Multi Color Chain Help

[ammorgan]

I am working on a square from Reversible Color Crochet by Laurinda Reddig. I feel like I am getting stuck on getting the chain started. Once I get the chain started I am good to go, but it always takes me a few tries to get my square started.

 

In the back of the book it talks about doing a multicolor chain and it says for doing the new color wrap end of new color around end of previous color once like the first half of a square knot, pull both short ends tight (this st doesn't count as a ch). And the picture says tightened chain should not be counted or used as a stitch.

 

How would you mark the tightened knots so as not to try to crochet into them? How do you make sure that from your chain row your working yarn ends up coming from the top instead of the bottom?

[redrosesdz]

HI ammorgan!

 

I'm working through the same book!!  I've done 8 of the 16 learning blocks.  You can see them here.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't see the how to join a new color on a chain, until your post.  So, none of my blocks have the tightened knots.  You could put a stitch marker (or bobby pin) on each one.  But, since it's just for the first row, counting slowly with the skipped knots in mind might just do it for you.  There aren't that many stitches across in her blocks.

 

You're probably wondering how I got away without doing them.  I hate long foundation chains and rarely use them.  Instead, I did foundation stitches and joined the colors at the last pull through on the hdc or dc.  Sometimes the color on the foundation was off by a stitch, but since I edged each block with an sc, that got covered up.

 

Good luck!  I'm anxious to see your blocks!  I need a break from making them so that I can work on other projects, but I'm planning on working the remaining 8 blocks in a few months.  I really struggled with the last couple of blocks, so it's nice to know that someone else is working through the book, too!  Please keep posting here and maybe we can help each other out. 

[ammorgan]

Thank you!  Yours look great!  I had never heard of foundation stitches before you mentioned them.  I have actually thought a few times of starting with what I intend to be my border color, do a few rows in that, but also add a few stitches to the left and right as well, and then finish off with the border color, so I can skip the multi color chain!

[redrosesdz]

Try doing just the chain in the border color.  It's going to be covered up when you do the edging anyway.

 

Also, look into foundation stitches.  They literally changed my entire outlook on crocheting.  I learned from what I think is the best teacher out there, Marty Miller (aka Dr. Crochet.)  She has a class at craftsy.com called "Mastering Foundation Stitches."  It's a little pricey, but craftsy puts it on sale at least once a month.  To me, it was well worth the money in the time and effort it has saved me.  (It includes buttonholes, eyelets and a few other goodies.)  There are also free youtube videos and written instructions out there, but I don't know which are worthwhile and which aren't.

[ammorgan]

I am still working on the 9 patch one, but am looking ahead at the other ones.  On Step Up (square 3), where it has you carry the yarn, did you just lay the color you were hiding on top of the row below and then dc around it?

[redrosesdz]

Yes.  Have you ever hidden a tail underneath stitches?  It's the same concept.  You lay the yarn that you're carrying across over the top of the stitches.  Then you crochet as if it wasn't there, capturing it in the middle to hide it.  This only works when either the color on the previous row or current row is the same.  It blends in with the row that is the same color.

[ammorgan]

Yes.  I hadn't realized at the time I posted that carrying was the same as hiding a tail.  Thanks