My favorite hack is to keep the little yarn ends in a little jar and use them as stuffing. They add up really fast if you crochet a lot and it's a nice and cheap way to save on new stuffing cotton and use what's already there
My Marine Corps dad used to cross stitch the designs for my mom on her Tunisian crochet potholders, and would also stitch them together and crochet the ruffle edges on for her when her arthritis bothered her. He was cool like that, and I miss him every day!
I've been crocheting for over 55 yrs and I've used, figured out and/or adopted most of these hacks on my own (or a variation of) throughout that time, but not being social media savvy, there was no way to share...I'm glad others do so...for my own ergonomic hack for hooks, I use the foam hair rollers (the long flexible ones) and just take out the center wire (which I save for amigurumi armature) and if need put a spot of glue inside for the smaller hooks...love your channel!
I love the fact you are clearly a skilled crochet(er) and are so receptive to others skills tricks or techniques. Always shows your never too good to learn from others.
The tennis ball one was actually what I did after surgery on my hand and wrist! I wasn't able to close my hand and my physical therapist got me a tennis ball for my hooks! Yes it was slow but I was just happy to be able to crochet again!
I always wear a magnetic bracelet when crocheting. I was told years ago that I would end up with carpal tunnel but that was over 20 yrs ago and no problems yet😂
The tennis ball thing would likely be better for someone with lost dexterity in their fingers/wrist due to injury or arthritis maybe. It might also be useful for someone who crochet a lot.in one go. If you switched up from without to with you would change some of the movement and muscles being used possibly reducing strain....there would still be some overlap so maybe it would make little difference in the end but who knows, someone needs to try it...I might try myself lol we will see.
I crocheted a handle for my hooks. I used bernat blanket yarn, made a pill shape ball and overstuffed it. Bonus, it doubles as a stress ball that I use to exercise my crochet hand every 10 minutes or so while working. It keeps my hand from aching.
Ooh! I just did something similar last night for my hooks! It’s more like a thick sleeve that goes around the handle, so it’s more for comfort than ergonomics. After I finish my current project, I’ll definitely try your version!
Better economic winding tool than a sharpie for US crocheters: Get a large cylindrical prescription pill bottle (the ones that are about 5.5 inches tall and about 2 inches wide). Take the childproof lid off and poke your yarn end in. Put the cap back on. Wind around the cylinder. When it's wound, take the cap off and slide ball of yarn off the end of the bottle. The end that you had inside the pill bottle is your center pull starting yarn. Works like a charm, especially for a full skein. Very portable as well. For those of us that take a lot of medications, it's a bonus crochet tool with purchase!
I taught my mom to crochet years ago and she crocheted so tight that she had to always go up 2 hook sizes to do her base chain. I love the tip of finding someone else to weave in your ends. I also taught my husband to crochet and he will weave in ends for me if I ask him. He is also great at untangling yarn for me!
My Dad used to untangle mom’s crochet all the time. But Dad was a jokester and once in a while mom would find her crochet in a knot. Not a hard knot that couldn’t be undone. As a kid I got a good laugh out of mom getting flustered. Then she could see he did it where it could be undone easily. Good memories as they are both gone.
Love the bigger hook foundation chain idea and the stacked single crochet stitch instead of a chain 3 idea! I will be using those. Also, getting the label into the skein was awesome, too.
Another hack is to build your own grannie square stretcher thingy out of Legos. Did that for a cardigan I made and it worked well. Very customizable to whatever square size you're working with
ALWAYS use a larger hook for foundation.. sometimes 2 sizes... easier to pull it in with a trim row than to be disappointed when it's too tight and ruins the project!
I never use foundation-chains... instead I go for chainless foundation crochet... (works with single, half-double & double crochets)... and the bottom will look exactly the same as the top... it'll have the same tension as the rest of your project.... and you don't need to switch hook sizes...
When I'm doing a foundation chain, I like working my first row in the back bumps instead of through the stitch loops for a few reasons: 1) it leaves a "V" edge under the starting chain for clean look. 2) this seems to be all I need to maintain some flex in the foundation chain to prevent shrinkage
Kudos for attempting the tennis ball. The makeup blenders seem more my style ... or foam stress balls etc of a shape that suits the length of the hook. I will try the yarn label hack for sure. I think the end weaver could be a new game changer for those on the dating scene! My hubby wouldn't do that but he's still a keeper cause he doesn't mind my stash!
Love the beauty blender idea but my immediate go to would be only use 1, insert hook longways and you have a manageable cushy grip! Thanks for the super fun video 😊❤
Thanks for putting all these tips together for us! I know I won’t use the ergonomic hook tips but I think I’ll be using beauty blenders to make my hook easier to find in my travel bag! I’m always digging for my hook…the squishy blender would help tremendously!!❤
Lots of great ideas, going up a hook size for foundation chains makes a lot of sense. I also use a crochet hook for casting on blankets when I'm knitting. It leaves a nice clean edge. My favorite crochet hack is to stuff pantyhose with fiberfil while you stuff amigirumi, it stops the stuffing from popping out.
I saw that beauty blender hack a few weeks ago on TH-cam and this changed my fibromyalgia + rheumatism life totally! At first it felt weird, but as you said, you'll get used to it ☺️
You are a woman after my own heart. I’m a baby TH-camr, and I have been telling my people the same thing. Don’t buy (note I did not say “invest in”) expensive gadgets. I recycle coffee cans to act as a yarn bowl.😊 I also teach the stacked single crochet. It just makes sense.
The Nostepinne gives you a lot more room to wind on. I wouldn't want to do a whole hank on it instead of the standard winder, but definitely could if I had to!
Thank you for compiling these hacks for us! You saved me a ton of time. I definitely will try the burning the fuzziness off my projects and using a larger crochet hook for the foundation chain! ❤
I keep all my yarn in Wipe containers. I wash them out, take off the label, and label them. I tape a piece of paper with the yarn info (brand, color, and where I bought it) so I can always know where to refill my container. It's also great to store them on my shelves. I have kids so it's also great to take the container(s) with me when I'm working on projects. This has really helped me keep my yarn organized and always know where I got my yarn.
Foam pencil grips work for me, as I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've been using them for years. Put a couple of tiny rubber bands on the hook underneath the foam grip to keep it from sliding if it's a small hook. Try it.!
Hi Lori, this was a very interesting video! I love the idea of using the Clorox canisters for storage and for a yarn holder! Some of the tips I have been using already or my own variation. For example the one where she does the color change, I do it your way, but leave on a long tail. Then when I weave in the yarn with a needle I go down to where the join is and make a little V stitch and it makes the colors come together almost seamlessly. Another thing I have always done with crochet and knitting is use the bigger hook or needles for the foundation row, always works. With regard to the hack about the double crochet turning technique, that sounds really effective. The only thing I worry about is if I am making a blanket and am going to but a border of some kind around those stitches. It may not look quite as neat, but I would have to experiment to be sure. I worry about the tennis ball hack , because as I was watching you, you were having to use a lot more wrist action. It might be easier on the fingers but I think it would hurt my wrist and forearm after awhile. I love the make up sponge idea! I wonder if you could trim the edges a bit and make them a little smaller. I bet that would still feel real nice and again protect the wrist from excess movement .I am going to try! That was really interesting about using the lighter technique on the fuzzies. My personal preference though is that I love the fuzzies or what I have always referred to as the hallo effect because it makes the animal doll look like it has fur. :). Wonderful video today, thank you for checking all these out for us! Have a wonderful week ahead and happy crocheting!
Stabbing that tennis ball triggered me back 40 yrs when I tried to do this and I cut my finger to the bone 😬 was so scared I’d get in trouble with my Mum I hid the injury but she ended up being more dizzy than angry when the bright white of the bone showed through. BE CAREFUL FOLKS 😂 Use a vice if possible.
