May 7th, 2007 at 17:58 pm » Comments (6)

Believe or not, I cleaned this up to be as gentle as possible.

I am almost positive it will, at best upset a few people and at worst really T-off some others.

So why write it? because sometimes it is needed to give a strong opinion even when it may be an unpleasant truth instead of what people want to hear.

CAN Crochet be CONVERTED To KNIT?

IMNHO – the best information about this can be found in the
Lion Brand FAQ

>>>
Question:
How do I convert a crochet pattern to knit?
Question: How do I convert a knit pattern to crochet?

Lion’s Answer to BOTH:

Knitting and crochet use stitches that are different sizes and shapes.

You can’t “convert” a pattern from one to the other.

Each pattern must be totally redesigned and even then, it’s not always possssible.

With all due respect to various authors, every book I have seen on this topic was not worth the investment either of money to buy it or time to read it.

Could you learn this in a class, maybe if the instructor was extremely well grounded technically and made it very clear that you are NOT converting, you are RE WRITING IN A DIFFERENT Discipline. And if you already possess the basic skills your your preferred craft, be it knit or crochet.

Otherwise, these books are not really helpful. Most of what I have read on the web about how to convert a pattern is so entirely simplistic and totally ignores the nuances of the differences in the finished fabric that at best, be it book or web “how to” are a nearly fool proof recipe for disappointment – your disappointment that is.

Just as “designing” for different size ranges often requires a nearly complete re-write of a pattern (unless you want really ugly fitting garments) Creating a similar look in another technique requires you have reasonable basic skills in BOTH techniques.

The truth is you can, IF you are technical enough to write your own patterns – and many experienced crocheters are, create a similar looking garment but you cannot convert “stitch for stitch” no matter what is says on all those websites.

If converting patterns is your goal, then you need to build your library of stitch instructions, and learn all the basic skills, including shaping, increases and decreases, shaping and oh yeah, that most dreaded of words, SWATCHING and not just a single swatch, if you want to create crochet instructions from knit, you need to plan to make several swatches.

Nancy Nehring is teaching a series of classes at CGOA this summer on designing simple garments and progressing into shaping – There are few people more qualified, as a technician and as a teacher to learn these skills from.

But IF the look and feel of knitting is desirable, then you need to get into Tunisian/Afghan crochet and learn those stitches. I believe there was still some seats in Darla Fanton’s Beginning Tunisian class is place to get grounded in that crochet technique.

Once you have learned these basic skills, you will be able to CREATE the look you want instead of being disappointed by the result attempting to “convert” without adequate skills and experience.

Wheat

P.S. my favorite “tool” for converting – sewing patterns but that is a blog-a-mentry for another day.

P.S. Jr, if you want to send me any website that you think has instructions that will really work, I am more than willing to look and give them a fair try.

May 2nd, 2007 at 00:01 am » Comments (1)

This table is “current sizes” based on information provided at the manufacturer web sites and (added September 2007) for the corresponding US Knitting Needles, as shown at the yarnstandards.com resource website

You are welcome to link to this page or create your own.

Speaking of size, If Size Matters for your finished project, be sure to make a gauge swatch (I recommend TWO, one for reference and one to wash and dry as the project will be)

Shameless self promotion – my online store, ItsAllJustString.com offers all Crochet hooks offered by either Clover or Pony.

If you find any errors, be sure to let me know.

Wheat’s US-Metric Aluminum Crochet Hook Reference*

Wheat’s US-Metric Aluminum Crochet Hook Reference*
Alum Milli Meter	UK	US Yarn Std	Clover or Tulip	Clover Soft 5.3/4″	Clover Wood 6″	Pony Set Gift	Pony Pearl	Boye Alum 6″	Bates
2.00mm	_	A-0	2/o	-	-	-	-	-	-
2.25mm	1	-	3/o	B	-	-	-	B	B
2.30mm	_	B-1	3/o	-	B	-	-	-	-
2.50mm	_	-	4/o	C	-	2.50	-	-	-
2.75mm	2	-	-	-	C	-	-	C	C
3.00mm	_	C-2	5/o	D old	-	3.00	-	-	-
3.25mm	3	-	-	D new	-	-	-	D	D
3.50mm	4	D-3	6/o	E	-	3.50	-	E	E
3.75mm	5	E-4	-	F	D	-	F	F	F
4.00mm	6	F-5	7/o	G	E	4.00	G	-	G
4.25mm	_	G-6	-	-	F		-	G	-
4.50mm	7	-	7.5/o	7	G	4.50	-	-	-
5.00mm	8	_-7	8/o	H	H	5.00	H	H	H
5.50mm	9	H-8	9/o	I	I	5.50	I	I	I
6.00mm	10	I-9	10/o	J	J	6.00	J	J	J
6.50mm	10.5	J-10	–	-	-	6.50	-	K	K
7.00mm	_	K-10.5	-	-	-	7.00	K	-
7.50mm	_	-	-	-	-	7.50	-	-	-
8.00mm	11	-	-	-	-	8.00	-	-	L
9.00mm	13	L-8	-	-	-	-	M	N	-
10.00mm	15	N-13	-	-	-	-	-	-	N
12.75mm	17	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	.
15.00mm	19	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	.
19.00mm	35	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	.
25.00mm	50	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	.
Metric mm to in Conversions prepared using utilities found at: Metric Conversions.Org Hook Photos Used With permission and thanks to US Distributors: & Clover-USA and Muench Yarns-Pony Needles last updated 2010-11-12 © Wheat Carr

Once again,

* Based on Data Current as of February 2007.
* ALWAYS MAKE A GAUGE SWATCH
* ALWAYS check/measure the diameter of your hook
- Older Hooks often do NOT have the same Diameter as those made today.
-
* If you find an error, please do comment or email with the correction.
2007-05-03: Thanks to Kim Guzman for catching the typo for the Clover H-I-J

2011-06-08: Thanks to Sarah for catching the “size N” glitch

April 22nd, 2007 at 07:35 am » Comments (1)

So where were you on that first “April 22nd Earth Day” back in 1970?

