9 Mistakes Making Your Crochet Look ‘Homemade’ — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00There is a specific look that just
2. 0:02screams I made it in my bedroom instead
3. 0:05of this came from a bougie boutique and
4. 0:08it is not about skill level. I have seen
5. 0:105year 10year crocheters make some of
6. 0:13these mistakes I'm going to be talking
7. 0:15about and I have seen beginners
8. 0:16completely avoid these mistakes. It
9. 0:19comes down to a handful of fixable
10. 0:21habits. And today I'm going to be
11. 0:22showing you all nine of them, what they
12. 0:25are, why they happen, and how to fix
13. 0:28them. So, your next piece looks
14. 0:30intentional, not accidental. Make sure
15. 0:32you stick around for number seven
16. 0:34because that one single fix changed how
17. 0:37my garments fit more than ever, more
18. 0:39than anything else I've ever learned.
19. 0:40Hello and welcome back to my channel or
20. 0:43welcome if you're new. I'm Sky. I am a
21. 0:45crochet pattern designer and I'm wearing
22. 0:48one of my newest patterns. It is the
23. 0:50Shanghai baby doll. So, if you want to
24. 0:52make one yourself, the pattern is
25. 0:54officially out. I love to give advice,
26. 0:57share tips on this channel about
27. 0:59crocheting clothes that you are going to
28. 1:01wear, giving you tips if you're a
29. 1:03beginner or just always wanting to learn
30. 1:05more and helping you crochet pieces that
31. 1:08you can say, "I am proud of this. I made
32. 1:11this." So, I'm going to go through nine
33. 1:12mistakes in this video and I'm going to
34. 1:14start with the easier fixes and go up to
35. 1:17the more intricate fixes. So, even if
36. 1:19you only fix the first three today,
37. 1:21you'll notice a difference immediately.
38. 1:24Mistake number one, and this is the most
39. 1:26common one I see, is inconsistent
40. 1:28tension. And that is when some stitches
41. 1:31are more tight and some stitches are
42. 1:33more loose in the same project. And the
43. 1:36fabric ends up looking a little bit
44. 1:38uneven, a little bit wavy when it's not
45. 1:40supposed to. And the reason this happens
46. 1:43is usually when you're a little bit more
47. 1:45tense or [music] distracted, if you're
48. 1:48watching TV or YouTube videos, which is
49. 1:51totally normal. It happens to all of us.
50. 1:53It happens to me, too. It's just where
51. 1:55your grip subtly changes without you
52. 1:58even noticing because it is so subtle.
53. 2:00The way that you can fix this is very
54. 2:03simple, but it takes intention. Do a
55. 2:05little tension check every 10 to 15
56. 2:09rows. And you can do that just by laying
57. 2:11your work flat on it on a flat surface.
58. 2:14And then look at it from a distance,
59. 2:16like not too far, but you know, step
60. 2:18away a few steps. If it is uneven, it
61. 2:20will be more visible from a little bit
62. 2:23away. So, if you spot a patch that is
63. 2:25just suddenly way looser or way tighter
64. 2:28than the rest, then that is your cue to
65. 2:30slow down and pay more attention to your
66. 2:33tension. And don't just assume it will
67. 2:36block out because sometimes it will
68. 2:38still come out looking uneven. Don't
69. 2:40forget to try that little trick of
70. 2:42stepping back. Mistake number two is
71. 2:44skipping blocking because you think it's
72. 2:46optional or just for special pieces. The
73. 2:49reason this is a mistake and or why it
74. 2:53happens is because blocking it's just an
75. 2:56extra step and it it really feels like a
76. 2:58very large extra step because when you
77. 3:00finally finish a project, you want to
78. 3:02wear your piece, not soak it and block
79. 3:05it. Wait for it to dry. And with some
80. 3:08fibers like acrylic yarn, people will
81. 3:11assume it won't make a difference, but
82. 3:13honestly, it depends on the specific
83. 3:15yarn you're using. For most natural
84. 3:17fibers or natural blends like cotton
85. 3:19yarn, which is what I'm wearing right
86. 3:21now, skipping this step is probably the
87. 3:24biggest reason why your piece looks
88. 3:25unfinished and homemade, [music] not
89. 3:27handmade. So, the way that you can fix
90. 3:29this is to wet block anything with a
91. 3:32curling edge, uneven stitch definition,
92. 3:36wavy seams, even just steam blocking. It
93. 3:39will make such a huge difference. And
94. 3:41you don't need any fancy blocking mats
95. 3:44or needles. Just put a towel on the
96. 3:46floor and stretch out your piece after
97. 3:49you've wet it. It will make a huge
98. 3:51difference in the finished outcome. So,
99. 3:53if a piece that you have finished
100. 3:55doesn't lay flat on its own, then you
101. 3:57should probably block it. If it is more
102. 3:59lacy, open work stitches, you should
103. 4:01probably block it. If it is a natural
104. 4:03fiber and you plan on wearing this
105. 4:05piece, you should probably block it.
