Tutorials and Help

How to Double Crochet an Oval

Posted in Tutorials and Help on June 13th, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 35 Comments

An oval is a basic shape that can be crocheted for many purposes, such as to create a placemat, bag, or dishcloth. But how do you crochet a basic oval? Ovals come in different shapes. The oval we are crocheting today is nothing more than a half circle + a rectangle (of any length) + a half circle.

caissa mcclinton artlikebread crochet oval tutorial 3045
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How to Crochet: Foundation Double Crochet Decrease

Posted in Tutorials and Help on June 6th, 2013 by Candace – 1 Comment

If you know how to make a foundation double crochet (fdc) row, you may be wondering how to adapt the technique to patterns with decreases. You may just want to create the final number of stitches, but decreases affect shaping, so it is better to make the decreases prescribed by the pattern.

To follow this tutorial, you should be comfortable with making the foundation double crochet.
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How to Crochet: Foundation Single Crochet Decrease

Posted in Tutorials and Help on May 31st, 2013 by Candace – Be the first to comment

Using foundation rows is a great technique because they can create the foundation chain and the first row of stitches at the same time. But if you are a fan of foundation rows (foundation single crochet, foundation double crochet, etc.), you may have run into problems dealing with patterns that require decreases to be worked in the foundation chain. While you may just want to create the final number of stitches, decreases affect shaping, so it is better to make the decreases prescribed by the pattern.

To follow this tutorial, you should be comfortable with making a single crochet foundation row.
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How to Make a Peruvian Loom for Crochet

Posted in Tutorials and Help on May 28th, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 6 Comments

I was thrilled at the wonderful response to my last tutorial, Crocheting with a Peruvian Loom (Wood Block). Since a few people mentioned they’d like to learn how to make a Peruvian loom, I came up with this tutorial.

The goal of this procedure is to make a smooth, firm, cardboard rectangle with the following dimensions: approximately 8″ x 4 1/2″ x 1/2″. Feel free to substitute materials, techniques, or even dimensions in order to achieve your desired result. Enjoy!
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How to Crochet: Increasing in Foundation Rows

Posted in Tutorials and Help on May 18th, 2013 by Candace – 4 Comments

Using Foundation rows is a great technique, because they can create the foundation chain and the first row of stitches at the same time. But if you are a fan of foundation rows (foundation single crochet, foundation double crochet, etc.), you may have run into problems dealing with patterns that require increases to be worked in the foundation chain. It’s tempting to simply create the final number of stitches, but since increases affect shaping, it is better to follow the pattern as written and make the increases.

To follow this tutorial, you should be comfortable with making a foundation row. This technique is adaptable to other foundation stitches, but single crochet will be used to demonstrate.
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Crocheting with a Peruvian Loom (Wood Block)

Posted in Tutorials and Help on May 14th, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 30 Comments

In my last post, Focus on Fiber: Silk, I mentioned recycled sari silk as a fiber that is fun to crochet with. This week I’d like to share a unique pattern that looks great with sari silk, but would also work with many different types of fiber. This pattern will use a technique that involves crocheting with a Peruvian loom, which I will demonstrate in this tutorial.

A skein of recycled sari silk

A skein of recycled sari silk


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Making Flat Beads with Crochet

Posted in Tutorials and Help on May 3rd, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 8 Comments

Many of us are interested in multiple crafts. My first craft hobby was jewelry making, which I started at age 9! I loved making earrings for my friends and teachers. Ever since then, I’ve loved beads. There are many ways to make crocheted beads, but today we’ll focus upon making flat beads. Because beads are small, this can be an excellent way to use up yarn scraps, especially those of our most expensive and luxurious yarns!

artlikebread crochet jewelry flat beads 1
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How to Join Crochet Pieces (or Seam) Using Slip Stitches and the Outside Loops

Posted in Tutorials and Help on April 17th, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 4 Comments

There are many ways to join crocheted pieces together. This tutorial will focus upon joining two granny squares together using slip stitches and the outside loops. This particular technique can be used to join any crocheted pieces together, including seams on garments or accessories. The resulting seam is very strong and will make your pieces look like they are sitting side by side. I like this seam for modular pillows, blankets, and bags.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be using pieces and joining yarn in contrasting colors. If all of the pieces and joining yarn are of the same color, this seam should be invisible. Yarn and hook size do not matter for this practice tutorial.

If you’d like to follow along step by step, you may first use the granny square crochet pattern to make two 2-round granny squares. Then use your remaining yarn and your hook to follow along. If you need to review the slip stitch, check out the slip stitch tutorial.

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How to Crochet Dimensional Eyes for Your Amigurumi

Posted in Tutorials and Help on April 2nd, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 12 Comments

I got the idea for this tutorial because I decided to participate in a “Monster Swap” with my local stitching group. I used a really cute pattern that called for “safety eyes.” To be honest, I’ve never used safety eyes, I didn’t know where to buy them, and frankly, I didn’t have time to buy them either.

This is a picture of all of our amigurumi creations together!

This is a picture of all of our amigurumi creations together!


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How to Crochet a Flat Circle while Double Crocheting between Stitches

Posted in Tutorials and Help on March 19th, 2013 by Caissa "Cami" McClinton – 5 Comments

As a follow up to my two previous tutorials, How to Double Crochet Between Stitches, and How to Begin and End Rows while Double Crocheting between Stitches, this week we’ll focus upon how to crochet a flat circle while crocheting between stitches. For the purpose of practicing this skill, we’ll make a circular swatch in this tutorial. Yarn and hook size don’t matter for this practice swatch.
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