Crochet hook?

Caravansera

Hook 4mm, 4.5mm or 5mm for DK depending on your tension and how much drape you want in the pieces. I use Clover Amour hooks which have a soft grip which is better ergonomically, especially if you intend to crochet a lot.

I am not a fan of the granny square although many are. I would urge new crocheters to learn how to work in a straight line. It is much easier and rhythmic, creates a softer fabric, gives you much more scope to play with stripes and stitch patterns and make other things plus less or even no joining.

Work a loose chain the desired length or stitch count plus one. Work your chosen stitch into the bumps on the back of the chain until the end. Turn. Chain one. Work the first stitch of the new row into the stitch at the base of the chain one i.e. the last stitch of the previous row. I never bother with the instruction in many patterns which tell you to work three chains (say) to count as a treble (US double). It isn’t necessary and you get a much straighter edge without it.

I am a big fan of Lucy who blogs as Attic24. She had a great eye for colour and, as she uses mostly Stylecraft Special DK, the best budget acrylic imo - her projects are inexpensive to make. I’m working her Moorland blanket at the moment on 4.5mm.

I've just about completed my first straight blanket, Caravansera, it's a bit wavy because my stitch count varied a bit 🤔 but it seems to be ok now the border is finished. It feels like quite an achievement so I'll go back to some mindless Granny squares for a bit.

The blanket is lovely, is that a kind of wave stitch?

Hello AuntieFlo and thank you.

It is a pattern by Lucy at Attic24, worked in 15 different solid colours of Stylecraft Special DK.

attic24.typepad.com/weblog/moorland-stripe-blanket.html

If you want to follow the same colour scheme, you can buy the yarn packs online from Wool Warehouse, 15 balls for £31.50. A yarn pack is enough for a blanket to fit a single bed.

www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/attic24/attic24-moorland-cal-stylecraft-special-dk

It's a very easy pattern. Two rows in each colour. The wavy effect is created by offsetting the stitch pattern.

She has lots of other colour packs for other blanket projects, if you'd like a different colour scheme:

www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/attic24

Callistemon. Thank you.

The stitch pattern is very simple. You offset the pattern every colour change (every two rows) and then back again at the next colour change to make the waves.

It's a (2dc, 2hdc, 2tr, 2hdc, 2dc) repeat. So you get a run of 4dc together. For the offset you are working the shorter dc stitches on top of the longer stitches.

I think one of the common problems people encounter when working straight is finding that their work isn't straight at the edges, that it starts to slant inwards. That's usually because they are not working the end stitch. Is that why your stitch count was going awry?

Good advice already given .
Be very careful with the difference I. USA and English terms.
I would recommend the book ‘ Crochetopedia’. by Julie Opraka.
I taught myself to crochet by this book a few years ago. Good illustrations and lots of projects to get you going.

Caravansera

Callistemon. Thank you.

The stitch pattern is very simple. You offset the pattern every colour change (every two rows) and then back again at the next colour change to make the waves.

It's a (2dc, 2hdc, 2tr, 2hdc, 2dc) repeat. So you get a run of 4dc together. For the offset you are working the shorter dc stitches on top of the longer stitches.

I think one of the common problems people encounter when working straight is finding that their work isn't straight at the edges, that it starts to slant inwards. That's usually because they are not working the end stitch. Is that why your stitch count was going awry?

I decided I ought to stitch count about a third of the way through and seemed to have gone down by 6 stitches but made it up again gradually.

Serves me right for not counting more often, I learned my lesson!

It seems to look ok but the stitches vary, so some are looser than others anyway. It's the Sweet Blossom blanket.

RosesandLilac

I love Clover Amour hooks, I never use any other brand nowadays.

After reading the reviews on Amazon I have just ordered a Clover Amour hook. They had better reviews than the Knitpro ones.

Is it this Hayfield one?

I've downloaded the free pattern. As well as a potential problem of missing end stitches, maybe it was when you transitioned from a pattern where each stitch was worked, to the granny stripe.

Lovely pattern. I may add it to my list of ones to make. It reminds me of the As-we-go-stripey-blanket by Hannah Owens which is on Ravelry and another step on as it incorporates colourwork within some of the stripes.

Yes, that's the one. It was quite a challenge as I'd only done Granny squares previously.
Now only a few ends to sew in and you can tell I'm putting that off 😃

maybe it was when you transitioned from a pattern where each stitch was worked, to the granny stripe. Yes, I think it was after there that I noticed.

I've downloaded the stripey blanket, thank you.

But must not buy more yarn .......

Anybody doing mosaic crochet at the moment? I am very slowly getting on with this.

😲

No, it looks quite intricate.

I'm a novice crocheter!

Callistemon21

😲

No, it looks quite intricate.

I'm a novice crocheter!

TBH Callistemon21 I am not enjoying it very much but some people love mosaic crochet. The designers are amazing. This one is by Rosina Plane and is called On The Seashore.

