Monday, November 23, 2009

How to Switch Colors and use a Chart *Crochet*

Many people keep asking me the same question. "How do I use your chart?" I keep telling everyone the same thing. "Look it up on Google" But after doing a search myself I haven't found a site that has all you need. Just part of what you would need here and there. I am going to try my best to explain. Ok here goes. This is for right handed people. I am by no means an expert. I learned this online and by trial and error.

Step 1: First you need to learn how to read a graph. Decide if you are doing a hat or a square. Think about how your stitches will lay out. When you make a hat you are making it upside down. Top of the head to the bottom. So it makes sense to flip your chart upside down. (unless you are doing a slouchy hat. Then you will want to keep it right side up.) Also with a hat you don't crochet back and forth, you go around. So that is how you will have to crochet it. Here is a picture of how to read a chart for a hat. Start at the green dot and go around.


If you are doing a square you will be working from the bottom up and going back and forth.


Step 2: Now when you get to where you want to do the first color change stop right before the stitch you want to be a different color. You should have 2 loops on the hook.

take the color you want and pull it through the loops


now insert the hook into the stitch you are changing the color of. Make sure your hook goes behind the original color because you will carry that color behind your work.

now pull your new color up

If you are making the next stitch a different color you would add your other color here. If you are continuing with the same color you would keep going.
Tada! completed stitch :)

Step 3: Ok next is how to deal with the ends. If it is a hat I don't usually care about the ends. I just tie the ends. I will add my colors through the chart then when I get to the end of the chart I will cut all the colors but the main color and tie it in knots, then crochet around until I get to the chart again. If you care about what the back looks like you can get a blunt needle and hide the ends, just like when you carried the colors through, you can run the ends through the same space.

Please let me know if this helped you. I love to get comments :)



20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip :)

AprilDraven said...

:)

Unknown said...

I have been crocheting for about 2 years, I learned the basics but had issues with the really cool stuff. Stitchin Bitch- The Happy Hooker was a lifesaver! It explains just about everything you'll want to know. Of course it must be bought but it's well worth the money. I could follow your pics so I think you're being a great helper :)

lu rogeria maravilhas do trico said...

Honey as always your blog is wonderful parabens luciana

AprilDraven said...

Thanks :)

Sara said...

I'm glad you did this, I was trying to explain to my wife how to switch colors with bad results, I just couldn't explain it properly.


Keep up all the awesome work, I love your blog.

mabanero_pepper said...

This site gives tutorials on how to tapestry crochet: http://www.tapestrycrochet.com/

I haven't tried it yet, but it looks cool.

Stephanie said...

Thanks for the help with the chart! I am self taught, and proud to say am at an intermediate level, however this is my first time using a chart. Your instructions are so clear and easy to understand, thank you! I really can't wait to give this to my husband for Christmas :)

AprilDraven said...

Thanks Everyone! I'm glad I could help :)

P.J. said...

So do you fasten off the secondary color after every row? When you're working in the round, the secondary color yarn would be on the wrong end of the chart the next time you came around to it, no? Or do you carry the secondary color all the way around the hat?

AprilDraven said...

I personally fasten it off when I make hats.

If I am doing a square I will just drop the color and pick it up on the way back.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this! Just found your blog today, will be following it for sure :)

Aniaanka said...

Thank you so much! Just found your blog through ravelry, wanted to make a hat with a mario mushroom, but was worried if i could do it with the clour changeing and all, so really appreciate this ( and the pattern for the hat of course) :)

Unknown said...

Yes! Big help! This looks very interesting and I think I will try it. Thank you for your time!

ladybug said...

Thanks for the help I never truly knew how to change colors I just kinda made it up as i went along. I am going to try and make the Dr. Who bag and love the help.

Elidye said...

Awesome! Great clear instructions!!!!
And there still isn't a lot in google unless you want to YouTube, and I do better with written instructions!!! Thanks soooo much!!!

Anonymous said...

How do you pick up the colors throughout the hat.

Unknown said...

I was wondering if you could help me with a T for university of Tennessee? Im trying to put it on a hat and mittens So would I take graph and put it up side down? and start it that way? Thank you

Unknown said...

I'm confused by how you describe reading the chart for a hat. Can you help?

Unknown said...

Color Switch you can play color switch here