Crochet: Beginner Tutorial: HOW to crochet the Adult-Brimmed Hat

If you missed my post on my bday about my favorite crochet pattern, you can find it HERE. I would highly suggest opening the link and printing it out because I'll be attempting to help you step by step... with a TON of pictures. I now realize why no one does this- it takes forever to make lol. Not to mention quite a bit of terrible pictures as I was trying to use self timer on Manual settings hahaha. (Yeah, that was my camera laughing at me).

So, without further ado, I give you the pictured, step-by-step tutorial of how to make my Adult- Brimmed Hat....

MATERIALS

I am using a thicker weight yarn than the original pattern calls for because I really wanted to get this hat finished quickly. Don't worry about what I am using (because I know this pattern by heart), just make sure YOU are using a medium (4) yarn like "Vanna's Choice"or "Red Heart: Super Saver". I am also using an 'H' Crochet hook (same as the original pattern).

STANDARD CROCHET ABRV. for this pattern

sl st: slip stitch                                                                                 sc: single crochet

ch: chain                                                                                           dc: double crochet

 

 

CASTING ON USING A CROCHET HOOK

(A) Start with one end- it doesn't matter which end, HOWEVER, it is easier if you can find the yarn end that is attached to one of the sides as opposed to the middle (under the brand label)
(B) wrap the yarn BEHIND your pinky finger and under it
(C) wrap BEHIND your ring finger and IN FRONT of your middle finger
(D) go BEHIND your pointer finger and wrap the yarn in front

(E) grab the yarn end with your thumb and middle finger.
(F) grab the crochet hook with your right hand. Come IN FRONT of the yarn
(G) make the hook go in between the two strands and grab the yarn END with the pointer finger and thumb (lower strand); grab the yarn ATTACHED TO THE BALL OF YARN with the rest of your fingers (upper strand)
(H) move your thumb/pointer fingers up and bring the rest of your fingers forward so that the yarn twists.

(I) bring the hook back in front of the yarn and THROUGH the opening
(J) use the 'hook' part of the crochet hook to grab the uppermost yarn strand
(K) this is where I grab the yarn BEHIND the crochet hook using my thumb & pointer finger (it is to make it easier for the crochet hook to pass through)
(L) you can see the extra yarn being pulled down by my pointer finger

(M) pull the crochet hook through the opening (do NOT let go of the yarn, you're not done yet)
(N) a continuation of the pull
(O) you should still be holding on to the yarn END with your thumb/pointer finger. Don't forget that you should still have the other strand (that is attached to the ball) gripped using the rest of your fingers
(P) using your right hand, grab the BALL STRAND and pull DOWN while your thumb/pointer finger had the END STRAND and is pulling UP. This will secure a tight 'cast on'.





 

HOW TO START A CHAIN

 In every pattern, you start with a chain. I have yet to come across a pattern that does NOT call for a chain. However, patterns will use ROWS or ROUNDS after the beginning chain.

 

ROWS: when a pattern is straight across... typically a wash rag, blanket or afghan.

ROUNDS: when a pattern spirals... like a hat, sock, mitten, etc

(1) grab the middle of the BALL END of yarn and pull down
(2) go IN FRONT of the yarn strand held by your pointer finger, then UNDERNEATH that same strand, grabbing that strand with the 'hook' part of the crochet hook
(3) pull the yarn through the opening and UP
*******do not make this too tight or you will not be able to add rows easily*******
(4) repeat the process, this time using your thumb to grab the very beginning chain (ch)

 

 

This is the "heart" part of your chain. When you are adding chains, you start counting from your thumb and finger. The "hearts" are the outer-most part of your project.

This is the "spine" (as you might've guessed, these are just my terms for these things. It just helped me remember which part I hook through and which part I leave the hell alone). The "spine" is used in your 1st row or round. I call it a spine because the center part of each chain is raised up... when you go to make your first row/round, you will insert your hook through the spine. You count the number of "spines" FROM THE CROCHET HOOK.

in our pattern, you will chain 3 and make a double crochet by inserting the hook in the 3rd chain from the hook.

 

ROUND 1

 

(R1) shows where you want to insert the crochet hook (do not insert it yet)
(2) wrap your yarn around your crochet hook BACK to FRONT (we are making a double crochet- DC)
(3) insert your crochet hook into the 3rd "spine" from the hook (the closest one to your thumb). It is inserted from the right to the left.
(4) have your hook go BEHIND the yarn to wrap around it and 'hook' it, pulling it through JUST ONE OPENING

(5) now you should have 3 loops on your hook. Wrap your yarn around your crochet hook from BACK to FRONT
(6) shows the hook grabbing your yarn. You should have 4 loops now. Pull the yarn through the middle 2 loops
(7) showing you now have 2 loops on your hook
(8) wrap the yarn around the hook from BACK to FRONT and pull through the remaining loops.

