That First Row of Any Crochet Project

One of the biggest challenges for me when I'm starting a new crochet design project is figuring out the proper gauge and really how many chain stitches I'm going to need in order for that first row to be the right width.  Well, yesterday, I had an insight and wanted to share -- use the chainless foundation technique to figure this all out!  Chain 2 and make a single crochet stitch in the second chain from the hook.  Then, insert your hook into the loop at the BOTTOM of the stitch you just made.  Yarn over and pull through a loop, then yarn over and pull a loop through the first loop on your hook, yarn over and pull a loop through both loops on your hook.*  Repeat until you have the desired number of stitches, then measure to see the width and adjust accordingly.  If you don't like the way the bottom of the work looks, then at least you'll know how many chains to make in order to make the number of stitches you need to get that width again!  Hope this helps!

*The chainless foundation can be performed with the double crochet stitch as well -- yarn over before inserting your hook into the loop under the last stitch made.  Yarn over and pull through a loop.  Yarn over and pull a loop through the first loop on your hook (you should have three loops on your hook), then yarn over and pull a loop through the first two loops on your hook, then finish by a yarn over and pull a loop through the remaining two loops on your hook.

An Urban Myth is Actually Real!

I had a wonderful baby carseat blanket class on Saturday.  Two wonderful students, Pam and Jen, who learned the technique of crochet cable creation and got started on their respective projects (the pattern will soon be posted on Ravelry).  I always worry about project classes -- am I going to be able to teach the students enough of the project to really get them on their way?  are the new skills enough to make the class really worth taking?  Jen got off to a slow start because we discovered she was doing her single crochet stitches backwards, so I had to de-program her and get her to think in terms of "up and over" with the yarn.  I think she really benefitted from the class, so I felt really good about that.  Pam, who was visiting D.C. from Ohio for a convention, had the afternoon off and chose to come to my class!  Whew, talk about feeling the pressure.  Plus, she was really picking up everything so quickly, I just know she could have done that project just fine without me, but I really hope she enjoyed her visit. 

Plus, and here's where the urban myth comes in -- Pam taught me how to make a chainless foundation row!  I'd heard about this technique that allows you to avoid having to start a project with chains, but always figured it couldn't really exist or, if it did, it would be way too hard to learn and then teach someone else.  Well, it's true!!  I need to practice it a bit more then figure out a way to explain the technique in easy-to-understand written instructions, but it's my new challenge, and I will post about it when it's up on the Lifetips site :-)

Other than that, tomorrow's a day off for me (Presidents' Day), and I've decided I need a treat before I really start cracking down on my chores (taxes, cleaning, working through a pile of papers literally a foot high!), so off I go for a massage... aaahhhh, I can't wait!