BLOG: FreshStitches

How to join yarns, while crocheting, with no knot!

March 26, 2013

How to Join Yarn While Crocheting - with No Knot - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

In a previous post I showed you how to use the Russian join to make a Magic Ball with your yarn scraps.

But maybe you don’t want to join your scraps in advance! What if you want to start crocheting right away, and join your yarns as you go? No problem! Today, I’ll show you how!

I’ll show you a technique for joining yarns as you crochet with no knots. First, I’ll show you in photos… then I have a video for you!

How to crochet yarns together

First, crochet until you have about 3″ remaining in your current yarn (shown here in brown):

Then, hold up your new yarn (shown in yellow) so that the new yarn extends beyond the tail of your current yarn:

Holding the two yarns together, crochet a stitch:

Now, drop the old (brown) tail of yarn…

… and continue to crochet with your new yarn!

Ta da!

The yarns are secure… you don’t need to do anything else. Just let the tails hang on the inside of your piece!

And for the video…

Just in case you want to see it in action:

To view larger, click ‘play’, then the rectangle in the lower right-hand corner.

So handy!

In this post, I’ve used this technique to change colors of yarn, but it’s also a great way to change yarns… even if you’re just finishing one skein and starting another (of the same color).

I also use this technique while crocheting with two strands together. Just add one new yarn when one is about to end… easy!

And I do this when knitting, too!

One possible drawback to this technique is that you do get one stitch using both yarn colors. If your design calls for a “clean” color change – where you don’t have that blending of colors in one stitch – then take a look at this post on changing colors with single crochet. It’s also easy!

Here are handy links to all the posts about yarn. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for the basic crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

How to make a Magic Ball!

March 25, 2013

Have you heard of a Magic Ball?

It’s a ball of yarn that changes colors and textures as you work. It’s something offered by a number of artisan yarn makers… but it’s also something you can make yourself with your leftover yarn!

Besides ending up with an awesomely fun end-product… you’ll finally get to use up all of those weird leftover pieces of yarn that are too small (you thought!) to do anything with! How great is that?

Perfect for the scrap-a-long!

Magic Balls are fun to make… but they’re even more fun if you have a project in mind!

How about joining in on our scrap-a-long?

Ready to get started?

You’ll need two things. One, gather all of the leftover yarn bits that are lurking in your stash. You know what I mean. They’re too small for their own projects, but too big to toss out. You keep thinking you’ll do something with them…

And a tapestry needle.

(mine is a bent-tip needle, but that’s by no means necessary for this. All you need is a needle that’s big enough to fit your yarn through the eye.)

Okay, now we’re ready to start!

We’re going to make our magic ball by joining all of these leftover yarns together using a technique called the ‘Russian Join’. The Russian join allows you to fasten yarns together without a knot, and it has the advantage of working with any type of yarn (unlike the ‘spit splice’, which relies on 100% wool yarn.)

In terms of grouping your yarns together, you’ll want to group yarns in a way that is pleasing to you. Some folks prefer the random approach, but I like creating a color theme (check out How to organize your scraps for help!). For my magic ball, I’m attaching only various shades of purple. I also recommend using yarns of the same weight. My magic ball is composed entirely of worsted weight yarns.

How to do the Russian Join

Step 1: Thread your tapestry needle with yarn A (to start, yarn A will be an arbitrary choice. As you continue, yarn A will be the yarn that is attached to your ball).

Step 2: About 2 inches from the end of the yarn, insert your tapestry needle through the yarn. Split the plies, and work the needle through the yarn for about an inch, then pull the needle through, bringing the yarn tail through this bit of yarn.

Notice that you have a loop!

Step 3: Okay, now, thread yarn B (the other yarn) through the tapestry needle, and stick the tapestry needle through the loop in yarn A.

Step 4: About 2 inches from the end of yarn B’s tail, insert the tapestry needle through the yarn… just like you did before.

Now you’ve made a second loop, joined onto yarn A!

When you pull the ends, you’ll notice the two yarns are fully joined! Hooray!

To make a magic ball, keep attaching yarns, one after another. You’ll probably find it helpful to wind the ball up as you go, particularly if you’re using long leftover lengths of yarn.

Once you’ve run out of leftovers (or have a ball that’s big enough), you can use your magic ball for any project! When knitted or crocheted, it’ll create an awesome striping-effect! And, you don’t need to do anything special at the joins, just keep working!

Isn’t that fun?

And doesn’t it make you want to gather up (and use) your leftovers?

