#crochet reference

[lightlyknitted]

Yarn Substituting 101

So you found an amazing pattern and want to get started right away, but the yarn suggested is too far out of your budget or discontinued. What are you to do? 

Try substituting it! Here's a short guide to making a one to one replacement.

There are a few things to keep in mind when substituting yarn which is generally: weight, gauge and fiber.  

For a one to one replacement:

So take the information about yarn and either write it down in front of you or keep the label nearby. Then you’re going to want to go to google or go to the shop. 

Depending on the project, the fiber in the yarn won’t matter a whole bunch in your replacement. I have substituted acrylic for wool and it works alright BUT if you choose to make a garment, take it from me and be cautious.

Replacing a wool blend with cotton in a sweater could spell disaster without taking stretch into account. Once you have a few options selected in the fiber check if that yarn lists a weight and eliminate any options that don’t fit. But replacing a silk and wool blend with a cheaper wool yarn might not affect much.

Then you’ll want to match gauge up when making a substitution to be a stitch or two off if not exact. Matching the gauges closely will allow for a more one to one replacement of the yarn. 

Once you’ve found one you like you just need to find how much yarn you would need for the project. Just do a little math to match either the yards, meters or grams needed and you’re off.

[wherefore-whinnies]

just some shots of Sommie from various angles that I'm saving for no particular reason 😇

[vaguelylife]

Since I'll be starting a new temperature blanket this year, I figured I'd refresh and share the spreadsheet I used for my last blanket. It's set to automatically color code each row based on the temperature you input, fully customizable, and great for staying on top of your temp blanket and keeping track of where you left off! Available for download from Google Drive

Directions are listed in comments on the sheet, let me know if you have any questions.

[reallybadblackoutpoems]

meditations on first philosophy (1641) - rene descartes

"who give a shit"

[bl33py]

I'm obsessed with these Joan of Arc filet lace* patterns from this 1913 book.

[xensilverquill]

Amigurumi/Crochet Toy 101 + Resources

Noticed a couple folks in my tags mentioning that they wanted to learn or wished they knew how to crochet amigurumi. So here's a quick and dirty little how-to guide with resources I threw together? Hope it helps!

Tools + Materials

Crochet is one of those hobbies that is actually relatively cheap to get into. Here is a basic list of what you'll need to get started. You can find most of these at any craft store or even Walmart.

(1) Yarn (Required)

Yarns come in a variety of weights (sizes) and fibers. I recommend a soft, worsted weight acrylic yarn (indicated by a number "4" and "medium" on the yarn label) for your first few projects.  

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(2) Crochet Hook (Required)

These come in a lot of sizes and styles, and what size you'll use will depend on your yarn weight and how tight you want your stitches to be. I'd recommend buying just one hook to start with rather than a larger set. Metal hooks with ergonomic rubber handles are easiest for beginners (and on your wrists longterm, lol). A 5.0 MM/Size H or a 4.50 MM/Size G works best for making amigurumi with worsted weight yarn.

(3) Polyfil/Stuffing (Required)

For stuffing your project.

(4) Yarn Needle (Required)

Most crochet projects require sewing to one degree or another. Yarn needles are distinguished from regular sewing needles by their larger size, larger eye, and blunter tip. Yarn needles may be straight, or they may be angled at the tip (i.e. a darning yarn needle).

(5) Scissors (Required)

Any sharp, medium-sized pair of scissors will do for cutting your yarn.

(6) Sewing Pins (Recommended)

For holding parts in place as you sew them on.

(7) Stitch Marker (Recommended)

Many amigurumi projects are worked in rows of continuous rounds, and stitch markers can be used to mark the beginning or end of these rounds. They can also be used to mark areas of interest in your project or to secure your project to keep it from becoming accidentally unraveled. I strongly reccomend getting split ring ones. Scrap pieces of yarn also work in a pinch as stitch markers.

(8) Counter (Recommended)

For keeping track of your rows as you work a pattern.