YOU HAVE NOW SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 1 DOUBLE CROCHET. Go celebrate and have an Oreo.
 

 Complete 10 MORE double crochets in the same 'spine' that you just finished making your first DC. You will count the 3 chains in the very beginning as 1 double crochet. This gives you a total of 12 DC.

(9) Shows you completing the last DC in the same 'spine' as the rest
(10) grab the yarn END and place it on top of your 'heart'
(11) you will insert the crochet hook into the 2nd chain space (or you can think of it as the space to the RIGHT of your first 'real' double crochet- it's your call)
(12) showing you again where the crochet hook will enter

(13) placing the yarn END on top of the 'hearts'
(14) grab the yarn END and 'hearts' with your thumb and middle finger and the yarn BALL strand tightly wrapped around your pointer finger (for tension, not too tight though)
(15) wrap the yarn BALL strand around the crochet hook BACK to FRONT, then pull through all loops
(16) you have just made a slip stitch
 

once you sl st to the beg chain 3, you will ch 2

 

ROUND 2

 

(R2) in the same space as your chain 2, you will add a DC
(2) shows you your 1st 'real' DC of round 2
(3) when you get to the last 2 DC, you will use the last available space (which is directly under your original ch 2)
(4) sl st to the beg ch 2 (or if you prefer to call it- "that space directly to the right of your first 'real' DC"... either way)

R2: chain 2, dc in the same space, 2 dc in each dc space from the previous round and in the very last dc space. sl st to beg ch 2. You should now have 24 DC (including your chain 2). Chain 2 again.

 

ROUNDS 3-11

 

It is important to note that ONLY when you are increasing your DCs are you going to DC in the last DC space available. So for R6-11, the last DC space will remain untouched. You will always sl st to the beg ch, ch 2 and NEVER TURN YOUR WORK AROUND. You should have a grand total of 60 DC (including the ch 2)

 

 

 

*****I am posting this now and I will add the brimmed hat tomorrow afternoon because it's 2am and I have a 7-mo old and preschooler... so I am tired lol****

Crochet: Beginner Tutorial: Basic Essentials: Materials

Hello again! Earlier I posted a crochet pattern for my adult-brimmed-crochet hat and it never really occurred to me that some people might NOT KNOW HOW TO CROCHET lol. It's high time I fixed that! I actually started knitting (thank you, Grandma) in high school. Obviously my talents did not lie in that field. This is my best apology to my family members who received hats, scarves and oven mitts... I thought I knew what I was doing, honestly. And I really thought they looked awesome, considering how many times I had dropped a stitch and started over...

Soooooo fast forward to my 1st pregnancy. My husband was gone quite a bit, (preparing to get deployed and all) and I was lonely. I was 1,800 miles away from anyone I knew, fat and miserable and looking for something to occupy my time. I can't remember who gave me the idea to crochet, but I remember thinking, "Sweet Jesus, I have never seen anything 'cute' or 'modern' that involved crochet"... then it hit me. I WENT TO ART SCHOOL, DAMN IT! I'M CREATIVE! I'LL MAKE SOMETHING CUTE WITH CROCHET! And I did. It took a LONG time and lots of errors, but I had 7 long months without any spousal distraction and a baby who never slept and had colic (which is awful and I would never wish that on anyone). I started single crocheting... which took F O R E V E R. Then I got smart and started using half-double and double crochet; then specialty stitches.... But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with the basics.

CROCHET HOOKS

 

Each crochet hook is color coded (if you buy them at Michaels, like I did) and is used for different types of yarn/ projects/ etc. They come in sizes A-Z (A: the smallest; Z: the largest), yet I have never seen a Z hook. Typically, the patterns that I use involve E, F, G and H hooks. I would recommend starting a pattern that uses an H crochet hook- mainly because it will be more stretchy and easier to spot a mistake.

