[Nfb-krafters-korner] Counting Stitches

Sat Apr 30 22:04:47 UTC 2016

I changed the subject because nobody is an idiot. There is a simple secret 
for counting stitches. Count count count and count some more.

First of all, if you don't feel comfortable with crochet and you are 
starting with a blanket, that is a huge undertaking. That's like a new cook 
going into the kitchen and saying I'm gonna make some fancy French sauce. It 
can be done. But, the chances of it coming out really right are not good.

Start with something small. Make a dishcloth, a potholder, a placemat, a 
blanket for your little girl's doll, but not a big old blanket.

Only do one stitch. Once you make your foundation chain, choose a pattern 
that uses one stitch. You can make beautiful items with nothing more than 
single crochet. If you have a mixture of chain stitches, you are going to 
get overwhelmed and confused at first. Someone sent me a "beginner" pattern. 
It was far from beginner because it required complicated counting, knowing 
multiple stitches, and so on.

To count, know how many stitches you should have in that first row. If you 
don't, take it out and stitch it again. Do this till you figure out what you 
are doing wrong or you get the right number. If you can't crochet a line of 
20 single crochets, you sure can't put fancy embellishments and fancy 
stitches. Do overs are not failures. They are getting more entertainment for 
your crafting dollar. With that ball of yarn, you go from making an afghan 
size thing to making a football field size thing. Lol.

Ask questions. Make them specific. Don't ask me how to do a chain. Then, in 
the next message ask the next person how to do a single crochet, and in the 
next message say you can't count stitches. You have to go one step at a 
time! Be patient. Do it step by step and it will come.

Greg

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lovette Yewchan via Nfb-krafters-korner
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2016 4:26 PM
To: List for blind crafters and artists
Cc: Lovette Yewchan
Subject: Re: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Crocheting for Idiots

HI there.
You aren’t alone.
I can do a chain and some stitches but still feel like I am missing and my 
count isn’t always accurate.
I suspect I might be going into a stitch already made but am not sure.
One thing I want to try that might help you as well is get some bobby pins 
and put them every five stitches or so.
I think I am putting them in right but then when I got to them it did not 
work out as I thought.
Lovette

> On Apr 30, 2016, at 1:19 PM, Valerie via Nfb-krafters-korner 
> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> I would love to learn proper crochet technique. I know how to make a 
> chain, but my trouble is that I don’t know what kind of stitch I’m using 
> for the rows after that. I also have trouble counting them, so my first 
> attempt at a baby blanket has a few irregularities, but I think I’ve got 
> about a fifth of it done right now. I went to a crochet class at Braille 
> Institute, but the teacher I had wasn’t very attentive, and the only 
> concrete thing I learned in three weeks was how to make the chain. I want 
> to learn how to make these awesome bags or soap sacks, but if I’m having 
> issues with my blanket, I’ve got a problem I think. I don’t know what I’m 
> doing wrong, but sometimes my rows end up shrinking, and I don’t realize 
> it until I’ve done a few rows like that. I hope to be able to put some 
> kind of decorative element on my blankets one day, like flowers or 
> something. I also hope to know yarn crafts as well as I know ceramics 
> because they’re equally fun.
>> On Apr 30, 2016, at 12:09 PM, Cathy Flesher via Nfb-krafters-korner 
>> <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Rena,
>>
>> Send me an email and I will send you instructions on how to make a 
>> crochet
>> chain. It took me awhile to learn to crochet because there was a single 
>> step
>> that I was missing and could not figure out what I was doing wrong. One 
>> day
>> the light bulb went on and I suddenly understood and then it was full 
>> speed
>> ahead.
>>
>> Or if you would prefer to learn loom knitting let me know and I can send 
>> you
>> basic instructions.
>>
>> These will be just my personal notes from when I taught classes.
>> flowersandherbs at gmail.com
>> Cathy
>>
>>
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