Maybe I am too long in the tooth to learn new techniques🤣
I can do it but it doesn’t excite me.

Primrose53

Callistemon21

😲

No, it looks quite intricate.

I'm a novice crocheter!

TBH Callistemon21 I am not enjoying it very much but some people love mosaic crochet. The designers are amazing. This one is by Rosina Plane and is called On The Seashore.

Maybe I am too long in the tooth to learn new techniques🤣
I can do it but it doesn’t excite me.

Someone in my craft group brought one she'd made in beautiful jewel colours - it was amazing!

But I shall do some mindless Granny squares for a bit now (recovering from weaving in ends!)

Our group have really enjoyed mosaic crochet. It's only doubles and trebles, changing colour each row. Once you've get into it, it's not difficult.

Chardy

Our group have really enjoyed mosaic crochet. It's only doubles and trebles, changing colour each row. Once you've get into it, it's not difficult.

Thanks Chardy. I realise that but it seems so slow. I have been crocheting for 53 years and made just about anything you can crochet. Maybe I am just impatient. 😉

Primrose53

Chardy

Our group have really enjoyed mosaic crochet. It's only doubles and trebles, changing colour each row. Once you've get into it, it's not difficult.

Thanks Chardy. I realise that but it seems so slow. I have been crocheting for 53 years and made just about anything you can crochet. Maybe I am just impatient. 😉

Several of us made a good-sized patterned throw last year, and they're so warm, I didn't need the heating on! Basically it's double thickness.

When I was first learning tunisian crochet I made a tunisian entrelac crochet blanket in aran variegated yarn. It's really warm over my knees in the evenings.
I've never attempted mosaic crochet, not because it looks difficult but because I detest weaving in ends.

MiniMoon

When I was first learning tunisian crochet I made a tunisian entrelac crochet blanket in aran variegated yarn. It's really warm over my knees in the evenings.
I've never attempted mosaic crochet, not because it looks difficult but because I detest weaving in ends.

You don’t have to weave in ends on mine MiniMoon. You crochet a border and hide all the row ends in and then close. Clever!

There are several videos in YouTube which show you how to make sure your edges are straight.

Just search for "crochet straight edges"

Here's one

youtu.be/5VYZ23UBnH0?si=L6EL8vtcEA71oyaP

My daughter decided she’d like to learn to crochet. I said I’d join her. We watched a couple of videos on YouTube yesterday afternoon.

I made a long chain and after a while had had enough. I turned it into a band for my hair.

My daughter persevered and spent the afternoon trying, unravelling and trying again. She ended up with a chain, and then learnt how to make rows. She made a rectangle of rows which for a first try was great.

Then she managed to make a small basket - she doesn’t know how but it looks great! 😂

Very proud of her efforts

I agree with 4.00 mm hook for most dk yarn. Hooks seem to be relatively expensive these days so ask at local charity shops. Save money, recycle and help the charity!

I am an experienced in crochet and would say:
There is no 'right' size hook - it depends on the effect you want
When comparing hook sizes check carefully: as well as UK & US terms, the size is often given in millimetres (I use this one)
If I try to think 'UK or US instructions' I get confused - so I look up what the pattern uses, then make my own notes on the stitches used and keep that for the whole project.
I have just swapped all of my hooks for 'Tulip' - very expensive, but I can manage them so much better with my arthritic hands.
Ravelry.com and its companion The Crochet Project are useful sites.

I took up crochet during covid with help of Youtube. I had to order hooks from Amazon as shops were closed. I found the old style metal ones sore on hands and made a soft handle from bit of rubber mat/rubber bands. Now I see you can buy ones with decent softgrib tops. Lots of granny squares now into rugs!

Very keen crocheter here!

A 4mm hook is the traditional size for DK wool, but I would tend to use a 4.5mm one for hooking blankets as they can get very heavy, and the bigger hook means a bit less weight for a given area. However if you are making stuffed toys then a smaller hook is better to stop the stuffing working its way through the holes - I would use a 3mm one.

I have quite arthritic hands and find the hooks with handle much better. I can recommend Clover's Amour and Tulip's Etimo hooks. Clover do a different one called Soft Touch but I find them slightly too short for my hands.

I'm self taught and unfortunately adopted a "knife" grip which has become an unbreakable habit, but I advise beginning crocheters to try to use a pen grip if possible because it's easier on the wrist.

If you're making crochet clothing (as opposed to accessories) then I would advise not using DK; crochet uses about 33% more yarn than knitting and most people find garments crocheted in 4ply to be much more comfortable to wear.

I'm self taught and unfortunately adopted a "knife" grip which has become an unbreakable habit, but I advise beginning crocheters to try to use a pen grip if possible because it's easier on the wrist

Me too, pen50. I do keep trying to hold the hook like a pen but it feels more under control if held like a knife.