Whether your loved one is your spouse, child, or friend, there are is always something you can crochet for Valentine’s Day! Your gift doesn’t have to be elaborate or take a lot of time to make. Here are some ideas that I have. If you have your own ideas, feel free to share here!

• Envelope – Crocheting an envelope is just as simple as crocheting a square! You can use this crocheted envelop to hold a small gift or card. The crocheted envelop gives the perfect handmade touch to you gift. Here is the link to the pattern: Crochet Pattern: Envelope.
• Flowers – Why buy flowers that will only last a week, when you can crochet flowers that will last forever? There are all sorts of different flowers you can crochet to make a bouquet! Here are some patterns for you to check out: Calla Lily, Tulip, Daisy, Sunflower, Rose.
• Heart Bookmark – For the book lover, here is a crochet pattern for a heart bookmark: Crochet Pattern: Heart Bookmark. These are really fast to crochet, so if you are look for a gift that you can make many of to give to several people, this one is good for you.
• Teddy Bear (or other stuffed animal) – It’s always cuter when you make it yourself! Well, sometimes it is. At least you can customize it to the way you want it to look. Maybe even embroider the special somebody’s name on it. Here’s a teddy bear pattern that you can use: Heart Teddy Bear crochet pattern

Are you crocheting anything for Valentine’s Day? Do you have an idea that you would like to share?

Have you ever stood in the yarn section at the store not knowing which yarn to pick? If so, here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right yarn for your project!

Color – Finding the right color is like an art. Pick colors that are going to match and that would look good for the project you’re making. When in doubt, just use the colors the designer chose, if you’re following a pattern.

Price – No one wants to over pay for yarn. But then again, you don’t want that cheap stuff either. Granted the cheap stuff can be useful for somethings, but if you’re crocheting a special gift for a special someone you’re going to want to purchase yarn that has better quality.

Quality – Who wants that crappy, itchy yarn? Certainly not me. If you’re going to take the time to crochet something, you might as well do it with good yarn. I’m not saying to go out and get the best thing there is, although you can. The point is to get yarn that is going to hold up and not irritate you skin.

Texture – Yarns can be soft, rough, furry, fluffy and just about any other adjective you can think of to describe a texture. Each yarn gives a different look when it’s crocheted, so try out different types to find what looks good for your project. Also remember that novelty yarns can be more difficult to crochet with.

Material – Just like there are different textures, there are so many different materials that yarn can be made out of. There is the typical acrylic, wool and cotton, then you can get fancy with the bamboo, mohair and recycled yarns. Keep in mind that some materials are easier to take care of and can be machine washed. You can check the yarn’s package for care instructions.

Weight – Weight measures the thickness of yarn. Smaller weights are better for crocheting lace and light, delicate items, while the higher numbered weights are great for thicker projects like blankets, bags or sweaters. If you’re working with a pattern it should tell you what weight of yarn you need.

Brand – Most avid crocheters have a favorite yarn brand. I know I do! It’s okay to opt for the brand you trust when choosing your yarn. After all, they are your favorite for a reason.

Do you have a tip for choosing the right yarn?

Decrease are different depending on the stitch are you working with. If you are working with single crochets, you may want to make a single crochet decrease, or if you are using double crochet you may want to do a double crochet decrease. This tutorial will show you how to do a decrease for half double crochet (hdc) stitches. To do a half double crochet decrease, you must do the the following: (yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop) 2 times, yarn over, pull through all 5 loops on hook.

Below are step by step pictures for the instructions. This tutorial is for both right and left handed people. For left handed pictures, roll your mouse over the image and it will change for you.

Step 1: Starting with a small piece of work to practice on, yarn over.

If you crochet faster you can crochet even more in less time! Plus, it’s always fun to impress your audience (friends, spouse, co-workers, or stranger staring at you in the waiting room) with how fast you can crochet. So below are some tips on how to crochet faster. If you have a tip you would like to share, feel free to leave it as a comment on this post!

Practice. I have to state the most obvious tip first. The more you practice the faster you tend to crochet. You become more used to crocheting and are able to get a feel of what works for you and what doesn’t.

