How do I crochet around a hair tie?

[ava]

I want to try to make scrunchies but I'm having trouble figuing out how to crochet around a hair tie. Any advice?

[Aggie May]

This is how I do it when I am using a fancy, Eyelash type yarn.

Just take the elastitc loop in your left hand, along with the tail of the yarn. Put the hook into under the elastic and hook a loop through, keeping a firm hold on the tail and then hook the yarn above the elastic to make a CH.

Now you can just work as many SCs over the elastic and the tail, as you need to have plenty of stitches to allow for the stretch of the elastic. Join with a SL ST to the first SC and finish off as normal.

So cheap and easy to make, it does not matter if they get lost, just make another.

I sometimes just use 3 rubberbands in a similar colour to the yarn I am using. They seem to last as well as the bought elastics.

Or you can use 3 strands of sherring elastic, to make a head band or necklace or bracelet to match.

If you cannot understand my explanation, let me know and I will try to post some pictures for you.

Have fun.

Colleen.

[SaxDragon]

It's similar enough to crocheting into a ring - bone or chained, like for starting a granny square. Just lots more stitches :-)

 

After my slip knot is on the hook, I reach through the band to draw up the yarn for the first stitch - usually a ch3 for a double crochet. Same for all the stitches on that first row. I Like to do v-stitches around the band - enough to cover all the way around. That's usually enough without being too many when it's stretched out. I see a lot of bands done in single crochet, too, but I haven't ever done those.

 

I'll increase the number of stitches (v-stitch, shells, picots, etc) on the next row or two so the scrunchie get a ruffling to it. Depending on the yarn thickness, I might do as many as 5 rows. I sometimes add beads of jingle bells on the last row if I feel like it.

 

You can get lots of bands fairly cheap, and it doesn't take a lot of yarn, so you can experiment a lot until you find what works for you :-) There are free patterns available on line, too, on several sites.

[Addey]

I 'start' the yarn like always and then slip stich into the band, that is, pull a loop through the band and then off the hook. I then ch or sc or whatever the pattern or my imagination say. Just keep working around it like you would a granny or any other project that had you crocheting into a loop.

[Podger1]

I hold the ponytail holder in my left hand, slide the hook under, pull up a loop through the ponytail holder and then finish it was a sc. I have long hair and have probably at least about 25-30 scrunchies in a basket in my bathroom. It is such a quick and easy project. I don't use a pattern anymore. I just sc around the holder as many times as I can get on it and then I play with it from there. Usually 2 or 3 dc in each one around, maybe ad a picot eding to that. Sometimes I will dc one color in the front loops around, then dc another color in the back loops. Just use your imagination and if you don't like it...frog it and start over...they're so quick and easy, you won't feel like your destroying hours of work.

 

I use my regular ponytail holders which are a tad thicker. This works for me because I have really thick hair and they stay in better. However, I made a ton of them for my niece this past Christmas who is 4. I bought those little tiny terrycloth-looking holders in the little girl section and used those. They worked great for little girl hair that is soft and fine and not very thick yet. I made her two of each color and bought a tall, clear canister at WalMart to put them in. Made bigger matching ones for her mom and packaged them the same way. They both were so excited and thought it was one of the best Christmas gifts ever.

 

Oh yeah...the BEST ones (at least for the type of clothing I wear being a SAHM) is to use variegated yarn. One scrunchie can end up going with so many different colored tops or blouses. I caught a sale at Michael's one time on that 100% cotton kitchen yarn (Sugar'n'Cream or something like that???) and bought lots of roles of variegated yarns. I've had those forever and the cotton is nice because you can just throw you scrunchies in the wash and they hold up well and don't get fuzzy.

[ava]

Wow thanks for the responses guys! There are some really good ideas in there. Podger is kitchen cotton different from regular cotton?

 

If anyone knows of / can take some photographs of the process I would be most grateful...my head is having a bit of trouble getting round the finer points...I know it should be an easy thing to do - maybe I'm just having a slow-brain day!

[Podger1]

No...I think it is all the same. I'm talking about the stuff tha is at Michaels or Hobby Lobby that people use to make hotpads and dishcloths. There is one brand that calls it kitchen cotton and then there is the sugar-n-cream brand. I'm sorry, my yarn stash is up in the top of my closet and I have my toddlers running around or I would go drag out the step ladder and check out the exact name for you.

[luvmnms]

try this link

[ava]

No...I think it is all the same. I'm talking about the stuff tha is at Michaels or Hobby Lobby that people use to make hotpads and dishcloths. There is one brand that calls it kitchen cotton and then there is the sugar-n-cream brand. I'm sorry, my yarn stash is up in the top of my closet and I have my toddlers running around or I would go drag out the step ladder and check out the exact name for you.

 

Thanks, that's OK - they may not have the same brand here in the UK anyway. We don't have Michael's and Hobby Lbby unfortunately!

 

Thanks everyone for all the help - I made my first scrunchie last night! it took a lot more loops than I had anticipated.