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"Krochet Kids" Are Making a Difference
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They may look like California surfer dudes, but these industrious college guys have taken their successful venture of crocheting and selling caps here in the United States a step further by teaching women in Uganda how to crochet beanies as a marketable craft. It's a calling that these young men, known as the "Krochet Kids," have found truly awe-inspiring, with amazing results that have brought hope to poverty-stricken families. Click here to read their story.
Crochet Makes a Statement for Lower Fuel Costs
We all know that crochet is everywhere today, but one might not expect to see it as exterior artwork on a gas station! Crochet artist Jennifer Marsh came up with a clever idea to use her crochet skills, as well as the skills of fiber artists around the world, to create a unique piece of graffiti art to bring attention to today's rising fuel costs. Check it out here.
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A Cool Summer Treat: Crochet a Darling Ice Cream Cone Necklace
Young ladies will love wearing this cute and colorful crocheted necklace this summer. The ice cream cone isn't just a yummy-looking decoration, it's functional, too! It opens out into a change purse for carrying small essentials. You can get the free pattern here.
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An Easy, Breezy Ensemble for Your Summer Wardrobe
I've received quite a few requests to include more fashion patterns in Talking Crochet. So, this issue's free pattern features a fabulous, two-piece tank and top ensemble by popular designer Tammy Hildebrand. While it's a perfect set for your summer wardrobe (and we still have quite a few warm weather days ahead!), these versatile, easy-to-make pieces can go beyond the summer season.
In cooler weather, you can wear the tank with a jacket to create a look that's casually chic or elegantly sophisticated, depending on what you pair it with. The breezy mesh top would look very eye-catching over a dress, long-sleeve top or blouse. These two pieces can truly give you a lot of options for great-looking styles! Click here for the Easy Breezy Fringed Top and Tank pattern.
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Secrets for Sensational Afghans (Postscript)
Thank you to all of our readers who wrote to say how much they enjoyed and appreciated the series on making great afghans. It's gratifying to know that so many crocheters found the information helpful and inspiring. So, even though the series is concluded, for the benefit of all of our new readers as well as longtime subscribers who might like the information again, I've decided to include a repeat of some additional great tips on afghan-making that I featured in several past issues. These helpful suggestions come from a number of top designers, and I'm sure you'll find them useful.
Well-known designer Katherine Eng shares the following helpful tips that she has used in her longtime crochet career:
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Motifs made faster: If I am making an afghan comprised of motifs that have several color changes, I like to work all of the motif centers first, then all of the next colors in the pattern around each motif, and so on, to complete all of the motifs simultaneously rather than working each complete motif separately. After working just a few motifs in this manner, you will know the pattern for each color section by heart and can work it much faster without having to refer to notes or instructions. |
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Non-twisting motifs: When making individual motifs and afghan borders, I often figure a way
to work one or two rounds with the wrong side facing (by turning at the end of a round, rather than continuing the next round with the right side facing). This "change of direction" on one or two rounds prevents the motif from twisting in one direction and helps keep the border from curling up. |
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Starting a new color: Rather than tying on a new color when making color changes (especially
on large projects like afghans), I fasten off the last color used and begin the new one by drawing up a loop in the specified stitch and then chain the necessary number of stitches to begin the next row or round. It's faster than tying on a new color and the pattern is always sharper with no color bleed-through. |
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Taming loose yarn ends: Yarn ends tend to pop out more easily on large, heavy items like
afghans. After carefully weaving in the tails of yarn, I always sew them down with matching thread. This takes a little extra time, but it makes for a very finished look, with a wrong side that looks almost as good as the right side and yarn ends that virtually never pop out. |
Long-time designer Darla J. Fanton offers these great ideas on afghan-making:
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Fewer yarn ends: When working with blocks, motifs or strips that will be sewn together later,
leave a tail of yarn approximately twice the length of the seam to be sewn when fastening off. This will eliminate the need to tie on additional yarn for sewing and result in fewer ends to work in. |
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When making an afghan as a gift: Be sure and include a small card or skein band from the
yarn used with the laundering instructions. This will help ensure that the recipient can keep his
or her afghan looking beautiful for years to come. |
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Keeping your place: To help you stay "in line" when working your pattern, use a large stick-on note as a guide to highlight the row you are working on. You can also use it to keep track of the number of repeats or make other notes. |
Designer Isabelle Wolters has a couple of great ideas for making better beginning rings:
