What could possibly be better than a quick gift, made in a day, that can be personalized, and easily made for around $6? Anything to make the holidays a little bit easier. Consider a crochetted scarf.
Crochetting, compared to knitting, is in my opinion the easier of the two. Counting isn't as necessary and once you master the standard stitch you can go forth and learn to make just about anything. I learned when I was ten years old to make blankets (this coming from the girl who could barely sew straight), and some ten plus years later have picked up my thread and hook again to make scarves.
To begin, first pick out your favorite color of yarn. There are so many choices and varying degrees of softness. You can spend a couple of bucks on standard yarn or spend near ten for the softer stuff. It all depends on what you want. For a scarf I recommend something inbetween; a yarn that won't feel too scratchy wrapped around the neck. Head to your local craft store and start touching and feeling the yarn!
Second you will need to select the right crochet hook or needle. This is easy to do. On the pannel of every spool of yarn the manufacturer will let you know what size to use to best accomadate the thickness of your yarn
The top example is from a Red Heart brand of yarn suggesting a 5.5 mm hook for crochet. While the one below is a Patons brand recommending a 5mm hook.
The basic chain stitch and getting started:
1. Make a loop, then hook another loop through it.
2. Tighten gently and slide knot up to the hook (like you're making a noose around your hook).
3.Yarn over and draw the yarn through to form a new loop without tightening the previous one (this is perhaps the hardest part to master- not over tightening. An over tightened loop will make your chain too tight and a too tight chain (like too tight pants) can cause frustrating bending and curving that may result in wonkiness in the final product. Take your time, relax your hands).
4.Repeat to form as chains as required. Do not count the slip knot as a stitch.
Take your time and have fun. The finished product
will be a most welcome gift for the winter months!
