"All I know is, if you don't figure out this something, you'll just stay ordinary. And it doesn't matter if it's a work of art or a taco, or a pair of socks! Just create something... new, and there it is, and it's you, out in the world, outside of yourself and you can look at it, or hear it, or read it, or feel it... and you know a little more about... you."
This dialog might be familiar for some of you. For those who do not know, this is from the film P.S.- I Love You. Hilary Swank, aka Holly, the protagonist tell this to Gerard Butler, who plays Gerry, her husband in that film. Nevertheless, the point is to create something of your own, does not matter if it's an absolutely horrendous cartoon or an extraordinary musical composition. What matters is that it is a part of that person, who created it and it's out in the world for that person and others to see it. So be it painting, music, writing, stitching, or even crocheting, that you do, it's a part of yourself. And now talking about crochet, I am sure many of you would love to know how to crochet. Crochet is similar to knitting, but crochet involves a special hook. Hence, sans any further prologue, here is more on crocheting. Let's keep it simple and start off with a scarf first...
Crocheting a Scarf
Supplies Needed: Medium-heavy yarn, Size I or G crochet hook and scissors.
Method
Before you actually go on to crochet a scarf, the basics need to be known. Thus, here are the first few basic steps to get you acquainted with crocheting and then take a plunge to make a scarf.
- Begin with preparing a loop with the yarn. Wrap the yarn around your finger and pull your finger out, it is as simple as that.
- Have around 6 inches margin or rather hanging off from one end. Now make a loop, in from that end.
- Lay this loop, you have made, over one of the sides of the yarn. This will lead to the yarn side you choose and make a straight line through the circle behind it.
- Now pull the yarn from the middle part of the circle up through the center slightly.
- Put the crochet hook in the loop made with the piece previously pulled up. Tighten the loop around the hook by pulling both sides of the hanging yarn using your fingers.
- Taking the yarn side that runs to the skein, put it over the crochet hook, using the hook itself.
- Through the loop that was around the hook, pull the hook with the yarn which you just put. The loop will come off the hook, however, the yarn pulled through has become a loop around the hook.
- Hold the loop aging off the hook with one hand, wrapping the side of the yarn running till the skein over the hook again. Follow this by pulling the hook and the new wrap through the loop. This will make the loop come off the hook next to the first loop made. This is a chain of stitches.
Crocheting a Scarf for Beginners
- Decide the length and width of the scarf you want to make.
- Start from the first chain or the opening chain and count the first couple of stitches in the chain which are off the hook. Then chuck the first and insert the hook in the second one.
- Over the hook, wrap the yarn and then pull it through the stitch with the crochet hook. Voila! Now there are 2 loops around the crochet hook, one that was from forming the first chain row and the other which was pulled through.
- Repeat yarn over the hook procedure and then pull the yarn through the couple of loops, sparing a loop around the hook.
- Take the next stitch in the chain, repeating the process till you come to the end of the row.
- Make one more stitch at the end of the row. Turn and make a single crochet in all the previous single stitches back across that row.
- A slight difference in all the other rows will be that the hook will be brought down through the 2 loops of the stitch.
- You must have observed that every single crochet stitch has 2 sides. Choose the side with couple of loops with the hook to form every new stitch.
- Chain 1 at the end of each row, turn and go back across till you get the desired length.
- Pull the final yarn through the last stitch, then weave the end into the scarf. If you want, tie fringes on each stitch on the ends and there you are! You have just achieved a feat of making a crochet scarf! Congratulations!
That was it! That was all about crocheting a scarf and we are finally out of the loops and holes to form a beautiful scarf! What are you waiting for? Get your crochet hooks and get hooked to crochet!