That wrapping paper book😭😭 I bought one in Gatlinburg in like 1991 and I LOVED it. I used it up over the years because saving it made no sense, but wow I wish these were still a thing.
I love your vids and tutorials! It's just fun listening to you, and I love how respectful you are when you share things that are not for you. Thanks for keeping me lovely company when I crochet and don't want to be all by myself on my sofa :) Re: winding the yarn using a sharpie - I used to do the same thing but with the inside tube of a toilet paper roll. Worked like a charm, and it helped me wind my skeins into cakes before I invested into a yarn winder. Re: using one hook size bigger for the foundation chain - this works with knitting too. I usually cast on using one needle size bigger than the size I will use for the rest of the project.
I love the tips. One I have used for years is slipping pencil cushion grips over my hook. Smaller hooks need a little help from some tape but so much cheaper than actual cushioned hooks. Enjoy your tips very much 😊
Hey :) I just wanted to point out that even though wool can burn, it usually goes out pretty quickly :) I actually did a massive yarn haul from a second hand shop around the new year and burned pieces of each mystery skein to figure out what kind of material it was made of -- if anyone intends to do the same, or follow the tip in the video; DO IT OUTSIDE. Each fiber, synthetic or otherwise, give off different *strong* smells. Wool--burned hair, cotton--burned paper, acrylic--some kind of fish-like odor :P
@@joycespecht3038 Haha, yeah ^^' I might have phrased that weirdly :) At least when I burned wool, it burned for a small part of the length before the flame just suddenly went out, so that's what I meant, haha :)
Elise, I loved this video!!! I have been an avid knitter for many years and just started to crochet in 2023. I already know which one of these I am going to incorporate into my crochet projects immediately!!! Fabulous video!!!!! Thank you!
That’s a cool way to change colors. I love “the almost perfect color change” myself. It’s almost perfect like it says. 😂 You can also go up a half size instead a whole size if you want. I made a wrap with a 6.5mm and my chain was a 7mm. Maybe the tennis ball would be better for those with larger hands or longer fingers. I use something else for my crochet handles but the beauty blenders and tennis ball sure look interesting. Thanks for sharing, Elise! Love your videos!!!
I have seen a number of these, but from a much older generation. Some of these are also updated ideas for the modern crocheter! I love it and I love seeing how media can get these ideas moved through our community!
Such a good video! I've been wondering about some of these hacks before (especially the burning one!), and now I have answers to my questions! I'm so excited to try the one about how to put the label inside a cake of yarn!
LMAO thank you for your son's cameo and thank you for pointing out his age for the crowd who panic that you might have endangered a minor or something. The makeup blenders is what I've seen people use for ergo hooks "at home" but only one single one with the point towards the bottom. LOL (I have personally used pencil grips for my metal hooks when I travel with them because it makes them more comfortable to hold.)
@@EliseRoseCrochet haha... I was just teasing. The weird things my son has had to "help" with include untangling a loaded swift and baller accidentally left in an unsecured room for 1/2 an hour while I made some lunch and "discovered" by a 7 year old tom cat who thought the heavens had opened and had a frenzied VERY GOOD TIME and building all of the shelves in my yarn storage cube shelves. LMAO Adult kids are awesome.
For safety I would use a nail and hammer to make holes in the tennis ball... but I don't really care to use the tennis ball, but that's just me. OMGoodness the sharpie trip made my jaw drop!
i have BAD carpel tunnel, i use those small triangle makeup sponges on my crochet hook handle, you can puzzle them together however you need for support in different hand areas, they dont move around and you dont need to cut them
That's where I learned it, too! That was actually the first crochet project I did (the jewelspun wrap), so I learned foundation double crochet and the stacked single stitch right away. :)
I no longer use my yarn winder, I use my thumb the way you used the black marker. I learned in knitting that you cast on using larger size needles which gives a more flexible edge the same as you showed a larger hook. Thank you for the tips. This was the first time watching you.
Thanks for trying these out! I found your channel a couple weeks ago and I am hooked 😂. Knitter learning to crochet. *about the tennis ball- as a person newly diagnosed with a neurological illness I have had to switch to adaptive devices. It is always awkward to switch and never quite as natural. So your experience tracks with that and was helpful to know. Thanks for all you do!!
A crochet buddy told me about the stacked sc about three years ago and that has truly been a game changer. Thank you for this very nice and informative video.
I just wanted to point out, beauty blenders are supposed to be soaked in water to fluffy them up and make them softer, when they dry out they shrink and get stiffer. But with all crochet hooks, your body adjusts and compensates to use the hooks, so at some point you’ll likely have new pain from any "ergonomic handle". I would recommend the best of both worlds and switch back and forth between two handle options, that way your body doesn’t become overly fatigued. ❤ love your videos!
Hi Elise! I have to say I found your channel a few days ago, and have really been enjoying you. The content is great, but your vibe and personality is even better. You’ve got a new subscriber. ❤
OMG I wish I had known loooooong ago about the size up for the chain !! Will always do that from now on thanks...just finished a Turkish stitch blanket and I hate the way the chain row is screwing up the look of the blanket even trying to stretch it out..thanks again .
Some funny and mostly doable hacks!😃 I love that you try new thing for us - such as roasting Piglet!😆😁 But the "hack" about using a larger hook for the foundation chain is old news (at least for me), I've been doing that for many years.
It’s not that common in crochet but I think it’s common in knitting, I was taught to cast on holding both needles together, but maybe that’s because I am a very tight knitter.
In the uk, Vanish is in pretty bright pink tubs and I get the labels off quite easily and use them for storing hooks, needles and they match my pink manual folders 👌they also come in various sizes too.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video and try out the hacks so we don’t have to! I’m not even going to bother asking my husband for help since he loves Cheetos. Lol.
Thank you for compiling the top tips, especially for those of us that don't use tiktok. I've started wrapping my hooks with athletic tape- I got a big pack of different colors from Amazon and wrap them just enough to add some bulk, but not too much so it's not as big as the tennis ball or beauty blenders. I've always been a really tight crocheter and sometimes use the outer edge of my hand to add pressure to the back end of the hook, and it will feel bruised just below my pinkie. Since I've started using the athletic tape, it adds a cushion to the back end of the metal hooks as well as opening up my hand to decrease muscle tension, so I'm not as tight and, sadly, sore from crochet.
I was holding my breath when you took the lighter to your pig. 😮 😊 I felt like I was watching a suspense movie. Yelling at the screen, don't do it! I am glad it worked. I can breathe easily now. 😅
I was making the mermaid tears purse and the crochet along said to go up a size on your chain if it seemed to get tight and it was a game changer. I wish I had learned about this when I actually learned to crochet. I will always do this from now on. I love your channel. I learn so much. Keep up the good work!
I discovered the label inside the cake one on my own! Feels like magic! Also, better than sizing up for a foundation chain: do foundation stitches whenever possible! I think for the beauty blender one, it might be better to use fewer, or at least place them farther down the hook so that you have some more space near the tip.
Thank you for the hacks! I've been looking for something to use on a hook for my 92 year old mother to get her crocheting again without pain, I am definitely going to try the makeup things. Thank you again for watching everywhere for new hacks! Love your videos
I've used just one beauty blender lengthwise and it worked pretty good. Also glad someone else uses old wipe containers. I've done it for years. Actual baby wipe containers are great for small/mini skeins when doing color work. I know this is for crochet, but going up a size when casting on knitting also gives better stretch and helps with it not being too small.
5:04 as I'm currently working on a project that I'm doing rows of DC this has come in most handy..thank you..I need to create a folder to save these tips & tricks to..make it easier to find later..
I use several of these hacks but on the yarn winder putting the label inside I also pull the end of the yarn through the label so it’s an easy center pull yarn cake.😊
The single crochet as DC turning chain is LIFE CHANGING, saw the technique on Instagram reels a few months back and never go back to chain 3 ever again
One of my favourite crochet tutorial channels on YT (Blossom Crochet) uses this technique and it has definitely been one of the best tips I’ve ever seen.