Make sure you can pull your yarn smoothly. This means that you should be able to crochet without having to stop and pull the yarn out or untangle it. I recommend using the center of a pull skein when you crochet. If your yarn isn’t in a center pull skin fashion, then you can wind it into one. Using the outer strand of yarn to crochet requires you to keep unraveling the yarn as you go. Also, balls of yarn tend to roll around as you pull them.

Place your yarn in a convenient location while you crochet. The position where you place your yarn can impact how smooth your yarn flows. Depending on where you are sitting and how you hold your work, you may decide that you can pull your yarn better when it is next to your lap or on a table. Try it out for yourself to find out which one works best for you!

Hold yarn and hook comfortably. There are tons of ways you can hold your hook and yarn. But remember, there isn’t one “right” or “correct” way to do it. The best way is the one that is most comfortable for you. Make sure that the yarn flows smoothly and the tension is good when you hold it. Also, be sure that your hand doesn’t cramp up and you have a free, not awkward, motion when holding your hook. You can learn more about ways on How to Hold a Crochet Hook and How to Hold Yarn in Crochet.

Choose the right hook. Pick a hook that works good with the yarn you are using. If it’s too small it’ll most likely split your yarn and if it’s too big it’ll be pretty uncomfortable to work with. Different types of hooks take time to get use to, so pick the ones that work good for you. You can use the table in this post to find the recommended hook size for your yarns: Types of Yarn and Recommended Crochet Hooks and Gauges. Also keep in mind that different hook brands can impact how fast you crochet.

Work on patterns that are repetitive. Repetitive motion is great because you can remember it subconsciously without thinking about it. The less you have to think, the faster you can crochet. Plus, the more times you do something the better and better you will become. Patterns that are repetitive are easier to work and faster to commit to memory, so that you can crochet faster.

Relax. Crocheting is suppose to be fun. So relax your body and your mind. Don’t think too hard and don’t tense up. Just relax and have fun with it and you may notice yourself crocheting faster in no time.

Do you have a tip to share on how to crochet faster? Leave it as a comment!

Sometimes when you read a crochet pattern, it’ll tell you to work into a chain space (ch-sp). But what in the world is a chain space? Simply put, a chain space is any space/hole/gap in your work that is created by making a chain. The space is located below the chain.

Chain spaces can be created in numerous ways and can vary in size. Often times (but not always), a chain space is made by making a chain then skipping a few stitches on the row to make your next stitch. Chain spaces can be made by any number of chains, for instance you can chain 1 or you can chain 5 to create a chain space. In a pattern you may see a chain 5 space abbreviated as “ch-5 sp”.

Here is a photos of what a chain space can look like:

Normally when you crochet into a stitch you insert your hook into the font and back loops of the stitch. But when you are instructed to crochet into a chain space, just insert your hook into the space/hole/gap (underneath the chain) to make your stitch.

What this helpful? Let me know!

Do you find yourself too busy to crochet? Whether you are too busy working, studying in school, or taking care of the kids, here are some good excuses to indulge in your favorite hobby: crochet!

1. Scientifically proven to be healthy. The repetitive action of crocheting helps manage stress, pain, and depression. It can also strengthen the body’s immune system and decrease the chances of memory loss by 50%. You can even watch the CBS video clip for more info here: Studies Show Knitting and Crocheting is Good For Your Health
2. Reduces stress. This is related to the above “excuse” but needs no scientific evidence to prove. Just ask any avid crochet out there, and he or she will tell you how relaxing and stress relieving it is to crochet. It’s great to be stress free!
3. Makes you happy. We all know that life can be a handful. Taking time out for yourself is the best thing you can do. After all, if you are a happier person for it, I bet everyone else will be happy you did it too. (no one wants to be around a grumpy person)
4. Enhances your dexterity. The more you work with your hands, the better you get at it! Ever want to impress someone with how super fast you can crochet? Well, the more you practice, the better you get.
5. It’s for a good cause. Lot of crocheters all around the world enjoy crocheting for a cause. Whether it’s crocheting hats and scarves for the homeless or blankets for babies, you know that your work is making a difference! (check out the crochet charity page, if you would like to find a charity to donate your crochet items to)

Do you have an excuse to crochet more often? Feel free to leave a comment to share!

