Four Tips for Travel Crochet

Toni Rexroat — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:48:00 GMT

My summer is quickly filling with road trips to visit family and short vacations. You know what that means, lots of time in the car. But I don't mind, because traveling in the car translates to hours of uninterrupted crocheting time. It is the perfect time to whip up a few crochet gifts and accessories. Plus I get a certain satisfaction in "multitasking." When you are choosing the perfect travel project, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. These are merely suggestions, so if you really want to take that crochet blanket in eight colors, I won't stop you. I've even done it myself on occasion.

		1. Choose a project with an easily memorized stitch pattern. Trying to balance your crochet pattern on your knees while crocheting in a moving car can require more concentration than the actual process of crocheting. So choose a project with a stitch pattern that you can quickly memorize then stash the pattern in your project bag and enjoy crocheting. The Honeycomb Scarf by Ligava Gritz is a perfect example, and is sure to be one of the most well-received homemade gifts for any gal pal on your list!
Honeycomb Scarf by Ligaya Gritz
		2. The same logic is true for projects with shaping. Choose a garment or accessory with minimal shaping that is easy to memorize and work. If you find balancing your pattern difficult, try keeping track of a stitch counter. Mine invariably ends up under a seat.
Seafoam Vest by Chloe Nightingale
		3. Choose a small project. Especially if you are flying or packed in a car with four or five others, choose a project that won't take up too much room or overflow your lap. You could easily whip up several pairs of slippers for gifting or to wear while you travel.
A Family of Slippers by Linda Permann
		4. If you are really cramped for space, choose a project that uses only a single skein. Single skein projects make fabulous fast crochet gifts. Using only a single skein rules out colorwork projects, but if you have your heart set on a multicolor accessory, try a skein of variegated yarn.
Adirondack Socks by Patsy Harbor
This summer, whether you are traveling by airplane, car, or boat or just taking time to sit and relax, download the perfect quick and easy crochet project and whip up a gift for a friend or yourself. Best wishes,

Make Your Own Crochet Socks

Toni Rexroat — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:00:00 GMT

It's hard to find a pair of perfectly fitting socks—not too wide or too loose around your foot, the heel sitting at exactly the right height. I have small feet, but children's socks are too small and women's socks are too big. Maybe your feet are between sizes as well, or the cuffs on your socks always seem either too short or too tall. The solution to finding the perfect sock is simply crocheting your own.

When you crochet your own socks, you can control everything from foot diameter to sole length to leg length and cuff style, not to mention color.

Crochet socks can be worked from the toe up or from the cuff down. Regardless of which direction you choose to crochet your socks, it is essential to understand the parts of a sock.

When you are working from the cuff down, the first part of the sock is, of course, the cuff. It is best to work the cuff in a stitch that has plenty of stretch. Ribbing or a foundation double crochet or single crochet row are good options. But don't make your cuff too loose unless you are going for the slouchy look.

The next part of the sock is the leg. Have fun with the design and height of your leg. Work it in a different color as Karen did for the Basic Cuff-Down Sock Recipe (above) or try some colorwork like that in the Isafarmo Socks (below).

If you want short socks, you can skip the leg and move straight to the heel. After the heel, you will work the heel turn and gusset. You can add a few more stitches here if your foot is wide.


	Isafarmo Socks, Interweave Crochet Winter 2011

Now it is time to customize the foot length. If you are making the socks for yourself, go ahead and try them on as you go. If you have one foot that is slightly longer than the other, make your right sock a slightly different size than your left sock. If you are making the socks for a friend, Karen gives a wonderful chart for foot length broken down by standard shoe size in her feature Crochet Great Socks! in the Interweave Crochet Winter 2011 issue.

Last but not least, finish your socks off with the toe. If you are working your socks from the toe up, simply begin by crocheting the toe and work the sections in reverse.


Red Twig Knee Socks, Interweave Crochet Winter 2011

Check out Karen Ratto-Whooley's article in the Winter 2011 issue of Interweave Crochet for more great tips on crocheting socks as well as a basic sock pattern. In this issue, you will also find a pattern for traditional socks from Tajikistan and fabulous knee socks.

For a great deal, order the entire Interweave Crochet 2011 Collection CD. You will find over 100 amazing patterns for slippers, hats, garments, and more at great savings. Plus you never have to worry about your pattern page being torn or destroyed.

Best wishes,

How to Crochet : Crochet Socks

Four Tips for Travel Crochet

Make Your Own Crochet Socks