The yarn dispenser is great! Seems like an easy idea for a to-go crochet kit or for a crocheting kit gift. I like the tennis ball idea, but I'm gonna give the smaller dog tennis balls a shot. The main idea is to keep your hand in a more open position, so some thing is better than nothing. Nothing = pain. 😅 But stretches and hand strengthening exercises and/or those silicone bands for rock climbers help your hands prevent pain..... Thanks for the video! Happy hooking! 😘
For the tennis ball try using a power drill with a bit slightly smaller than your hook. MUCH less dangerous than a knife. And while you have the drill out; drill a hole in the top of a cleaned out peanut butter jar and pop in your smaller balls of yarn or if you're using cotton thread ro make doilies etc they work great for that too. And since they're clear you can stack them in your yarn shelf (because doesn't everyone have one?) and easily find the color you need for your next project. 😊
Really love your channel! Thankyou! My GP grandaughter got some 'sponge cylinders' of differing shapes and sizes for different applications... crochet hooks, teaspoon, paring knife, pen etc etc. They help me to keep doing things I would'nt have been able otherwise. I live in South Africa and look forward to your future videos!! Thankyou, Fran
I save all my wipe containers for different things. Sometimes I make ribbon holders with them. A dowel and a long slit down the long side feed ribbon on dowel put a hole in bottom end to attach dowel pull ribbon through slit and put cap on with hole to feed other dowel side through. Now the have a new meaning especially in the car I have a lunchbox I use the soft one so it's waterproof and washable just in case because I sit it on the floor. Now game changer wipe boxes. I'd like to try the tennis balls but I'm thinking racquet ball instead not as wonky and big. Also LOVING the idea for the double crochet stitch start plus seems easier to put an edge on too I'm excited. One day would love to make any of your patterns but that's just a dream right now. Love your videos. Need to binge watch one night to catch up.
I’ve just found your channel and have been binge watching your videos. The last one on reviewing products, I nearly spat my tea out when you talked about the hook that lights up! I love the soft grip hooks and was looking to purchase some new ones and came across the light up hooks! I was so preplexed by them and couldn’t think how they would be of any use! You said it all with your rant! 🤣 Loving your videos so much and after crocheting for 20+ years, I’m learning new things and techniques from you, so thank you very much, got yourself another subscriber. ❤
As a knitter, I was taught the hack for going up a size for both the cast on and cast off row, back in the days before the word hack was used 😂 so it seemed sensible to do the same thing with crochet when I realised my starting chain or foundation row was so much tighter. Who would have thought it was a hack? 😊
I LOVE the idea of starting with one size up on a foundation chain! I crochet tight so sometimes that first row is frustrating and I bet it would help a lot with the shape of my end project! Thanks! ❤
If you love using your all metal hooks like me but have sore hands, i have a little suggestion for you!! I purchased elastics and the rainbow loom and i make what they call pencil grips! All my hooks have them and it's fantastic!!! 🖤
Elise, this is not a TikTok hack, but I have to share it. I have just discovered amigurumi and your you tube channel, about a month or two ago and have been binge watching. I have been crocheting for decades but I had never made these cute projects before. I fell in love with them, and I am particularly drawn to the dolls. I just finished making my 2nd doll ever, so I really don't know that much about the process. The pattern had me make the head, then the legs, arms and body. I had to sew the head onto the body, but once I had done this, her head was wobbly. I didn't know how to fix it. I thought of wooden chop sticks and poking them through the top of her head, but I didn't have any. But what I did have were small flat wooden coffee stirring sticks. I use to them to stir paint in my little paint bottles. So, I took a few of them, about 3 - 4 and I cut a point on one end (you can also cut the length) and stuck them through the top of her head pushing her head in until I got the stick down into the middle of the top half of her head. I positioned them as close the edge of her neck as I could estimate it, and it worked. Fixing a wobbly head after your project is done is too good a tip not to pass onto everyone. I got the coffee stirring sticks on Amazon, and I think I got about 600- 800 of them for about $5.00-6.00. Please don't quote me on price, I have had them for quite a while.
With the beauty blenders on your crochet hook...I would try putting just 1 of them right side up (not sideways like you put them on) and see how that feels... If you need more, try 2.
Some of these are fun and handy. Thank you for testing them out!! The 2 sc on top of each other is something I 'invented' when I just started crocheting about 8/9 years ago. The make-up sponges, I use 1 ( of those large ones you had) but with the hook inserted from blunt to tip end. Fits perfectly in my hand. When I start a project I usually start with foundation sc or dc. Also very stretchy and no need to switch a hooksize. For switching colours you have other methods that are really almost invisible. When something needs to be really clean, I use those.
I personally wrap a rectangle of half inch high density foam around my hooks and secure it with self adhesive bandage and it works great since you can really shape it to whatever shape works best for you. Best part is I had the foam leftover from a project!
Thanks for compiling these tips. I love them. I’ve done the ball winding one on my thumb with a small amount of yarn. I created a center pull ball. If I have more yarn than will fit on my thumb, I remove it and continue winding the yarn. I’m careful to maintain the center pull
Using an empty Clorox wipes container is so clever! Never would have thought that the feeder holes at the top where you pull out the wipes is also perfect for keeping your yarn in place! Decorating the containers is just the cherry on top :) Who needs a crochet bowl?!
Hints and helps for the ball trick: I use squash/hand balls instead of tennis, because they are lighter weight, easier to cut, smaller, easier to adapt in different ways such as needing to cut the axis differently [off-center] so that I don't create a new thumb and/or carpal repetitive injury. They're less expensive, and easier to carry around in a bag. *I see you're trying to cut with an unsuitable knife just now. This is another reason why I use the blue squash balls and would use a scissors regardless of which ball type I was puncturing, due to the fact that if you look at the tip of a scissors blade at "point blank range", it is triangular, and it does come to a point, and they are, unless abused, extremely sharp if they are used for cutting cloth. If using a knife, it must be very sharp and works better if it is wedge shaped, and it comes to a sharp triangular point, and, if you have a vise to put the ball in, it's much safer ither way. UNLESS you have an X-acto handy. It is best to make and X when cutting the hole, as it will "give" more (have had a blue ball split entirely in two) when you poke a round object thru it. I have three handballs on which I have actually cut the inner corners of the X away -- using one blade of my scissors as an X-acto -- so that they can more easily accommodate my medium and larger size hooks. Therefore, I have three accommodative hole-y balls, a small, medium, and large; it is very convenient to just keep them in the can, stashing them away in a large tool/hobby bag, and pulling out the size I need whenever I need for thumb, wrist or arthritic ache of grip in general. Using the balls causes you to crochet in a different way, so it can take the ache off of shoulders and elbows as well. Believe it or not the ball works very well when it is at the end instead of up there close to your work. Depending on whether your thumb or your general grip needs the help, you can make the holes off axis, or off center towards one side of the ball. I've helped several women in nursing homes, who've have had stroke, to be able to return to or to begin crocheting. Whether they have had a stroke or some other debilitating injury to their hands, and if paralyzed, a small vice can be screwed on to the edge of the table or mounted onto the middle of a table depending on how they sit, where they sit, where their arm can rest, and even if the hand and arm is unusable, it is helpful for muscle memory and creativity in the brain to be able to see and have the hand resting on the vise as if it is an extension of and helping the hand, then the other hand can work the hook. Or if there a definite right or left hander and cannot handle the hook with the hand that is paralyzed, you put the hook in the vise and move the fabric being made on and off the hook. Adaptations take a little bit of creativity mixed with a bit of logic. On another subject, don't need a Sharpie to ball yarn. I use my finger in the same way. You just need to rotate from time to time. I start with about six inches of yarn put a lot of twist in it and then double it over itself so that it twists into a double twist, then I hold that between my first finger and thumb and then I begin wrapping from my body outward around my finger ~ that puts a little extra twist into the yarn as I'm balling it, especially if you use your forefinger and thumb to add a little extra twist in it when you come to those places where cheap yarn is inconsistent with the twist ~ and since you used that double twist to find your center pull, it shouldn't untwist and pull apart on you while your crocheting, and most likely, while knitting too. Another subject: the chain: if you are looking at the flat top of it, or the V's [ I like to call them hearts, myself ], If you insert your hook under two strands, you actually won't have a stiffer shorter chain problem. It will be fairly flexible and stretch more. I have found the problem begins when you only go under one strand. And if you Use the Alternative Foundation Row where you build it as you go, that tends to always be quite a bit looser than any chain that you might start with! It was the greatest thing when I learned how to do that! And you can do single, double, treble, whatever!
