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About Crochet Cabana
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Hello and welcome to Crochet Cabana’s crochet pages. Of course, this entire site is dedicated to crochet. These are the general things that just didn't fit another category on the home page. One of the reasons I have made these pages (and this site in fact) is that I myself sometimes forget simple little things. You know how it is -- you’ve been doing this off and on for many years and one day you look at yourself and say, now HOW do you do that again? It’s sort of like when you’re writing a letter and you look at a word you’ve written hundreds of times and it just doesn’t “look” right though you know it is. Ever had that happen to you? I have. So here's my cheat sheets for my old age.
First I want to say a big thank you to Katy and Diane who taught me to crochet way back when. I recently had confirmation that this was summer of 1980 while on vacation in Mississippi.
I have an extensive crochet library and occasionally I share some of these plus new ones I find, usually through my blogs. Presently, in 2010, I have two craft related blogs. The Crochet Cabana Blog and Crafty Corral. I also have a channel at YouTube and you can find some of those videos on the video page. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.
Don’t forget to also visit the tutorials and learn not only how to crochet, but also how to teach crochet, how to work a few of the specialty stitches, how to join new yarn, how to make and join granny squares - including the join as you go method and much much more. All tutorials include photos, not drawings, in most cases. More things are added as time permits so visit often.
Please understand that I cannot search out patterns for you all. If you are in need of a particular pattern, join a crochet list, or put a message up on a bulletin board. Ask someone who is familiar with all the crochet leaflets out there - Jennie Gaskin at Country Yarns has just about every leaflet imaginable and she's a gem. Older pattern books and leaflets can often be found on Ebay or from other used book sellers.
Please also remember that I am a person just like you, with a life outside of the Internet. I answer all my e-mail and really enjoy hearing from you all. If you do not receive a reply, possible reasons include: you didn't include a reply e-mail, you misspelled the return e-mail, or the e-mail was returned as undeliverable for whatever reason, often a full inbox. The few months before Christmas are busiest, so please be patient if I am a day or so in answering mail. I might also add that sometimes my Internet or power is out, especially during hurricane season, preventing me from not only answering but checking mail.
Please understand when I cannot take the time to crochet an item you are having trouble with, so I can explain to you how to do it. This just takes too long and I have a multitude of other responsibilities. Your best option is always to contact the original designer or publisher of the pattern. If that fails, then post a message with only the portion you're having a problem with, on a forum or e-mail list.
Thanks to all of you who have visited. Please come back again and see what's new!
Jump on in and enjoy getting to know Crochet! It will become a lifelong friend.
Sandie Petit
Benefits of Crochet
c2008 Sandra Petit, All rights reserved.
http://www.crochetcabana.com
What are some benefits one can receive from crochet, you might wonder. Well, as I am typing I can think of quite a few, which I will share with you. If you think of others, let me know. Who know? Maybe you’ll find it listed next time you come by. :-)
1) Crocheting keeps your stress levels down by keeping your hands and heart busy (the love which shows through those hand-made gifts)
2) Crochet travels well. Bring those granny squares and put-together projects with you on long road trip, doctor visits, hospital stay (hope you don’t have many of those!)
3) Keep expenses down with gifts hand-made with love
4) Increase your home library with beautiful crochet books. If I live to be 150 years old, I could never make everything in all the books I have, but I love to just flip through and look at all the beautiful pictures.
5) Save for the future -- collect crochet hooks. One day they’ll be worth more, right? Especially those wonderful wood hooks!
6) Okay a silly one -- When you get angry with your spouse or kids, you can throw yarn. It won’t hurt but they’ll know you’re pouting!
7) Crochet makes TV watching time seem less frivolous, after all you’re making something useful! AND you can search your favorite shows for crocheted item.
8) Crocheting for charity helps others and helps yourself!
I happened upon another site by a very talented young lady named Casey. She's been crocheting since she's five. She has a different list for why it's great to be a crocheter. Go visit her web site: Casey's Crochet .
This thing is going around now where folks are listing their top 50 things a crocheter should know. Not one to resist this sort of challenge LOL here is my list. I tried to put it in a reasonable order, but they're not necessarily in the order in which you'd learn.
50 Things a Crocheter
should know, understand or learn.
c2008 Sandra Petit, All rights reserved.
http://www.crochetcabana.com
This information is available in the form of a self-assessment tool adapted by Judith White Hughes as a teaching tool for members of the Kitsap Fancy Crocheters Guild of Washington State. Permission is given for personal use. My personal thanks to Judith for creating this excellent tool.
