I have started another over ambitious project in a medium I know nothing about, crochet. After weeks of futsing with it here and there I think I figured out how to crochet a hexagon. Sometimes they turn out right and other times, doing the exact same thing, I get slightly different results. That happens when I crochet. So I barely know how to do this but I think I want to make an afghan of hexagons. I should totally go for it right? Who cares that I can barely join them, think I may be using the wrong kind of yarn, that I don’t know how to finish the edges and have ZERO idea what to do with the back.
I’m guessing I just put these on a tapestry needle and weave them in. The instructions I’m following say an option is to crochet ends in as I go. I don’t know how that works. I need to do some research before I continue but I probably won’t. Knitting, crochet, quilting… they are all so overwhelming when you try to learn them. I just muddle my way through. I just need an actual person to come over & show me what I need to know. A crochet fairy.
I often feel the same way with crochet. I just finished making a set of crocheted snowflakes for my sister and the learnig curve was crazy but I think in have it figured out now. A big part of the problem for me was knowing when a round ended. And started. Anyhoo, I can tell only tell you something I think I know – crocheting in the ends as you go means laying the tail over the top of the stitches you will be crocheting next, and crocheting over the tail as you work your row so that your ed disappears into the new stitches you make. Does that make sense? I am currently crocheting a hippo ou of pent/hex/octagons and it’s fun once you find the rythym. I love your colour choices!
Thumbs up to previous instructions on hiding ends as you go! Noting like a whole bunch of ends to make me procrastinate and eventually give up on a project!
My next suggestion would be to do all your orange centers, all your whites centers and so on. Then do all your (whatever color round twos, e5c. Then you don’t have to make your brain change gears for each row (less mistakes) and less effort than repeatedly changing colors.
That yarn looks like wool…If it isn’t washable, I wouldn’t use it for an afghan. But I would keep going and put together a 12″ or so piece, felt it and have a really cute hotpad/trivet!
I always crochet in the ends as I go (but sometimes I get neurotic and weave them in too!) and yep, you just lay them along where you’re about to crochet and hook away over the threads. Those hexagons would make an awesome big round cushion. Squish! 🙂
is this the link you’ve been using to learn? she has such great instructions:
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/hexagon-howto.html
also, how to weave in as you go:
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2008/10/granny-squaring.html
your hexagons look great!!!
I really want to master crochet (I’m a knitter normally), creating big gorgeous blankets for all the family, but the only thing that I can get right is a ripple stitch….then I start freaking out, but the whole “chevron” thing is happening now, what happens when it’s no longer a thing and looks super dated. Talk about sabotaging myself. I really need to just go for it.
I don’t know anything about crochet, but I know I love what you’re doing! Great colors, shapes, and beautiful!
yes! where the round ends is so confusing. Or when you have to join back to that first spoke and I feel like I always pick it up in a different place. Not as straightfoward as the knitting. But I do love how easy it is to pull stitches out and redo.
thank you for confirmation! that’s what I was thinking crocheting ends in was. that’s pretty easy.
do you have link to your hippo? sounds cool!
that is a good idea! I have to keep going back to the pattern bc I can’t remember the specifics for each round. I need more yarn colors so I can do this. any excuse to go yarn shopping 🙂
the yarn is vicky howell sheepish, so 30% wool. I was worried it was too fuzzy. seems like stitch definition is a big thing with a design like this.
pillow would be really cute. And then I wouldn’t be stressing myself with another giant hex project. I still have an entire hex quilt to hand piece some time this decade.
Yes! that’s it. Ah, there is the weave in as you go. thank you!
just go for it! I think it’s the color choices that keep crochet fresh
thanks Jody 🙂
good for you for having a go. I too would like to learn to crochet. I like your idea of a crochet fairy!
You can thread a yarn needles on the ends and then weave them in, but I hate threading needles! I just grab a smaller crochet hook and pull them through with that. It seems quicker to me!
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/happypotamus-the-happy-hippo-crochet-pattern
Does this link work? You could search for Happypotamus by Heidi Bears on Ravelry if it doesn’t. I’m doing a monochrome grey version! So fun.
I think I was on my tenth snowflake when I finally figured out how to join a round properly! Snowflakes are really fun to crochet, like a hexagon but more intricate.