Crochet & Knitting Tips

* 

 Buy little snap barrettes and mini rubber bands in the hair care section  

of the dollar store to keep the loose tails on balls of yarn! 

*  I keep all my paper patterns in a three ring binder! One binder holds 
all my scarf patterns. Another holds all my baby patterns. And still another 
holds all my toy patterns! I use clear, three hole page protectors to keep 
each one in and if I decide to knit/crochet a pattern, I remove it from the 
binder, leaving it in the page protector, and take it to the yarn shop to pick 
all the supplies I need! 

*  Use all those little cometic bags you get at the department store when 
you buy beauty products to hold all sorts of things!  Little snap barrettes 
and mini rubber bands to hold tail yarn.  Use one to keep a mini kit on 
hand.  Scissors, tape measure, tapestry needle, crochet hook, point 
protectors, stitch markers, little note pad and pen, etc.

*  If you are a fair isle knitter, use the square plastic bag holders that come 
with a loaf of bread as bobbins!

*  Circular needle cord in a twist?  Dip the cord in hot water to soften and 
straighten them out! 

* Use all those tote bags you’ve accumulated but hate to toss out as project 
bags!  Keep everything all in one place for each project! 

*  Keep a small project in your car for those times you’re stuck in traffic, 
have to wait at the doctor’s office or waiting to pick up a child from 
school!

*  A great gift for a knitting friend is some yarn and new needles!  Put 
them in a clear drink cup you get at the coffee chop with a straw!  Put the 
yarn in the cup and replace the straw with a pair of knitting needles!

*  I use post it notes too keep track of what line I am on when using a 

pattern.

*  Make point protectors for your knitting needles by recycling wine corks!  

Or, make your own out of polymer clay!

*

For helpful Yarn Weight Equivalents and other useful tips go to 

   

http://www.angelyarns.com/yarn/charts.php  

   

There is also a conversion chart to convert yards to meters, grams to   

ounces or visa versa!

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Make a buttonhole!

  

An eyelet buttonhole is self-sizing—bulky yarns 

make large holes that work for large buttons; fine yarns make small holes 
that work for small buttons. 

Make your eyelet buttonhole on the right side of the work: Yarn-over, then 
work the next two stitches together.

*

Metric conversion chart

   
   To convert                              to                              multiply by
      inches                             centimeters                           2.54
  centimeters                            inches                                 0.4
       feet                                centimeters                            30.5
  centimeters                             feet                                    0.03
      yards                                 meters                                  0.9
     meters                                 yards                                   1.1

*  Hit YouTube for learning how to knit left handed here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v00r6CJs48o

*  Learn to crochet left handed here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDM6xF0kSeM

Sheila Zachariae Creative Design

Visit my Etsy shop here 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sheilalikestoknit

Visit my Craftsy pattern store here

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/25217

My Craftsy Classic Cabled Cowl Tutorial is here

http://www.craftsy.com/ext/SZ_Cowl