Crocheting and Knitting

Crochet, as well as knitting and other fiber crafts, are enjoyed by more than 38 million people according to the Craft Yarn Council of America. (It does not specify if this is all over the world or only in the U.S.)

Crochet has gained more and more popularity as the stress of daily living increases and folks are looking for a way to de-stress. Crochet is great for that, especially with the repetition of stitches in simple patterns.

There are many famous people in the U.S. who crochet. Crochet with Dee (Dee Stanziano) has a list of these if you are interested in that. Of course the popular Vanna White is well known for her crocheting skills and her association with Lion Brand. Seeing others crochet is one of the main reasons I believe people begin their own journey in the craft. That is how I myself began.

a) crochet

b) knitting

c) weaving

Polyester fleece (polar fleece) is knitted. It is made in a similar way to sweatshirt material. Sweatshirt material has what is called a 'floating yarn' on one side (fleecy has these yarns on both sides), which is a yarn that only loops through the fabric infrequently so it creates loops. This side can be un-brushed (with one side like terry-towel) or it can be brushed (fuzzy on one side). This brushing technique is what makes polyester fleece so fuzzy.

If you edges are not straight, it is likely because you left out the chain stitch at the end of each row. This decreases your stitches by 1 each row and changes the size. Another possibility is that you accidentally skipped stitches, or put two stitches in one (increasing.) To fix your problem, know how many stitches are supposed to be in a row of your blanket and count them when your blanket starts to get wavy.

you first start by chain stitching the length of your scarf (desired length). then double crochet all the way across and turn when you reach the end of the chain. double crochet until you think your scarf is wide enough.

There are many ways to splice yarn. With wool yarn the simplest is the "spit splice." Simply wet the two ends, line them up and rub them together between your hands. The ends felt together and become one.

Flat knit refers to a knitting technique where the fabric is created in a flat, two-dimensional form, as opposed to being knitted in the round. This method is commonly used for making items such as sweaters, scarves, and blankets, allowing for versatile designs and patterns. Flat knitting typically involves using two needles and can produce various stitch patterns, making it a popular choice in both hand and machine knitting. The resulting fabric has a smooth surface, ideal for showcasing intricate designs.

When I have needed alphabets in crochet, I have done an online search for "needlepoint alphabet" or "cross stitch alphabet."

The reason I like searching in these categories (needlepoint and cross-stitch), is because it's easy to convert to a filet crochet pattern. One stitch equals one block in filet. Some of the sites you find, will even convert something you type, into a pattern also. Although, there aren't that many places that do the conversion for you.

You can count the stitches by looking at either the stitch post or the top loops of the stitch. Don't forget to count the beginning turning chains as a stitch.

the smaller the stitches, the less likely it would come apart.. think about when you baste something.. the long stitches can easily be pulled out

Yarn that is not spun enough will break as there is not enough tension holding the fibers together. The twist of a given yarn is measured by the twist per inch. The amount of twist needed varies based on fiber type and the thickness of the desired yarn.

There's a great wikipedia article here that goes into more detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twist_per_inch

Roving is a state of wool fibre. Shorn wool must be cleaned and carded -- aligning the fibres in the same direction. Once aligned, the fibre is called roving.

Roving can be dyed, and is then spun into yarn.

It is hard to say . . . it depends on whether the yarn is fine, bulky, or somewhere in the middle.

In knitting, this means simply that you are supposed to move the yarn from behind the work to the front by moving it between the needles.This is often used when switching from a knit stitch to a purl stitch in the middle of a row.

You can use your hands and do the chain stitch over the first chain stitch. Ussaly people do this to make sonething thick. Like a potholder.

Do a slip knot on the needle make 48 stitches on the needle then do the Knit stitch technique until you get it the correct length you want if you want different colors then do a slip knot on the end string with your next color. I suggest 50 rows for a newborn blanket or 60-100 rows for a kid or bigger blanket so get knitting oh, and you might want to check out this website http:/www.wikihow.com/Knit-Blankets

Patons Ritz yarn was a bulky yarn. It was about 12 ply.http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/patons-ritz

Usually people sew beads to cloth by hand. Thread a needle that is smaller than the hole of your beads, but thick enough to pass through your fabric. Be sure to knot the thread on the underside of the fabric often to keep the beads secure.

Skol is a discontinued 100% Pure New Norwegian Wool. Its worsted weight and was made in 1.6oz/84 yard skeins.

A direct yarn count is a numerical representation of the fineness of a yarn. The Denier system is an example. A yarn with a Denier number of 75 weighs 75 g per 9,000 m of yarn. The higher the number, the thicker the yarn.

shell over shell means make a shell in the middle stitch of the shell below .. if your shell is a 5 stitch shell then make a shell in the 3rd stitch of the shell below .......... if it is a 7 stitch shell make the shell in the 4th stitch of the shell below .... etc .. you are making a shell over the existing shell in the middle stitch ..

Knitting in the back is usually done to create a twist in the stitch.

This is often called for when picking up heel stitches while knitting a sock.

For comparison,

A regular knit stitch is usually done like this:

Put right-hand needle through the right-most stitch on the left needle, wrap yarn over right-hand needle, pull stitch through, and pull loop off the left-hand needle

A knit stitch through the back is done like this:

Put right-hand needle through the right-most stitch on the left needle on the back side of the needle (from the right, but catch the back side of the loop on the side of the needle that you can't see) , wrap yarn over right-hand needle, pull stitch through, and pull loop off the left-hand needle

http://handmadebyjody.blogspot.com

http://handmadebyjody.etsy.com

To be made into fabric, wool undergoes several processes. The fleece is sheared from the sheep, scoured, carded, combed and spun into yarn. The yarn is then woven on a loom to create wool fabric. There are two types of wool yarn that make different fabrics: woolen and worsted.