Block and Strip Crocheting

How to Make a Sweater Without a Pattern--Part 2

More than a pattern, I will give you a very useful formula that will enable you to make all kinds of sweaters and garments for yourself and for others.

You Will Need:
* Worsted weight yarn, colors of your choice, the sample used 6 solid colors and 1 matching variegated
* Size H crochet hook
* 1 pair of scissors
* 1 tapestry needle to join pieces
* 1 Measuring tape
* Brown paper
* Easy sewing pattern or personal garment

First, take a sweater you really love and which fits you well, or, if you are making it for someone else, take a garment from that person or purchase an easy sewing pattern for the standard fit of that person's size.
Cut out the pattern and transfer it to brown paper (trace it and cut it out), if you use a garment, trace the outlines of your garment and make a good skematic of it, with measurements and all, if possible. Next you will decide the size of your blocks, they could be small or large as in my example (this is a tunic I made as a birthday gift and the recepient loves it.)
Choose your yarn or thread and start making your squares, they could be grannies or textured
stitch blocks like the ones I made. Fill the space of your paper outline with the blocks, pinning them with pins in place, the outward side facing the paper. Then, join them together, the wrong side facing you, while they are still pinned to the paper. Once you have your garment in one piece, crochet the strips all along to fill the sides, the neckline and the back, the wrong side facing you.
With the sleeves you do the same, you make a paper outline of the sleeves that could fit you and your garment, fill that with blocks and crochet strips in between and if you want to, at the bottom as a loose "cuff."
If you want pockets, you make two squares, sew them together and just join them to the side strip at each side facing inward as you go about crocheting and joining them.
With this formula you can make a variety of sweaters.
If you want your tunic to have buttons, make buttonholes as you sc the front side strip. If you don't want to make buttonholes, make frogs and sew them to the front strip with nice knots or buttons on the strip opposite to it.
You can make many changes on this garment, you can make it shorter, to become a classic sweater, or longer, to turn it into a light spring coat.
Hope you can make a lot of beautiful sweaters using this formula!

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I leave you with a bit of Inspiration:

"Once I thought to find on earth
Love, perfect and complete.
Now, I know it carries wounds
In its hands and feet."
--Anna Hemstead Branch

I am only one.
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something
That I can do.
--Helen Keller

Real love is one Person: Jesus! If you want to get to know Him better, there's no other book like Steps to Christ. A sweet, short, beauttiful book. Read it online for FREE, here: http://www.stepstochrist.us/

Tips, Tricks and Problem Solvers. . .

As the title of my entry says, I would like to share some tips, tricks and problem solving advice.

From Boring to Beautiful-

Let's say you have crocheted a doily, but after all your trouble it did not come out the way you wanted it. You wanted something a bit fancier and more elegant. Here are some suggestions you can follow to add some pizzazz to it:

1. Depending on the design of your doily, you may add some embroidery to it. 2. You may add some ribbon to it. 3. You may add some pearls or beads to it. Crocheted beading is easier by far than embroidery beading. At least I find the latter one more difficult. But if you have come to the end of a project and would like to apply beads to it, by all means, get yourself a good quality sewing (I prefer polyester quilting quality thread) of the same color as your project, purchase the beads that would go best with it and just carefully sew them on, taking care that the stitches will not show.

Holes in Hats- That has happened to the best of us! You are making a nice winter hat and when you sew it all up it has a gaping hole at the top! Well, I am here suggesting some creative ways to cover that hole. 1. Make a pompon and place it on top of the hole. 2. Make a flower and sew it in such a way as to cover the hole. 3. Make a butterfly and use as the flower above. 4. Make a huge tassel and use it to cover the hole. 5. Make a bow with grossgrain ribbon and attach it to the top.

All Those

Yarn Ends!- Let's say that you like to crochet or knit in color combinations, and are making winter hats again. You hate the job of having to deal with all those yarn ends at the end of your project. Well, this is an easy way to deal with that, pull them all out with a crochet hook, a the top of the hat after you have closed it, and braid them! You can also turn them into tassels.

Do you feel discouraged or down sometimes?

Do you think that life is being hard on you? Well, stop and look arount you! "In nature itself are mesages of hope and comfort. There are flowers upon the thistles, and the thorn are coverd with roses." Steps to Christ, page 10. Would you like to read this book for free? It is the second most translated book in the world and one of the most beloved books by Christians around the globe. Printed in more than seventy languages, and bringing encouragement and ispiration to men and women for generations!

Read it for free online: http://www.stepstochrist.us/

Another site where you will find important answers to soul questions. http://www.bibleuniverse.com/home.aspx