Crocheting into too-small a gap...

Crochet: What to do if the starting chain, or the previous row, is too tight.

I'd thought about this for ages - frequently I've done a long foundation chain that was too tight to get the hook into, or, as in this instance, I've wanted to pick up sts in a larger hook than will fit.

Now, some will say the solution is to do the chain in a bigger sized hook.  That's all well and fine - for the next time - but supposing you've counted?  Supposing you didn't want to start aaaallll over again?

Simply doing the row with a smaller hook MAY be a solution, but you're still left with small spaces for the next row...

Here's what I did:

The intended hook is the blue one, and my smaller hook - the metal one - is 3mm.
I'm picking up some rib that I did, and had bound off too tightly.  Yes, I know you're all shouting at the computer - why did she cast off?  Well, I thought it'd be easier.  I'm really not a knitter.

Here's the chunk of ribbing, with the intended hook

That won't go thro' without a lot of pushing

Put the smaller hook through...

... and pull up a loop...

... place this onto the bigger hook...

...now you have two lps on the hook...

...complete the DC (or US SC) as normal

Note that this won't work with anything taller than a UK DC...

Cut Up Couture

Ooh, this book looks good - don't bin your man's clothes - make something cool for yourself.  Like it!

Bog Roll Bonanza

OK, not actually a bonanza, more like a handy way to squish them ready for recycling...
Are you ready?

Here they are.

Squish...

Push...

One down...

Squish again...

There are two there, honest...

Push again...

That's all there is to it!

TA-DAAAAAAAH

Sugru. Eh?

Sugru is fantastic stuff - I wrote to them.  Here's what I put.
"I just had to show you... what I did with my Sugru...

I'm a keen crocheter, and am often re-winding and reclaiming yarn - I use a nostepinne (google it), but rather than an expensive wood-turned one, I use a garden dibber, with the end sawn off.

The trouble with them is, that not only are they rough, but they have these annoying grooves which snag the yarn.

I decided, once and for all, to fill them in with Sugru.

Job done - but I discovered an amazing 'side effect'.  In removing the excess with tissue, as recommended, the rough grain was filling in nicely, and I ended up with a lovely, super-smooth, almost 'laquered' finish.

Fantastic.

You can see the 'before' on the cut off end, in between the two dibbers.

All the best,

Jill"

Mummified Moth...

OK, so who likes moths? Not in the yarn, anyway, but the demise of this one must've been horrible...

Just some tissues, right?

Nothing odd about them?

Hang on, what's this?

It's a... a...

MOTH!  Aaarrgghhh!

In Stitches...

Stitches in...

... and out of them...

...and out - pyang!

The Knee...

So what went wrong?  Is this good wound repair? All I know is, it's bloomin' sore.

The dressing came off - that's my plaster on there.

I'd been feeling a sharp pulling sensation under one of the dressings, like a hair caught, or something, and that same dressing was starting to peel off, so I bit the bullet, got the biggest plaster I could find, and set to to change the dressing... AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look what I found. One dressing was half-way across the wound - the adhesive stuck over it, so I trimmed that back. There was a stitch on the other half, not even tidied, and puckering the skin so tight it hurt when I bent the knee.  It's pretty red, too.  I haven't looked at the other as the dressing is still secure.