If you’ve tried crocheting and beading, chances are you’ve come across beaded ropes. These lovely pieces are simple in concept– they’re made of beaded chains and slip stitches– but they’re easy to mess up, which makes them tricky in practice. Hopefully, by the end of this tutorial, you will have gotten the hang of the basic steps to this devilishly simple way to make beautiful jewelry.

For this tutorial, I’m using four colors to make a simple pattern. This makes it easier to see where beads should be positioned. It is very important that your beads be positioned right when making these ropes, so be careful.
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In addition to regular crochet patterns, Crochet Spot is home to many Tunisian (also known as Afghan) crochet patterns. Tunisian crochet is a technique that requires you to work stitches that remain on your (longer than usual) hook until you reach the end of your row then work them off in the opposite direction to finish them. In a way, it’s similar to knitting, and even employs stitches that mimic those used in knitting, but the resulting fabric tends to be thicker.

For a great Tunisian crochet primer, try the Tunisian Simple Stitch tutorial.
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What’s better than the feel of soft cotton against your skin? How about a little texture for some gentle cleansing? This cloth has both bobbles and textured ridges that get you nice and clean. The pattern can also be easily to adjust by adding more rows or stitches should you want matching hand towels as well.

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Foundation rows are great, especially on large projects. You can get right to the good part of crocheting without having to deal with a lot of chains. Those chains are also a problem in the round. Not only do you have to worry about making the right number, but you also have to take care that you don’t twist it when you finally do join the round. Being able to turn a foundation row into a foundation round gets rid of this problem.

To follow this tutorial, you should be familiar with foundation stitches. I am using foundation double crochet (fdc) for the sake of example, but the basic idea will work with other foundation stitches.
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Have you seen the trend of knitting projects with dropped stitches that are later picked up into a braid? Of course, crochet stitches don’t drop, so there needs to be a workaround. Using long chains, crocheters can achieve the same look. If you’re familiar with long chains such as those used in the Knot Stitch (Also known as the Lover’s Knot or Solomon’s Knot), You’re already ahead of the game.
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Christmas isn’t complete without a messenger, so crochet an angel to let everyone know the season is upon us. Flat angels can be incorporated into your Christmas decor in many ways–as ornaments, table decor, wreath accents, and more. This angel is made with mesh wings and has a bell-shaped skirt.

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Sometimes all it takes is a little decorative touch to get things ready for the Christmas season. These little hats can be used all over to add a bit of festivity. You can use them as ornaments, gift tags, wreath accents, accessories for small dolls or figurines, or anything else you might need to make your holiday special. Try making two for a pair of earrings or turn a regular finger puppet into a Santa puppet.

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As the year draws to a close, some people are already experiencing winter’s chill and seeing snow ranging from flurries to full-on ground-covering falls. Whether you associate snow with warm pajamas and hot chocolate or with shoveling and traffic delays, there’s one thing you’ll be hard-pressed to deny: the beauty of the snowflake.

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Accessorize your Barbie for the upcoming winter season with a cozy scarf. It’s a great way to use up those few extra yards of sock yarn left over from another project. To complete this pattern, you will need to be familiar with Tunisian crochet, including the Tunisian knit stitch. Please see the linked tutorials for help.

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A cable in the middle puts a twist (See what I did there?) on a classic accessory. While the bow is simple in concept, it’s a little tricky to complete, so it’s good to be comfortable with crochet cables and post stitches. Stitch markers may also come in handy for getting past the cable.

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