Crochet: Knitting: Crochet for Beginners (Sewing Hobbies Quilting) (Crafts Crochet Needlepoint) (4 page)

Thank you again for downloading this book! 

I hope this book was able to help you learn how to crochet faster and better. 

Finally, if you enjoyed this book, then I’d like to ask you for a favor, would you be kind enough to leave a review for this book on Amazon? I
t’
d be greatly appreciated!

Thank you and good luck!

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Copyright 2015 by Dorothy Smith - All rights reserved.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

Crochet

Crochet for Beginners Step by Step Guide for Crochet Patterns with Pictures

By: Dorothy Smith

Introduction

Chapter 1: Crochet as a Healthy Hobby and a Business Opportunity

Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Crochet Tools

Chapter 3: First Steps in Crochet

Chapter 4: Basic Stitch Patterns

Chapter 5: Advanced Crochet Patterns

Conclusion

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, Crochet: Crochet for Beginners Step by Step Guide for Crochet Patterns with Pictures.  This book will introduce you to the fun hobby of crochet.

Crocheting may be an age old craft but it continues to be a popular hobby and has also been proven to be good in relieving stress.  If you’re someone who has an interest in crocheting but need a helping hand to start then this read is an absolute must for you.  This book will show you some of the bare basics such as basic stitches, how to wind the yarn, and hold your hook. The best thing about this book is with the help of some useful illustrations, you’ll be making some beautiful crochet patterns faster than if you did it all on your own.

Thanks again for downloading this book, I hope you enjoy it!

Crochet is a wonderful craft that offers different facets and variations with a hook and fibers. As you progress and learn more of the craft, you will encounter different stitches ranked by levels of difficulty that would help you step from one simple kind to a more complex one.

There are many people who think that crochet is just for people fascinated with vintage. Some think of it as a grandmother’s hobby. While it might not be valued by most people, it can be a necessary skill to those who are serious about it. Since quality yarn rarely costs a fortune, making gifts can become cheaper. By initially making standard projects of plushies, shawls or beanies, you can make sure that families and friends can be given personalized Christmas gifts that remind them of you. Also, crocheting is reputed to have a soothing, calming effect to anyone who does it. Once you get the hang of it, the constant hand movement and pattern-making can help relieve you of your worries. Psychological studies also show that crocheting and other crafts-making are natural anti-depressants. Normally, the anti-depressant hormone called dopamine is released in the bloodstream when we’re doing something pleasurable such as eating or fornicating. The brain, thus having evolved over the years, can find pleasure in doing hobbies like crafts making, painting, and pottery among others.

Also, there are a lot of online shops that have found a considerable market fond of crocheted and knitted products. By investing yourself in learning the craft, you can always find someone who is interested in buying them. Explore possibilities and soon you will find yourself enjoying this truly wonderful hobby.

As you progress, crochet will become more understandable and its movements will become second nature to you. You can hone more of your work by looking up essential crochet techniques and tricks that are available in books, magazines and websites. Most crochet instructions will not go into specifics, so it is best for you to familiarize with them when given a chance. While some of the patterns discussed here might sound foreign, you will eventually get the hang of them by studying basics from one step to another.

Soon, your fingers and wrists will get used to the maneuverings that you won’t even need to look at them moving as you crochet. Sit back, enjoy a movie, while you thumb through your yarn and move your hook expertly.

Before you start crocheting, you need to familiarize yourself first with the tools that you would be using. The craft mainly involves two things: yarns and crochet hooks.

Getting the Right Hook

A hook is a tool that is composed of five parts: the tip, throat, shaft, grip and handle. The throat and the tip (together, they are called the hook) are the parts responsible for making a stitch. The shaft’s diameter, on the other hand, is responsible for the size of the hook. The handle and grip are what you use in order to secure the hook in your hands.

There are two types of hook that you can buy, which are the following:

1.              Yarn hooks

These hooks are designed to use yarn as the thread. These are typically made from materials such as plastic, acrylic, aluminum, as well as woods such as rosewood, bamboo, maple and ebony. Some hooks can even be made from bones. However, it is recommended that you use aluminum hooks for starters. These hooks are easier to hold, durable and considerably cheap as it is available everywhere.  After learning a few patterns, you might want to shift to other types of hooks that you think is more suitable for you.