I saw you for the first time when you gave hints for hand and arm massages. Worked great for the most part but I had a bad flare up and decided to try acupuncture. Definitely recommend it!
I did something similar when my tendinitis was at its worst. It was called dry needling n they did it at my physical therapist's office! I'm so glad it worked for you! 🧶🧶🧶
Please, please avoid doing the Clorox hack - chemicals tend to stick to the containers they are stored in and could contaminate your yarn!! You don't re-use windex bottles for watering your plants, so please don't do this for other things that you could come in contact with!!
Thank you for sharing. I figured it out quite early in my crochet life of 60+ years to do my foundation chain in a larger hook. I love the Clorox jar as a yarn holder as you can still release your yarn from it it you want to. The ones that you buy, you can't as it is just a round hole. 💜
The makeup sponges are genius! I use yarn leftovers to make heavy Single-crochet baskets (also one of your ideas!) and the thick multi-strand yarn makes a 9mm hook hard to push through and hand-wearing! Putting 3 Sponges on my metal hook makes it so much more comfortable to manage! My hand does not wear out from pushing and pulling the hook through the loop which makes my work, go faster, and much more comfortably.
I have to share with you - my son's girlfriend is a crocheter so I shared your "bonus hack" with both of them! She loved the idea of teaching him to weave in the ends for her!
To use a different size crochet hook in doing the foundation chain is an old trick I learnt before school age from my mother. It also works in knitting by using SMALLER needles when knitting ribbing. But the nicest foundation for crochet is to use the chainless foundation method. All the stitches become even in size, do not twist into a curl, and show the exact size, ea length, without multiple measuring. There are multiple youtube videos showing how to do it using single crochet, double, and trible. All of them make very neat, even starting
My favorite hack is to keep the little yarn ends in a little jar and use them as stuffing. They add up really fast if you crochet a lot and it's a nice and cheap way to save on new stuffing cotton and use what's already there
Yes! I keep all my scraps for that very reason! 🧶🧶🧶
I do this too!
I use my old yarn ends as stitch markers.
Yes!! I started sewing recently and I’ve been saving my thread and tiny fabric scraps for stuffing, too. It works great! 🤩
That’s what I do!
My Marine Corps dad used to cross stitch the designs for my mom on her Tunisian crochet potholders, and would also stitch them together and crochet the ruffle edges on for her when her arthritis bothered her. He was cool like that, and I miss him every day!
Awww! He sounds like an amazing man! 🧶🧶🧶
I am sorry for the loss.
Sounds like a GREAT DAD & HUSBAND.. I UNDERSTAND YOUR LOSS, LOST BOTH PARENTS ABT 30 YRS AGO. STILL MISS THEM SOMUCH!!
🥰❤️💔🫂
What an amazing memory! ❤
I've been crocheting for over 55 yrs and I've used, figured out and/or adopted most of these hacks on my own (or a variation of) throughout that time, but not being social media savvy, there was no way to share...I'm glad others do so...for my own ergonomic hack for hooks, I use the foam hair rollers (the long flexible ones) and just take out the center wire (which I save for amigurumi armature) and if need put a spot of glue inside for the smaller hooks...love your channel!
Oooh! Great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Brilliant ❤ thank you 😊
Love your tips too!
Fantastic tips thank you! I have tendonitis and cant wait to try this one 😊
I love the fact you are clearly a skilled crochet(er) and are so receptive to others skills tricks or techniques. Always shows your never too good to learn from others.
I love learning from others! That's one of my favorite things about crochet, you never stop learning! 🧶🧶🧶
The tennis ball one was actually what I did after surgery on my hand and wrist! I wasn't able to close my hand and my physical therapist got me a tennis ball for my hooks! Yes it was slow but I was just happy to be able to crochet again!
That's amazing! Thank you for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I think a smaller dog toy “tennis” ball would work better.
I always wear a magnetic bracelet when crocheting. I was told years ago that I would end up with carpal tunnel but that was over 20 yrs ago and no problems yet😂
The tennis ball thing would likely be better for someone with lost dexterity in their fingers/wrist due to injury or arthritis maybe. It might also be useful for someone who crochet a lot.in one go. If you switched up from without to with you would change some of the movement and muscles being used possibly reducing strain....there would still be some overlap so maybe it would make little difference in the end but who knows, someone needs to try it...I might try myself lol we will see.
I crocheted a handle for my hooks. I used bernat blanket yarn, made a pill shape ball and overstuffed it. Bonus, it doubles as a stress ball that I use to exercise my crochet hand every 10 minutes or so while working. It keeps my hand from aching.
That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Ooh! I just did something similar last night for my hooks! It’s more like a thick sleeve that goes around the handle, so it’s more for comfort than ergonomics. After I finish my current project, I’ll definitely try your version!
This is a fab idea! I'm going to steal ur idea lol ❤
😂love it, why buy it when you can make it yourself
Thanks for sharing I will try it❤
As a crocheter with a younger sister the last tip is a life changer, i now have a sister weaving in my ends to 20 crochet patches. VICTORY!
Awesome!!! 👏👏👏
Now that's what you call delegating! lol
@@teresarenteria7285 HAHA I forgot about this comment but a small update is that she is currently weaving in the ends of a new project!
Better economic winding tool than a sharpie for US crocheters: Get a large cylindrical prescription pill bottle (the ones that are about 5.5 inches tall and about 2 inches wide). Take the childproof lid off and poke your yarn end in. Put the cap back on. Wind around the cylinder. When it's wound, take the cap off and slide ball of yarn off the end of the bottle. The end that you had inside the pill bottle is your center pull starting yarn. Works like a charm, especially for a full skein. Very portable as well. For those of us that take a lot of medications, it's a bonus crochet tool with purchase!
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Ooo good idea! A pill bottle would also be perfect for storing tapestry needles
'No pigs were harmed during this experiment' 🤣 Loved this one Elise! Thank you for all the time you spend on your videos - always appreciated! xx
Thank you! 😂
@@EliseRoseCrochetkkk
But I like the soft fuzzy on the pig 😢
I taught my mom to crochet years ago and she crocheted so tight that she had to always go up 2 hook sizes to do her base chain. I love the tip of finding someone else to weave in your ends. I also taught my husband to crochet and he will weave in ends for me if I ask him. He is also great at untangling yarn for me!
Several other commenters mentioned that their husbands were great at detangling!! 🧶🧶🧶
My cats won't cooperate at all! Lol!
For the tennis ball hack... I'd use a 10 penny nail?
My Dad used to untangle mom’s crochet all the time. But Dad was a jokester and once in a while mom would find her crochet in a knot. Not a hard knot that couldn’t be undone. As a kid I got a good laugh out of mom getting flustered. Then she could see he did it where it could be undone easily. Good memories as they are both gone.
Love the bigger hook foundation chain idea and the stacked single crochet stitch instead of a chain 3 idea! I will be using those. Also, getting the label into the skein was awesome, too.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🧶🧶🧶
One of my favorite ❤
Maybe put the beauty blenders ends to end so they would be a little more narrow.