(9) Safety Eyes (Recommended)

Most amigurumi will require eyes of some sort. Safety eyes (you can find these in various sizes in the doll section of any craft store) will give your project a polished look, but you can also use buttons, felt, or even embroider the eye details on your amigurumi.

(10) Stuffing Stick (Recommended)

For getting your stuffing into hard-to-reach spots. A chopstick or wooden skewer works very well for this.

Basic Crochet Stitches + Amigurumi Techniques

Most crochet patterns are built from a few basic stitches. Before attempting any larger project, I recommend getting comfortable with these stitches by making a few small, flat pot holders out of each basic stitch. A lot of crochet is pure muscle memory and practice, and this is a great way to start.

There are also a few techniques specific to making amirugumi that will be helpful for you to know. You can find any number of free videos/tutorials online. Below are links to a few videos that I found helpful when I was learning to crochet.

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How to Make a Slip Knot

Single Crochet (+ Starting Chain and How to Count Stitches)

Half Double Crochet

Double Crochet

Triple Crochet

How to Keep Starting Chain from Twisting

Magic Ring

Ultimate Finish

Invisible Finish

Invisible Decrease

Beginner Amigurumi Patterns

These were the first three patterns I learned in the process of teaching myself how to make amigurumi. I recommend working them in the order they are listed. The first two links have step-by-step instructional videos and will help ease you into learning to read amigurumi patterns. All of these patterns are free, and there are many more free patterns out there as well. Have fun!

Amigurumi Ball

Amigurumi Whale

Amigurumi Stegosaurus

[adorkastock]

Three weeks since she decided to pick up that old basket he'd left behind and try and sort out this new hobby. She hoped it could become something to get her off the screen and end the hours and hours of doom scrolling before bed. She wanted to think about him but not in a sad way. Sometimes it was so satisfying to see something coming into existence through the force of her will and hands. Other times it was exceedingly frustrating. The reward feeling she sought was often outweighed by the frustration so she practiced taking deep breaths, sometimes fighting back tears. With time she began to appreciate the little challenges as they came up. Getting better at something often meant making mistakes and once in a while she'd see a mistake coming soon enough to head it off before it got too far away from her. These little wins built up and her confidence grew. One row at a time, another healing step forward. Everyone was getting a scarf for Christmas this year.

[writer-at-the-table]

Really cool resource for all sorts of patterns and craft info!

[legendarycollectionjellyfish3]

Crochet Resources Masterlist

So, when I first started crocheting, I would have killed to have a masterlist of resources, so I’m gonna make one. Hopefully there will be some helpful links in here for people. This is by no means a complete list, but hopefully it’ll help get y’all started.

For Beginners

Crochetpedia

Gathered

How to crochet (YouTube)

Magic loop

Crochet in a round

The Crochet Crowd

Crochet Knitting Sort

General Patterns

Ravelry

Etsy

Hobbii

Yarninsparation

Natazia

HanJan Crochet

Amigurumi

Amigurumi.com

Skein Spider

Crafty Intentions

Clothes

Morale Crochet

Anno Crochet Designs

TCDDIY

Chenda DIY

Yarn Cakes, LLC

Adomah the Crocheter

Cherilyn Q

Vintage Crochet

Just Vintage Crochet

Free Vintage Crochet

Antique Crochet Patterns

Alternative Forms of Crochet

Tunisian Crochet

Mosaic Crochet

Tapestry Crochet

[atthebell]

new eggs in amigurumi form!!!

[dailypokemoncrochet]

Fiber arts tumblr is the only place I can say "I'm not selling this for any less than $200" where people are more likely to go "oh. yeah 😔" than just straight up balk at the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a tiny 5 inch plushie (that has 4 different colors) (handmade without a pattern and nothing else like it on the market) (atypical design) (took at least 6 hours)

[lightlyknitted]

Reader’s Digest "The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting And Crochet Stitches"

This week’s contender of “Is this stitch dictionary worth it?” features both knitting and crochet.

