63 Squares Crochet Along

[Donna]

That's great Rachel! Can't wait to see!!

[Piper0110]

Donna,

 

That might be the problem. My stitches have loosened up since square one, but it's entirely possible. I think the initial problem is that my starting chain is still too tight. It looks loose and open to me, but by the end, I can't pull up two loops. I'll just have to make it ridiculously loose and then work backwards from there.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Donna]

You're welcome, Piper! For the starting chain, I always use a hook one size larger. It makes it easier because I don't have to concentrate on keeping it loose. Have you tried that?

[Piper0110]

I've tried multiple large hooks, all to no avail. Oh well, I'll just keep trying! I've given up for today though, too frustrated to continue. Maybe later this week.

 

I get too easily frustrated with things and give up. I really want to get this one right! :irked

[Donna]

Just so I'm sure you know what I meant... If I'm going to use an H hook to crochet the square, I use and I hook to make the starting chain and then move to the H hook for the rest of the square.

[Piper0110]

Right, I tried that. I even whipped out my gigantic hook that I never remember what gauge it is. And then worked with the H hook. That helped. For row one. But by the end, it was still a bit tight, leaving the next stitches tight.

 

You know, I'm probably doing something completely wrong. Something simple. It'll be figured out eventually! 8)

[Donna]

Ah, I see. :scratchchin I think you just need to keep practicing to get more comfortable with the yarn. You'll get it.

[Ambersafghans]

Piper, it sounds like you just need to loosen up your stitch. I am amazed at the diffrent stitching I come across. I had to watch my sisters sometimes because they would be too tight or too loose. But my younger brother Andrew is crocheting now and he has a wonderfull stitch! but you can change your stitching with practice. Which means you may need some more yarn to practice on....

I find that my hands will hurt with thick yarns, but sometimes with the normal Caron that I use:|

I hope it's just that I need to loosen up a bit!

Anyway, sorry to ramble on!

Amber

[MommaChelle]

I dont know if this would help or not, but Piper- how are you holding your yarn? I place mine under pinky, over ring finger, under middle, and over pointer finger...I let the yarn slide through and hold my tension with my pointer finger only. Some hold their yarn over their pinky, under ring and middle, and over pointer, again holding tension with pointer finger. Do you think changing the way you hold your yarn might help?

[Piper0110]

I hold my yarn by placing it over my index finger, then sort of along the underside of my fingers, and I bend my pinky down over the yarn, so it kind of slides through there. I guess that's sort of a strange way to hold it, but it works!

 

I think I'll perhaps start working up some squares to work on my tension. I'm a pro at the double crochet, whipped up a little bag of scrap yarn for my laptop last night, just to see how my tension was. Beautiful. It's these crazy complex stitches that get me!

[Ambersafghans]

MommaChelle,

are you left handed?

Amber

[MommaChelle]

No, Im right handed. I hold my yarn in my left hand, and hook in my right.

[Rachel]

I just had to tell somebody so y'all are it!

I finished the hated square 53! I have had so much trouble with that one. I have started it over twice and taken out about half of it. Not to mention the row or two I have had to take out as I move along and goof up. After tiff helped out with the placement of the puff stitch, I was still messing it up. My husband, who knows nothing about crochet, saw what I was doing wrong and now after taking out all the mistakes I am finished!! :woohoo

Now to finish puting the strips together.

Rachel

[Donna]

Yay, Rachel! That's so great! :woohoo

[MommaChelle]

Way to go!

[Julie]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I hold my yarn by placing it over my index finger, then sort of along the underside of my fingers, and I bend my pinky down over the yarn, so it kind of slides through there.<hr></blockquote>

 

Piper, that sounds exactly like the way I hold my yarn. It does work, even though it isn't 'technically' correct. I taught myself, I don't think I even hold my hook properly. <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />

 

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>It's these crazy complex stitches that get me! <hr></blockquote>

 

I did a LOT of frogging, and still do. The mid 20's seem to be working up fairly quickly for me, you could skip ahead and come back later to some of those earlier ones.

[Julie]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I finished the hated square 53!<hr></blockquote>

 

Yea Rachel!! <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/clap.gif" /> <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/cheerleader.gif" /> <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/clap.gif" /> <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/cheerleader.gif" />

 

I can't wait to see!!

[Tiffany]

Yay!!!

 

I can't wait to see it when it's done.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

i posted on my intro that i have this book. i had only made one square from it and then read about the cro-along and worked on it a bit last night. i made 2 more squares and realized that my first must have been done with another hook or something, it is quite a bit smaller than the 2 i just did, so looks like i will be frogging that one. (i'm so excited to be using my new found 'hook slang" )

anyway, if it's not too late, count me in. i don't have time to read the 15 *GOSH!* pages ahead, so i'm just jumping in.

i am making mine out of a lilac and darker purple and a baby pink for my dtr out of typical redheart. my first blanket so i am not ready to commit that much money into it:lol

i do not have a blog --- but i've enjoyed looking at all of your's as i have the time

[Donna]

Never too late! I'm so glad you're joining us! Don't worry about not reading all the previous posts, please do just jump in! :woohoo Lots of us are using regular ol' Red Heart. Nothing wrong with that! Your colors sound wonderful!

 

I will add you to the list. :bigsmile For those that don't have a blog I'm using your Crochetville posting name and linking it to Crochetville. :thumbsup

[Julie]

Glad you're joining us Rebecca! <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/wave.gif" />

[Guest julianscat]

I'm about to finish square 7. I got really bogged down on square 6 (Trinity)--much frogging until I looked in Kooler's Encyclopedia, she has a much clearer explanation of the stitch than the afghan book.

 

postscript--I left Kooler open on my bed and after we brought the cats home from the vet one of them contributed a little gift right on the page (Hootie was feeling a little nauseous, apparently . But he's all better and it's only a little spot:)

 

The gauge bit has been a challenge--I'm so glad to have had other peoples' posts to read to keep me going when the frogs are out.

 

I want to know who originally managed to make all those squares with the same hook!

 

And hi to Rebecca,

 

Emily

[Julie]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>I want to know who originally managed to make all those squares with the same hook!<hr></blockquote>

 

I think the same thing, Emily! For some reason now I'm making gauge without having to panic about it. That almost makes me more nervous than worrying about if I'm using the right hook or not!

[Ambersafghans]

Okay, lets see if I can figure out how I hold the yarn without having it with me. I let the yarn slide between my pointer finger and, the next one:b and then I hold the project with my Thumb and other two fingers.

Amber

[RebeccaVelasquez]

i have been working my squares by the row and not numerically.

 

another thing that i have done: (which might be too late for most of you)

instead of carrying around my completed squares for size reference, i traced one of them in yellow highlighter on the inside of the front cover of the booklet. that way i can still read through it and i also wrote 'H' inside my tracing with the same yellow so that i would know what size hook produced that size square later.

make sense? anyway, thought i would share in case it might help someone else.