 

YARN

Yarn comes in all shapes and sizes, kind of like people... although sometimes, I prefer the company of my yarn... and that's saying something because I am a 'people person'. Yarn is broken down by how many smaller pieces of yarn are twisted together to make the bigger strand of yarn (aka YARN WEIGHT). It is not the actual weight of the yarn so don't be confused there. The Craft Yarn Council of America is making an effort to promote a standardized industry system for measuring this, numbering the weights from 1 (finest) to 6 (heaviest). Some of the names for the various weights of yarn from finest to thickest are called lace, fingering, sport, double-knit (or DK), worsted, aran (or heavy worsted), bulky, and super-bulky. A more precise measurement of yarn weight, often used by weavers, is wraps per inch (WPI). The yarn is wrapped snugly around a ruler and the number of wraps that fit in an inch are counted. The yarn weight is important when trying to follow a pattern.

 

For example: if a pattern calls for super bulky (or a worsted weight yarn of 6) and you use a bulky (5), you will make a finished product that is smaller than the original pattern. Similarly, if you use a yarn weight of 6 and the pattern calls for a yarn weight of 3, your finished product will be a lot bigger. There are ways around this, of course, but it involves using different crochet hooks and trying to match a pattern's gauge (how many crochet stitches are found in one inch... or other term of measurement).

 

 

By now you are probably thinking, "OMG, WHAT is she talking about?!?!?! I just want to crochet!" Well, here's the good news, on each ball of yarn, you will find most of the items you need.

 

 

It tells you what yarn weight this yarn is, the recommended crochet hook size, the TYPE (acrylic/wool) of yarn, machine wash/dry, iron (yes or no), grams/oz, color #... I mean it really is wonderful stuff here!

 

For hats, I would recommend a yarn weight of 4-6 and a hook size of G-J. Anything less will take F O R E V E R.

 

 

NEEDLES

Yarn needle: notice the plastic and large eye. If it comes with your beginner kit, great. If not, don't buy them. They bend easily and it gets difficult to sew on accessories.

I would recommend buying the #1 embroidery needle. The eye is large enough to fit yarn, it is metal = durable and it is easier to sew on accessories and weave in ends.

 

Typically, crochet hooks, markers (image below), yarn needle and a book come in a beginners kit. I would definitely buy some more crochet hooks though because there's nothing like starting a project and having your toddler grab your only J crochet hook... and of course losing it... awesome. Now, I have back ups. And a preschooler who KNOWS BETTER lol.

 

MARKERS

These are placed around the yarn and have an easy opening slot to remove. You use this to mark your place in a row. These are not necessary as you can make your own.

 

These are the basic materials. Use them!!! Ok, next up, how to crochet my adult-brimmed hat!











Photoshop Tutorials: Basics: Getting Started

Hi everyone! I've gotten so many emails about Photoshop and my techniques that I thought I would just start blogging tutorials. First off, let me just say that I do not know (or pretend to know) everything about Photoshop and if you should happen to talk to someone who SAYS they know everything there is to know about Photoshop, you should just knock them out because they are lying. (seriously, a gentle pat and a smart a** comment should knock them down a pipe or two) Photoshop is EXTENSIVE a bit overwhelming to any new (or experienced) artist.

Photoshop has many different uses, so please understand that you do not need to know what every button, layer, channel, filter, etc, is. (<---- please note I am not an English teacher. I know that sentence was a terrible one, however, I'm not getting graded so just ignore grammatical errors please) Photoshop can be used for painting, drawing, design work and photo editing. I'm sure there are many more uses for it, but my point is to figure out what you are wanting to get out of Photoshop. A designer might want to spend several days coming up with their on patterns, but a photographer (standard family/wedding photographer; NOT magazine or a more "new age" photographer) really will have no use for it and should not waste their time. Even with it narrowed down to what you are expecting out of Photoshop, it is still daunting. I'll try and explain this as simply as I can (because honestly, who has time to READ!!!! lol)

When you open an image in Photoshop or when you create a new document in Photoshop (File > New) a dialogue box will open up:

(As you can tell, I'm not on a Mac... long story, but that "rainbow wheel of death" was bringing back memories a little too traumatic for me... mainly college deadlines and dreams going down the drain... hahaha) As you can see, there are SEVERAL important thing going on here.

Ok, so first thing, pixels... ah, those wonderful little dots of colors you see when you zoom into a photo. Love them. Hate them. Can't live without them. I really will only use pixels if I am going to create a Logo or an image for Facebook. In all honesty, if a website says an image needs to be 400 pixels (px) x 600 px, then you should use pixels. If not, by all means, use inches. Cm, mm, points, picas and columns... forget you ever saw them. You don't need them.