The only reason I hesitate to give crocheted gifts is that I fear they would end up in someone’s closet collecting dust. This year, I decided to take a shot at making some of my gifts. Here are some of the precautions (mostly common sense) I’m taking so that my gifts don’t end up as useless stuff:

Ask them what they want. If I ask, they should give me some sort of clue, right? If you know the person well, you would probably already know if he/she would like what you’re making. But if not, it never hurts to ask.

Make what they ask for. Another no brainer! If they ask for it, there’s a good chance it is what they want. You can even take out all of your crochet patterns and let him/her pick from them.

Give hints. If you want your gift to be a surprise, try to give subtle hints as to what you are making to find out if he/she would like it.

Add a donation tag. I got this idea from a Crochet Spot reader! She advised to add a tag with information where the crocheted item can be donated if the gift was not to his/her liking. Just about any crocheted item can do donated somewhere! You can check out my crochet charity page for a list of places to donate to. So if all else fails, hopefully your recipient would donate your gift to a good cause.

I bet there are a bunch of other tips, that you have! Do you have a tip to share?

Decreasing while working with single crochet stitches is easy! Here is the link to the traditional method for making a single crochet decrease: How to Crochet: Single Crochet Decrease. The problem with the traditional method is that sometimes it leaves gaps and holes in your work. In this tutorial I will show you the “invisible decrease” method, which as the name implies is more invisible, and less noticeable.

You should not use this method all the time, as it works great in projects such as amigurumi, toys and stuffed animals, but for other projects you may want to use the traditional method for making a single crochet decrease. My rule of thumb is to always make a traditional decrease first, but if it is noticeable, then switch to an invisible decrease. I also find that making an invisible decrease takes longer than making a traditional decrease.

The invisible decrease is commonly abbreviated into the following steps: insert hook into front loops only of next 2 stitches, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook, yarn over, pull through final 2 loops on hook, counts as 1 single crochet.

The following is a step by step picture tutorial to help you visualize the steps. This tutorial is for both right and left handed people. For left handed pictures, roll your mouse over the image and it will change for you.

Start with a swatch to practice on. Below I used a square of single crochet stitches.
Insert your hook into the front loop only of the next stitch.

Knowing how to smoothly decrease the number of stitches in a row is necessary when you need to change the shape of the item you are crocheting. There are different decrease for different stitches, such as single crochet, double crochet and treble crochet. This tutorial contains instructions for decreasing single crochet stitches. Here is the link to the double crochet decrease tutorial if you would like to learn that as well: How to Crochet: Double Crochet Decrease.

Single crochet decrease is commonly abbreviated as the following steps: pull up a loop in next 2 stitches, yarn over, pull though all 3 loops on hook, counts as one single crochet.

Below is the step by step picture tutorial to help you visualize each step. This tutorial is for both right and left handed people. For left handed pictures, roll your mouse over the image and it will change for you.

Begin with a swatch of work to practice on. Below I am using a small square of single crochet stitches.
Insert your hook into the next stitch.

If you’re like me, WIPs (works in progress) and UFOs (unfinished objects) drive you insane. I remember when I was working on opening my crochet pattern store, I had so many WIPs that many just became UFOs. Totally not productive! There’s only so many things a person can crochet at a time, before you start putting stuff in the “I’ll finish it later, but I’m not really going to” pile. So here is the one and only rule that I’ve been using myself to prevent having WIPs and UFOs:

#1 Rule: One At a Time This is going to sound like common sense, because it is! Just do one project at a time and you’ll never have WIPs and UFOs ever again. It’s just as simple as that. I’ve been doing this for a few months now and I’m super productive! No more unfinished things laying around. No more piles of stuff that I’ll never even finish. When I set my mind to accomplish crocheting a single thing, it gets done, because I’m not thinking about the hundred other things I’m crocheting. Honestly, I’m surprised that I was able to follow this one rule, because I have such a short attention span. I’m like one of those people who get bored very fast and always want something new to do. But it seems to all work out well since I’m able to get things done faster and move on to crochet even more things!

If I can do it, so can you!

Do you have a tip for preventing WIPs and UFOs?