Okay, I’m new to Ribblr but I have been seeing questions floating around asking for tips and advice so I decided to take a post from my old blog and post it here for anyone who might need it. Hopefully, I am doing this right lol! These are my top tips to beginning crocheters on how they can make their projects look professional through simple techniques and adjustments.
1: COUNT YOUR STITCHES, I know it seems a little too obvious for this list, but it often skipped step, because no one wants to include math into their crochet project. But seriously, counting your stitches keeps you consistent. If you find your fabric resembling more of a puckered zigzag than a flat, even piece of crochet, try keeping a paper next to you and as you count the stitches in each row, jot down the numbers, and you will find your crochet projects drastically improve in skill and quality.
2: ADD RIBBING TO ACCESSORIES, work rows of single crochet into the back loops of previous stitches to create a ribbing. Add this ribbing to yours hats, mittens, legwarmers, and any other accessories you desire. This technique could also work with double crochet, half double crochet, or even slip stitches to create a slightly different ribbing. The simple addition of ribbing can take an accessory from “simple” to “wow!”
3: USE YOUR DARNING NEEDLE, don’t underestimate what you can do with your darning needle. You can use it to sew together basic pieces of crochet to make advanced shapes and patterns. You can sew basic pieces of crochet together to create critters, plants, letters, shapes, and patterns, which you can sew onto your basic crochet projects. You can also embroider those shapes on your projects too. Using your darning needle, you will surely receive the “I can’t believe you made that!” effect from the lucky recipients of your handmade creations.
4: MAKE THEMED PROJECTS, this tip kinda goes hand in hand with the previous tip. Create some embellishments to turn your basic projects into themed projects. Choose a critter, flower or item and theme your project after it with some simple crochet and embroidery. Did you make a basic, white baby hat? Sew on some ears to turn it into a sheep or bunny hat! Making a scarf and some mitts for a friend? Sew on some matching flowers for a pretty surprise! Making a water bottle holder? Sew on some emojis for some serious fun! If making a set, theme the whole set after your chosen item.
5: PLAY WITH STITCHES, alternate different stitch types in your projects. Instead of making a beanie completely out of single crochet, try using back loop single crochet to make a ribbing then maybe use a shell stitch for the body of the hat, then use double crochet to make the crown. Or for a handbag alternate between rows of double crochet and single crochet sprinkling post stitches and bobbles where you see fit. These are simple examples but are you getting the idea? There are an endless amount of stitches and stitch combinations to be learned. Maybe you could invent a few yourself? Learn new stitches and play with them in your projects. Maybe invest in a stitch dictionary? Either way, seek to increase your stitch vocabulary, and utilize stitches in your projects.
6: PLAY WITH COLOR, instead of making a project all one color try experimenting with multiple colors and arrangements of those colors. Look up the color wheel, and use it to discover new color pallets. Striped yarn can be hard to work with, but multicolored and gradient yarns can be a blast to work with and can result in beautiful projects. Don’t be afraid to play with color!
Alright these are my tops tips for new crocheters, I hope they inspired a few of you. If anyone has any other tips to add to the list please comment below I would love to hear them!
