Saturday, December 25, 2010

Making a Hat

Q. So I just wanted to ask.. If i were trying to crochet a hat, how would you gradually make the width smaller, and finally after how would i connect the two ends... or is making a hat a different process?

A. Hi! Well, it really depends on how your pattern instructs you. In general, though, if your hat is starting at the top of the hat, you would end up adding stitches (2 stitches crocheted in one, for instance) as you go along. I can't say how many, but your pattern would tell you.

If your pattern starts you out at the lower edge of the hat (which I don't think most hats would), then you would end up slowly decreasing stitches (skipping a stitch occasionally).

There are a lot of online sites that offer free patterns. Find one that is the style you like, and just copy or download it!

I'd love to hear how your hat is coming along!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Q. Hey there! I'm hoping you're still answering questions on crochet because I just started crocheting again! I just saw your wonderful tutorial on YouTube and (as everyone else mentioned) it was the best crochet tutorial there :)

Anyway, I have been practicing my basic starter chain stitch and I noticed that some of the chains came out a bit twisted as opposed to your nicely flat, and uniform stitch. (This may have been because I followed another tutorial before I finished it off with yours, hehe) BUT nonetheless, I wanted to know how to fix a twisting chain stitch and how does one prevent it from twisting? Greatly appreciated :)
A. So glad to hear you're beginning to crochet again! It is really so much fun!

I was thinking about what would cause you to have twisted stitches, and tried a few things here. I noticed that when I took my hook out and then put it back into my current stitch-loop, coming in from the opposite side of the stitch, then that made my next slip-stitch to look funny. Do you think this is what you may have done?

Try it out and see. I'd be interested to hear your reply, and happy crochet'ing!
Sincerely, Esther