I think that's what I will do next time! Thank you! 🧶🧶🧶
That’s what I thought. Maybe end to end one would be all you need. It would fit in the palm of your hand. I’m gonna try it ❤
I was thinking the same thing, and the one with a blunt tip would be good by the hook. I’m going to try this for my tiny crochet hooks
My thoughts exactly!
Or just use 2 instead of 3!!
For the tennis ball trick, I would try small tennis balls meant for tiny dogs!
That's a great idea!! Thanks for sharing! 🎾🎾🎾
Absolutely genius!!
And I’d try an awl or skewer to make the hole to protect your hands :)
Or maybe a bouncy ball
It doesn't work for people like me that use a pencil hold on the hook, buuut holding a makeup sponge in the yarn holding hand helps tremendously!
Another hack is to build your own grannie square stretcher thingy out of Legos. Did that for a cardigan I made and it worked well. Very customizable to whatever square size you're working with
Oh wow!!! Now that sounds amazing!! You made your own blocking board out of legos!!! 🧶🧶🧶
That’s so smart..thank you 😊
ALWAYS use a larger hook for foundation.. sometimes 2 sizes... easier to pull it in with a trim row than to be disappointed when it's too tight and ruins the project!
Yes! I don't know how I didn't know that before!!! 🤣🧶🤣🧶
OMG! What an ace tip! Thank you 🧶🧶🧶
I never use foundation-chains... instead I go for chainless foundation crochet... (works with single, half-double & double crochets)... and the bottom will look exactly the same as the top... it'll have the same tension as the rest of your project.... and you don't need to switch hook sizes...
When I'm doing a foundation chain, I like working my first row in the back bumps instead of through the stitch loops for a few reasons:
1) it leaves a "V" edge under the starting chain for clean look.
2) this seems to be all I need to maintain some flex in the foundation chain to prevent shrinkage
I love the prym ergonomic hooks she uses! They are my favorite off the shelf hooks.
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Kudos for attempting the tennis ball. The makeup blenders seem more my style ... or foam stress balls etc of a shape that suits the length of the hook.
I will try the yarn label hack for sure. I think the end weaver could be a new game changer for those on the dating scene! My hubby wouldn't do that but he's still a keeper cause he doesn't mind my stash!
I like the idea of a stress ball!! And my husband doesn't mind my stash either!! 🤣🤣🤣
Love the beauty blender idea but my immediate go to would be only use 1, insert hook longways and you have a manageable cushy grip! Thanks for the super fun video 😊❤
Great idea!! 🧶🧶🧶
In the original hack, all the beauty blenders were put in length wise
I use beauty blenders and mine are lengthwise and only 2 for mine. I move them from hook to hook and they all work perfect, no slipping 😊
Thanks for putting all these tips together for us! I know I won’t use the ergonomic hook tips but I think I’ll be using beauty blenders to make my hook easier to find in my travel bag! I’m always digging for my hook…the squishy blender would help tremendously!!❤
That's a great idea! I bet it would make it so much easier to find! 🧶🧶🧶
Great idea! Thank you
Lots of great ideas, going up a hook size for foundation chains makes a lot of sense. I also use a crochet hook for casting on blankets when I'm knitting. It leaves a nice clean edge. My favorite crochet hack is to stuff pantyhose with fiberfil while you stuff amigirumi, it stops the stuffing from popping out.
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
This was brilliant! Now we need a whole video on the art of persuasion so I can get my hubby to do this. It would change my life!!!! LOL!!!!!
Right????? 🤣🤣🤣
The best yet
I saw that beauty blender hack a few weeks ago on TH-cam and this changed my fibromyalgia + rheumatism life totally!
At first it felt weird, but as you said, you'll get used to it ☺️
That is so amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing how it has helped you! 🧶🧶🧶
@@EliseRoseCrochet you're welcome 🥰 and thank you for sharing those amazing hacks ☺️
21:53 lol. That extra hack is super cute. XD
Haha! I thought so too! ❤
Absolutely love the alternative to the ch 3!! The struggle is so real trying to find the right spot! ♥🌸
Yes it is! 🧶🧶🧶
Wowzers, Maxine's tip should be the standard for crochetz just like you said. That is absolutely amazing. I mean, my jaw dropped.😮
I felt the same way! 🧶🧶🧶
You are a woman after my own heart. I’m a baby TH-camr, and I have been telling my people the same thing. Don’t buy (note I did not say “invest in”) expensive gadgets. I recycle coffee cans to act as a yarn bowl.😊 I also teach the stacked single crochet. It just makes sense.
It really does! Crocheters really don't need gadgets! Plus that means there's more money for yarn! 🤣
My husband has accused me of trying to cover our world with crochet,mostly containers as I have more yarn than paper. 😉🌈🐈🐈⬛💖
I like to use my collection of pyrex bowls as yarn bowls. They are pretty to look at and they get out of the cabinet and have some fun.
@@hnelson5609ha! Dishes deserve some fun also!😹
The Sharpie hack is really an updated use of a Nostepinne from Scandinavia - a yarn winding stick. I do this for leftovers to make center pull balls.
Yes! I would imagine that most of us have a sharpie at home! 🧶🧶🧶
The Nostepinne gives you a lot more room to wind on. I wouldn't want to do a whole hank on it instead of the standard winder, but definitely could if I had to!
Thank you for compiling these hacks for us! You saved me a ton of time. I definitely will try the burning the fuzziness off my projects and using a larger crochet hook for the foundation chain! ❤
You're so welcome! 🧶🧶🧶
Try the chainless foundation, then you won't need to switch hooks.
@@JenniferBristol Interesting! I'll have to try it! Thanks!
@@margaro2615 Once I learned how, I prefer it! There are websites and videos on how to do it.
I love the sharpie hack!!! Yes! I have a cake winder but this is great for smaller scraps like you said, and plus hand-winding can be very relaxing.
Yes it definitely can!! 🧶🧶🧶
I keep all my yarn in Wipe containers. I wash them out, take off the label, and label them. I tape a piece of paper with the yarn info (brand, color, and where I bought it) so I can always know where to refill my container. It's also great to store them on my shelves. I have kids so it's also great to take the container(s) with me when I'm working on projects. This has really helped me keep my yarn organized and always know where I got my yarn.
Foam pencil grips work for me, as I have severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I've been using them for years. Put a couple of tiny rubber bands on the hook underneath the foam grip to keep it from sliding if it's a small hook. Try it.!
Thank you so much for sharing! I have a very good friend with RA and my heart goes out to you! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing! As a new crocheter I will definitely be incorporating some of these hacks as I move forward. This is a video to save, for sure.
Glad it was helpful! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi Lori, this was a very interesting video! I love the idea of using the Clorox canisters for storage and for a yarn holder! Some of the tips I have been using already or my own variation. For example the one where she does the color change, I do it your way, but leave on a long tail. Then when I weave in the yarn with a needle I go down to where the join is and make a little V stitch and it makes the colors come together almost seamlessly. Another thing I have always done with crochet and knitting is use the bigger hook or needles for the foundation row, always works. With regard to the hack about the double crochet turning technique, that sounds really effective. The only thing I worry about is if I am making a blanket and am going to but a border of some kind around those stitches. It may not look quite as neat, but I would have to experiment to be sure. I worry about the tennis ball hack , because as I was watching you, you were having to use a lot more wrist action. It might be easier on the fingers but I think it would hurt my wrist and forearm after awhile. I love the make up sponge idea! I wonder if you could trim the edges a bit and make them a little smaller. I bet that would still feel real nice and again protect the wrist from excess movement .I am going to try! That was really interesting about using the lighter technique on the fuzzies. My personal preference though is that I love the fuzzies or what I have always referred to as the hallo effect because it makes the animal doll look like it has fur. :). Wonderful video today, thank you for checking all these out for us! Have a wonderful week ahead and happy crocheting!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And I also wonder about the border for a blanket! Would be fun to experiment with! 🧶🧶🧶
Stabbing that tennis ball triggered me back 40 yrs when I tried to do this and I cut my finger to the bone 😬 was so scared I’d get in trouble with my Mum I hid the injury but she ended up being more dizzy than angry when the bright white of the bone showed through. BE CAREFUL FOLKS 😂 Use a vice if possible.
