Stash Buster Round Dishcloth Crochet Pattern

Do you hoard save small amounts of yarn in your craft closet, hoping for the perfect opportunity to use them all up someday?  Guilty!  I crochet a lot of dishcloths and always have small amounts of cotton yarn left over, not enough to make another cloth with, but too much that I don't want to throw it out.  I tuck it away in a bag somewhere, knowing that someday it'll have a purpose.

I decided the other day that 'someday' had come, and I was going to figure out a way to use those bits of scrap yarn or it would meet the trash can after all.  I was going to make scrappy dishcloths, starting with one color until it ran out, then just grab another, not really caring how ridiculous it might end up looking.  I make square dishcloths in a back and forth pattern instead of in the round, so yea, they would be crazy, but still useful.

I thought about granny square-type dishcloths, but they have too many holes for me.  I then whipped up a solid granny and that worked out better, but I still wasn't satisfied.  I then searched for round dishcloth patterns, but none of the ones I found seemed to be 'the one'.  Then I remembered a star-like baby blanket pattern that I'd made before, and decided to see what would happen if I crocheted just the first few rounds of that.  BINGO!

What I started with is called the Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket  which is a 12-pointed star pattern.  It doesn't really turn into a pointed star shape until much later into the pattern, but the first few rows make it just a little less plain than a straight (circular?) round shape, with 12 gentle peaks rather than points.  Because it's worked in the round rather than back and forth like my other favorite dishcloth patterns, the first rounds require very little yarn, then gradually requires slightly more yarn for each round.  It's a simple pattern too, strictly DC throughout, so even a beginner should be able to  make it.

You can make your dishcloths all one color, have the center two rows one color and the remaining rounds another color, solid color with just the last border round in a contrasting color, every round a different color - whatever suits your fancy (or the size of your scrap stash).  You could even just keep attaching the new yarn whenever you run out and not just at the end of a pattern round ... there are no rules!

I made a few dishcloths working the pattern through round 6 and a couple of them through round 7, and I personally like the smaller one better.  It's just the right size for me and doesn't stretch out too much when wet.  Oh, and I used a size G crochet hook so that the holes would be just a little smaller too.

I'm so glad that I didn't give up on my quest, and now have a use for the scraps of cotton yarn I've saved.  Do you save your small bits of yarn, or trash it all before your stash overtakes your life?

~ Marie Anne

How to get free yarn, or for cheap

Some of my yarn stash
© Marie Anne St. Jean

Having a stash of yarn on hand for your knit or crochet projects doesn't have to be expensive. There are frugal ways to get yarn cheaper or in many cases, free!

Where to Get Free Yarn

Make sure everyone in your network of family and friends knows that you knit or crochet and would welcome any free yarn. They might have a stash of their own that they won't use since they've given up the craft, or maybe they've cleaned out under Grandma's bed and found some that she left behind. Don't assume everyone knows that you'd like to have their leftover yarn - tell them!

Where to Buy Yarn on the Cheap

I rarely pay full price for a skein or ball of yarn. If you watch for sales and use coupons, check  eBay, and visit yard sales and thrift stores, you won't either.

Most every town has Facebook groups where people post freebies or sell things cheap, like an online yard sale.   Subscribe to the posts from your local area and watch for people who have yarn to get rid of at a good price.  You can also post in those groups that you are looking for yarn, and prompt your neighbors to clean out their own stash while adding to yours at bargain prices.

Other than individual groups, you can also search Facebook Marketplace.  It's a great way to find things for sale (or free) in your area without having to subscribe to specific groups to monitor.  Just pop over to marketplace and browse by category (most people would put yarn under the 'Hobbies/Arts & Crafts' category), or use particular search terms for whatever you're looking for.  You can filter to see ads that are just within your town, or widen the search to other areas.

After yards sales and thrift stores, Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores are my favorite places to find yarn rather inexpensively. Sign up at HobbyLobby.com and Jo-Ann.com to receive email alerts for upcoming sales. Hobby lobby provides a weekly coupon to print and it is often for one item at 40% off regular price., and Jo-Ann has frequent coupons for anywhere from 20-60% off one item that’s not currently on sale.   Both stores also have an app where you can access the sales and coupons right on your smartphone.  Oh, and Jo-Ann does price matching of coupons, so you can use your Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon at Jo-Ann's.  

Big Lots and various dollar-type stores often have yarn in their inventory for a low price. Be careful when purchasing from such places that buy discontinued items, though. If you can, buy enough to finish your project because that particular yarn may not be available later.   Sometimes, though, the price is so good that you can’t pass it up, even if it’s just a single skein or ball of yarn or thread that you have no idea what to do with just yet.

