Guest Blogger ~ Standing Stitch Tutorial by Katherine Hajer....

We're nearly at the end of National Craft Month, have you tried any new crafts? 
I hope you have enjoyed all the guests I've had on my blog this month.  For the final instalment, Katherine is back sharing her tutorial on crochet standing stitch.

You can see her foundation stitch tutorial which she shared at the beginning of the month here.

Over to Katherine....

Here’s a situation: you are crocheting something in stripes, and you've got to the point where it’s time to change colours and start the next stripe. If you do things the traditional way, you:

1. Drop the old yarn at the penultimate step in completing the last stitch on the old row.
2. Pick up the new yarn and complete the stitch.
3. Chain however many you need to start the next row.
4. Turn the work.

Or maybe: you are working on a multi-coloured motif, and have finished off the old colour. Now you’re supposed to attach the new yarn, chain up, and keep working. Except, if you’re like me, that starting chain is always very obvious, and it bothers you.

Here’s an alternative: you could skip both those scenarios and just use a standing stitch.

A standing stitch is a method used to join new yarn to an existing piece of crochet without having to do any of the steps listed above. It also has these additional benefits:

• The old yarn is fastened off completely before the new yarn is added, so you don’t have to worry about keeping two different yarns under control as you add a new colour.
• You don’t have to work back and forth. If you want to work right to left for a one-row stripe, then start at the right-hand side again and work right to left again for the next one-row stripe, it’s just as easy as turning the work and going the opposite way.
• If you’re working in the round, you can stagger your start and stop points each stripe so that you don’t wind up with all your loose ends in one spot. This is very handy on granny squares!

(Note: since this post is being published on a British Web site, British crochet terms are used throughout. Here's a handy list for converting terms.)

If you prefer a video demonstration to written instructions, you can watch this.

What you need before you start: something to crochet onto. Usually this will be a piece of crochet that’s already done. If you are finishing a round/row and then starting a new colour, finish off the old yarn as if you were completing the piece (ie: clip yarn, pull short end through last stitch).

Proceed:

1. There are different ways of doing this, but you want to have as many loops on your hook as you would have before you inserted your hook for a new stitch mid-row. In the photo below, I'm going to join the new yarn with a treble, so I have two loops on my hook. Crocheters more experienced with the technique often just use a backward loop and a regular yarn over, but if you’re trying this for the first time, I recommend making a slip knot for the first loop so everything stays secure.
   
2. Insert your hook into the work and work a stitch as normal. Once the stitch is complete, the new yarn will be attached to the work and you can work the rest of the round/row as normal.
   
3. That’s it! If you did use a slip knot but do not like knots overall, you can pick it open with a tapestry needle when you are finishing your loose ends. Or you can just leave it.
   

Note that working a standing stitch means the beginning tail of your new yarn will be located at the top of the first stitch in the new yarn, rather than the bottom as it would be using the traditional method. This doesn't make darning in the ends any easier or harder than using the traditional method. It just means you may have to use a slightly different strategy than normal when you’re finishing.
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Thank you Katherine for sharing not one but two crochet tutorials on my blog this month! 

Find out more about Katherine over here....
check out her website
find Katherine on Twitter

A big thank you to all my guests who have shared their craft tutorials to help me celebrate National Craft Month. You can see all their tutorials here, including the ones from last year.

I always like to see what you make from the tutorials on my blog. If you make anything I'd love to see them so please tag me in your social media posts or leave your links in the comments below so I can check out your makes.

fizzi~jayne x

Guest blogger ~ foundation crochet tutorial by Katherine Hajer....

Did you know that March is National Craft Month? I couldn't let it go by without celebrating it! Over the next few weeks I have guests taking over my blog to share their favourite craft tutorials and techniques.

National Craft Month is a great excuse to try out a new craft and I hope you will be inspired by the posts I have planned this month. You can check out all the craft tutorials on my blog here. There are different techniques for scrapbooking, stamping, decoupage, Jewellery making as well as crochet.

It's also National Crochet Month so first up I have a crochet tutorial by Katherine who has kindly shared her technique for foundation stitch.

Katherine lives in Canada and is a regular on #CraftBlogClub. Katherine shares her yarn and beading tutorials on her website.  Katherine also writes fiction, mostly on her blog but some of it has been published in literary magazines as well.  She says, "If I'm not writing or reading, I'm probably doing something with stringy stuff, and possibly with beads as well".

Over to Katherine.......

The great thing about crafting is that there's at least one alternative technique for every standard. And the more techniques you know, the better you can choose the one that's best for the situation at hand!

