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Le guide ultime des couleurs - Rainbow 8/4 Print
Avez-vous parfois du mal à voir quelles couleurs de nos Rainbow 8/4 et Rainbow 8/4 Print vont bien ensemble? Voilà, un guide ULTIME des couleurs!
Magic Ring - This Is How You Master It
If you've been crocheting for a while, you've definitely come across the phrase '' magic ring '' in a pattern. It is a crochet technique that is indispensable if you want to crochet more than blankets and dishcloths ;-) It is used for crocheting things like baskets or teddy bears. A magic ring can be difficult for both beginners and intermediate crocheters, as it requires practice and that you maintain a laser-like focus. It took long a long time for me to master the technique and I can still experience problems if it has been a long time since I last made one. I have made a little step-by-step guide so you can become a true master at crocheting a magic ring ;-) Start by making a loop where the end of the yarn is at the bottom (the end that is not in the skein) Put your hook into the loop and go under the bottom thread - then grab the upper thread from the same angle as the hook in picture 1 shows. Pull it through the large loop. Wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through the small loop that you have on the hook You have now made the magic ring and you have one slip stitch on it. Most patterns require 4 or 6 single crochet stitches in the magic ring - make the stitches as usual, but around the large loop (over both threads) Finally pull the tail of the yarn to tighten the loop, and thus gather the 6 single crochet stitches into a small circle - you can finish the round by making a chain stitch in the first single crochet stitch. Are you having trouble with the magic ring? Don't worry if you are having trouble with the magic ring, because there is another method. The alternative is to make 4 chain stitches, and join them with a slip stitch into a ring. It can be difficult to get the gap between the stitches to close 100% compared to when you make a magic ring, but you can easily use it as an alternative - especially if you are making baskets and not teddy bears. It is important that there are no large openings when you make teddy bears as the filling can fall out. Chain 4 stitches Connect the 4 chain stitches with one slip stitch in the 1st shain stitch Make 8 single crochet stitches directly into the chain stitch ring (the hole between the 4 chain stitches) - you now have the start of a circle without having to use a magic ring. I hope that my little guide has been helpful and that you are now well equipped to become a crochet master of the magic ring ;-) Love Josefine, Hobbii
Pain-free knitting - how to do it
If you experience pain when you knit, read on to learn about your pain. After I wrote the article on ergonomic crochet, you requested a similar post just about knitting. This is a slightly bigger challenge for me, since I have not knit for many years. So, I have picked up my knitting again to write this post. Does it hurt when you knit? It’s not supposed to! Knitting should be a relaxing experience that gives you a moment of calm in a hectic day. This can be really hard, if you are in pain or discomfort. You already know this, but if you experience pain, it is important to stop and take a break from your knitting. If it hurts when you resume work, the break was not long enough. If treating the symptoms doesn’t stop the pain - then stop and find the root of the problem instead. Many people choose to treat the symptoms of knitting related pain, but this is only a short-term solution. Treating the symptoms means that you only stop the pain, but not the reason for it. It is important to look at the cause of the discomfort so you can understand the pain and so you can avoid it. Stop the bad habits that lead to pain The next time you knit, pay attention to how you work. Many knitters are not aware of how they hold the needles or what position their body is in. Maybe you use your finger tip to prevent the yarn from slipping off the needle? I noticed that I instinctively did this. I do this to prevent the stitches from slipping off when I pull the yarn through the existing stitch. When you keep putting your finger on the tip of the knitting needle, you stick yourself over and over again - this obviously causes pain in the finger. If you use a large needle-size, this is not a huge problem, but as soon as you use smaller needles, the tip becomes much sharper and the damage much worse. Try instead to control the stitches without using your finger. Hold your thumb and pointer finger like this on the needle – make sure that your grip is stable and that you have control over the needle. Push/glide the left needle up in between the fingers until the tip of the left needle hits the right needle. Use the fingers to stabilize the 2 needles. Now the tip of the left needle is resting on the shaft of the right needle. You can now push the stitches up towards the point of the left needle. This way you can control the stitches and place them where you needle them, without putting your finger on the sharp needle tip. This trick requires a little practice, but it gets easier with time, and eventually you won’t even consider using your fingertip to control the stitches. Do you have pain in your hands and shoulders? Don't worry, it can be easily fixed Pay attention to how you move your arms and hands. It is important that you keep your body and arms in natural positions. If you experience wrist pain, it may be because you exaggerate the movements you make when knitting - you make them bigger than necessary. This is very strenuous for your muscles as you repeat movements that do not feel natural. The body is forced in an unnatural way which can cause pain. How do you sit when you are knitting? Think about your posture and sitting position - it is often the reason for pain in the neck and shoulders. When you sink into your body and pull your shoulders up, you get tension in the shoulders and neck. Try to relax when you sit down. It also helps prevent pain if you keep your arms close to your body so that you do not use effort to hold them in a strenuous position while working. Are you giving your body the necessary rest? I am terrible at taking a break, even though I know how important it is. That’s why I found a method that has helped me a lot. I set an alarm on my phone that rings every 30 mins. When it rings, I stand up and walk to get something to drink or just do something else. It makes a big difference when you change what you are doing if your knitting is very strenuous. I’ve also tried taking a break every 15 mins, where I would just stop, put my knitting down and shake my hands and arms, before I begin again. It is important to figure out what works for YOU. Pay attention to how tightly you hold the needles We all know the fear of losing a stitch that we cannot save and then losing all our work. This often means that we hold onto the needles unnecessarily tightly. This NOT helpful as you actually lose control when your hands cannot maintain the tight grip and they start to get tired. To avoid having too tight a grip, use ergonomic knitting needles. These are knitting needles designed to fit perfectly into your hands. It's very important that you hold the needles in a natural way and using ergonomic needles can help achieve this. Prym has developed 2 ergonomic knitting needles that are really good. For example, try the ergonomic- straight needles or the ergonomic- double pointed needles. They are all made with a soft material that is placed where you hold onto the needle. The ergonomic needles help prevent muscle and joint pain, as they ensure optimum grip. Have you experienced that your knitting feels too heavy and you struggle to keep your needles up? When you knit a project with a lot of stitches on straight needles, you have a lot of weight distributed over very little space. You struggle to keep knitting up, but it's hard when it weighs down and your hands is the only thing that carries weight. Instead, try using a circular needle, so you have the option of letting your project rest on the cable itself rather than on the needles. This way, you don’t use as much effort to keep the needles up. You can also put a pillow in your lap, which you can rest your knitting on. How is the environment you're knitting in? I’m thinking about the light and temperature. You are probably aware that light is an important factor when knitting. If it’s difficult to see what you’re doing, you strain your whole body trying to see your stitches. To fix this, you can use knitting needles with light, or a light that sits around your neck. Also think about the temperature in the room. You probably know it yourself - when you freeze your whole body tightens up and your movements become awkward. Sit in a warm room where you feel relaxed and comfortable, so you’ll be successful with your projects. Do you also crochet? See my earlier article where I focus on the same problems when crocheting – read it here.
