My first crocheting endeavor

[Deleted]

@redfish ,@kiwifarmgal ,Maura ,

I thought I would "move" the thread to the right spot so I could get more possible feedback while I tackle this new adventure

So I decided in the end to go with a scarf for my mom as my first project since she is always cold. Even in TX heat she wears sweaters when going indoors since the AC is too cool for her. I went with www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO-oNYMF8BM since her instructions were really good, not to mention I love her accent So this is what I've done so far between a couple of hours last night and today combined. 


It's nowhere NEAR as beautiful or uniform as the one in the video but I just loved her design out of all the youtube beginner ones I came across. The patterns I tried to look at were like deciphering a secret code since I didn't know at the start what a chain was or how to chain or that "Sc" means Single Chain or Ch 40 meant to either make that many chains (if it said that at the start) or referring to the actually chain number. So I went with a visual. The cluster crochet I think it's called took me about 4-5 to figure out by heart (LOVE the slow mo option we can watch youtube in lol). So after doing this much here is my question. Going with this light yarn has definitely helped me see stitches so that was a great suggestion. This entire scarf is basically a patter of Single chain, double chain, cluster, single chain, double chain cluster. Then when I reach the end it's an entire line of single chain, double chain, then at the end of that line I go back to the first thing of SC, DC, Cluster and repeat. When I do the SC, DC line I am having a hard time keeping track of which chain I've already used and which the next one should be. I tried looking at the stitches but they look the same. So I've literally just started holding the next one (chain) so I can do it that way, is there an easier way? Also last night the fingers on my left hand (I'm right handed so I hold the hook in my right hand) hurt from gripping the yarn and doing the looping with that hand. This morning though the last two fingers of my right hand hurt (pinky+ring finger) and I don't think I'm doing anything different. Is this normal or am I using wrong technique? Finally after looking at my work any tips/ideas on how I can improve and get more uniformity like the girl in the youtube video? I tried holding the yarn really tight last night and I saw more uniformity that way but it was also a HUGE struggle making my hook go through the loops. So towards the end of the night due to tiredness in my fingers mostly I let it be lax and I found it made crocheting so much easier especially when I had to do the clusters and go through multiple loops on that repeatedly. I did feel all the yarn at Walmart and this IS Red heart worsted weight 4 but it feels soft to me. I didn't see any lace yarn or whatever that fuzzy, soft one is that people use to make baby projects. If this turns out a success, once I'm done with this roll I will seek out better quality yarn in the future like suggested by you guys Might take me a bit tho, this one said it's 2 skeins on the covering paper, which seems like a lot to a beginner like myself.

[Deleted]

Oh and for those of you without a "crochet" workstation like me or if you didn't have one when starting out, what did you use to keep your light colored yarns super safe? Most surfaces I fear usually have one small spec of dirt or another so I'm currently just using a magazine and resting my work and the yarn on that. That will however, not work for me once I get my scarf longer. Furthermore, my cat keeps playing with the line of string that I release from my yarn ball/cylinder I trying shooing him away but he keeps coming back lol. Lastly, when I first "opened" my yarn ball/cylinder (it's not really a ball since it's long lol), I just found an end and pulled and so far all the pulling has worked. I'm praying that I don't hit a snag since I don't want to do the whole tying two yarn strings together to make it seamless again thing. Will the pulling keep giving me tangle free, unknotted yarn till I reach the end of the yarn "ball"?

[Maura]

I think it looks good. You are being too hard on yourself.

I don’t crochet because it hurts my wrist, but I can knit until the cows come home. I’m a knitting fiend, actually.

You are probably holding everything too tightly, both hands. This is very common, I’m sure everyone does it when first starting out. I had a friend who, when she first learned to knit 60 years ago, held the yarn so tightly that her sweat bled the color right out of it. Do hand exercises.

Put this project down and start again. This time, with no intention of ‘making something’. Or, a make a dish cloth, which is the go-to project for beginners. Instead of concentrating on your project and doing it perfectly, concentrate on loosening your fingers and wrists. The crochet hook should dance in your hand, not march. The yarn should glide, not tug.

Make your first chain and let the loops be sloppy. Insert the hook wrap the yarn loosely, pull through, start over. Loosy goosy, easy peasy. When you are done with your dish rag, you won’t care if it looks horrible because you are going to wash dishes or wipe counters with it and you won’t feel bad about getting it all stained and nasty looking.

How to keep track. Well, you could use markers. They make markers that are complete circles, but they also make them with an opening, like an earring loop. They should have crochet markers at Walmart. Usually, they are used for fancier patterns, but you are free to use them wherever you need them. At some point you will be able to ‘read’ your work. A good book would help with that.

