Usually twirls and ruffles are crocheted along their length. This can be an uncertain process, especially if you’re making twirls by decreasing each row, but if you want to have a little more control of the final product, it can help to make them width-wise by varying stitch heights.

As an example, you can progress from a single crochet up to a treble crochet across the row, then turn and go from a tr to a sc, repeating the process until you have the length you want without the guesswork.
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You can start a row of linked stitches with a normal stitch, but if you’d rather avoid a gap between your turning chain and tour first stitch, you can link the stitch with the chain. Here’s how to do it with a linked double crochet (Ldc):

You can hover over the pictures to get a left-handed view.

At the beginning of the row, ch 3 as usual. Insert your hook into the second ch from the hook.

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Forgoing the turning chain in crochet helps when the chains make your edges unsightly. Making an hdc without a starting chain is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. It will have your edges looking neater in no time.

To see left-handed views, hover over the picture with your mouse.

Pull the chain on your hook up to a little more than hdc height and hold the loop to the hook. The arrow in the picture points to the front half of the loop.

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As with the other invisible decreases, the invisible treble decrease is great for creating a more uniform look in your work. This decrease is done as follows:

Remember: You can hover over the pictures for a left-handed view.

Yarn over twice, as you would usually do for a tr.

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There does not seem to be many summer clothing options for crochet enthusiasts. Yarn is warm. Summer is warm. So, the two do not seem to go together. However, some things we can do with the crochet creations we already have will assist us during the summer months.

Wearing a wrap or a shawl during the summertime in hot weather is just asking for trouble, so what do we do when we want to flaunt our crochet creations in the mid and late summer heat? We use crochet creations we already have for another purpose.

Here are a few helpful, yet funny ideas for you:
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Do you have many great crochet ideas you want to share with others? Are you trying to figure out what to do with all that wonderful information in your crochet journal? Have you ever considered writing a crochet book?

Why write a crochet book? Well, first, it is fun. If crochet is a longtime passion of yours, you are bond to have useful information to share with others. Writing a book on crochet is not just about the technical side of the craft. Oh no! It is a great time to share personal experiences.
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Most crochet stitches are worked into the loops in the top of the stitch, whether it’s both loops or one of them. However, every once in a while, you may come across a pattern that requires you to work into the side of a stitch. In the case of the single crochet, the stitch is worked into a vertical bar as shown below. If you are right-handed, the bar will be on your left, and if you are left-handed, the bar will be on your right.

For a left-handed view, hover over the pictures.

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Even with crochet, we run the risk of injury due to the repetitive movements. Ergonomics is not just for corporate office cubicles anymore. We, crocheters, need some help in that area as well.

Repetitive Stress Injuries are happening more and more with crocheters and other crafty folks all over the country, including carpel tunnel issues. Many times, we associate these issues with typing on a keyboard all day, but these conditions can occur under a variety of circumstances.

But the question is – how do we improve this condition and others associated with repetitive movements?

Here are a few things to consider:
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When your ball of non-superwash wool yarn runs out or breaks and you don’t want to deal with another end, the felted join can help. It’s quick, simple, and you don’t need any extra tools for it. It makes a great substitute for the Russian join if your yarn needle has gone missing. This join is commonly called “spit splicing” since you can use your saliva in a pinch, but some of us prefer to just use water.
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What? Crochet and Scrapbooking? Is it possible? Yes! It’s very possible. Crochet as a craft, as an art is perfect for scrapbooking. In a previous post, I talked about keeping a crochet journal. Crochet scrapbooking is an expansion of the crochet journal idea. It is equally cathartic, yet twice the fun.

If you are already into scrapbooking, you already know the joy it can bring to your life. It’s a wonderful way to keep wonderful memories alive and new, exciting moments vivid.

Scrapbooking as a craft dates back to the mid 1820s, believe it or not. In its original form, scrapbooking is simply taking pictures and newspaper clippings to create a book of memories. It’s like a step up from photo albums.

Here are a few tips on combining crochet and scrapbooking.
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