The book in question is Reader’s Digest “The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches: Over 900 great stitches detailed for needlecrafters of every level.”

Overall 4.5 out of 5

This book was first published in 2003 by Collins & Brown and is a hardback and some have a dust jacket. It is available on Amazon and secondhand retailers for under $20. Tbh, the price is good for what it is.

The book starts with a quick introduction on how to use this book and has a list of some basics needed for both knitting and crochet. The book is then broken up into two major sections and then each section is broken into more detailed categories.

For knitting the categories are: techniques, medium-weight, heavy-weight, lace, panels and ribs and edging. For crochet its: techniques, medium-weight, heavy-weight, open work, motifs and edgings. Each major category is then broken down into smaller categories like twisted stitches, aran-style fabrics, large or small lace, cable patterns and edging construction.

Overall I think this is a good jumping off point for a stitch dictionary for those with a limited budget and do both crafts. While there are 900 stitches, that is split in half to be able to cover both so it trades off depth of possible stitches to be able to cover both.

IF you don’t do both or don’t want to learn the other one don’t get it, half the book would be useless for you.

This book, comes with full color photos and illustrations which I like. The swatches are worked in color yarn which helps to envision the stitch in a variety of yarns. Some of the darker colors are a bit hard to see the details.

One thing the patterns include that I really like is some information on drape and skill. The patterns are labeled fair, good or excellent for the drape. The crochet section doesn’t have all the patterns labeled for drape in the motifs and edging which isn’t necessary. All the patterns are labeled if they are good for a beginner, intermediate or experienced but don’t let that determine which ones you use. Some patterns even include a few notes to keep in mind.

The patterns are all written out in standard knitting and crochet shorthand and the book does include a dictionary in the beginning of each section. Like with Walker, I would like a chart or two but because the swatches are in color I’m a bit more forgiving.

Most of the cons I have with this book simply comes from it covering two different crafts and trying not to be a massive tome. While flipping through it, I found plenty of stitches I wanted to cast on and try but sometimes felt that the sections could contain more if there was room. Especially if you compare it to other dictionaries on the market which can have hundreds in the book devoted to one of these crafts.

If I found a copy of this book second hand or reasonably priced online I would probably splurge on it. The book is a good base point and since it has two crafts included it’s a decent bang for you buck.

[strawberrysalamanders]

Crochet Patching

from Mending Life: a Handbook for Repairing Clothes and Hearts by Nina and Sonya Montenegro

[thelibraryghost]

1890s Needlework Books

More links can be found at my Blogspot.

de Dillmont, Thérèse. Encyclopedia of Needlework. Mulhouse: Brustlein & Co., 1890.     Dombach, Paul. Das Posamentier-Kunstgewerbe: Gründliche Anleitung zur Herstellung sämmtlicher Möbelposamenten. Dresden: E. Tretbar, 1894.     Hapgood, Olive C. School Needlework: A Course of Study in Sewing designed for use in Schools. Boston, MA: Ginn & Company, 1893.     Heron, Addie E. Ladies' Work for Pleasure and Profit. Chicago, IL: The Home Manual Company, 1894.     Perkins, George C., comp. A Treatise on Embroidery, Crochet and Knitting. New York, NY: M. Heminway & Sons Silk Co., 1899.     —. Art Needlework. Philadelphia, PA: The Brainerd & Armstrong Company, 1893.     —. Dainty Work for Pleasure and Profit. [Unknown], 1893.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 5. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1891.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 6. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1892.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 7. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1893.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 8. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1894.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 9. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1895.     —. Florence Home Needle-Work, Vol. 10. Florence, MA: Nonotuck Silk Company, 1896.

[autumnillustration]

sometimes a man’s just gotta crochet a cabbage

inspired by the fact that i learnt Samuel West spent his time crocheting (edit: embroidering, but oh well) a cabbage on the set of Hornblower and i just think that’s neat.

[a-phantom-fool]

Okay HYPOTHETICALLY if I started selling little crochet finger-creatures on Etsy would anyone be interested??