Yikes!!!!!!! 😳 😳😳
A vise and an ice pick might work more safely,
That wrapping paper book😭😭 I bought one in Gatlinburg in like 1991 and I LOVED it. I used it up over the years because saving it made no sense, but wow I wish these were still a thing.
Right??? They are amazing!! ❤️❤️❤️
I love your vids and tutorials! It's just fun listening to you, and I love how respectful you are when you share things that are not for you. Thanks for keeping me lovely company when I crochet and don't want to be all by myself on my sofa :)
Re: winding the yarn using a sharpie - I used to do the same thing but with the inside tube of a toilet paper roll. Worked like a charm, and it helped me wind my skeins into cakes before I invested into a yarn winder.
Re: using one hook size bigger for the foundation chain - this works with knitting too. I usually cast on using one needle size bigger than the size I will use for the rest of the project.
I love the tips. One I have used for years is slipping pencil cushion grips over my hook. Smaller hooks need a little help from some tape but so much cheaper than actual cushioned hooks. Enjoy your tips very much 😊
Thanks for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
0:15 I don’t know why this was so funny to me 😂 I guess it’s because I didn’t expect you to hold up a lighter to the doll’s butt 😂
😂😂😂
😂😅
Hey :) I just wanted to point out that even though wool can burn, it usually goes out pretty quickly :)
I actually did a massive yarn haul from a second hand shop around the new year and burned pieces of each mystery skein to figure out what kind of material it was made of -- if anyone intends to do the same, or follow the tip in the video; DO IT OUTSIDE. Each fiber, synthetic or otherwise, give off different *strong* smells. Wool--burned hair, cotton--burned paper, acrylic--some kind of fish-like odor :P
Thank you so much for sharing!! And now I really really want to test this for myself!!! 🧶🧶🧶
The beauty blenders seem to be a great idea but maybe cut them down a bit to custom fit it to your hand.
I love that "It goes out pretty quickly" lol
@makesbymalin1
As I recall, natural fibers turn to ash, synthetics melt.
@@joycespecht3038 Haha, yeah ^^' I might have phrased that weirdly :) At least when I burned wool, it burned for a small part of the length before the flame just suddenly went out, so that's what I meant, haha :)
Elise, I loved this video!!! I have been an avid knitter for many years and just started to crochet in 2023. I already know which one of these I am going to incorporate into my crochet projects immediately!!! Fabulous video!!!!! Thank you!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I had so much fun trying out all these crochet TikTok hacks! 🧶🧶🧶
That’s a cool way to change colors. I love “the almost perfect color change” myself. It’s almost perfect like it says. 😂
You can also go up a half size instead a whole size if you want. I made a wrap with a 6.5mm and my chain was a 7mm.
Maybe the tennis ball would be better for those with larger hands or longer fingers.
I use something else for my crochet handles but the beauty blenders and tennis ball sure look interesting.
Thanks for sharing, Elise! Love your videos!!!
Thank you! Yeah, I think my hands may just be a little too small for a standard size tennis ball! 🎾🎾🎾
I have seen a number of these, but from a much older generation. Some of these are also updated ideas for the modern crocheter! I love it and I love seeing how media can get these ideas moved through our community!
It's great to see so many young people sharing these tips! 🧶🧶🧶
Such a good video! I've been wondering about some of these hacks before (especially the burning one!), and now I have answers to my questions! I'm so excited to try the one about how to put the label inside a cake of yarn!
Glad it was helpful! 🧶🧶🧶
As someone whos neurodivergent your videos are awesome, calming, not overwhelming, just, amazing! God bless, love those videos of testing hacks ❤
LMAO thank you for your son's cameo and thank you for pointing out his age for the crowd who panic that you might have endangered a minor or something. The makeup blenders is what I've seen people use for ergo hooks "at home" but only one single one with the point towards the bottom. LOL (I have personally used pencil grips for my metal hooks when I travel with them because it makes them more comfortable to hold.)
lol!! Yes, I wanted everyone to know I was getting my big strong 21-year-old son to help!! 🤣
@@EliseRoseCrochet haha... I was just teasing. The weird things my son has had to "help" with include untangling a loaded swift and baller accidentally left in an unsecured room for 1/2 an hour while I made some lunch and "discovered" by a 7 year old tom cat who thought the heavens had opened and had a frenzied VERY GOOD TIME and building all of the shelves in my yarn storage cube shelves. LMAO Adult kids are awesome.
For safety I would use a nail and hammer to make holes in the tennis ball... but I don't really care to use the tennis ball, but that's just me. OMGoodness the sharpie trip made my jaw drop!
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
For the tennis ball thingy -get some of the smaller -cat toy tennis balls... They feel so much better and work!!
Thanks for sharing! ❤
i have BAD carpel tunnel, i use those small triangle makeup sponges on my crochet hook handle, you can puzzle them together however you need for support in different hand areas, they dont move around and you dont need to cut them
That's great! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I saw Hooked by Robin do that beginning double crochet and have been doing it ever since! She used it on a shawl tutorial💗
Thanks for sharing! She's amazing! 🧶🧶🧶
That's where I learned it, too! That was actually the first crochet project I did (the jewelspun wrap), so I learned foundation double crochet and the stacked single stitch right away. :)
I no longer use my yarn winder, I use my thumb the way you used the black marker. I learned in knitting that you cast on using larger size needles which gives a more flexible edge the same as you showed a larger hook.
Thank you for the tips. This was the first time watching you.
Thank you for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Thanks for trying these out! I found your channel a couple weeks ago and I am hooked 😂. Knitter learning to crochet.
*about the tennis ball- as a person newly diagnosed with a neurological illness I have had to switch to adaptive devices. It is always awkward to switch and never quite as natural. So your experience tracks with that and was helpful to know. Thanks for all you do!!
Bless your heart. ❤️ I hope you continue to find adaptive ways so that you'll enjoy crocheting for years to come! 🧶🧶🧶
A crochet buddy told me about the stacked sc about three years ago and that has truly been a game changer. Thank you for this very nice and informative video.
You are so welcome! 🧶🧶🧶
I just wanted to point out, beauty blenders are supposed to be soaked in water to fluffy them up and make them softer, when they dry out they shrink and get stiffer. But with all crochet hooks, your body adjusts and compensates to use the hooks, so at some point you’ll likely have new pain from any "ergonomic handle". I would recommend the best of both worlds and switch back and forth between two handle options, that way your body doesn’t become overly fatigued. ❤ love your videos!
Thanks so much for sharing!! Great points! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi Elise! I have to say I found your channel a few days ago, and have really been enjoying you. The content is great, but your vibe and personality is even better. You’ve got a new subscriber. ❤
Awww! Thank you so much! 🧶🧶🧶
OMG I wish I had known loooooong ago about the size up for the chain !! Will always do that from now on thanks...just finished a Turkish stitch blanket and I hate the way the chain row is screwing up the look of the blanket even trying to stretch it out..thanks again .
I wish that I had known about going up a hook size for the chain too! It has made a huge difference already as I'm working on a blanket right now! 🧶🧶🧶
Some funny and mostly doable hacks!😃 I love that you try new thing for us - such as roasting Piglet!😆😁
But the "hack" about using a larger hook for the foundation chain is old news (at least for me), I've been doing that for many years.
I don't know how I missed the larger hook size for a chain! 🤣 I'm going to do that from now on! 🧶🧶🧶
It’s not that common in crochet but I think it’s common in knitting, I was taught to cast on holding both needles together, but maybe that’s because I am a very tight knitter.
