Crochet Cabana - learn to crochet,free patterns,tutorials,charity

2001 Sept 11
Never Forget
WTC

Katrina
August '05

CROCHET - About this site

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.

I have a list of books and leaflets which I hope will benefit you! I have an extensive crochet library myself so these are just a starter list.

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.

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 an e-mail, you misspelled the e-mail, or the e-mail was returned as undeliverable for whatever reason, often a full inbox.

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. I also want to crochet myself! 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, preventing me from not only answering but checking mail, as in the case of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

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.

Benefits of Crochet

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.

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
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

E-mail me and tell me what I forgot to include.

The buttons above were my first at the Cabana. I keep them for sentimental reasons. :-)

NOTICE: Someone is using my old e-mail address to send out SPAM. Please note that if you receive any e-mail from crochetcabana at startrekmail dot com it is NOT from me. I no longer use this account and, to my knowledge, it has been discontinued.
Also I do not use my sspt at geocities dot com for mailing. If you receive something coming from that account, it is not from me.

Please visit my other web sites, Sandra�s Backyard, SandraPetit.com, and Crafty Corral