Crochet Graph Pattern Tips
By Sue Norrad
Crochet Graph Pattern Tips
By Sue Norrad
Crocheting a graph pattern can be a lot of fun. I find it
hard to put down once I start working on one. It’s almost
like painting a picture and so much fun to watch the picture
emerging row by row.
But, whenever I crochet from a graph pattern, I don’t
like the idea of having to weave in a lot of ends after the
color changes and I don’t like the bulky look of pulling the
different colors along the back of the afghan.
So what I do is roll up small balls of the colors. I would use
that small ball then change to the next small ball color when
I had to change colors and so on with any other colors
required for the pattern.
When you come back across the next row, just pick up
each small ball for the color changes as you go. You will have
to make several small balls of each color as you will be changing
back and forth a lot. That eliminated sewing in a lot of ends
and kept the back of the afghan a lot neater without pulling the
different colored yarn strands across.
Now the small balls will all start to get tangled, but I just keep
untangling them after each row. It might be a good idea to have
a small box to place them in and have it on the floor in front
of you as you work. They will tangle, but probably not bad
enough that you can’t pull the yarn.
Whenever one small ball is finished and you still need that color,
roll up another small ball and tie it onto the end and continue as
before.
In some graph patterns, there may be several places where you
would only need a small amount of a certain color. I don’t even
roll those small amounts up into a ball. I just pulled off a 1 or 2
foot piece and let the rest hang at the back until I use it up.
This might seem complicated, but once you start you will realize
that it’s a lot easier this way, otherwise you will have hundreds of
ends to sew in when you have finished the afghan.
By Sue Norrad of http://www.crochetandknitting.com
where she offers her own original crochet and knit pattern designs
for free. You will also find many craft resources such as a Craft and
Pattern Search Discussion Forum, craft supplies, charts, and
much more.
Crocheting a graph pattern can be a lot of fun. I find it
hard to put down once I start working on one. It’s almost
like painting a picture and so much fun to watch the picture
emerging row by row.
But, whenever I crochet from a graph pattern, I don’t
like the idea of having to weave in a lot of ends after the
color changes and I don’t like the bulky look of pulling the
different colors along the back of the afghan.
So what I do is roll up small balls of the colors. I would use
that small ball then change to the next small ball color when
I had to change colors and so on with any other colors
required for the pattern.
When you come back across the next row, just pick up
each small ball for the color changes as you go. You will have
to make several small balls of each color as you will be changing
back and forth a lot. That eliminated sewing in a lot of ends
and kept the back of the afghan a lot neater without pulling the
different colored yarn strands across.
Now the small balls will all start to get tangled, but I just keep
untangling them after each row. It might be a good idea to have
a small box to place them in and have it on the floor in front
of you as you work. They will tangle, but probably not bad
enough that you can’t pull the yarn.
Whenever one small ball is finished and you still need that color,
roll up another small ball and tie it onto the end and continue as
before.
In some graph patterns, there may be several places where you
would only need a small amount of a certain color. I don’t even
roll those small amounts up into a ball. I just pulled off a 1 or 2
foot piece and let the rest hang at the back until I use it up.
This might seem complicated, but once you start you will realize
that it’s a lot easier this way, otherwise you will have hundreds of
ends to sew in when you have finished the afghan.
By Sue Norrad of http://www.crochetandknitting.com
where she offers her own original crochet and knit pattern designs
for free. You will also find many craft resources such as a Craft and
Pattern Search Discussion Forum, craft supplies, charts, and
much more.