Now for the resolution. Resolution tells you how many of those little colored dots (*ahem* pixels) are found in one inch. More important to us, it tells us how close we can zoom in before our picture no longer looks crisp and clear. So a super high resolution is best, right? WRONG! You really only need to go to about 300 ppi (pixels per inch) in order to print a quality photograph. Any higher, is for your benefit, but it will not be noticeable on a print (unless, of course you are making a billboard sign. But I haven't done that... yet... lol). Typically, I'll make an image 720 ppi to start and then resample the image down to a resolution of 300 ppi. As awesome as it is to have this super large image, it takes up A LOT of space and it really isn't beneficial as far as printing is concerned. Typically, 72-120 ppi is acceptable for a smaller web design. If you are uploading your images to facebook, this size will work, but it will look pixelated... let's be honest here, Facebook ruins image quality. Not sure why, it just does... it probably is targeting me out ;) So don't worry too much about resolution if your only goal is to post it, never for printing.

This is the color mode (as you can read for yourself from the image lol). If you do not remember anything from this tutorial, remember this NEVER USE GRAYSCALE. If you have a RAW file, and you switch it to a grayscale image in RAW, you can always adjust that. If you use the Grayscale Color Mode, you will not be able to put color into your photograph- at all- so no color watermark/logo/selective color... nothing. It'll convert it into a lovely shade of Gray...hmmm... (my mind is going other places now--- shoot--- ok I'm back). Adobe RGB is the standard Color Mode. It is really what I use 90% of the time. Mainly bc I always forget to switch it until I go to assign a Color Profile (for printing). Here's a brief explanation about each color mode (from the Adobe site with me breaking it down a bit):

RGB Color mode

Photoshop RGB Color mode uses the RGB model, assigning an intensity value to each pixel. In 8‑bits-per-channel images, the intensity values range from 0 (black) to 255 (white) for each of the RGB (red, green, blue) components in a color image. For example, a bright red color has an R(red) value of 246, a G(green) value of 20, and a B(blue) value of 50. When the values of all three components are equal, the result is a shade of neutral gray. When the values of all components are 255, the result is pure white; when the values are 0, pure black.
RGB images use three colors, or channels, to reproduce colors on screen. In 8‑bits-per-channel images, the three channels translate to 24 (8 bits x 3 channels) bits of color information per pixel. With 24‑bit images, the three channels can reproduce up to 16.7 million colors per pixel. With 48‑bit (16‑bits-per-channel) and 96‑bit (32‑bits-per-channel) images, even more colors can be reproduced per pixel. In addition to being the default mode for new Photoshop images, the RGB model is used by computer monitors to display colors. This means that when working in color modes other than RGB, such as CMYK, Photoshop converts the CMYK image to RGB for display on screen.
Although RGB is a standard color model, the exact range of colors represented can vary, depending on the application or display device. The RGB Color mode in Photoshop varies according to the working space setting that you specify in the Color Settings dialog box.

CMYK Color mode

In the CMYK mode, each pixel is assigned a percentage value for each of the process inks (Meaning that the colors in your printer have a certain % value and Photoshop attempts to match those % with the colors on your screen. By doing so, Ps is attempting to show you how your image will look once it's printed. That's really all you need to know.) The lightest (highlight) colors are assigned small percentages of process ink colors; the darker (shadow) colors higher percentages. For example, a bright red might contain 2% cyan, 93% magenta, 90% yellow, and 0% black. In CMYK images, pure white is generated when all four components have values of 0%.
Use the CMYK mode when preparing an image to be printed using process colors. Converting an RGB image into CMYK creates a color separation. If you start with an RGB image, it’s best to edit first in RGB and then convert to CMYK at the end of your editing process. In RGB mode, you can use the Proof Setup commands to simulate the effects of a CMYK conversion without changing the actual image data. You can also use CMYK mode to work directly with CMYK images scanned or imported from high-end systems.
Although CMYK is a standard color model, the exact range of colors represented can vary, depending on the press and printing conditions. The CMYK Color mode in Photoshop varies according to the working space setting that you specify in the Color Settings dialog box.

