Yaaaaaaarn!

[kerravonsen]

I love crochet. And I'm getting rather fond of loom knitting too. And I'm dabbling in Kumihimo also. So, it's YAAAAARRRRRNNNN time! Welcome to a collection of links.

Tips & Tutorials

General:
How to join your yarn by making a double knot Very useful yarn-joining technique. Much better than the standard square knot.
Yarns Organizing Idea Plastic basket with holes + knitting needle + straw = poor man's Lazy Kate.

Misc:
Finger Knitting Photo-tutorial on how to do finger knitting - how to knit with only one's fingers. And yarn, of course.

Loom knitting:
Garter stitch tip Time-saving technique.
Loom Knitting Stitches Some advanced loom knitting stitches.
Mock cable or 2 stitch cable on the knitting loom The simplest kind of cabling is where one swaps two stitches over (sometimes called "Mock Cable"). This method adds an extra stitch between, which gives the cabling more definition, makes it sit better.
Loom Knitting: Using a Lifeline

Crochet:

Double Crochet:
Demystifying Double Crochet For Beginners

Alternatives to the "chain 3" start of a double-crochet row.
I found that looking at these helped me understand the mysteries of double crochet a bit more.

* video tutorial (1)
Do a single crochet without doing a chain first, then pull a loop through the (left if you're right-handed, right if you're left-handed) vertical bar of the single-crochet you just made, and do another single crochet; then do that again, thus having the equivalent of a "fat" chain-three. So it's like three single crochets on top of each other.
* video tutorial (2)
Here you do a turn-chain-one, then a single crochet, then a chain. Probably not as wide as the other methods (since the wideness doesn't go all the way to the top), but it's easier to remember and do.
* video tutorial (3)
"Chainless Starting Double Crochet". With this one, you chain one (one loop on the hook), lengthen the loop, press your finger down on the loop, then twist the hook around the loop as if you were doing a yarn over, (two loops on the hook), and then basically do a double crochet from there. This only works because one is anchoring the top of the loop with one's finger, otherwise the "extra" loop would simply un-twist. I don't like this one as much as the others because it's trickier.
* video tutorial (4)
This one, chain one, lengthen the loop to the height of a DC, chain one to lock that chain, then do a normal double-crochet into the first stitch (rather than skipping it). So basically what this one does is give you an extra skinny turning chain, and then you do a double-crochet in the same spot.

Misc Crochet:

Magic Ring Crochet Technique A good clear tutorial showing how to do the "magic ring" start for crocheting in the round.
Crochet Tips The best one is #4.
Linked Half Double Crochet This stitch gives you a more solid fabric than crochet usually gives you.
Foundation Single Crochet Tutorial #1: How to Foundation Single Crochet One of the better tutorials I've seen.
Forward Loop Chain: an Alternative to Standard Chain Stitch Alternative starting chain, looser than standard chain stitch, easier than foundation stitch.
New and Improved Sashay Scarf Pattern Works with most ruffle-scarf yarns. This is a different method than the usual ones.
Crochet Ribbed Scarf A way to use half-double-crochet to make what looks like ribbed knitting, without having to do around-the-post stitches.
How to Crochet With Beads Tutorial Two different methods.
Easy Beaded Crochet Technique String the beads on a separate wire/thread, crochet up one side and down the other, adding extra chains to go over the beads. This means that the beads don't need to be threaded onto the same thread that one is using for the crocheting.

Kumihimo:
Introduction to Kumihimo: The tools and a how-to by Michael Patterson Unlike most Kumihimo tutorials around, this one deals with the classic Japanese Kumihimo table tool, not the foam Kumihimo disk.
Kumihimo Braiding Patterns Directions for different braiding patterns: the standard round braid, plus the half-round, hollow, square, and spiral. These are not colour patterns, they are braiding patterns.
Kumihimo Patterns Large collection of colour patterns for the standard round braid.

Favourite Places to Buy Yarn

Yarn Paradise
Yes, it's in Turkey. Yes, the postage costs as much as the yarn. But you get a packet of 4-8 balls of yarn for the price you would pay for one ball elsewhere. They also have regular sales (which can sometimes be a trap if one gets caught in sale-mania).
Good for: wool, cotton, alpaca, acrylic; slubby yarns, crazy "artistic" yarns, eyelash yarns, scarf yarns, single-ply yarns.
Warnings: the yarn tends to be under-spun or under-plyed, the chenille yarns are not that soft

Bendigo Woollen Mills
It's in my own state of Victoria! And they have super-giant balls (200g as opposed to 50g). Generally plain and sturdy yarns; good "workhorse" yarns, well-spun, good quality.
Good for: wool
Warnings: middling range of varieties and colours; some yarns are one-season-only yarns

A Chronic Yarn-o-holic on EBay
From Queensland. Not cheap, not over-priced. Interesting collection of rare and lovely yarns.
Good for: silk, merino, alpaca, wool, cotton, hand-dyed
Warnings: items tend to be one-off, not repeated

Dairing Yarn
Strange and wonderful yarns, good for jewellery-making.
Good for: ribbon-yarns, paper, reflective tape, glow-in-the-dark, steel blends, rubberized wool, silk, wool...
Warnings: not cheap

Eco Yarns
Interesting and exotic yarns and fibres; expensive, but definitely cool.
Good for: organic wool, organic cotton, peace silk, yak, alpaca, camel, linen, hemp...
Warnings: not cheap

Comments

[dawnmist]

I thought I remembered you making a post about yarn suppliers :). Thank you!

That video on foundation single chain was *fantastic*, as was the tutorial on demystifying double crochet. Both excelled at showing the structure for how and why the stitches worked the way that they did, so they're sinking into my brain properly now. :)

I'm about 1/2 way through my second ball of yarn on the single-crochet scarf...but I think I may have done too much yesterday as my shoulderblade tendons are sore today. :( Some of that may be doing it for too long sitting on one of the kitchen chairs...and some may be that it just won't tolerate 6 hours of crochet (split across 2 sessions) in a single day *lol*. Once I get going, I find it hard to stop - "just one more row". I was also tapering off the anti-inflammatories last week...so it may simply be that it's reacting to not enough movement at work and less medication, and the timing is just coincidence. :/

[kerravonsen]

Yay!

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the links. My daughter bought a Monster High friendship bracelet making kit and I recognised the wheel thingy from one of your posts but I could not remember what it was called. As she wanted to learn how to do the braiding and as the instructions in the kit were less than helpful I am glad I can now search for Kumihimo and show her how to use it.

PS finger knitting sounds a bit ghoulish if you take it to mean knitting with fingers rather than yarn. :¬) (My brain sometimes goes strange places without me wanting it to.)

[kerravonsen]

Glad to be of help.