This tutorial focuses on foundation crochet stitches. Foundation crochet creates the first row of a crocheted piece without having to make a foundation chain to start. It is smoothly finished on both the top and bottom edges, and has the same amount of “give” as the rest of the fabric (no pulling in or fanning out!).

If you: make foundation chains which are much tighter or looser than the rest of your work;

Or you: are making a crocheted piece with a lot of starting stitches, like a blanket or a coat;

Or you: really, really hate that first row of working through chain after chain;

Then you will want to know about foundation crochet!

And if you: hate written instructions, here’s a video demonstration I found.

(Note: since this post is being published on a British Web site, British crochet terms are used throughout. Here's a handy list for converting terms.)

The basic formula:

1. Chain 1 to work the first stitch, plus however many chains you would normally work at the start of a row with that stitch. For example, if you are starting with a double crochet, chain 2 (base chain plus start-of-row chain); for a foundation treble crochet, chain 4 (base chain plus chain-3 starting stitch). If the stitch you are using counts the starting chain as the first stitch, that rule still holds.
   
2. Start to make a stitch in the chain farthest from the hook, but instead of working “yarn over (yo), pull yarn through 2 loops on hook” as the first part of forming the stitch, work “yo, pull yarn through 1 loop on hook” first. This forms the chain for the next foundation stitch.
   
3. Work the stitch as normal — in this case, yo, pull yarn through two loops, yo, pull yarn through two loops (foundation treble made).
4. Look at the bottom of the last stitch. You will see a V-shaped loop, similar to the loops which appear at the top of a row of crochet. Insert your hook into this loop and work the next stitch the same as the previous one, working a “yo, pull yarn through 1 loop” before forming the next stitch. Keep forming one loop before working the stitch and inserting the hook into the bottom “V” to form the next stitch until the row is as wide as you need it to be.
   

Tips and tricks:

1. Foundation crocheted rows do not have to be all the same stitch! You are free to mix double, half-treble, treble, or whatever height stitches into your foundation crochet row, just as you might with the foundation chain method.
2. If you need to work multiple stitches into the same chain at the start of a row (for the heel of a slipper sole, for example), work all stitches in the group but the last one as regular stitches, and then work the last stitch as foundation crochet.
3. If you need to work multiple stitches into the same stitch at the end of a row (for the toe of a slipper sole, for example), work a foundation crochet stitch first, then work the rest of the stitches in the group as regular stitches, all worked into the foundation stitch’s bottom V-loop.
4. If you are working an oval shape (to start a rug, for example), foundation crochet across the first half of the round, then work regular crochet into the bottom Vs of the stitches to form the second half of the round. This is the equivalent of working into the top loops of a chain and then the bottom loops.

Stitch tops are just the same as “regular” stitches”:

Stitch bottoms look like the stitch tops, but the Vs run in the opposite direction:

Thank you Katherine for a great tutorial. I hope you have found this useful. If you are new to crochet you can check out my tips for beginners here and Katherine will be popping up again later this month to share a tutorial on standing stitch.

In the meantime you can find out more about Katherine over here....
check out her website
find Katherine on Twitter

fizzi~jayne x

#CraftBlogClub Challenge Reveal....

It's time to reveal the latest #CraftBlogClub challenge - Pimp my Wardrobe!

The challenge was to transform something from your wardrobe. Full details and inspiration to the challenge can be seen here.

So what did I do?

I really wanted to revive a pair of shoes that were looking past their best which I'll still do but I also wanted to try crocheting with yarn made from a t-shirt and I was going on holiday so the crochet won as it is portable.

I used a top that my Mum was throwing out and gave to me.  It didn't flatter me but I thought there would be something I could do with it so it has sat in my wardrobe for about a year. 

I used this tutorial that I found on Pinterest to make the yarn.

Once I stretched the yarn it didn't roll the way I wanted, it went inside out, but I went with it. 

I didn't really have a plan with what I was going to make I just packed the top, scissors and a crochet hook in my suitcase. The lack of planning may have been my problem as what I have made isn't really a finished project more an experiment that hasn't turned out as I imagined!  

I thought I could make lots of small things to see what works.  I tried a flower, the more intricate designs were unravelled and I ended up with a simple daisy and well, um, its different....

I then just made a granny square, which could be a coaster but I may be clutching at straws with that idea....

This technique would work for a rug, I might turn to Pinterest for more inspiration.  However, more than one t-shirt would be required as the yarn soon runs out and one without seams may look better.

So, not my best project but it shows that not everything I envision works out but that's part of the fun, right?! 

Have you tried to crochet with t-shirt yarn or yarn made from other clothing?  I'd love to see what you have done, please leave your links in the comments.

What did you do?