LOVED using the sharpie for winding up thread and still pulling from the center!! ❤️❤️
In the uk, Vanish is in pretty bright pink tubs and I get the labels off quite easily and use them for storing hooks, needles and they match my pink manual folders 👌they also come in various sizes too.
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Wee wee wee I could not of put flames to such a cute little pig!!!! Glad he made it!!! Thank you
Haha! 🐷🐷🐷
Thank you for taking the time to make this video and try out the hacks so we don’t have to! I’m not even going to bother asking my husband for help since he loves Cheetos. Lol.
Lol! No Cheeto hands!!! 🤣
Thank you for compiling the top tips, especially for those of us that don't use tiktok. I've started wrapping my hooks with athletic tape- I got a big pack of different colors from Amazon and wrap them just enough to add some bulk, but not too much so it's not as big as the tennis ball or beauty blenders. I've always been a really tight crocheter and sometimes use the outer edge of my hand to add pressure to the back end of the hook, and it will feel bruised just below my pinkie. Since I've started using the athletic tape, it adds a cushion to the back end of the metal hooks as well as opening up my hand to decrease muscle tension, so I'm not as tight and, sadly, sore from crochet.
Thanks for sharing your tips! 🧶🧶🧶
I was holding my breath when you took the lighter to your pig. 😮 😊 I felt like I was watching a suspense movie. Yelling at the screen, don't do it! I am glad it worked. I can breathe easily now. 😅
🤣🤣🤣
I was afraid his little tail was going to go up in flames!
I was making the mermaid tears purse and the crochet along said to go up a size on your chain if it seemed to get tight and it was a game changer. I wish I had learned about this when I actually learned to crochet. I will always do this from now on. I love your channel. I learn so much. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! I wish I had known about that tip when I started too! 🧶🧶🧶
I discovered the label inside the cake one on my own! Feels like magic!
Also, better than sizing up for a foundation chain: do foundation stitches whenever possible!
I think for the beauty blender one, it might be better to use fewer, or at least place them farther down the hook so that you have some more space near the tip.
Thanks so much for sharing your tips!! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank you for the hacks! I've been looking for something to use on a hook for my 92 year old mother to get her crocheting again without pain, I am definitely going to try the makeup things. Thank you again for watching everywhere for new hacks! Love your videos
You are so welcome! 🧶🧶🧶
I've used just one beauty blender lengthwise and it worked pretty good. Also glad someone else uses old wipe containers. I've done it for years. Actual baby wipe containers are great for small/mini skeins when doing color work. I know this is for crochet, but going up a size when casting on knitting also gives better stretch and helps with it not being too small.
Thanks so much for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
That’s exactly what I tried and it made so much difference- thanks for the tip
5:04 as I'm currently working on a project that I'm doing rows of DC this has come in most handy..thank you..I need to create a folder to save these tips & tricks to..make it easier to find later..
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🧶🧶🧶
I use several of these hacks but on the yarn winder putting the label inside I also pull the end of the yarn through the label so it’s an easy center pull yarn cake.😊
Oooh!!! I love that idea!! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
The single crochet as DC turning chain is LIFE CHANGING, saw the technique on Instagram reels a few months back and never go back to chain 3 ever again
Right??? It's amazing!!! 🧶🧶🧶
One of my favourite crochet tutorial channels on YT (Blossom Crochet) uses this technique and it has definitely been one of the best tips I’ve ever seen.
The larger hook for foundation row is great when you cannot do foundationless! Nice ideas:)
Thank you! 🧶🧶🧶
The yarn dispenser is great! Seems like an easy idea for a to-go crochet kit or for a crocheting kit gift. I like the tennis ball idea, but I'm gonna give the smaller dog tennis balls a shot. The main idea is to keep your hand in a more open position, so some thing is better than nothing. Nothing = pain. 😅 But stretches and hand strengthening exercises and/or those silicone bands for rock climbers help your hands prevent pain..... Thanks for the video! Happy hooking! 😘
Thanks so much! 🧶🧶🧶
For the tennis ball try using a power drill with a bit slightly smaller than your hook. MUCH less dangerous than a knife.
And while you have the drill out; drill a hole in the top of a cleaned out peanut butter jar and pop in your smaller balls of yarn or if you're using cotton thread ro make doilies etc they work great for that too. And since they're clear you can stack them in your yarn shelf (because doesn't everyone have one?) and easily find the color you need for your next project. 😊
Great tips! Thanks for sharing (especially the one about the drill 🤣)
Really love your channel! Thankyou! My GP grandaughter got some 'sponge cylinders' of differing shapes and sizes for different applications... crochet hooks, teaspoon, paring knife, pen etc etc. They help me to keep doing things I would'nt have been able otherwise. I live in South Africa and look forward to your future videos!! Thankyou, Fran
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Fran! 🧶🧶🧶
I save all my wipe containers for different things. Sometimes I make ribbon holders with them. A dowel and a long slit down the long side feed ribbon on dowel put a hole in bottom end to attach dowel pull ribbon through slit and put cap on with hole to feed other dowel side through. Now the have a new meaning especially in the car I have a lunchbox I use the soft one so it's waterproof and washable just in case because I sit it on the floor. Now game changer wipe boxes. I'd like to try the tennis balls but I'm thinking racquet ball instead not as wonky and big. Also LOVING the idea for the double crochet stitch start plus seems easier to put an edge on too I'm excited. One day would love to make any of your patterns but that's just a dream right now. Love your videos. Need to binge watch one night to catch up.
Thanks for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
I’ve just found your channel and have been binge watching your videos. The last one on reviewing products, I nearly spat my tea out when you talked about the hook that lights up!
I love the soft grip hooks and was looking to purchase some new ones and came across the light up hooks! I was so preplexed by them and couldn’t think how they would be of any use! You said it all with your rant! 🤣
Loving your videos so much and after crocheting for 20+ years, I’m learning new things and techniques from you, so thank you very much, got yourself another subscriber. ❤
Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos! ❤
The chain 3 alternative is also called a standing stitch. Total game-changer.
Thanks for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank You for compiling these tips…I particularly like the one for going a hook higher for the foundation chain
You are so welcome! 🧶🧶🧶
As a knitter, I was taught the hack for going up a size for both the cast on and cast off row, back in the days before the word hack was used 😂 so it seemed sensible to do the same thing with crochet when I realised my starting chain or foundation row was so much tighter.
Who would have thought it was a hack? 😊
I've never heard that about knitting either! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
When I started knitting, I just used both of the needles to cast on because I found it really hard to knit at the start because of the tension.
I LOVE the idea of starting with one size up on a foundation chain! I crochet tight so sometimes that first row is frustrating and I bet it would help a lot with the shape of my end project! Thanks! ❤
It really is a great trick! ❤
So much fun, Elise!! I love your videos!!
Thank you so much, Lana! ❤️🧶❤️🧶
If you love using your all metal hooks like me but have sore hands, i have a little suggestion for you!! I purchased elastics and the rainbow loom and i make what they call pencil grips! All my hooks have them and it's fantastic!!! 🖤
Thanks for the tip! 🌈🌈🌈
Elise, this is not a TikTok hack, but I have to share it. I have just discovered amigurumi and your you tube channel, about a month or two ago and have been binge watching. I have been crocheting for decades but I had never made these cute projects before. I fell in love with them, and I am particularly drawn to the dolls. I just finished making my 2nd doll ever, so I really don't know that much about the process. The pattern had me make the head, then the legs, arms and body. I had to sew the head onto the body, but once I had done this, her head was wobbly. I didn't know how to fix it. I thought of wooden chop sticks and poking them through the top of her head, but I didn't have any. But what I did have were small flat wooden coffee stirring sticks. I use to them to stir paint in my little paint bottles. So, I took a few of them, about 3 - 4 and I cut a point on one end (you can also cut the length) and stuck them through the top of her head pushing her head in until I got the stick down into the middle of the top half of her head. I positioned them as close the edge of her neck as I could estimate it, and it worked. Fixing a wobbly head after your project is done is too good a tip not to pass onto everyone. I got the coffee stirring sticks on Amazon, and I think I got about 600- 800 of them for about $5.00-6.00. Please don't quote me on price, I have had them for quite a while.