Here are handy links to all the posts about yarn. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for the basic crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

How to take charge of your unruly scrap pile!

March 23, 2013

You’re joining in on the scrap-a-long, right? This crochet-a-long is all about gathering up those little bits of yarn that you can’t find a use for… and turning them into something fabulous!

Even if you’re not crocheting with us, this post will help you to corral those scraps and get them organized! It’s spring… why not do a little cleaning up of your scraps?

Step 1: Find them… all

That’s it… now’s the time. Haul out all of your yarn bins and your baskets and start gathering the bits of yarn that are ‘scrappy’.

What counts as scrappy? That’ll vary by person… but my philosophy is: if you look at it and can’t figure out what in the world to do with it, it’s scrappy.

Step 2: Consider odd skeins

I know it’s a scrap-a-long, but to you have a skein of yarn in a color that just doesn’t work for you? It’s totally okay to throw it into the scrap pile.

The objective of this organizing is to clean out your stash… no need to leave uglies behind with your favorite skeins! At a later stage, you can snip these rogue skeins into scrap-sizes.

Step 3: Sort by weight

In the scrap-a-long, we’ll be making an animal from the scraps we gather, and it’s best to use scraps of the same thickness.

It doesn’t matter which thickness it is, just so long as they can work together without leaving holes in your work. So, select the thickness you’d like to use for your project, and pull out all of the bits of yarn with that thickness.

It’s not a science… trust your gut. If two yarns look to be about the same thickness, then that’ll do!

And who knows… maybe you want to do the following steps with each group of yarns you have… you’ll make multiples! Fun!

Step 4: Sort by color

It’s like being in kindergarten again… put the blues in one pile, the pinks in another…

Sorting all of your yarn by color will give you an idea for the color palette you’re working with.

You can be as picky as you want to be with the sorting. My categories were: neutrals, green/yellows, red/pink/oranges, blues and purples. You can have broader or narrower categories… the point is just to see what you have!

Step 5: Put together your color sequence

Now that you see all of the colors you have, you’ll want to think about how you’ll organize them in your project. Allow the colors you already have guide you… remember, we’re not trying to get more yarn!

Check out my blog post on color theory and craft your plan.

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you might want to make color collections for a few different projects!

Step 6: Weigh your yarn

Now you’ve got some beautifully organized yarn… let’s see how much you have!

Check out this blog post on how to calculate yardage from weight… and you’ll be able to determine how much yardage you have!

If you’re using yarn that you don’t have labels for, just find a label for a similar yarn for weight/yardage… close is good enough!

Ready?

Yay!

Once you’ve done all that… you’re ready for making your project!

In future blog posts, I’ll show you how to make a Magic Ball with your scraps, and how to join yarns while crocheting in case you want to hop right into it.

This is going to be so much fun!

Best,
Stacey

It’s a Scrap-a-long… join us!

March 21, 2013

I’m so excited about this month’s Crochet-a-long!

The more you knit/crochet, the more you wind up with little leftover bits of yarn. It would be a pity to throw them away, but what do you do with them?

That’s why we’re having a scrap-a-long!

Go ahead… make any FreshStitches Pattern… but you have to crochet it using scraps!

Join the CAL!

Joining in the CAL is easy! You’ll need to pick your pattern, gather your scraps and follow this tag to get all of the helpful crochet/amigurumi tips that will guide you along the way!

Are you in?

It’s going to be a blast… and I really hope you join us! Go ahead and leave me a comment… and tell me about your scrap-a-long plans! Which pattern will you do?

How to Crochet an Amigurumi Wizard!

March 19, 2013

You’re in for a treat, today!

Chloe has become quite a celebrity because of her beautiful crocheting! She never ceases to post amazing project photos and animals in creative poses!

Today, Chloe is sharing with us how to transform a Forrest the gnome into a wizard! How cool is that?

And, you’ll definitely want to check out Chloe’s Ravelry page and blog to check out all of her great creations!

Hereby is the ingredient list and instructions for the Transgnome Potion aka How-to-turn-your-gnome-into-a-wizard Serum! So, grab your quills and note the materials you’ll be needing:

One fully-grown Freshstitches gnome, minus the hat!
A bunch of tiny stars and crescent moons
Yarn in magical colour, i.e. any colour you like, for the hat, arms, body & legs

Now, take you wands..oops..hooks and off we go!

Step 1. Crochet tiny stars and crescent moons. I made 12 stars and 2 moons with a 2.75mm hook and yellow yarn. You might want to crochet more or fewer according to your item’s final size.

