Crochet Tips & Ideas

Welcome to the Crochet Tips & Ideas page. On this page you can get some helpful tips and ideas on creating some new crochet projects.

*Two Color Yarn Blending*

Always having issues wanting  different colors of yarn to look good together and blend well with each other. Well look no further, here is your solution. Try two color yarn blending where you can make this happen. 

Yarn blending is crocheting with two yarns at the same time. When you crochet with two different yarns at the same time, you only want to change out one color of yarn at a time.  This allows your yarns to blend the colors better with any of your crochet projects and gives you a heavier afghan.

*Remember to use a larger crochet hook then recommended when crocheting with two yarns at the same time. I use a J hook (6.0 MM) or K hook (6.5 MM).*

When you look at picture A, this is a waffle stitch blanket project, I call this "Magma",  this is using yarn blending technique. My second oldest daughter picked out the colors. The yarn blending I used was taking two of the same colors of yarns to start and then changing out one of the colors giving it the look that you see. To create this look, I used two solid blacks together, than change one of the black yarn colors out with a red color yarn. After using these two colors together, I changed the other black yarn out with a red color, so now I have two solid red colors of yarn. After I got to the certain point to the number of rows I wanted, I keep one of the red colors and changed the other one  with orange yarn. This is the same pattern that I used throughout the whole project. To refresh your memory, the pattern I used is two of the same color of yarns and then kept one of the yarn colors and switch out one of the yarn colors with a different color.

A. Waffle Stitch Yarn Blend               B. Double Crochet Yarn Blend

When you look at picture B, this is a double crochet project, I call this "The Ocean", using the same yarn blending technique but using a different type of pattern . The yarn blending on this one is starting with two different colors of yarn and switching out one out after you get to a certain number of rows. For Example Dark blue and blue, than keep blue and switch out dark blue for light blue. Now your are working with blue and light blue, than keep light blue and switch out blue with light green and do this so on and so forth. I love how different colors of blues and greens can blend so well.

*Check out the Photo Gallery for more two yarn blending ideas.*

*Temperature Blanket 2018*

A Temperature Blanket is a crochet blanket that takes 365 days to create. This is created on the everyday temperature for that year in your local area. What makes this so exciting is that you will not know how the crochet blanket will turn out until it is all completed. 

How to start your temperature blanket.

1. Decide how many colors you want to use. (I chose 12 different colors)
2. Create a chart and break up the temperature degrees to the number of colors you plan on using.
3. Choose your colors and the order your colors are going to go in.
4. Optional try adding the conditions for that day and have a 3 different colors for those conditions. Conditions that you can use (Snow Day, Sleet/Ice Day, & Rainy Day), this is a reminder what the weather was on that day. *FUN*
5. Create a chart to keep track of temperature of those the days and conditions.
6. Choose the crochet blanket design you want to use.

Temperature & Condition Colors I used

Starter Temperature Sample Blankets I used

If you are doing  the conditions for that day, as I have decided to do. Add the condition day after the temperature for that day. Also have a few samples of what crochet blankets that I am doing for my temperature blankets, as these blankets can get pretty large. I am doing three different types of temperature blankets. The blocks panel for my one of my middle daughters and I will be sewing the block strips together. Another one I am creating is a stripe panel for my youngest daughter and I will be sewing panels together. Finally, I am creating the double crochet C2C blanket for myself.

To help with figuring our how to sort degrees click here for the chart I have created and using for my 12 colors.  My youngest daughter had lined up and picked out the colors to use fr this project. Also to help keep track of the degrees for each day of the month click here for a blank calendar in case you can't get to the blanket until later. My youngest daughter is helping to keep temperatures and conditions. She is excited about it, she feels she is doing her part as she is still learning to crochet.

* I will show updated photos of the blankets at the end of each month to show progress of each of these three temperature blankets.*

 

**I would love to see your work and post it in my gallery of all craft projects. Please make sure it is pictures of your own work and not anyone else. I will Post your work with your first name, city, and state you are from.**