106. 4:06Mistake number three is having seams
107. 4:08that are bulky or twisted or visibly
108. 4:12different in color or tension from the
109. 4:15rest of your crochet piece. The reason
110. 4:17this happens is if we are rushing to
111. 4:20seam a finished piece or a piece that is
112. 4:23almost finished, it is probably the
113. 4:25least fun part of a project is when you
114. 4:27have to seam pieces together and a lot
115. 4:29of us just want to get it over with. I
116. 4:31mean, I do. We use whatever yarn we have
117. 4:34left. If we've run out of our same color
118. 4:36yarn, maybe we'll use a similarish color
119. 4:38yarn, but no, we we don't want that. So,
120. 4:40this is how we're going to fix it. I
121. 4:42recommend to use a mattress stitch or an
122. 4:44invisible seam for your side seams,
123. 4:48which is going to make pretty much an
124. 4:49invisible join, which is ideal for our
125. 4:52piece. And always seam with the same
126. 4:54yarn that you have been using for your
127. 4:55crochet piece. Don't change the yarn or
128. 4:58the color or anything like that. And
129. 5:00that alone will change the whole look
130. 5:02and vibe of your project and make it
131. 5:05dramatically more polished. Mistake
132. 5:07number four is ends that are just tucked
133. 5:10in loosely instead of properly woven,
134. 5:13which means your ends are going to stick
135. 5:15out more and more over time or even
136. 5:17worse, your piece will unravel and fall
137. 5:20apart. So, why this happens is it it's
138. 5:23just a patience thing. Honestly, weaving
139. 5:25in ends is probably the worst part of
140. 5:27any project. It is so boring and it's
141. 5:29not even crochet. It's like sewing kind
142. 5:31of. So, it can get rushed. It can be
143. 5:33done like not the best sometimes. it can
144. 5:36be neglected. I mean, sometimes I'll
145. 5:39just weave it in through a couple
146. 5:40stitches [music] instead of doing what I
147. 5:42know should be more and more and more
148. 5:44and more. So, the way that I recommend
149. 5:46to fix this when you weave in your ends,
150. 5:49weave your ends in individually each end
151. 5:52at a time. You need to have at least at
152. 5:54least [music] like 2 to 3 in, maybe
153. 5:56more. And change directions. So, go this
154. 5:59way, then this way, then this way. So,
155. 6:01at least three times. And then trim
156. 6:04close, but not too close. and then give
157. 6:06it a little tug and then the end will
158. 6:08like kind of sit nicely for garments
159. 6:10specifically things that are getting
160. 6:12worn or getting stretched things that
161. 6:14are getting washed. This [music] step
162. 6:16matters way more than you think and it's
163. 6:19not a mistake you want to be making if
164. 6:22you spend so many hours on a project and
165. 6:24then it falls apart. It is absolutely
166. 6:26devastating. Don't skip this one.
167. 6:28Mistake number five is using whatever
168. 6:30yarn you have on hand instead of yarn
169. 6:33that's actually suited for a wearable
170. 6:36garment. Why it happens is that yarn can
171. 6:39be expensive and it is so tempting to
172. 6:42stash bust the yarn you already have. I
173. 6:44know and it's a good thing to do that
174. 6:46sometimes, but some fibers are just not
175. 6:49made for garments. And that's just the
176. 6:52truth of it. A scratchy, stiff acrylic
177. 6:55is going to feel awful and disgusting,
178. 6:57[music]
179. 6:58especially in summertime. And it could
180. 6:59be great to use for a blanket, honestly,
181. 7:02but it can make any garment look boxy
182. 7:05and just kind of cheap looking. I know
183. 7:08it's a hot take. And no matter how good
184. 7:10your stitches are or how good the
185. 7:12pattern is, if you use the wrong yarn,
186. 7:15it is going to look nasty and it's going
187. 7:18to be unwarable. So the way you can fix
188. 7:20this or avoid this is to match your
189. 7:22fiber to the function. Garments that are
190. 7:24going to be more drapey like tops or
191. 7:27cardigans, dresses, they need a yarn
192. 7:30that is going to allow drape. So cotton
193. 7:33blends, bamboo, sometimes a acrylic
194. 7:36blend is even fine. And any fiber yarn
195. 7:39that is like specifically designed for
196. 7:41garments. Before starting a new piece,
197. 7:44if you are unsure about the fiber you're
198. 7:46using, then make a gauge swatch and
199. 7:48literally drape it over your hand. And
200. 7:50if it just stays like a flat plate,
201. 7:53piece of paper, something flat, it's
202. 7:55[clears throat] going to be very, very
203. 7:56stiff. If it drapes over your hand, it
