It's crochet, knit and natter thread 11. So much yarn we need a yarn barn.

[CrochetBug]

Oh my, the last thread got full! Hope you all find me. The title is rubbish.

Anyway. I'm off to decorate the thread.

WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally I'm trying to make a giraffe. The stitches are too tight for me to increase and because I'm struggling with that I lose count. A friend of mine suggested going up a hook size until I get the hang of it, I've done that and stitches are still too tight. I'm working on the giraffes bottom and have done the magic circle and have a holey misshapen second row. I keep unpicking and restarting. I bought a kit from wee woolly wonderfuls as comes with a pattern with photos and accompanying YouTube video. I supposed to be making the giraffe for a friend's baby but considering I've unpicked again and have nothing to show for it, baby will have his own babies by the time I finish

@longpathtohappiness most amigurumi patterns will recommend a crochet hook much smaller than you would use for a blanket or a wearable because it means there’s space between the stitches. Sometimes if you use a bigger hook the stuffing will poke through and you wouldn’t want that for a baby toy. However, if you are struggling because it’s too tight, go up another size. If you find there is stuffing poking through then you make a little bag from an old T-shirt to line the inside for the stuffing to sit inside.

To help keep count, try using a spare piece of yarn as a stitch marker. It helps if it’s a completely different colour. I do my magic circle and first 6 stitches, drape the stitch marker yarn over the first stitch and then work into that one with my increase. At the beginning of each round you loop the yarn over the stitch before you complete the stitch. It looks a bit odd whilst you’re doing it, mine looks like it has bright orange snot coming out of its nose! When you are done, you give the stitch marker yarn a pull (you might need to give it a hard tug depending on how tight your stitches are). If you go wrong in a round, you undo until the stitch marker yarn, count your stitches and work it out from there.

WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally thank you. I only went up a hook size as recommended by a friend while I get the hang of the increase. Then restart once I have got it. I have tried a 4mm, 4.5mm and a 5mm hook but struggling with the stitches being too tight.

I have got a traditional stitch marker but I'm losing count as I dk the round, eg pattern says 6 DC to increase and I'm half way round and can't remember whether I have done 4, 5 or 6! Stitches so tight I can't count them. Feel like throwing the whole lot away

@longpathtohappiness so with your stitch marker you can either place it in the first stitch of the round or the last stitch in the round. I prefer to use the first stitch. When you get back to the stitch marker you know you’ve done your increases. You can then count the Vs on top of the worked piece to see how many stitches you have. Your patterns should tell you how many stitches are at the end of each round. If you can’t tell if you have done stitch or two stitches in the stitch, look at the side of the work. Each stitch will form a V shape. If you have two stitches in the stitch, they look a bit squashed. I’m working with white sparkly yarn which isn’t the best for photos so I’ve marked it up. You can see my orange yarn which is the beginning of each round. The blue is a round that is not increasing, just dc around. The blue underneath the V is the stitch I worked into. The orange is an increase, two dc in one stitch and the orange circle underneath the Vs is the stitch I worked into.

Use a stitch marker in either the first or the last stitch of the round, just remember which you use. Your pattern should tell you the number of stitches at the end of each round. Count the Vs on top, you might find it easier to use your fingers to feel the bumps of the Vs if you are struggling to see them. If you place a finger and thumb on either side, you’ll feel the stitch widen and then narrow. That’s one stitch.

WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally sigh, might go back to granny squares

@longpathtohappiness sorry I realised I didn’t attach the photo of what I was talking about 🤦‍♀️

Maybe just take a break, take the pressure off yourself, do a few granny squares and attempt it again in a few days. I’ve made one of those kits before and even having done quite a bit of amigurumi and other crochet before I found it hard.

I just wanted to say thank you to this thread, I spotted it last autumn off the back of crocheting 2 baby blankets. Directly as a result of this thread I made 5 Chocolate orange covers as gifts (I think there is shrinkflation going on as I had to tweak the pattern as it was bigger than the chocolate). Since then I have made a birthday cake, little dragon, a chunky blanket , a few small guinea pigs and last night I finished Maud the guinea pig from the children's book 'weirdo'. I now have a vast stash of yarn and my daughter keeps requesting more! (next are clothes for Maud)

Oh wow, they look lovely!😀

@Kayjay2018 Wow so cute! Thanks for sharing (I really want a "like" button)

We're on holiday next week so trying to find a WIP that's easily transportable and resisting the temptation to start something new!

Hi everyone hope you're all well. I lost yarn chicken last night. 80 stitches short in a 2500 stitch stripe (reaching the end of a shawl so individal rows are 600+ st) And in other news I finished my blue cardigan and wear it often without even blocking it....

That cardigan is stunning, @GlowWine ! I love the colours.

@Kayjay2018 - very cute!

Thats lovely @GlowWine
I finished Taylor no2 and started a blanket for my great neice

I love those @bruffin and@GlowWine

DD (2.5) picked up my crochet hook tonight and fortunately a spare knitted square that wasn’t doing anything (and not the blanket I’ve been working on) and wanted to be like mummy ❤️ She was “making holes” which I couldn’t argue with her that it what crochet is. She’s plucked the square but for the most part she’s pulled the full yarn and split it.

"Oh dear, how annoying" and "bless her, how cute" in equal measure @WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally

I haven't done any crochet in forever. My fingers don't like it. It hurts.

Aww bless her!

I'm not getting much crafting time at the moment. Busy at work has led into busy Easter holidays. Not complaining - we are having a nice time!

Astonishingly, I'm STILL working on dd's cable jumper . Work is about to get quite a lot less busy soon when my exam classes go on study leave and the return leg of my German exchange visit is over, so hopefully less work to bring home and more knitting, crochet and spinning time!

Sorry your fingers are hurting, @CrochetBug .

One thing I have managed to do this holiday is untangle and sort out the massive bag of yarn I bring for knitting and crochet club. It looked like wild animals had got at it

I've been a bit slow at finishing anything lately as life has been very busy. I managed to complete a pair of socks and then had a look at my stash to see what I wanted to make next and found the front and back sections of a sweater. I'd completely forgotten that I'd started it!

I am a beginner, only made a granny square blanket. Could I make this bunny blanket?

@longpathtohappiness you don’t know if you don’t try. Use your stitch markers in the first and last stitch of the blanket to keep the blanket straight. You’ll make the bunnies separately and sew them on, so if you struggle with the bunnies, you’ll still have a nice pattern blanket at the end. I’d recommend using stitch markers on the bunnies too. The fiddly bit might be on the ears.

WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally thanks. You advised me about amigurumi weeks ago. Haven't restarted that project yet. Too scared!!

@longpathtohappiness I absolutely believe you can make that blanket! Just take it slow, and like @WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally said, use stitch markers at the ends of the rows.
It's a really cute blanket!

@longpathtohappiness not every project works out. Sometimes you undo a project completely and decide it’s not right, sometimes a project sits in time out for a while. You might pick the amigurumi up again, you might not, but just keep trying.

Hi all, may I slip in? I used to post on the Woolly Hugs threads and started crocheting when Candy's Colours started.