Crocheting is Cool

My pal Phatlewt taught me to knit, but I never really got beyond the garter stitch phase. My problem: I can’t concentrate on it long enough to count to 2, apparently :rolleyes: So relatively simple stuff like seed stitch or ribbing eluded me, because I was constantly losing my place. Oh I was happy enough, garter stitching away, buying varigated yarns, and going crazy with the stripes.

But this weekend, I learned to crochet. It’s so much easier to fix a mistake! I already know three stitches! It goes twice as fast, if not three times as fast, and seem to use less yarn. Ah luuuuv it.

Plus I now have a long-term goal of crocheting a rag rug. My great-grandma used to make them and my mom would just die if she got a new one handmade by moi.

Let’s hear it for crochet!!!

(no offense to knitters)

I’ve been crocheting for 25 years. I love it, it’s so relaxing.

I learned to crochet when I was about six years old. I have no patience for knitting - it doesn’t go nearly as fast. One row just is more impressive when it’s a dc or tc. Yay crochet!

I’m currently looking for a NON-MOTIF tablecloth pattern. Anyone?

I like to do both. I like to knit because mostly, I can do it by feel. But I like the speed of crochet.

I need to find a new afghan pattern - I want to send one as a housewarming. Off to the craft store, I think.

I’m afraid of crocheting. It looks very complicated, but a lot of the things you can make look much prettier than knitted things.

I’m such a wimp. One of these days I will knit a sweater, but I’m afraid I’m going to screw up so I’m afraid to try.

I know, I know…

It’s not hard at all. I taught myself, with websites and the occaisional IM to a friend I know who crochets, on friday. Today I am 3/4 done with my “sampler scarf” which includes Single, Half-double, Double, and Triple crochet.

Go ahead! Give it a whirl! You can do it!! Go Team! Ivylass! Ivylass! Ivylass!

Try this site for instructions.

I love to crochet. I’ve done a lot in both yarn and in thread. I’ve done whole tablecloths in thread. It seems to take forever but it’s magnificent when done. Also I did baby gowns for baptisms, all lacy and delicate looking.

Afghans in yarn go faster though. I cruise local garage sales, because it’s common to find partial skeins of yarn for sale, from the unfinished projects of other people. This yarn can be used for old fashioned granny square afghans.

Ginger of the North, I have non-motif tablecloth patterns. Do you like round or rectangular better? One drawback, the patterns aren’t online, I’d have to copy them off for you and send them. If you have a snail mail address that you’d trust me with, I’ll send you some. Shoot me an email to ask, or reply in this thread.

Ooh! Both! All of them! I’ll send you $ for copying and mailing if you like.

My mom taught me to crochet decades ago. I find it incredibly relaxing and satisfying. There are not enough patterns for things other than afghans and doilies, though. My mom’s old crochet book, printed in 1946, has some clothing patterns, but they are mostly for things like snoods. Really. And some ugly-looking hats. Sometimes I see patterns for blouses and sweaters, but they are ususally non-functional. I wish I could knit. My mom also tried to teach me that, but everything I have tried (and believe me, I’ve tried and tried) turns out all lumpy and goofy-looking.

My kids find it most amusing that I will sit and crochet or tat, making dainty little useless things, while watching a baseball game.

I taught myself to crochet out of a book when I was about 7 or 8, so I’ve been crocheting off and on for about 40 years now. Right now I’m in the middle of doing a huge shawl, but I’ve been slacking off during the warmer weather. The shawl is very dense, and very warm, and I just get too hot working on it.

So, guys, what do you think? Now that I’ve got the basic stitches down, what do you think I should try next? wavy stiching? Granny squares? Something else?

You know, I’ve never been a fan of granny squares.

Try making a dish cloth! That’s just a big granny square, more or less.

My cycling gloves are crocheted.

It’s a sweet old school look.

ivylass, you could also try Stitchguide.com. They have basic tutorials for every stitch you might want, plus illustrations and videos of how to do them. Very helpful.

And, for everyone looking for patterns online, I really like Freepatterns.com (Free registration required). (But they have patterns for crochet, cross-stitch, knitting, tatting, plastic canvas, quilting, and sewing!)

Crochet Tablecloths

Crochetcabana (linked upthread by HelloAgain) has some excellent tutorials, as she (he?) said, and also has some good tricks & tips for “how-tos”. I learned how to calculate the number of chain stitches required for a foundation row for a particular afghan pattern I use, for example, based on the number of “patterns” I wanted to use in it. Excellent resource.

Thanks, Dogmom, but I have been all over the net and had seen that site. There are very few non-motif patterns there.

I’ve never found yarn to absorb water all that well – I’m not into non-functional items. Unless I’ve been using the wrong yarn all this time… I haven’t seen a knitted or chrocheted dishcloth that did anything but smear water around.

I guess I was wondering what is considered the “next-most-basic” skill after basic single, double, triple crochet stitches. (I’ve been practicing all my stitches on the back side as well)

Mrs. Bricker is an avid crocheter and has just picked up knitting this past year. She had done cross-stitch for years, but never learned anything involving yarn until she moved here (not much call for yarn in the tropics!) But she’s made up for lost time now; she has three or four projects going at any given time…

Next on the agenda appears to be spinning. We attended the Sheep & Wool Festival in Maryland this summer, and she left with a few bags of fleece and a hand spindle.

I fear the next step, so I have told her I’m putting my foot down: we are NOT going to raise sheep or rabbits.

They aren’t very absorbant until they’ve been washed. FTR, I use Lion Kitchen Cotton, mostly.

I think that’s basically it. More complex crochet is just done by combining sc, dc, tc, and chains in different ways.

Ah, nuts, sorry GingerOfTheNorth. I was rather afraid of that, but I didn’t have the time to check 'em all for motifs.
You’re right, though, it’s REAL tough to find a good tablecloth pattern without a motif.

You can buy cotton yarn. Works like a charm. Anytime I’m low on dishcloths (which happens often, because they don’t bloody listen and HANG THEM UP TO DRY and they get all smelly and just don’t come clean) I just make a couple more.