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One of my resolutions this year is to spend
more time designing. Like many of you, I have at least a million project ideas
in my head, scribbled in notebooks, and dancing tantalizingly around each skein
of yarn.
Once you have chosen the type of project you are going
to crochet, the next step is to choose the yarn. Sometimes you can work from
stash yarn, and sometimes a project just begs to be worked in a fiber, color,
or weight that requires a trip to the yarn store.
Whether you are using a yarn from your stash
or purchasing new yarn, it can be difficult to gauge how much you will need. If
you end up with too much, well, there's always another project, but if you end
up with too little, it can be difficult to find the same yarn or dyelot again.
I have found a secret weapon: the Crochet
Handy app, which helps you determine the amount of yarn needed.
First choose the type of project. You can
select from baby sweaters, bags, ponchos, scarves, skirts (both knee-length and
calf-length), skull caps, and sleeveless tops. If you are working a top with
long sleeves, add 35-40% more yardage.
After you have chosen the type of project you
are going to make, specify the size. For bags, there is sizing for purses,
clutches, book bags, large totes, and more. For sleeveless tops, choose from
bust circumferences of between 28" and 56". Each project type comes
with information for multiple sizes.
Don't forget to designate what yarn weight
you will be working in. A sweater crocheted out of fingeringweight yarn
requires more yardage than one in worsted weight. The type of stitch you are
working in also affects the amount of yarn needed, so specify whether you will
be working in single, half double, double, or treble crochet.
Determining the amount of yarn you need for
an undesigned project will never be an exact science, but the Crochet
Handy app will help you make an educated calculation. Download your copy today and create some of your own
original designs this year.
Best wishes,
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