How to crochet for hours without getting pain
Do you ever get sore wrists and muscles when you crochet? Then keep reading and learn more about ergonomic crochet. What is ergonomics and what does it mean for your crochet projects? Ergonomics, in short, is about how the body functions during work. When you crochet, you use your body and it is important that you do this in the best possible way. In the worst case, you run the risk that your muscles, for example the wrists, become overloaded, which can lead to pain and inflammation. If you are really unlucky, this can lead to permanent injury. I will try to guide you through the ergonomic conditions that apply when crocheting (and knitting). Gripping the hook When I learned to crochet, I wasn’t taught the various methods of holding a crochet hook. I just started crocheting. It didn't take long before I started having problems! My crochet hook slipped around in my hand and I felt my hand was very tense, trying to keep the hook stable. After struggling with it for a few days, I went online to find a solution. The first thing I found was that there are 2 ways to hold your hook. Knife-hold Pencil-hold One grip is not necessarily better than the other. It's about finding out what works for YOU. I found out that what I was doing did not work and I switched grips and now I only crochet with a knife-hold. It is important to emphasize that there is no "correct "way to hold the hook. When you have found your favorite grip, you should find the hook will work best for you. There are many different styles of crochet hooks out there and they all work for different needs. Ergonomic crochet hooks - do they make any difference? It may be hard to imagine that the handle of a crochet hook can make a difference to your comfort, but they do. There are many versions of the ergonomic-hook a great tool that can help you achieve optimal ergonomic comfort while crocheting. What it does is ensure that you keep the crochet hook in the perfect hold. Compared to a crochet hook without an ergonomic grip, these hooks are designed so that the soft material and handle lies naturally in your hand, which means you can crochet for hours without sore hands or wrists. You can try the ergonomic crochet hook from Prym. They are available in sizes 3 to 15 mm. If you need a smaller hook, I would recommend the Aluminum Crochet hooks from KnitPro. The hooks are available in many sizes and have an ergonomically designed handle. My personal favorite is Soft Touch from Clover. Their handle is flatter than the other two I’ve mentioned, but it works really well for my knife-hold style. Sitting position – how are you supposed to sit, and does it matter? It is not only important to think about ergonomics in your crochet grip, but also in the way you sit when working. If you, like me, love to crochet so much that you sit for many hours at a time, it is important that you sit correctly. If you are unlucky enough to get a crochet injury, it requires rest, and that's the worst news a crochet enthusiast can get! ;-) It is crucial that the place you crochet is a place you can sit for many hours at a time. Here, the couch may not be a great choice because it is very soft and have very little back support. One of the most important things is to make sure you have space around you. I personally crochet best when my elbows are free of any armrests. If you feel it is hard to keep your elbows at the right angle, put a small pillow under each arm to relieve both the shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands. The yarn and lighting have an effect as well The last thing I want to tell you is how yarn and light have an impact on ergonomics. It can be important for your comfort to crochet with a yarn that slides easily or with a crochet hook with light in so you never have to strain your eyes. My own experience is that it can be harder to crochet in fabric yarn such as Ribbon, as it takes a little more effort to pull the yarn through the stitches. Cotton, like Rainbow or Cotton 8/4 Junior slides well on the hook, and I don’t feel that I am using much force to crochet. Especially if I use one of the ergonomic hooks I mentioned earlier. I hope you’ve found this post helpful, and that you will think about the ergonomics when you crochet. Best Wishes, Josefine, Hobbii
Comment garder votre motivation au top pour mener à bien votre projet
Ca peut arriver même aux meilleurs d’entre nous - nous débutons un nouveau projet avec une motivation d’enfer. Mais après quelque temps avec le même projet, le même point et la même couleur, ça devient ennuyeux. Alors que faire?
How to choose yarn based on the English yarn categories
You have found the pattern of the sweater of your dreams, however, the recommended yarn is not available, and the only information about the yarn is a yarn category you do not know. Fear not! This blog post will guide you to the perfect alternative.
How to stiffen your projects - shape and form
I have researched a bit and found a few different guides to get your project to keep its shape the way you want it.