When shopping at yard sales or thrift stores, in addition to looking for yarn, keep an eye out for crochet or knit items that are in good shape that you could easily unravel and use for another project. What you see as an ugly color or pattern for that afghan migh be the perfect shade to re-purpose into a matching scarf, hat and mitten set.

If you shop for yarn on eBay or other online auctions or stores, be watchful of additional costs. That wonderful deal that you just made may not seem so good once $10 or more shipping and handling fee is tacked onto the final price. Before check-out, search online for coupons and free shipping codes.

Purchasing yarn to support your craft of knit or crochet can be expensive, but as you can see, it doesn't have to be.

Have you ever got an incredibly great deal on yarn, something that you couldn't pass up, no matter how overgrown your current stash was?  Feel free to share in the comments!

~Marie Anne

Russian Join Method of Joining Yarn Published at New Location

©Marie Anne St. Jean

A lot of people found my photo tutorial of the Russian join method very helpful, but it was lost when the YCN site closed down.  Fortunately, I was able to save all the photos and recreated it on Examiner and published it this morning.

This method of joining yarn is hard to explain in words, but very easy to do once you know how.  Follow my photo tutorial of the Russian join method and you'll be mastering the process in just a few minutes.  This method works best when joining two balls or skeins of yarn of the same color.

I have another method of joining yarn that I like that works equally well when joining either one color of yarn or two, and will be posting that one shortly.

Enjoy!

~ Marie Anne

Do you need help crocheting with thread?

© Marie Anne St. Jean

I've been crocheting for more than 30 years and had no trouble working with yarn, but each time I tried to crochet with thread and a small crochet hook, I always got frustrated and gave up.   Some of it was because my hands weren't used to the smaller tools of the trade, and part of it was because the patterns always seemed too complicated to figure out.

A month or so I decided to give it another try, determined to get past the mindset that I couldn't do it.  I made one simple doily, and while some patterns still seem a little too complicated for me, I've found several other patterns that I like and have completed a number of them.

If I can crochet with thread and a small crochet hook, anyone can.  Since it's still fairly fresh in my mind, I wrote up a few tips for crocheting with thread that might help you overcome your fear too.

I know you can do it.  Please come back and share with me how you did!

~ Marie Anne

More Etsy Listings = More Sales?

I crochet items to list on Etsy here and there, but haven't been very consistent.  I'll often start a project, then decide I like something else better, which means I end up with several things going at one time, in various stages of completion (and I KNOW I'm not alone there).  I've sold a number of dishcloths, but I want BIGGER sales.

Some of the dishcloths I make to sell in my Etsy shop

In order to get more out of Etsy, I went looking at other crochet listings to see what sells well.  When I see an item that catches my eye, I'll usually click to see what else that crafter is selling, and also what they've already sold.  Why not learn from those who are already successful?

Here's one of the first things I realized, and what will hopefully become a series of helpful tips for Etsy sellers.




Do you sell on Etsy?  If so, do you have any tips to share with other crafters?

Writer's Block?

I've got plenty of yarn and all sorts of crochet hooks and knitting needles, but I don't know what to make next.

I guess you would call it knitter's or crocheter's block.

I did go through my spare bedroom/craft room yesterday and tidied up quite a bit and sorted through some stash so I have a better idea of what I have in there.  I also pulled out several projects that were finished and just needed ends tied in and did get one of those done too.  I'll probably rip out one or two UFOs because I have no idea what size crochet hook I used, or what particular pattern stitch it was, so I guess I'll end up with more stash from that mess.

I did make a small dent in my cotton yarn stash by making some dishcloths in random colors.  Where I didn't have enough to make a whole cloth, I did the basic diagonal garter stitch cloth in two colors, divided in the middle.  I had some balls that were just under the ounce needed to do a full dishcloth, so I put a stripe in the middle to stretch the main color.  Not the prettiest things, but they'll work.  I'll put pics up of those later.

So what's everyone else working on this week?

To play along on Work-in-Progress Wednesday, make your blog post for Wednesday be about something you're working on - some type of craft, renovation project, landscaping, even that novel you're writing.  You can play along even if it’s not Wednesday; I leave each WIP up until the following week.  Copy the code below Rosie's picture and paste it into your blog post so that others can follow too, and see the rest of the projects that are posted here.

 

<br /> <a href="http://crookedyarn.com/" target="_top"> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Ldyjarhead/Crochet/WIPWed.jpg" /> </a>

Make sure to click 'You are next' below to add your link here so my readers can follow it to your blog post. 