Did you join in with this challenge? I can't wait to see what you have done, please link your blog post below and don't forget to mention #CraftBlogClub and link back to this blog in your post.

If you would like to feature your creation on our Facebook page please email an image along with a link to your blog or social media page to craftblogclub@gmail.com.

I hope you will join me in our Twitter chat tonight at 7pm (GMT) where we will share our creations.  I also want to see your crafting experiments to make me feel better about my challenge fail!

fizzi~jayne x

Guest Post ~ What is Blocking? by Sally Strawberry....

I have another guest for you to celebrate National Craft Month and this time it is Sally Strawberry! (Strawberry is her blog surname but it would be really cool if it was her real one!).

I follow Sally's blog which is full of crochet scrumptiousness (is that a real word? If not it should be) and has given me helpful tips whilst I learnt to crochet.  Sally's patterns have also been included in "Inside Crochet" magazine which is pretty cool! 

So I am really pleased that she is sharing her expertise on my blog, over to Sally....

Hi, I'm Sally and I have just a little obsession with crochet. I love the flexibility of crochet, the way that with just a few stitches you can create something beautiful.

I began with knitting but my real passion is crochet. I believe that crochet should no longer be seen as an activity purely for the older generations but should be used as an expression of creativity and to show off the multitude of fabulous yarns we are privileged to have available to us (the brighter the colours the better!). 

I'm a scientist by trade and work full-time but snatch as much time as possible to crochet, blog and immerse myself in the fabulous world of craft. 

What is blocking? 

Blocking is one of the most important steps in any knitting or crochet project to take your work to the next level, to make them look as brilliant as they do in the magazines.

Blocking comes in many guises, but essentially has the same effect. 

Joanne of Not So Granny writes about wet blocking by giving your item a good soaking. This is the most suitable method for those beautiful garments you have lovingly crocheted in sumptuous wool yarns.  

Lucy of Attic 24 has posted about 'steam blocking' whereby small items, such as bunting, are blocked by hovering a steam iron over your work which is firstly pinned into position. My method is a mix of the two, and I will go through it now.....

In this tutorial I will only be talking about blocking small items such as bunting, as although I do now blog about my larger crochet and knitted pieces, I'm by no means an expert (I’ll leave that to Joanne).  

Now although I’d never claim to be an expert in anything, I have made a lot of bunting over the years. A lot! Bunting really benefits from blocking, as it looks miles better hanging and is less likely to curl up at the corners. Bunting also benefits from being a bit sturdy, so hereby I introduce the secret ingredient- spray starch!

Right, here goes…..

See these triangles of crochet fabulousness here.....sorry....I mean strange shapes all curled up at the corners.....these are my bunting triangle pre-blocking....

The kit....

• Damp tea towel (I put it under the tap and wring it out well)
• An iron (any old iron- mine doesn't even steam anymore)
• Pins
• and the magic ingredient- SPRAY STARCH (only a quid in the laundry aisle of any supermarket)

The process....

1. Place item front side down onto ironing board

2. Spray liberally with spray starch

3. Make sure it is flat and cover with damp tea towel

4. With iron on a LOW SETTING (very important!) press firmly onto work through the tea towel

It is very important that you don't hold the iron down very long, 5 seconds at a time max, otherwise you risk squashing/melting your work, especially if you are using acrylic. 

Keep on pressing until your work stays flat when you remove the tea towel, but please please please not long enough to burn it.

5. Turn work over so that the right side is facing up

6. Spray the front liberally with starch

7. Pin into place stretching out the corners. I just do this straight into the ironing board foam.

8. Leave to dry overnight

9. Voilà! Lovely flat, slightly stiffened, triangles ready to be strung into bunting!

See the difference yes? 

The advantages of blocking are really obvious.....so no excuses eh!

P.S. When I am blocking component parts of a stuffed toy for example I just iron lightly on reverse through a damp tea towel.  Starch wouldn't be appropriate in this case. The pieces are then OK to be used straight away!

Thank you Sally for taking the time to share this tutorial with us, this is really useful. I haven't really known what I was doing with blocking so I am grateful for the tips!

Check out Sally's blog for more crochet tips, patterns and tutorials here
Sally is also on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

I hope you have enjoyed my guest bloggers for National Craft Month. I don't just have guests in March, I'm always happy to work with other crafters and bloggers so if you have an idea or craft tutorial you would like to share, please get in touch.

fizzi~jayne x

Have you missed the other guest posts this month? Click on the links below....

Rachel Saka - Decoupage Techniques

Spiral Earrings Techniques

My top tips for beginners to crochet....