Step 2. Crochet all FreshStitches gnome parts, except for the hat. Attach tiny stars and moon onto the legs and body (mine took 7 stars and a moon). Assemble all crocheted parts together.

Step 3. Crochet the hat, according to the following instructions.

Wizard hat

Crochet hook: 4.00mm
Yarn: Mouzakis Butterfly Super 10, 100% cotton, in purple

You’ll need approximately as much yarn as it’s calculated for the gnome’s hat. Crochet through back loops, except for round 24. The final hat is conical and 11 cm in height.

Ch 2
Rnd 1. sc 6 in 2nd chain from hook (6 st)
Rnd 2-3. sc each st (6 st)
Rnd 4. sc twice in each st (12 st)
Rnd 5-6. sc each st (12 st)
Rnd 7. [sc twice, sc next st] * 6 times (18 st)
Rnd 8-9. sc each st (18 st)
Rnd 10. [sc twice, sc next 2 st] * 6 times (24 st)
Rnd 11-12. sc each st (24 st)
Rnd 13. [sc twice, sc next 3 st] * 6 times (30 st)
Rnd 14-15. sc each st (30 st)
Rnd 16. [sc twice, sc next 4 st] * 6 times (36 st)
Rnd 17-18. sc each st (36 st)
Rnd 19. [sc twice, sc next 5 st] * 6 times (42 st)
Rnd 20-21. sc each st (42 st)
Rnd 22. [sc twice, sc next 6 st] * 6 times (48 st)
Rnd 23. sc each st (48 st)

To make the brim, crochet the next round through the front loops
*Front loops* Rnd 24. sc each st (48 st)
Rnd 25. [sc twice, sc next 7 st] * 6 times (54 st)
Rnd 26. [sc twice, sc next 8 st] * 6 times (60 st)
Rnd 27. [sc twice, sc next 9 st] * 6 times (66 st)
Rnd 28. sc each st (66 st)
Fasten off with tail.

Now, you’ll use some stars and moons to decorate the hat!

I used 5 stars and one tiny moon!

Step 4. Stuff slightly and attach the hat on the wizard’s head through round 24 of the hat.

And you’re done! Not that difficult, right?

Suggestions

It’s more wizard-y using the same colour for the cloak and hat! I chose purple, which is a rather conventional choice for a wizard! Pick up your favourite colour, since magic comes in every possible colour!
Likewise, the stars and moons are expected to be yellow or white, but expectations are exceeded in the magical world!
I wanted the hat overall to look a little frail and worn-off (my wizard is doesn’t care for brand new clothes!). If, however, you want a more sturdy-looking hat, you can (a) make the brim double thick and (b) use a conical carton inside. Both these techniques are shown in the Freshstitches Leprechaun pattern that was released recently (see Hat).

Enjoy!

What do you call…

March 17, 2013

… that big, unwieldy mess of yarn that virtually spills out of the middle of your skein?

There. Now you know.

I promise that I’m not making this stuff up.

Mike the Leprechaun wants to wish you a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Since I’m away at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival, I won’t be cooking the traditional corned beef & cabbage… so if you are, could you eat some extra for me?

Best,
Stacey

Tip for Attaching Craft Eyes through Thick Layers

March 12, 2013

Inserting Craft Eyes through Tick Layers - tips from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Today’s guest post is written by Nichole of Niccup Crochet.

I’m really excited about this post, because Nichole has come up with a solution (little did I know until she mentioned it!) that has been plaguing many crocheters. When attaching craft eyes (or ‘safety eyes’) to an amigurumi, it can be really tough to get the post through multiple layers.

Nichole is sharing her clever solution with us, today!

She’s demonstrating the technique on Nel the Tiny Owl, who she’s crocheted in a St. Patrick’s Day colorway. You can find instructions for the adorable pot of gold on Nichole’s blog!

Crocheting Nel, the Tiny Owl, was a smooth-sailing until it came time to attach his eyes. Eeek! I could not get the safety eye attached securely (enough). The washer locked over the outer-most ridge of the safety eye and no amount of force could get it to lock any further.

The anatomy of the problem

problems attaching a safety eye through multiple layers

The post of the safety eye is only so long. It has locking points on the post and the washer slides over the ridges to secure the safety eye in place. The problem with Nel is that the safety eye has to be forced through three layers of fabric. Most of the post is surrounded by the fabric layers and very little is left sticking out the bottom where the washer needs to be secure.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

I attempted to secure his second eye with needle-nose pliers. That was a bad idea! The pliers slipped and I damaged poor Nel’s eye. No amount of force was going to work…the fabric was just too thick.

