Category: Craft tips

Posted in Craft tips

What’s On My Hook

Posted on by fruitofthesehands

I am definitely not the WIP queen among my yarnie friends, but I start feeling anxious when I have more than about five works-in-progress. I also have some UFOs (unfinished projects), and I’ve polled people to get their opinion: when does a WIP become a UFO?

What do you think? For me, if it’s been put aside for more than six months, it’s moving into the UFO category. More than a year? For sure.

Among my UFOs are a cardigan, a couple of single yoga socks — you’ve heard of the single sock syndrome? — a scarf called “Thorns“, the “I Promise You Pineapples” shawl, and my Tunisian “Shimmer Shawl”. Continue reading “What’s On My Hook” →

Posted in Craft tips, Crochet Technique

Why Are My Rounds Shrinking?

Posted on by fruitofthesehands

Have you been losing stitches when crocheting in the round? Most likely, the cause is improper joining. It can  be confusing for new crocheters to determine where to insert the hook to join double crochets made in the round. It is helpful to remember that when you are looking at the front of the double crochet stitches, the loop is to the right of the post. Don’t make the mistake of joining the last stitch to the loop of the second stitch instead of into the beginning chain-3, which as you know is the first stitch of the round (unless otherwise specified.) Hopefully these photos will clarify it for you.

dcjoin 3rd chain
Look for the third chain of your beginning chain-3. Notice the difference between it and the loop for the next stitch.

Continue reading “Why Are My Rounds Shrinking?” →

Posted in Craft tips

How Do You Keep It Together

Posted on by fruitofthesehands

Or, what is the best adhesive for the job.

There is such a wide range of adhesives, so how do you know what is the right kind for your project. Is your project porous or not, is it paper or not, does it need to be waterproof or not? These are some of the qualities to consider when choosing an adhesive. Rather than re-inventing the wheel and defining the purpose for each adhesive, I have listed some sites at the end of the post for you to visit where you will find the information. The one from Fave Crafts is very comprehensive.

adhesives
Adhesives that are nearby when I need them

Since I create a variety of crafts, you can imagine that I use a variety of adhesives. While I have my favorites, here is a list (some generic, some name brand) of the various types I have around:

  • Clear “cellophane” Tape
  • Cyanoacrylate (“Super Glue” types)
  • Dimensional Tape—Dots, Squares, and Strips
  • Double-Sided Tape
  • E-6000
  • Fabric Glue
  • Glue Stick
  • Hot Glue
  • Jeweler’s Glue
  • Mod Podge
  • Quick Hold
  • Tape Runner—Solid and Dots
  • Washi Tape
  • White Glue—Bottles, Tubes, and Pens

Continue reading “How Do You Keep It Together” →