Yarn hooks vary depending on sizes. The small hooks are used for thinner yarns, while large hooks are for thicker ones.  In countries such as the US, yarn crochet hook sizes ranges from B/1 (around 2.25 millimeters) and ends with P/16 (12 mm as the largest size). Each hook has a difference of 0.5 millimeters each, and all are listed by letters of the alphabet with the exception for size 7 that has 4.50 mm.

2.              Steel hook

Steel crochet hooks are used with special types of thread (like linen and cotton) and are listed from thickest to smallest, in contrast to yarn hooks. The thickest steel hooks are measured 3.5 millimeters, while the smallest one is 0.75 millimeters. Steel hooks are identified by their number, starting from 00 as the thickest and 14 as the smallest.

How to Select Yarns

Yarn is the term used for the thread that you knit using your hooks. Yarn is available in almost every color that you can imagine. Natural fibers such as wool, cashmere, linen, and silk, are also available for crocheting.

When crocheting, you can use one fiber or a blend of different ones.  The most common type of yarn used for fabric is Dk, sport or worsted. Nowadays, synthetics such as acrylics as well as furs and metallic for crocheting are available due to the latest technology. Multicolor yarns within the same bundle can also be bought everywhere.

Yarns are grouped according to their thickness or weight, regardless of the fiber they are made from. Usually, they range from superfine to super bulky or thinnest to thickest. Each weight, or gauge, corresponds to a recommended hook size and a range of how many single stitches you can get to the inch when you crochet using that prescribe size.  The gauge tells the size of the stitches that will eventually be the standard for the piece you are going to make. Basically, the gauge tells how many stitches and how many rows there will be in a section of the knitted fabric.

The basic rule is that the finer your yarn is, the smaller your hook should be. Hence, the thicker or bulkier the yarn, the bigger hook should be used. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, there are patterns that call for fine fibers and a large crochet hook in order to achieve an airy and openwork fabric.

Yarns are available in the following forms:

1.              Pull-skein

Pull-skein can be poked by your fingers in order to pull the yarn out. You might have to tug the yarn a bit for it to come out, but after a while, it should flow freely.

2.              Pre-wound ball

A pre-wound ball is ready to use and can be placed inside a bag or a basket to prevent from rolling away.

3.              Hank

A hank on the other hand must be wound first into a ball before using since they are bundles of loose yarn.

Tip: Ask someone to hold the hank tightly on their stretched hands, and wound the yarn into a ball. If you don’t have someone to help you, you can place the hank around at the back of two chairs. Just like the pull-skein and pre-wound ball, place the wounded hank on a bag or basket.

Things to Keep in Mind for Future Purchases

Bundles and balls of yarn comes with labels that states the name of the brand or yarn, color name or number, dye lot, types of fiber used, suggested gauge and other precautions to take. Because of this important information, it is recommended for you to save these paper labels. Be sure to keep at least one of each label in case you buy additional yarns or wash them. Keep the leftover yarns as well to be used for sewing as well as for repairs.

Once you have all that you need in order to start your crochet, it is time to learn how to use these tools properly and learn a few basic skills!

In this chapter, you will learn the correct ways of holding the hook and working with your chosen yarn.

Crochet can be done by using either your right or left hand, but you will still get the same results. While nearly all beginner guides for crochet teach about right-hand knitting, left-handers can use the same guide in this book and then translate all the steps for left-handed crocheting.

Where to Begin

The ideal size of crochet hook a beginner should be working on is an aluminum H/8, which measures about five millimeters. This is the ideal hook to use because it is comfortable to hold in your hand, making each move easier compared to using smaller or bigger hooks. To work with a 5 mm hook, you’ll need a 4-ply of worsted knitting weight yarn. You can also choose to use synthetic fibers such as acrylic, or natural ones such as wool, or blends like a combination of wool and nylon.

Special Note: It is best to stay away from fibers such as cotton on your first time. Due to its lack of elasticity, it is the advanced type of fiber in crocheting which could be difficult to maneuver for a beginner like you. It is also best to choose a light solid color. Keep a mental note that stitches made using darker colors can be difficult for you to see.

I.              Gripping the Crochet Hook

There are two best ways in which you can hold a crochet hook:

1.              Knife Grip

Position the hook in your hand with your thumb lying flat on the front part of the grip. Afterwards, wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle in order to secure the hook. Try practicing this hold by putting the hook down and then picking it up. Try positioning the hook as instructed, until it feels natural to you.

2.              Pencil Hold

Like what the name implies, this method of gripping the hook can be likened to holding a pen in your hand.