I took a step back and looked at all of the pieces involved. There just had to be another way.

Then, it dawned on me: the safety eye can be attached to the eye circle before sewing the eye circle onto Nel’s head. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one.

Attach the safety eyes through the middle of the eye circle.

Then, you will sew the eye circles onto Nel’s head. As you are doing this, make sure you force the post down through the other layers of fabric. This will keep the eye from bulging out.

I hope this helps you as you crochet your next Nel, Nelson or a few other FreshStitches patterns.

Here are handy links to all the posts about amigurumi eyes. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for standing legs.

Happy stitching!

How to Write Your First Pattern in 6 Steps

March 11, 2013

You might think that you need a whole bunch of fancy software to put together a professional-looking pattern, but it just isn’t true! You can put together a great-looking pattern using what you probably already have on your computer!

I’m going to assume that you already have written a clear set of pattern instructions, and I’ll give you tips to turn those instructions into a beautiful pattern!

Step 1: Take fabulous photos

You don’t need an expensive camera! You just need your product, some good lighting and a regular point-and-shoot camera.

If you’re not rock-solid on your photography yet, check out my 5 Photography Tips and my detailed write-up of how to create a seamless white background.

The secret to good photography is taking oodles of photos. You can always delete ones you don’t like, but you want to maximize your chances of snagging that perfect one!

Don’t forget that in addition to the cover photo, you’ll want to take photos that show off any detail work or unique features of your design.

Step 2: Select your format

Chances are, you have a word processing program like Microsoft Word on you computer… great! You can use it for formatting your pattern!

Have a look at the features your program offers. Go to File > New. Is there an option of using a template? A template can be a great way to get started with the design of your pattern.

If you don’t want to go the route of the template, think about setting key elements of the pattern apart with simple design elements. Perhaps your materials listing could go in a colored text box. headers) to break up the text. Keep in mind that many people find a huge, solid block of text difficult to read, so use design elements (and headers) to break it up.

Step 3: Insert your photos

To insert your photo into a document, go to Insert > Picture, and pop in your selected photo.

Take a look at the top of the screen after you’ve inserted your photo… do you see formatting options? In my version of Word (above), you can see a variety of picture formatting settings: such as changing the shape of the photo or adding a border. This is an easy way to add a personalized style to your photos.

Step 4: Add your information

Do you want to add copyright information? How about putting your email address on the pattern so customers with questions can contact you? Or maybe you’d like to include your website?

Don’t forget these details… remember that the pattern instructions are a way to communicate with your customer! You want to make things easy for them… don’t make them hunt you down if they have a question!

Step 5: Try a font!

Once you have your text and photos in… you’re finished (and can skip to step 6)! This step is optional, and just adds a little extra to your pattern!

I’m a big fan of fun fonts, and downloading a new font is a great way to add your own sense of style.

My favorite website for browsing new fonts is dafont.com. There are two things to keep in mind.

One, be sure to read the conditions on the the particular font you’re interested in: fonts designed for personal use only aren’t intended to be used for commercial purposes. (…just like patterns!)

Two, most people find fancy fonts in the text difficult to read, so keep the fun stuff to headers and titles.

Step 6: Make a PDF

PDF stands for ‘portable document format’, and it’s called that because it’s a file that shows up exactly the same on every computer. You’ll want to convert your document into this format before it’s ready for distribution.

Fortunately, this is easy! In the old days, you needed fancy additional software, but now, it’s as easy as going to Print in your Word Processor and selecting Adobe PDF as your printer.

The result is your pattern… that’s ready to distribute!

Are you ready?

You shouldn’t let fear of technology or lack of a graphic designing degree keep you from putting together a pretty pattern that you can be proud of!

I hope I’ve encouraged you to give it a shot!

Best,
Stacey

Meet the biggest owl in town!

March 8, 2013

Uh, oh. Maybe my title is too bold of a claim. Maybe there’s a bigger owl in town…

But this guy is definitely the biggest owl in my house. And probably on my block.

Check him out:

He’s 12″ tall and can hold his own in a super-cute kiddie chair:

And he’s huggable!

I used my Nelson the Owl pattern, but crocheted it with a double strand of worsted weight yarn and a size K hook. Feel free to check out big Nelson’s Ravelry Page.

He’ll be on debut at my table at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival!

I’m really into doing these ‘big’ guys… they don’t require any more crocheting than a normal one (since you’re just using a thicker yarn), but they turn out super-cuddly!