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Avoid those holes: When working motifs that begin with a chain joined into a ring, if you don't like the appearance of a hole in the middle of the first round, leave a 4- to 6-inch length of yarn at the beginning and work your stitches over it while working into the ring. At the end of the round, pull the yarn end tightly to close the hole and weave in the end securely on the back side. Doing this on all your afghan motifs will give a nice, consistent look. |
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A second method is to begin with a chain-2 instead of the ring if the pattern begins with single crochet. Work the required number of single crochet into the 2nd chain from the hook, using it as the "ring." If the pattern begins with double crochet, begin with a chain-4 instead of the ring and work the required number of double crochet into the 4th chain from the hook to form the ring. |
Carli Damien offers some excellent advice for getting off to a better start on your afghan project:
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Practice, practice, practice!: Before starting an afghan project, especially one that uses a more intricate stitch pattern, stitch a sample swatch to practice the pattern so that it becomes familiar and comfortable for you. Figuring a pattern out sometimes takes a little extra time and patience. Stitching a sample swatch also helps you determine if your gauge is correct and if you are working your stitches with consistent tension. Uniform stitches produce a project that is neat and professional-looking, and if your gauge is not consistent -- too loose here, or too tight there -- all your hard work can be for naught. |
Designer Shirley Patterson offers the following suggestion for better-looking ripple afghans:
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A fine finish for ripple afghans: Most single-crochet ripple afghans call for "sc in back lps only across." However, I have found that you get better finished results by working through both lps in each of the first 3 sts at the beginning of each row, through the back lps only in all sts across to the other end and then working in both lps in each of the last 3 sts. This will reinforce the side edges to keep them from stretching and help keep the shape of the afghan for many years. |
Ruth G. Shepherd has some helpful advice to make your afghan projects go more smoothly:
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Organization counts!: Many of us accumulate lots of scrap yarn, but when a pattern, such as a scrap afghan, for example, calls for an ounce of one color or half an ounce of another, how do we know how much we have? Here is an easy way to determine the quantity you have on hand. |
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Place each color of leftover yarn inside a sealable plastic bag and weigh it on a diet or postage scale, marking the amount on the outside of the bag with a permanent marker. Organize and store your weighed leftover yarn scraps in a safe, dry place and when the time comes to start a project that needs small amounts of yarn, you'll know if you have enough of the required colors to complete your project. |
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Counting tip: To help me stay on track when making afghans that require many blocks or motifs, I stack the pieces in groups of 10 as they are completed and run a length of contrasting yarn through the center of each group, tying them together loosely. This not only eliminates the need to continually count (and recount) your motifs as work progresses, but it helps keep all your pieces secured in neat, manageable groups that take up less space in your work bag. |
Lastly, I would like to offer my own suggestion for making your afghan edges smoother and neater. If you are crocheting a border around an afghan that has been worked in rows, when working in the row ends along the afghan sides, work your border stitches into the end stitches, rather than into the spaces created by the end stitches. This will minimize the "holey" look along the afghan edges and give a smoother appearance.
Also, don't work too many stitches too closely together along the afghan sides in order to keep the edges from ruffling. Keep stitches evenly spaced far enough apart so the edges lie flat. If another round of stitches will be worked evenly into the first round of the border, space the stitches in the first round out a bit more (even if it seems like the edge is pulled just slightly tight). You'll generally find that the stitches in the second round will naturally spread out the stitches in the previous round, offsetting the slight tightness and producing a flat edge. A little experimentation will help you determine the best way to space your stitches on the first round of the edging.
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The Perfect Crochet Magazine?
I always find it fascinating to hear or read crocheters' thoughts and opinions on crochet patterns and products. It's very enlightening to know what they like or don't like, and what they would like to see more and less of. Today's crochet magazines -- each with its own positive and negative points -- serve up their select "menus" of crochet goodies geared toward a specific crochet audience.
If you could design the ultimate crochet magazine, what would it contain? What types of designs and other features should the magazine include, and what should it exclude? Do you think there should be more focus on certain types of projects and less on others? How do you think projects should be presented for maximum appeal? Is there a certain feature that you don't see in current crochet magazines that you think would be very important to include? I'd love to know your answers to these questions and anything else you'd like to suggest.
Crocheters are very enthusiastic when it comes to their craft and have definite opinions on all things crochet, good or bad, so please send me feedback and tell me about your version of the perfect crochet magazine. I'd also like to know what other types of crochet products spark your imagination and inspire your creativity (fun, easy kits? specialized mini monthly downloadable magazines? pattern clubs? others?). Please share your thoughts!
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