Wow!!! That was a genius way to fix that!! Thanks for sharing!!! 🧶🧶🧶
Baby wipe plastic boxes work really well for yarn storage also! I use EVERYTHING for my yarns... i mean everything. My hubby gets annoyed! Lol
That's a great tip! 🧶🧶🧶
With the beauty blenders on your crochet hook...I would try putting just 1 of them right side up (not sideways like you put them on) and see how that feels... If you need more, try 2.
After I did the experiment I had the exact same thought! ❤️❤️❤️
that crochet hook/tennis ball hack is awesome.
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Some of these are fun and handy. Thank you for testing them out!! The 2 sc on top of each other is something I 'invented' when I just started crocheting about 8/9 years ago. The make-up sponges, I use 1 ( of those large ones you had) but with the hook inserted from blunt to tip end. Fits perfectly in my hand. When I start a project I usually start with foundation sc or dc. Also very stretchy and no need to switch a hooksize. For switching colours you have other methods that are really almost invisible. When something needs to be really clean, I use those.
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I personally wrap a rectangle of half inch high density foam around my hooks and secure it with self adhesive bandage and it works great since you can really shape it to whatever shape works best for you. Best part is I had the foam leftover from a project!
That's a great idea! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Thanks for compiling these tips. I love them. I’ve done the ball winding one on my thumb with a small amount of yarn. I created a center pull ball. If I have more yarn than will fit on my thumb, I remove it and continue winding the yarn. I’m careful to maintain the center pull
Great tip! 🧶🧶🧶
I used a plastic Folgers can for yarn cakes.
That's a great idea!! 🧶🧶🧶
I learned a no show by looking at videos. It really makes a difference. I got started making toys watching your videos.
Wonderful! 🧶🧶🧶
For the beauty blender idea, place it length ways tip towards the tip and a larger one. Just use one larger one. That would improve the flexibility.
Thanks for sharing! I'll try that! 🧶🧶🧶
Using an empty Clorox wipes container is so clever! Never would have thought that the feeder holes at the top where you pull out the wipes is also perfect for keeping your yarn in place! Decorating the containers is just the cherry on top :) Who needs a crochet bowl?!
Hints and helps for the ball trick: I use squash/hand balls instead of tennis, because they are lighter weight, easier to cut, smaller, easier to adapt in different ways such as needing to cut the axis differently [off-center] so that I don't create a new thumb and/or carpal repetitive injury. They're less expensive, and easier to carry around in a bag.
*I see you're trying to cut with an unsuitable knife just now. This is another reason why I use the blue squash balls and would use a scissors regardless of which ball type I was puncturing, due to the fact that if you look at the tip of a scissors blade at "point blank range", it is triangular, and it does come to a point, and they are, unless abused, extremely sharp if they are used for cutting cloth. If using a knife, it must be very sharp and works better if it is wedge shaped, and it comes to a sharp triangular point, and, if you have a vise to put the ball in, it's much safer ither way. UNLESS you have an X-acto handy.
It is best to make and X when cutting the hole, as it will "give" more (have had a blue ball split entirely in two) when you poke a round object thru it. I have three handballs on which I have actually cut the inner corners of the X away -- using one blade of my scissors as an X-acto -- so that they can more easily accommodate my medium and larger size hooks. Therefore, I have three accommodative hole-y balls, a small, medium, and large; it is very convenient to just keep them in the can, stashing them away in a large tool/hobby bag, and pulling out the size I need whenever I need for thumb, wrist or arthritic ache of grip in general.
Using the balls causes you to crochet in a different way, so it can take the ache off of shoulders and elbows as well. Believe it or not the ball works very well when it is at the end instead of up there close to your work. Depending on whether your thumb or your general grip needs the help, you can make the holes off axis, or off center towards one side of the ball. I've helped several women in nursing homes, who've have had stroke, to be able to return to or to begin crocheting. Whether they have had a stroke or some other debilitating injury to their hands, and if paralyzed, a small vice can be screwed on to the edge of the table or mounted onto the middle of a table depending on how they sit, where they sit, where their arm can rest, and even if the hand and arm is unusable, it is helpful for muscle memory and creativity in the brain to be able to see and have the hand resting on the vise as if it is an extension of and helping the hand, then the other hand can work the hook. Or if there a definite right or left hander and cannot handle the hook with the hand that is paralyzed, you put the hook in the vise and move the fabric being made on and off the hook. Adaptations take a little bit of creativity mixed with a bit of logic.
On another subject, don't need a Sharpie to ball yarn. I use my finger in the same way. You just need to rotate from time to time. I start with about six inches of yarn put a lot of twist in it and then double it over itself so that it twists into a double twist, then I hold that between my first finger and thumb and then I begin wrapping from my body outward around my finger ~ that puts a little extra twist into the yarn as I'm balling it, especially if you use your forefinger and thumb to add a little extra twist in it when you come to those places where cheap yarn is inconsistent with the twist ~ and since you used that double twist to find your center pull, it shouldn't untwist and pull apart on you while your crocheting, and most likely, while knitting too.
Another subject: the chain: if you are looking at the flat top of it, or the V's [ I like to call them hearts, myself ], If you insert your hook under two strands, you actually won't have a stiffer shorter chain problem. It will be fairly flexible and stretch more. I have found the problem begins when you only go under one strand. And if you Use the Alternative Foundation Row where you build it as you go, that tends to always be quite a bit looser than any chain that you might start with! It was the greatest thing when I learned how to do that! And you can do single, double, treble, whatever!
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I saw you for the first time when you gave hints for hand and arm massages. Worked great for the most part but I had a bad flare up and decided to try acupuncture. Definitely recommend it!
I did something similar when my tendinitis was at its worst. It was called dry needling n they did it at my physical therapist's office! I'm so glad it worked for you! 🧶🧶🧶
Please, please avoid doing the Clorox hack - chemicals tend to stick to the containers they are stored in and could contaminate your yarn!! You don't re-use windex bottles for watering your plants, so please don't do this for other things that you could come in contact with!!
That's a great tip! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Oh no. Now it is so beautiful 😢❤
👍
Oh my gosh!! People are geniuses! I’m so getting on TikTok! Thank you for this vlog!
You're so welcome! I didn't even scratch the surface of all the amazing crochet tips and tricks on TikTok!! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank you for sharing. I figured it out quite early in my crochet life of 60+ years to do my foundation chain in a larger hook. I love the Clorox jar as a yarn holder as you can still release your yarn from it it you want to. The ones that you buy, you can't as it is just a round hole. 💜
I hope to have as many years crocheting as you have!! 🧶🧶🧶
The makeup sponges are genius! I use yarn leftovers to make heavy Single-crochet baskets (also one of your ideas!) and the thick multi-strand yarn makes a 9mm hook hard to push through and hand-wearing! Putting 3 Sponges on my metal hook makes it so much more comfortable to manage! My hand does not wear out from pushing and pulling the hook through the loop which makes my work, go faster, and much more comfortably.
That's amazing! They really do feel good in your hands! ❤
I have to share with you - my son's girlfriend is a crocheter so I shared your "bonus hack" with both of them! She loved the idea of teaching him to weave in the ends for her!
Haha!! Love it! 🧶🪡❤️
To use a different size crochet hook in doing the foundation chain is an old trick I learnt before school age from my mother. It also works in knitting by using SMALLER needles when knitting ribbing.
But the nicest foundation for crochet is to use the chainless foundation method. All the stitches become even in size, do not twist into a curl, and show the exact size, ea length, without multiple measuring.
There are multiple youtube videos showing how to do it using single crochet, double, and trible. All of them make very neat, even starting
Thanks for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