Upcoming Events

I’m so excited about the oodles of stuff that’s coming up at FreshStitches! Have a peek!

I hope you have an awesome and craft-filled weekend!

Tomorrow, I’m going to share all of the exciting crafty stuff I did at a workshop I went to last weekend!

How to add adorable felt eyes to your amigurumi

March 5, 2013

How to Add Felt Eyes to Your Softies - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

Today’s guest post is written by Alyssa, who has a gift for making fabulous felt eyes.

Today, she’s going to let us in on her secret… so we can make fabulous felt eyes, too!

(Alyssa wrote this specifically about amigurumi – but the technique works for any softies.)

Why use felt?

I like to use felt eyes as an alternative to other eye-making methods. Felt is safer to use than plastic eyes for toys that will be given to small children, but much more expressive than eyes that are made using yarn.

While Stacey has created a baby-safe crocheted eye that looks great, I could never quite get them to look right, and so I use this method instead. Attaching the felt is more time-intensive than any of these methods, but I think that it is worth it in the end.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

You’ll need:

Finished Amigurumi (Mal the Tiny Duck, in this case)
Black craft felt, about 2″ square
Black embroidery floss or sewing thread
White Size 3 cotton crochet thread (or another thin white yarn)
2 different sized sewing needles (one for the floss and one for the crochet thread)

I find it easiest to attach the felt once the animal has otherwise been completed. That way, all of the features are positioned and the felt will not stretch out of shape when the piece is stuffed.

Step 2: Cut the Felt

I usually cut the felt into squares slightly larger than what I want to eye to be, then into rough circle shape, and then carefully trim the edges of these circles until they are completely smooth. The trick to good-looking eyes to take your time to get nice rounded edges. Using small, sharp scissors really makes a difference.

Cutting the felt, start to finish:

Step 3: Sew on the Eyes

Before you start sewing, you will want to position the eyes on the toy—play around with them until you are satisfied with the way they look and then pin them into place. I find it helpful to use a pin with a white head as it mimics the position and look of the eye highlight.

Use the smaller needle and a single strand of embroidery floss or sewing thread to attach the eyes. The felt will be sewn on using an applique stitch, which are small whipstitches made around the circumference of the eye. (Wendi has a video here showing how to whipstitch applique felt – it’s the same method.)

In the photo, the blue lines mark where I placed my stitches for Mal. The size of the animal and the eye will determine how many stitches you will need to securely attach it. For a small toy like Mal, I only use 6 stitches.

For a medium-sized toy (Most of the FreshStitches amigurumi), I would use 8. And for a large toy or one with large eyes (I like to give Nelson the Owl huge eyes), I might use upwards of 12.

Step 4: Create the Highlight

Play around with the position of the white pins to figure out where you want the highlight to be. The highlights themselves are simply French knots, with the yarn wrapped once around needle.

Wendi has a video here showing how to stitch a French knot.

Pull the ends of the white thread to snug up the knot. If you don’t like the way it looks, simply pull the knot out and try again with a new thread.

Step 5: Finish your Amigurumi

Once your eyes have been sewn on and the highlights look satisfactory, tie the ends together to secure them and use a needle to pull them through the stuffing to hide the ends. Snip off any remaining ends and congratulate yourself for finishing your new amigurumi!

Want to squee along with me about some great news?!?

Crocheted Softies, my second book, has been reprinted! That means that so many have sold… that the publisher ran out and needed to print more! Hooray!

It’s also been translated into German… looks like folks are loving these cuties!

Thanks so much to everyone who’s made the book such a success!

Here are handy links to all the posts about amigurumi eyes. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for standing legs.

Happy stitching!

How to crochet yarns together

And for the video…

Perfect for the scrap-a-long!

Ready to get started?

How to do the Russian Join

Step 1: Find them… all

Step 2: Consider odd skeins

Step 3: Sort by weight

Step 4: Sort by color

Step 5: Put together your color sequence

Step 6: Weigh your yarn

Ready?

Join the CAL!

Are you in?

Wizard hat

Suggestions

The anatomy of the problem

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Step 1: Take fabulous photos

Step 2: Select your format

Step 3: Insert your photos

Step 4: Add your information

Step 5: Try a font!

Step 6: Make a PDF

Are you ready?

Upcoming Events

Why use felt?

Step 1: Gather Supplies

Step 2: Cut the Felt

Step 3: Sew on the Eyes

Step 4: Create the Highlight

Step 5: Finish your Amigurumi

Good news to share!

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