Note **   Several of you are signing up at the bottom but you’re not putting the WIP Wednesday link on your own blog.  If you don’t, your readers won’t be led back here to see what others are doing and what WIP Wednesday is all about.  It’s not hard, just copy the code beneath the photo above and paste it into your blog post.  If you’re having trouble, please let me know and I’ll try to walk you through it.

Two Ways to Join Yarn Invisibly

I've posted before my tutorial on the Russian Join Method, which is my preferred way to join two pieces of yarn of the same color, such as when attaching a new skein.

This other simple method of joining yarn is also invisible and works well when joining yarn of the same or different colors.  Since the new yarn is fed through the loop of the last stitch of the old yarn, it's a very sturdy join that can't be undone.  I've been using it for decades and it has never come untied, even with repeated washing.

Click the links above for full photo tutorials of both methods.  Do you have a favorite method of joining yarn that's different than these two?

X Marks the Spot With X-Stitch on Crochet

Since some people refer to cross-stitch as x-stitch, I'm claiming it for X-day on the A-Z Blogging Challenge!

Years ago I enjoyed cross-stitch quite a bit but got away from it when I started crocheting more.  For a while I stuck with crochet in winter and cross-stitch in warmer months, but it seemed no matter how many x-stitch projects I started, I never finished anything of significance.

I had a huge amount of floss in several containers that I spent good money on over the years that was really doing me no good.  Several years ago I needed to earn some cash as well as downsize, so I ended up selling it on eBay along with fabric and pattern books I'd accumulated.   I hated to mail it off to the lucky winning bidders, but sometimes you gotta suck it up and do what you gotta do.

You can cross stitch on finished crochet pieces, but it just doesn't hold the same allure to me that x-stitching on aida does.  I went on a hunt this morning and found these instructions to x-stitch on single crochet and another for doing it on the basic afghan stitch (Tunisian crochet I posted about here).

Have you ever cross-stitched on a crochet project? I'd love to see pictures of what you've done.

Click here to join in on the new Z to A in May Blogging Challenge.

What is Tunisian Crochet?

Tunisian crochet is needlework done with a crochet hook that is longer than normal, more like a knitting needle with the curved hook on the end.  It is worked with only the one needle like regular crochet, but you work each stitch across the row, leaving all stitches on the hook like knitting, until you get to the end of the row and work them off, two at a time, similar to the DC (double crochet).

There are many stitches that can be worked in Tunisian crochet, but the basic stitch is often called the afghan stitch.  It looks more like knitting, but results in a thicker piece since you work back and forth on the same row.

I found these instructions to be very clear in how to perform the basic Tunisian crochet (afghan) stitch.  The larger hook used leaves a much more open and lacy appearance, but a smaller hook will look more like knitting, like the piece shown here.

Have you ever done a Tunisian crochet or afghan stitch project?  I think I had an afghan hook years ago when I first learned to crochet as a kid and did a scarf or some other small piece, but haven't thought about it since then.

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on (hopefully) all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

How To: Crochet Tutorials

I've probably posted about these crochet tutorials in the past, but today is H Day in the A-Z Blogging Challenge, and it was definitely a challenge to come up with something significant for the letter H for this blog.  I'm doing the challenge with all four of my blogs, so yep, I'm cheating a bit today!

I've published photo slideshows for how to do the following:

How to Do a Cable Stitch in Crochet

How to  Do a Front-Post Double Crochet (FPDC)

How to Join Yarn:  Russian Join Method

I hope you find them helpful!

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on at least one if not all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

Let's Talk Edgings

Putting an edging around a baby blanket or afghan adds a nice finishing touch and makes the piece look more complete. Crochet edgings can be anything from a simple SC (single crochet) border around the perimeter, a basic shell, or something more intricate.

If I’m making an afghan, I’ll usually stick with the SC border around the edge to square everything off, but some of the baby blankets I whip up are finished with a simple shell edge, such as (3 SC, sk 1, SC, sk 1) repeated around. This baby blanket was finished with the shell edging to tie in with the shell pattern of the blanket itself.

Shell pattern with a shell border edging
(For sale on Etsy)

Even a SC border can be pretty if you do more than one round and pull in the colors of the blanket or afghan. Here’s a photo of a granny square baby blanket in progress and without a border.

In progress, without edging

After a few more rounds of the blanket, I put a SC edge around it using each of the three bright colors used in the blanket. Doesn’t it look nicer with the border? It has a completely different, more finished look.

Baby blanket with SC edging in three colors

Sold!
(But I'm working on another)

Do you finish off your crochet projects with an edge or border?  If not, give it a try.  I think you'll like the look.