Following on from my Crochet Book review last week I thought I would share some of my tips I picked up when learning to crochet.  Having only been crocheting for a year I still have a lot to learn but I thought I would share the tips that helped me and some of the things I learnt the hard way! I have also given you some resources from more experienced crocheters to check out....

So what do you need?....

The great thing about crochet is all you need is a ball of yarn and a hook (plus a pair of scissors would be useful) which makes it a great portable craft.  

Yarn....

• There are many types and brands of yarn from the traditional crochet yarn to Super chunky weights.  A good weight for a beginner is a Double Knit (DK).  
• Be warned though, the cheapest isn't always best as it may split, be itchy to work with or will leave your project looking naff and will put you off crochet and I'd hate for that to happen.
• Don't use dark yarn as it is really difficult to see the stitches.

If you are new to using yarn, a top tip is to keep the label and tie a piece of yarn to it.  Yarn is dyed in batches and if you run out in the middle of a project it is better to buy from the same dye lot so you know the colours will match perfectly.

Crochet Hooks....

• There are different types of hooks made from wood, metal or plastic and come in different sizes.  The size of hook you use will depend on the type of yarn and the technique you are using.
• To start off I would recommend buying a 4mm Crochet hook which is a typical size to use with a DK yarn. If you prefer you can use a larger hook, the stitches will be bigger but you will be able see them easily whilst you get used to the technique.  Don't start with a hook smaller than 4mm. 
• My advice is start learning with a good quality metal hook. I started with Boye Aluminum Crochet Hooks which were a gift and I still use them now.  Once you have learnt the basics you can try out other hooks, one of my favourites for large projects are the Clover Amour Crochet Hooks, they are so comfortable because of the soft, ergonomic grip but they are more expensive than other brands.

Crochet is repetitive and if you have the wrong tools it can be uncomfortable or worse painful, I got a blister from a hook that wasn't for me! So buy one that works for you.

Terminology....

Note British crochet terms are different to the US.  Make sure you know what pattern you are using otherwise it won't look like the picture, yep I did that! 
Simply Crochet has a conversion chart on their website as well as a chart for abbreviations.

More Helpful Crochet Tips....

• The best projects to start with are making swatches and granny squares. Simply Crochet have a free app where each week a free granny square pattern is available to download check it out here (only available for iPhone and iPad).
• Stop for breaks.  Crochet is repetitive and it is good to stop and wiggle your fingers and it's a good excuse to make a cuppa/grab cake/open wine* (*delete as appropriate)
• A pattern may require a specific number of stitches and it will have the number of stitches you should have at the end of a row in brackets (). Make sure you count at the end of each row, it saves unravelling it later! I've done that so many times!
• When working in the round use a stitch marker on the last stitch of each round to keep track of where it begins and ends.  Move the stitch marker to the end of each round as you go.

I asked Twitter for some top tips and Zoe from Floral and Feather, shared her link to her first project and her three top tips for beginners which you can find here. It was reassuring to see it wasn't just me who mixed up the US and UK crochet terms! 

Left Handed Crochet....

I was asked on Twitter for advice for lefties. I'm a rightie so I don't have personal experience but I searched on Pinterest (of course, who needs Google?!)  and I particularly liked this video. It has some good tips regardless of whether you are left or right handed.  I found a useful tip from this video is to think of it as your dominant hand rather than left or right.

The Little Soap Kitchen highly recommended this YouTube Video to me on Twitter.  After years of trying to learn left handed she cracked it in only an hour after watching this!

If there are any lefties out there who can offer more advice please leave them in the comments.

My main top tip for you is ....

....Perseverance! It took me a while to get my head around it but after a few weeks of determination and some tantrums it finally clicked!

Source

Before I sign off here are some great resources to check out....

• The review of my favourite Crochet book
• Simply Crochet magazine 
• Pinterest is a great source and I have a board dedicated to my love of crochet
• The Deramores Blog has just started a How to Crochet series, check it out here
• Kate has a free Crochet for Beginners eCourse just launched over on her blog Beak Up Crafts
• You Tube is great source and it's free! If you are learning with UK crochet terms make sure you are watching a video using UK terms.  This may sound obvious but it's easy to get confused if you don't realise.

I follow lots of crochet blogs to be inspired and learn more. There are a lot out there, here are some of my favourites....

• I love Attic 24 for the use of bright colours, free easy to follow patterns and inspiration.
• Lara's lifestyle and crafty blog, Messyla, has a Learn to Crochet Series over on her blog
• Twinkie Chan is fun and quirky, proving crochet is not old fashioned!
• One Sheepish girl has beautiful photography and she has just launched a book with fun patterns.

I hope you find this helpful, if you crochet and would like to add some tips please feel free to leave them in the comments.

fizzi~jayne x

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