Lab Color mode

The CIE L*a*b* color model (Lab) is based on the human perception of color. The numeric values in Lab describe all the colors that a person with normal vision sees. Because Lab describes how a color looks rather than how much of a particular colorant is needed for a device (such as a monitor, desktop printer, or digital camera) to produce colors, Lab is considered to be a device-independent color model. Color management systems use Lab as a color reference to predictably transform a color from one color space to another color space.
The Lab Color mode has a lightness component (L) that can range from 0 to 100. In the Adobe Color Picker and Color panel, the a component (green-red axis) and the b component (blue-yellow axis) can range from +127 to –128.
Lab images can be saved in Photoshop, Photoshop EPS, Large Document Format (PSB), Photoshop PDF, Photoshop Raw, TIFF, Photoshop DCS 1.0, or Photoshop DCS 2.0 formats. You can save 48‑bit (16‑bits-per-channel) Lab images in Photoshop, Large Document Format (PSB), Photoshop PDF, Photoshop Raw, or TIFF formats.


IN ALL HONESTY, STICK TO RGB or CMYK. IT'S JUST EASIER...

 

Lastly, is the background. This box is only for the bottom layer. It is asking you if you want the background of your bottom layer to show what it'll look when it's printed on paper (aka WHITE background); on a color (aka BACKGROUND COLOR {it's the color you see when you are looking at your screen [see top IMAGE] in the tools panel that is the bottom-most color); or on a transparent or NO COLOR background. Think of it this way- remember when your teachers used to use transparency paper on an overhead projector, (s)he was able to draw/write and you could see everything. Then, they would put a white piece of paper and you couldn't see anything, but they could still see... same concept. Having a transparent background is beneficial for a final .png or .psd file because you can post it to any color web image, paper, etc and the background will not be visible-- only the design--. If you have a white background, you are still able to post to any paper, but if you want ONLY your image to appear, you are limited to a white background for web (still not bad though). I typically will fill the background with white and then delete that layer in the end if I am making a .png Logo. Do want you will lol! Good luck and please email me questions! MOOSEinkDesign it is at Yahoo :)

Tomorrow, I am hoping to be more productive earlier in the day, so I will attempt a crochet tutorial. You can find my personal blog (At the Corner of Crafty and Crazy) HERE!
 

"Try it Tuesday": Sweet Potato 'Souffle'

Hello and welcome to the first episode of "Try it Tuesday". This post will be food-related, but it will not be limited to just food :)

Let me start off saying that my cooking experience growing up consisted of burnt hamburger helper and soggy mac n cheese. Just about the only thing I felt comfortable "cooking" was Hungry Jack Mashed Potato Flakes. No joke. I LIVED off of them. Probably the main reason I was a little "plumpy" in High School. Sad, but true. I did not start cooking until I met my husband in college and he taught me--- yes, you read that right--- HE taught ME. Now, I make every meal... except meat... I just was not programmed to tell when a piece of meat is "done"...

I do not like sweet potatoes; or at least I THOUGHT I did not like them. In our family, we did not try anything new lol. My mom did not like sweet potatoes, so we did not eat it. My husband made me swear never to do that to our children (I even think he wanted to somehow work it into our wedding vows...) and so far, I have followed his wishes. So when our commissary had a sale on sweet potatoes, I stocked up. I'm all about making Baby Gray's baby food this time around so that was my main focus. Then the hubby came home all excited because he saw sweet potatoes on the counter and thought I was making them for US. He gave me that "sad puppy dog eyes" that I cannot resist so I quickly looked up something that would make the sweet potatoes seem like candy to me. I came across a "Twice Baked Sweet Potato" recipe from the food network (original recipe HERE). It sounded good so I decided to give it a whirl. IT. WAS. AMAZING. I made some modifications so here is my recipe:

Ingredients

• 4-6 sweet potatoes, even in size and scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• mini marshmellows
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place sweet potatoes (stabbed with a fork & wrapped in foil) on sheet tray and bake for 35-45 min (mine were bigger so it took almost 50 min) or until soft. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees F.

Split potatoes and remove the flesh to a medium sized bowl; toss skins. In another bowl, add brown sugar, butter and cream cheese and the all of the spices and mash with a fork or rubber spatula.

Add the butter and cream cheese mixture to the sweet potato flesh and fold in completely. Put the filling into 6 Corningware ramekins and place on a half sheet tray. Bake for 10 minutes, add marshmellows and bake an additional 5 min... or until golden brown.

SERVES: 6 (SIDE); Calories: 257; Total Fat: 14 grams; Saturated Fat: 8.5 grams; Protein: 3 gram; Total carbohydrates: 30 grams; Sugar: 14 grams; Fiber: 4 grams; Cholesterol: 41 milligrams; Sodium: 250 milligrams

These were delicious! I froze a couple so we'll see how they turn out when re-heated... GOOD LUCK!!!