Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Ending your afghan

Q. how do you end something?

A. When your afghan is long enough, crochet to the end of the row. There will be a loop still on your hook. Carefully make the loop double its size, and slip your hook out. Lay your hook aside.

Measure down 2 or 3 inches (going toward your skein of yarn. With your scissors, cut the yarn string. Lay your scissors aside. Move your unused skein out of your way, too.

Carefully take your open end of yarn (this is still attached to your afghan) and slip it through the loop you made. Tighten the loop, and you're done! All you have to do now is use your crochet hook to slip this tail back and forth out of sight.

3-8-08
The second video shows how to do this. Let me know if you still have questions.

Turning at end of row

Q. when you are turning at the end of the first row, and after you skip 3 holes to turn, after that how many holes do you skip? and do you follow this same routine for the 3rd row?

A. I assume you are talking about the original "chain" row. Yes, after you skip the 3 holes that are close to the crochet hook, go ahead and start your stitches right there. Crochet all the way across. At the end of THIS row, either:

1. chain 2 - if the next row is to be a single-crochet row, or
2. chain 3 - if the next row is to be a double-crochet row

Hands not cooperating?

Hello to my 9-year-old crafter! And to all of you young-at-hearts that are mastering this skill also!

Though you don't say in your question, I have an idea that it's the left-hand that is the problem. (Or the opposite hand that you're crocheting with.) This is the hand that controls your "tension".

I have seen SO many different ways to hold your yarn with this hand! You might just try some different ways on your own. I'll try to look up some pictures of this hand for you, too....

ends coming out slanted

The reason an end is coming up slanted is because your rows do not have the same amount in them.

As you finish your row (or possibly start a new row), make sure you are not working in the chain-stitches (chain 2 or 3) that you make to take you to the new row. If you work in any of these stitches, you will be adding stitches to every row you make. Then, of course, your work starts to look a little like a triangle!

Chains at end of row

Q. when you are turning at the end of the first row, and after you skip 3 holes to turn, after that how many holes do you skip? and do you follow this same routine for the 3rd row?

********

A. First, you must know (or decide) which kind of a stitch you'll be making in the next row.

If you will be making a single crochet row, then you need to chain 1 (or whatever your patterns says)
.
If you'll be making a double crochet row, you will need to chain 3.

I have never seen more than 3 chains at the end of a row.

3-8-08
See the next video.

Make another video?

Q. Make another video?

A. My niece and I are planning on making another video. I'll be showing how to do double crochet in it.

3-8-08
The next video is up and running now! See if it has the instructions you want from it.

Ask a question here

Post all questions here, and I'll answer in a separate post.