As for the yarn skein, put it in a small paper bag and put a rubber band around the top where the yarn pulls out. I get my yarn from a yarn store and they give us these nice little stand up bags with handles. Perfect for sitting on the floor and pulling up. A gift bag would work in the same manner. As for the cat, well, you have a cat with a predatory instinct and when you move out to the country he will kill mice.

[Deleted]

@rachelmcmurtrie, I am so proud of you, my friend!!!!!!! Well done - what an amazing start you've made. Absolutely fantastic!! Your mother is going to love her scarf - what a nice thing to think of as your first project.

@redfish, gave good advice about using a gauge, but you'll find your own tension in time.

So - are you enjoying learning this new craft?

[Deleted]

@redfish, I don't have Skype but I could dl it np. My question was when you're working on a stitch that involves every chain how do you keep track of which chain is next? I think I've skipped one and used the same chain in confusion as well. When I'm doing double crotchet, single crotchet, repeating it's hard for me to see the chain I used to do the DC,SC and thus which chain I need to next use to do the next DC, SC. When I do the SC,DC,Cluster pattern it's not hard because the cluster goes in the same chain 4-5 times that I can see what the next chain I do my SC,DC is on, does that make any sense? Basically is there a way to mark what the next chain to stitch would be when it's hard to gauge by just seeing? Thanks about the tip about staying relaxed I will work on that. I laughed at the "Apparently I crochet with a lot of arm flapping."

@kiwifarmgal, I really like it. I will know more after I'm done with the scarf, right now I'm just in the entry phase but I do enjoy it. The funnest bit has been last night when I started doing the cluster stitch I was so overwhelmed and thought "goosh gosh this is complicated!" then I went from having to watch the YT vid to do it to memorizing it and doing it without the YT vid, and from there this morning I went to an almost automated motion to where it's now my favorite part

[Deleted]

WARNING: Obsession in the making.....

[Deleted]

Jan 3, 2016 22:08:19 GMT @kiwifarmgal said:

WARNING: Obsession in the making.....

LOL!

Jan 4, 2016 1:36:17 GMT @redfish said:

@rachelmcmurtrie , IF I am understanding you correctly, you are having a hard time seeing what constitutes a 'stitch' as far as where to stick the hook through. If that is so check this video at around 3:30 www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hoc9pNfVfU. She kind of shows the two 'strings' that you go through.

If I am wrong and you're having trouble keeping track of the pattern and what goes where on the row below, use stitch markers. I use safety pins, but they actually make all sorts of stitch markers for this.

And if both of those are wrong, sorry for being dense!!

Haha you were indeed right it was the first one I was asking about! @redfish , thank you for the YT rec, those were 4 something minutes of pure pleasure! She is a great teacher and so enthusiastic I loved it. Is that skandi from our forums by the way? When I hit the 3:30 mark and I saw the two strings she went into, I cussed. Out loud. My son's not here so it's okay! Because I have only been going into ONE string when I do my single and double crochets, are we supposed to be going through two?!?!? Now I have to go watch my video again. Bad words are streaming through my mind right now since I'm already in four rows and I don't want to unravel it all and start again lol!

[bopeep]

@rachelmcmurtrie, You are doing a Beautiful job.
You ask about keeping the yarn safe and you were talking about pulling it out of the skein (ball), I like using a tote bag, I have several and keep each project that I am working on in it's own bag, that keeps the yarn from collapsing.
I am looking forward to seeing a lot of your Beautiful work.
bopeep

[shellymay]

@rachelmcmurtrie, You are amazing and doing great  I could never brave what you are...

[Deleted]

Jan 4, 2016 14:46:42 GMT bopeep said:

@rachelmcmurtrie , You are doing a Beautiful job.
You ask about keeping the yarn safe and you were talking about pulling it out of the skein (ball), I like using a tote bag, I have several and keep each project that I am working on in it's own bag, that keeps the yarn from collapsing.
I am looking forward to seeing a lot of your Beautiful work.
bopeep

Jan 4, 2016 16:02:40 GMT shellymay said:

@rachelmcmurtrie , You are amazing and doing great  I could never brave what you are...

Aww thank you both for your incredibly kind words!!!

bopeep, that's a great tip about keeping each individual project separate. Since I only have the one project right now it wasn't something I considered but you're right in the future I will need to and yours is a great tip thanks! I think I will use the ghetto-er version and use my Walmart shopping bag instead as suggested by @redfish, earlier 

shellymay, I bet you could do it in a heartbeat if you wanted to if you don't already dabble in the fibre arts Brave will be finishing it with my hand hurting like crazy due to my awful technique I'm sure.

@redfish, Is it bad that I just want to finish the whole thing in the same way going through the one loop lol? And as for the yarn coming out of the skein I am pulling it out from the middle versus unraveling the whole "ball" in all directions so glad to hear that's the slightly "better" way.