I'm taking the A-Z Blogging Challenge, where I will post something from each letter of the alphabet on the corresponding day in April, except for Sunday, on at least one if not all four of my blogs. You can see my other blogs in the sidebar - More of Marie Anne.

Flat Braid Join Instructions for Granny Squares

I've mentioned in many others posts how much I love the flat braid join method to join granny squares.   It provides a decorative wide row between each square that does resemble a braid.  Since I first saw it several months ago, I haven't used any other method to join my grannies.

There are several good videos available, but I worked up the basics of the written pattern on how to do the flat braid join.  Watch the videos so you can see how it's done, then print the text to have on hand as a refresher.

My instructions vary a bit from the verbal instructions in the video (where she does a single crochet, I prefer a slip stitch), but use whatever you think looks best.

Find the written instructions here (link to video is there also).

Photo Props for Completed Crochet Projects

I'm finally going to start listing a few things on Etsy again but the problem I'm having is taking decent photos. I listed two baby blankets yesterday and have more to list, but I'm not happy with the photos at all.

My camera is decent, but it's difficult to snap a photo that shows the full beauty of a large crocheted piece without it being distorted at one end.   Folding or otherwise arranging it into a smaller piece helps, but you still have to worry about lighting, the right angle, background, etc.  In my case, I also have pet hair to deal with.

I always wash my finished items, but just about anywhere I might put it to take the photo is going to have dog and/or cat hair, no matter how often I vacuum or brush.  I've decided I need some props to properly display my craft and attempt to get good pics.

I've come up with a few ideas of my own and friends on Facebook brainstormed with me too, so I think I'm on the right track for things to look for.  What do you use to take photos of your work?  Any tips to share?

Learning to Crochet - What Size Crochet Hook Do I Need?

If you've been wanting to learn how to crochet, you've probably been looking at all the supplies in your local store and wondering what you should buy to start with.  There are all sizes of crochet hooks, from those that like little more than a needle, to jumbo sized hooks that look extremely cumbersome to hold.

As if the different sizes weren't enough to sort through, you'll also have to consider the various materials that crochet hooks are made of.

(Photo courtesy of S Brumley)

As a beginner, how do you know what type of crochet hook to buy?

Read  more ... 

Learn to Crochet: Crochet Tips for Beginners

I'm hoping to write a series of articles about crochet that will be helpful to beginners. I've been crocheting for a number of years so it's taking some thought to come up with questions that people might have when first learning to crochet.

If you're new to crochet, what would you like to know?

If you've been crocheting for a while, do you remember what questions you had when you first started?

If you've taught others to crochet, do you have any ideas for article topics that might be helpful to others trying to learn?

I'd like this series to be ongoing and have written two thus far:

Learn to Crochet: Should I Buy a Kit?

Learn to Crochet: What Size Crochet Hook Should I Buy?

Other ideas I had were:

How to choose the right yarn for a project

How to care for your completed items

Where to find free patterns

Links to helpful sites

Since the articles rely on text, they don't lend themselves well to actually learning how to do various stitches (although I can show a picture or two).

I can also do slideshows like the one shown here. What other ideas would lend themselves well to a slideshow?

Too Hot to Crochet!

Even the most avid crocheters often find it too hot to work on a large crochet project during the heat of summer. If you fall into that category, there are many options to help you keep your cool while still enjoying your craft when the temperatures soar and you're melting in the heat.

Branch out and try new, smaller projects. Think Granny Squares. Crochet dishcloths (click link for an easy pattern) or washcloths. Give thread crochet a try if you're more comfortable with yarn.

Read More ...

Have more ideas for keeping your cool while crocheting during the summer? Please share them in your comments below!

Joining Yarn - Russian Join Method

When attaching a new skein of yarn for your knit or crochet project, do you have trouble making a sturdy join that looks good?

I stumbled upon the Russian join method of attaching two pieces of yarn some time ago and it is my favorite way to join two sections of yarn of the same color. I have no idea where it originated, but I can't claim the idea as my own.

I took some photos to share how it's done, so pop on over to How to Join Yarn: Russian Join Method and have a look for yourself. I'll bet that you'll never go back to your old way of attaching that new skein of yarn!


When attaching two different colors, such as at the end of a row, I use a different method of joining. It's on my to-do list to take photos of the second method (which can also be used for two pieces of the same color) and publish that as well. Stay tuned!

Free and Cheap Yarn and Craft Supplies

Not just for yarn, you can use these ideas for any craft supplies. Crafters, you don't need to pay full price for your hobby needs. There are so many options available if you just know where to look for free and cheap yarn and craft supplies.

Read more ...

Have more ideas to add to the list? Leave a comment on the article itself and let me know here that you've done so, and I'll give you credit for the tip!