Friday, January 12, 2007
Keep Warm in Style
By the end of this weekend you could crochet yourself a great scarf to keep warm.
If you really like the fun furry yarns they have out, here are a few tips to help you work with it.
If you like your scarf long and thin you will need only one skein, if you like your scarf a bit wider then buy two skeins. Choose a larger size crochet hook (J or larger). Fancy stitches don't really show up with the furry type "yarn" so a double or triple crochet works better and will go faster.
Notice which way the nap is ??? Most people will have a preference to either pull from the center of the skein, the outside, or roll it into a ball. But for this yarn you want to make sure that as you are making your stitches you are SMOOTHING the yarn not fluffing it up. By working with the yarn this way it reduces the number of split stitches and tangles.
By keeping your pattern simple you will not really need stitch markers, they just seem to get lost with these types of yarn and it will be easier to keep count. I like the double crochet for this yarn and I chain an even number, usually less than ten stitches. This is very forgiving as far as mistakes go. If you do have to pull out a mistake, go slowly as this yarn will knot very easily in the against the nap direction. If you do get a knot that won't come out just snip and re-tie, the knot is not going to stand out once your scarf is all fluffed.
If you use the very fluffy and furry stuff, you can hardly see what you have crocheted so it is that much more important to keep it simple and use that large hook. Once you are used to working with it or if your are an advanced crocheter you can branch out into some mittens or a sweater. This type of yarn is so soft! It is truly like a kitten! I like to make very long thin scarves out of this yarn and just wrap it several times around my neck. It's like a boa sans the feathers shedding.
Once you are finished crocheting, shake,comb or fluff until all the fuzzy bits are not caught in your stitches. You don't have to stop there you can add beads, pony bead size or larger work better as the smaller sizes don't show up very well, You can add sequins or even bells! Hey more IS more!
The scarf is a great way to try out new yarns, especially if the new yarn is pricey. A new scarf will give you a great accessory. It can double as a belt. It can camouflage an ugly spot on a shirt or jacket. Also they make great gifts. So why are you still sitting here?... go make yourself a fabulous scarf.
If you really like the fun furry yarns they have out, here are a few tips to help you work with it.
If you like your scarf long and thin you will need only one skein, if you like your scarf a bit wider then buy two skeins. Choose a larger size crochet hook (J or larger). Fancy stitches don't really show up with the furry type "yarn" so a double or triple crochet works better and will go faster.
Notice which way the nap is ??? Most people will have a preference to either pull from the center of the skein, the outside, or roll it into a ball. But for this yarn you want to make sure that as you are making your stitches you are SMOOTHING the yarn not fluffing it up. By working with the yarn this way it reduces the number of split stitches and tangles.
By keeping your pattern simple you will not really need stitch markers, they just seem to get lost with these types of yarn and it will be easier to keep count. I like the double crochet for this yarn and I chain an even number, usually less than ten stitches. This is very forgiving as far as mistakes go. If you do have to pull out a mistake, go slowly as this yarn will knot very easily in the against the nap direction. If you do get a knot that won't come out just snip and re-tie, the knot is not going to stand out once your scarf is all fluffed.
If you use the very fluffy and furry stuff, you can hardly see what you have crocheted so it is that much more important to keep it simple and use that large hook. Once you are used to working with it or if your are an advanced crocheter you can branch out into some mittens or a sweater. This type of yarn is so soft! It is truly like a kitten! I like to make very long thin scarves out of this yarn and just wrap it several times around my neck. It's like a boa sans the feathers shedding.Once you are finished crocheting, shake,comb or fluff until all the fuzzy bits are not caught in your stitches. You don't have to stop there you can add beads, pony bead size or larger work better as the smaller sizes don't show up very well, You can add sequins or even bells! Hey more IS more!
The scarf is a great way to try out new yarns, especially if the new yarn is pricey. A new scarf will give you a great accessory. It can double as a belt. It can camouflage an ugly spot on a shirt or jacket. Also they make great gifts. So why are you still sitting here?... go make yourself a fabulous scarf.