[Deleted]

@redfish, indeed I'm excited to see where this crocheting adventure takes me

[gardenelf]

Your project looks good! Don't get discouraged by sore hands and fingers. I have that same problem, and when starting to crochet or knit when I haven't in a long time, I need to ease back into it or take a few days off after starting cause my hands & joints hurt.

I don't know how to read patterns, I'm sure I could figure it out if I took the time to learn it, but it's so much easier to ask my mom. She's worked with yarn for 40+ years. I show her the pattern I want to do and she can show me how to do it. I have to either start on different yarn or rip it out after she she's me since she's right handed and I'm a lefty. Youtube is a great resource. I used that for a pattern when my mom was unavailable to show me how to read a pattern once.

Uniformity with stitches will come as you get past the basics and learn how to keep a comfortable tension on the yarn as you work. You already figured out that too much tension makes for a harder stitch to work (and will make your hands hurt even more!) Looser but not too loose is the trick. You'll find the tension that's right for you, and it will probably not be the same as anyone else. My current knit blanket project is being knitted on size 10 needles. My mom was looking it over and asked if I was using size 6 needles. Her expression when I told her size 10 was great! I have a tight knitting stitch. My mom, not so much.

I personally think you should finish the project doing the same method you've been using as far as which string to go into. The great thing about crochet is that it's so easy to slightly vary patterns and still have an awesome looking project. Sometimes you want to go into the front string, sometimes the back one, sometimes both. Depends on what look you want, and the functionality of it.

I usually set my yarn in a bag I use just for yarn, or on a clean surface. I'm afraid to use white yarn for much as I'm a dirt magnet with anything that's white colored! They sell yarn bags/ containers with a hole in the top so you can keep the main ball/skein clean and just pull the string you need through the hole.

I see that it's been a few days since anyone's posted here, so I hope your project is going well, and that you show us a picture of your progress or at least when it's finished!

[manygoatsnmore]

@rachelmcmurtrie , you can also make yourself a yarn caddy to help keep your yarn clean. Take a plastic coffee can or oatmeal canister, cut a round hole in the lid and pull your yarn through the hole before you start your crochet project (won't help you right now, but keep the idea in mind for next time). Put the yarn inside the can, lid on with the yarn coming out the hole, and you have a good way to keep your yarn under control.   Make sure you make the opening smooth so your yard doesn't snag on a rough edge.

If your project is small enough, you can take off the lid and place the project piece inside in between crochet sessions. The yarn will not affect the closing of the lid, and the only exposed part will be a few inches between the hole and rim.

Best of all, not only is this handy, but it is totally FREE.

[Deleted]

gardenelf, Thank you for your insight!! You are right in that my right hand was hurting terribly that I had to take a break. After 2 whole days of pain it finally subsided on the third. So now I am taking it back up and trying to be more careful on how I go about it. My husband asked me what needle I was using for this (H size) and got me a solo H hook with an ergonomic handle, so going to try with that later today and see if that helps!

I agree with you, I like how it looks with the way I have been doing so I am keen on having it look uniform, so I will keep at it the way I have been. I saw some nice yarn that was fancier and spent some time longingly stroking it picturing all the things to make with it at the store. Deal is when I finish this yarn I can go get it and try, so looking forward to that

I did not know about yarn bags/containers or that I could make one myself thank you manygoatsnmore, that sounds like a good idea!

I look forward to figuring out the right tension for myself and will definitely post the progress/finished project when I am further in/done. Hope to be done by this Tuesday and get it to my mother when I see her at that time.

[Muller's Lane Farm]

Jan 9, 2016 22:58:44 GMT @rachelmcmurtrie said:

 I saw some nice yarn that was fancier and spent some time longingly stroking it picturing all the things to make with it at the store. Deal is when I finish this yarn I can go get it and try, so looking forward to that

And so it begins .....

You will learn that sometimes that nice yarn won't be there when you go back to get it ... so it is better to just get it now ... then you can put it in plain sight while working on your current project to motivate you to get your project finished so you can start a new one ...

At least, that is how I justify it .... and why I now have a whole room of yarn, spinning fibers, wheels & looms ... LOL!!! 



You're doing a Great job!  

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2016 12:58:17 GMT Muller's Lane Farm said:

Jan 9, 2016 22:58:44 GMT @rachelmcmurtrie said:

 I saw some nice yarn that was fancier and spent some time longingly stroking it picturing all the things to make with it at the store. Deal is when I finish this yarn I can go get it and try, so looking forward to that

And so it begins .....

You will learn that sometimes that nice yarn won't be there when you go back to get it ... so it is better to just get it now ... then you can put it in plain sight while working on your current project to motivate you to get your project finished so you can start a new one ...

At least, that is how I justify it .... and why I now have a whole room of yarn, spinning fibers, wheels & looms ... LOL!!! 



You're doing a Great job!  

lol! Sounds like a plan