I was in Delhi NY getting the first of a series of Associate degrees – Sure wish I still had pictures of my friend Glenn’s VW bug and how we “decorated” it for the 1970 occasion.

What could be better this Earth Day than to combine recycling and crochet

That is why I knew I had to save this site to tell you about for this 37th anniversary of the April 22nd Earth day.

Not only does Cindy of MyRecycledBags.com tell you how to make yarn out of grocery bags and sacks but she offers free patterns for several.

Here are just two of the bags I found at Cindy’s Site – you can choose to crochet with recycled jeans or crochet with grocery bags or whatever else you want to reuse in honor of Earth Day.

Now for the time to make them all (there is plenty of stuff around here to recycle) I think I will crochet with denim first.

Happy 37th April 22nd Earth Day

Wheat

April 8th, 2007 at 06:05 am » Comments (1)

After doing this bit of Research, it was pretty easy to see why the Craft Yarn Council did not publish any standards for Steel Hooks in its Yarn Standards.Com charts

Most Steel Hooks Look like this:

However, for those who appreciate Gentle on your hands and wrist, it is so cool that Clover will be bringing the Steel Soft Touch to the US so they can be more available (now only one supplier has them and it is in the Japanese packaging.

This will be great for those who like to do wire work as well.

Now back to the chart… It is fairly simple to see why good pattern editors (and designing authors) ALWAYS include the diameter of hooks and needles used – rather than just a “generic” letter or number.

I always prefer to base my Steel hook references and suggestions on metric measurements because all “brands” are made outside the US, in countries that base their engineering on M
etric standards, not Imperial.

If you would like details on Clover’s Soft Touch Steel hooks, including the thread sizes they recommend for each of their hooks, please visit our on-line retail shop ItsAllJustString.com

In a perfect world, these manufacturers will someday agree on “Size/Measurements” but probably not anytime soon.

Wheat’s US-Metric Steel Crochet Hook Reference* Updated: 2008-09-14 © 2000-2008 WheatCarr
R o w 0	Col 1 Steel MM	Col 2 Clover	Col 3 Clover SoftTouch	Col 4 Pony	Col 5 Boye	Col 6 Bates	Col 7 Inox	Col 8 tulip Skacel	R o w
1	0.40mm	–	–	–	–	–	No 16	No 24	1
2	0.45mm	–	–	–	–	–	-	No 23	2
3	0.50mm	–	No 14	–	–	–	No 15	No 14	3
4	0.55mm	–	–	–	–	–	-	No 13	4
5	0.60mm	No 12	No 12	No 14	–	–	No 14	No 12	5
6	0.70mm	–	–	No 13	–	–	-	No 11	6
7	0.75mm	No 10	No 10	No 12	No 14	–	No 13	No 10	7
8	0.85mm	–	–	no-name	No 13	–	-	No 9	8
9	0.90mm	No 8	No 8	no-name	–	No 14	-	No 8	9
10	0.95mm	–	–	–	–	No 13	-	No 7	10
11	1.00mm	No 6	No 6	no-name	No 12	No 12	No 12	No 6	11
12	1.05mm	–	–	–	–	No 11	-	-	12
13	1.10mm	–	–	–	No 11	–	-	No 5	13
14	1.15mm	–	–	–	–	No 10	-		14
15	1.25mm	No 4	No 4	No 8	–	No 9	No 10	No 4	15
16	1.30mm	–	–	–	No 10	–	-	No 3	16
17	1.40mm	–	–	–	No 9	No 8	-	-	17
18	1.50mm	No 2	No 2	No 7	No 8	No 7	No 8	No 2	18
19	1.60mm	–	–	–	–	No 6	-	No 1	19
20	1.65mm	–	–	–	No 7	–	-	-	20
21	1.70mm	–	–	–	–	No 5	-	-	21
22	1.75mm	No 0	No 0	No 4	–	No 4	No 6	No 0	22
23	1.80mm	–	–	–	No 6	–	-	-	23
24	1.90mm	–	–	–	No 5	–	-	-	24
25	2.00mm	–	A-0	-	-	-	No 4	2/0	25
26	2.20mm	–	–	–	–	–	No 16	3/0	26
27	2.25mm	–	-	2/o	-	-	-	-	27
28	2.30mm	–	B-1	-	-	B	-	-	28
29	2.50mm	–	-	3/o	-	-	-	4/0	29
R o w	Col 1 Steel MM	Col 2 Clover	Col 3 Clover SoftTouch	Col 4 Pony	Col 5 Boye	Col 6 Bates	Col 7 Inox	Col 8 Tulip	R o w
* Based on Data Current as of February 2007,   updated to add photos on 2007-May-02   updated to add Tulip on 2007-May-24   updated to add on 2008-Sep-14 * ALWAYS MAKE A GAUGE SWATCH * ALWAYS check/measure the diameter of your hook - Older Hooks often do NOT have the same Diameter as those made today. - * If you find an error, please do email me with the correction.

Incidentally, you can often find reasonably price templates intended for measuring screw sizes at your favorite Hardware store, (mine is ACE then Sears Tool department, since they are independently owned and the people at the ones nearest to me don’t ever laugh when I explain how I plan to use “stuff” – okay they do shake their head a lot, but they always understand what I want, if not why) As soon as I can find it, I will post a picture of my favorite one.

COMMERCIAL: If you want to add Clover Soft Touch Steel hooks to your collection, you can find them at: ItsAllJustString my on-line shop