes 8 strands of 4-ply worsted weight yarn to equal a 2 1/2 inch fabric strip.
	From Doris
	2 strands of sport yarn held together will replace one strand of 4-ply
	From I QUILT NJ
	This is a very good way to keep your place when reading instructions off a page: Purchase a sticky pad that is rectangular in shape, not the little square one. Place one sheet underneath the area where you are, and as you move down the directions, just peel the piece of sticky pad paper and reposition it. You can also write on it to make any notations to yourself as you go. When the piece of sticky pap paper starts to get wrecked, just throw it away and peel off another one! They work great and I use them all the time.
	From I QUILT NJ
	When I take my crocheting along with me, I put it in a large zip loc bag. When I take my work out, I leave the yarn in the bag, zip it closed just enough to leave the strand of yarn free, and just pull on the ball (inside the bag) for more yarn. The yarn stays clean always, whether the bag is inside my canvas tote, or the bag is lying on the floor of the car while traveling. It also stays dry in case you are in the rain, and when you are sitting in the doctor's waiting room, you receive a lot of smiles as they see your work!
	From my Mother, Maurine Arnold
	To bleach stains from old linens do the following: Make a solution of 2 quarts of water, 1/4 cup of bleach and 1/4 cup of Ivory Soap (shave the bar soap for this). Mix well and soak the item for 1 hour. Rinse well and place in the sun to dry. Repeat if necessary. (This solution can be kept for a few days so it can be used again).
	From De gee
	Keep a small container of Baby Wipes close to your work site to wipe your hands periodically while crocheting. While working with patterns, marking your place etc., your hands do become slightly soiled. By wiping your hands with a "wipe" occasionally, your item never become soiled while you are working on it.
	From DorisM3560
	To cut the ends of ribbon so that it won't later ravel, put a very thin coat of watered down glue or one of the "Stop Fray" products on the last 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the end of the ribbon. Allow it to dry, and THEN cut whatever angle you want.
	From De gee
	Does your finger get sore from holding the hook against it? Pad that hook at the center flat area. A nice permanent way to fix that hook is to use Silicone Caulking ( in a tube). Yes, the stuff that is used to caulk bathroom tiles. TO DO THIS, first you need to rough up the area where you will apply the caulk. This will require Heavy Sandpaper or a metal file. Then apply caulk all the way around the hook (Just in the flat area in the center). Now let it dry for a day or two and you are ready to go.
	From the Crochet Boards
	When you are crocheting with two strands, you are using two skeins/balls of yarn at the same time. You treat them as one "yarn". Essentially you will be working with eight plys at the same time. You can either lay the strands side by side in your hand or allow them to twist. Regardless of which one works best for you, stay consistant. If you are using two skeins of the same color it doesn't matter, if you are using two different colors/shades it usually looks better to twist. It is important to remember that you are working with a double strand and make certain that you are throwing both strands over the hook. When working a double crochet you needs to pay special attention to the way the thread is working off the hook. Some patterns calling for a double strand can be worked with a bulky or super bulky. There are soft fuzzy bulky yarns in both varigated and solid colors that usually work well.
	From the Crochet Boards
	When working with dark thread, place a piece of white material on your lap. The light will reflect off the material, up through the stitches. Makes them much easier to see.
	From Workbasket Magazine, Dec. 1953
	When crocheting with a double strand, insert the two threads through a small hole in a square of a cardboard and move the cardboard down as the thread is used. This keeps the strands together and avoids much straightening and untangling.
	From Workbasket Magazine, October, 1953
	Keep your place on the page of crochet directions by sticking a large pin with colored head into the spot where you are working and moving it along as needed.
	From Workbasket Magazine, October, 1953
	To protect crochet from unravelling when it has to be laid down while you are working on it, pull out the last stitch into a long loop. Then fasten a small safety pin over the thread and pull stitch tight. When you pick up the work again you are ready to begin simply by removing the pin. No unravelling or snarls to straighten out.
	From Workbasket Magazine, October, 1953
	When you are working with fine, hard-to-manage thread, wax it as you hook and the work will go much more easily. Cut a block of parafin wax in half, or use the whole block if you wish. With a heated steel knitting needle, bore a hole through the block from end to end. Bring the end of the thread through this hole and let it slide along through the wax as you work. Hooking will go more smoothly because the thread is straight and free from knots. Then, too, the completed piece will have a light "body" that improves its appearance and texture.

Hints and Tips