Self-assessment form (pdf format)
| 1. |
Why crochet is important. Hint: It's not only entertainment, but a
valuable, worthwhile craft, useful for ministering to others. |
| 2. |
Copyright laws |
| 3. |
Have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the Internet and
especially e-mail as you can get answers to your questions easily through
forums and message boards and just surfin'. |
| 4. |
Have patience. Learning a new skill takes time. Go slowly and
walk before running. |
| 5. |
If you're taking a class, make sure you have all the required
materials and show up on time, ready to work. |
| 6. |
How to make a slip knot and also the adjustable ring start. |
| 7. |
Try different ways of holding the hook to find the way that
is most comfortable for you. |
| 8. |
How to make the foundation chain and be able to count your
chains correctly. |
| 9. |
How to make the basic stitches -- slip stitch, single
crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, and triple crochet, not
necessarily in that order. |
| 10. |
How to turn work, including how many to chain up for height
and whether to count the turning chain as a stitch or not and how to crochet
into the turning chain |
| 11. |
How to count stitches and rows. |
| 12. |
How to keep even tension. |
| 13. |
How to read patterns and understand instructions, preferably
both written instructions and symbols - don't get frustrated. It will come
in time. |
| 14. | How to tell the right side from wrong side or front from back. |
| 15. |
What is meant by front loop only, or back loop only. |
| 16. | Very important: How to finish off and weave in ends properly with a tapestry needle or crochet hook. (See Invisible Finish Off) |
| 17. | How to
use Lil's Knot or stitch markers when you have to leave your work before
you're done
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| 18. | Gauge - when it's important and when it's not and what happens if you don't follow it |
| 19. |
How to increase and decrease stitches at beginning or end of
row. |
| 20. |
Be familiar with different types of yarn including how to
clean, recognize dye lot, and choose an equivalent yarn for your project. |
| 21. |
Be familiar with hooks made of different materials, sizing of
hooks, and how to choose an appropriate hook for your yarn |
| 22. |
Know what a center pull thread is and what to do if you can't find
it. |
| 23. |
How to enlarge or reduce a pattern by changing the foundation
chain, hook, or yarn |
| 24. |
Different methods of joining squares such as whipstitch, single crochet,
braid, join-as-you-go |
| 25. |
How to work in the round, including spirals. |
| 26. |
How to work into a ring |
| 27. |
How to change colors at the beginning, middle or end of a
project worked in rows, and in a project worked in the round |
| 28. |
How to carry colors |
| 29. |
How to work a graph |
| 30. |
What it means to work in a space, skip a stitch, work between
stitches, work in same stitch. |
| 31. |
How to figure multiples |
| 32. |
How to correct a mistake when necessary and knowing when it's
okay to leave it in |
| 33. | Know that a knot in the yarn is not a good thing, even if it is in the manufacturer's yarn skein. Cut it out. |
| 34. | Know the difference between American and European pattern terms, and which one your pattern uses |
| 35. |
Know what the "post" of your stitch is. |
| 36. | How to make the basic granny square |
| 37. |
How to do special stitches like picot, popcorn, puff, box
stitch, reverse single crochet, V- stitch, X-stitch, post stitches |
| 38. |
How to make different shapes besides the granny square
such as the triangle, half granny,
rectangle granny, hexagon, octagon |
| 39. |
How to read the labels on yarn and have a passing familiarity
with the different manufacturers. |
| 40. |
Become acquainted with specialty crochet like broomstick lace, hairpin lace,
Tunisian (afghan) stitch, ripple stitch |
| 41. |
How to finish your work with a border, fringe, pom poms or other ornament |
| 42. |
Have a list of measurements for different sizes of whatever
item you like to make. For example, for afghans you might have measurements
for different size beds. |
| 43. | Study color and how it affects the look of your pattern |
| 44. | Know how to store your finished pieces |
| 45. |
What it means to work on right side only |
| 46. | Where to go for help when you have a question |
| 47. |
Find out about national crochet organizations, local crochet
clubs, forums, e-mail lists, magazines and other support systems for the
crocheter and choose which, if any, fit in with your lifestyle |
| 48. |
If you want to sell your work, investigate how to do that and
get all permissions from designers necessary before selling |
| 49. | How to teach others to crochet |
| 50. | How to document your teaching credentials in some way, perhaps by becoming a certified crochet teacher or get a crochet masters certificate |
03/28/2011