Special Note:

While you have the freedom and comfort of choosing how to hold your hook, this type of grip is not recommended since many doctors conclude that holding the hook in such position can cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

II.              The Slip Knot

In order to start crocheting, you will need to tie the end of the yarn in order to create a loop that is adjustable to fit the size of the crochet hook. This is called the slip knot. This little loop with anchor the yarn to the hook in order for you to make a chain as well as the crochet stitches.

In order to make a slip knot, you should reel off about 1 meter of yarn from the ball. Hold the yarn in your palm using your thumb with about six inches from the end. Using the yarn from the ball, loop it twice around your index and middle fingers. Pull the yarn through the loop in between your two fingers, in order to form another loop. Then, place this loop on the hook. Tighten the knot by pulling on the other free end of the yarn. You can adjust the size of this loop by pulling the yarn from the ball until it is small enough to slide easily on the shaft.

III.              Holding On

In order for you to make the first chain, it is best to know how to hold the yarn while holding the crochet hook. The tighter you both hold the yarn and hook, the harder it is also to work. Remember to relax and breathe; while all these hand movements is awkward to you, it would all become natural with a little practice.

In order to master holding both yarn and hook, you need to remember the following. Hold the hook along with your slip knot in a hand, while letting the free end of the yarn hanging. Next, hold the yarn coming from your ball in a way that the yarn goes half around your index finger, and then anchor it with your pinky finger. Next, secure the free end of the yarn by holding the base of the slip knot between the thumb and middle finger.

A crocheter’s way of holding the yarn can affect the overall size as well as density of the piece he or she is making. Normally, crocheters make a sample of a 4x4 swatch of stitches in order to test their work on the requirements of the design they will be doing. If your gauge or tension is loose in comparison to the design you are making, you can try to make up for it by using a smaller hook. If your stitch seems to be tighter, you can use a larger hook. You can freely experiment on hooks until you achieve the gauge that works for you.

IV.              Making the Foundation Chain

The chain is simply a series of loops or stitches that are linked together. It is the base for all the crochet stitches that you will be doing next. Without the chain, nothing will be holding all these patterns. Always remember that your arms should be on your sides, allowing your wrists to do all the work. For each stitch, it is approximated that you will be using around an inch of yarn. Let the yarn from the ball slide smoothly under your pinky finger and over the index finger as you stitch. Make a mental note that your index finger should be about half an inch from the tip of your crochet hook. It is also important that every time you made four up to five stitches, you should move your thumb and middle finger in order to secure the last chain stitch made.

In order to make chain stitches, twist the yarn round the hook then insert it from back to front. To do this, have your index finger straight and twist your wrist towards yourself, while at the same time, twisting the other wrist away in order to bring the yarn in front of your hook. Then, twist back your wrists to their original positions. With this, the yarn is now caught under the hook. This process is called the “yarn over”. Next, draw the yarn through the loop on your hook. Twist your wrist towards you with the hook facing down. Then, pull the yarn through the loop and twist the wrist back so that the hook is facing you again. This is your first chain stitch.

To do the next stitch, you might have to adjust the size of the loop of your hook in order for it to slide easily. Pull up the hook up on the loop in order to make it larger, letting extra yarn move on your index finger. You can also make the loop smaller by using your index finger to pull back the yarn. Continue making chain stitches by repeating the process above. Always remember to adjust your loop so all the stitches would be on the same size.

The foundation chain has two sides. As you stitch, the side that is facing you is called the top. Along with it, the chain stitches forms a line that looks like the letter V. Each “V” chain stitch has two strands. The strand on the right and therefore nearest to you is called the front loop, and the left strand or farthest is the back loop. You will be making the crochet stitches in these loops.

On the opposite side of the top is the of course the bottom. In this side, the chain stitches form a bumpy line. Upon closer examination, you’d notice that they are also loops. These are called the bottom loops. In some crochet projects, you would be required to crochet on them. However, as a beginner, you should focus on the two top loops for now.

One way to practice making foundation chains is to use a light rope as a material. You don’t need to use a hook. Mark the end of the rope then make a slip knot. Then, make a loop at the base of your knot using the marked end of your rope. Pull this through the loop you made of the slip knot. Add another loop using the marked end of your rope and pull it through the previous loop you did. Continue on doing this until you have successfully made a braid-looking chain on a side. You can try practicing this until you noticed that you can already make a chain without any twists. With this, you’re now ready to use a hook.