204. 7:58will be nice. This is my shirt. It's
205. 8:00very, very drapey. And I used cotton
206. 8:02yarn. So, try the drape test next time
207. 8:05you're unsure of the yarn you're using
208. 8:07and go from there. Mistake number six is
209. 8:09diving straight into a full garment
210. 8:12without checking that the fit is
211. 8:14actually going to work for your body
212. 8:16type. So, I know swatching can feel so
213. 8:19much like a chore and it is something
214. 8:21you just don't want to do when you're so
215. 8:23excited and you want to get straight
216. 8:25into your crochet piece. So, people tend
217. 8:27to skip it and go straight into the
218. 8:29pattern and kind of just hope for the
219. 8:31best. And [music] that can cause a piece
220. 8:34to be way too loose or way too tight,
221. 8:36just like too small, too big, that kind
222. 8:38of thing. Something that a lot of you
223. 8:41guys on Instagram said you struggle the
224. 8:43most with the fit of your crochet
225. 8:45clothing. Let me know in the comments if
226. 8:47that's something you guys struggle with
227. 8:48and I can make a video on it. What's
228. 8:50going to help a lot is making the gauge
229. 8:52and when you actually make a gauge
230. 8:53swatch to block that piece, see how it
231. 8:56reacts once it is dry. And it's an extra
232. 8:59step, but it's pretty necessary. You
233. 9:00don't have to actually swatch
234. 9:02everything, but for anything fitted, I
235. 9:05do highly recommend it. Anything like
236. 9:07with sleeves, just a fitted garment in
237. 9:09general, anything with shaping, just do
238. 9:12a 4x4 swatch. Measure your gauge against
239. 9:15the pattern. And if it is off, then you
240. 9:17can adjust your hook size before you
241. 9:20spend hours and weeks [music] and months
242. 9:23on this project that is not going to fit
243. 9:25you properly. And this single step
244. 9:28prevents most of the why does this look
245. 9:31so wrong moments. That's an important
246. 9:33one, guys. Mistake number seven. This is
247. 9:35the one that I was telling you guys you
248. 9:36don't want to miss because it has
249. 9:38genuinely changed and shifted the way my
250. 9:40pieces turn out. Is following a
251. 9:42pattern's exact instructions without
252. 9:45adjusting it to your body. So, I know
253. 9:48you're probably thinking, "What do you
254. 9:50mean like a pattern is written? I need
255. 9:52to follow the instructions." Yes.
256. 9:54However, the person who made the pattern
257. 9:56is most likely not going to look the
258. 9:58same as you. We all look different. So,
259. 10:00adjusting a pattern in certain parts to
260. 10:02fit you and your body type specifically
261. 10:05is going to make a massive difference.
262. 10:07So, it is normal for anyone to crochet a
263. 10:10pattern exactly because that is what a
264. 10:12pattern is for. And even if a piece
265. 10:14doesn't quite fit you properly, you
266. 10:16think, "What did I do wrong? I followed
267. 10:18the pattern exactly." So what you want
268. 10:20to do is take your measurements before
269. 10:22you start any project, any pattern. So
270. 10:24like your bust, your torso, your length
271. 10:26of your arms, the length of your
272. 10:29shoulders, and not just the size label,
273. 10:32not just a a medium, large, extra large.
274. 10:35D no, no, no, no, no. And you can adjust
275. 10:37the length of rows for you specifically.
276. 10:40Don't be afraid to add or subtract
277. 10:43stitches or width. And this is going to
278. 10:45be the difference between a garment that
279. 10:47looks like it was made for you versus
280. 10:50one that looks like it was made for
281. 10:52someone else and you're just wearing it.
282. 10:53Mistake number eight is rushing all of
283. 10:57those tiny finishing details like button
284. 11:00bands, edging, because you are 95% done
285. 11:03and just want to be finished. And the
286. 11:05reason this happens is because by the
287. 11:07time you get to the finishing details,
288. 11:10you have pretty much put in all of the
289. 11:12work that you need to do. So the
290. 11:14excitement to where your finished piece
291. 11:16is is there and it makes those small
292. 11:18steps seem unnecessary. So the way that
293. 11:21we can fix this is literally by adding a
294. 11:25single row of single crochets for the
295. 11:27edging of our pieces. That is always
296. 11:29going to make it so much more crispier,
297. 11:32so much more neater and polished around
298. 11:34neck lines, hems, and it will instantly
299. 11:36clean up and give it that polished
300. 11:38finished look. It honestly doesn't add
301. 11:40that much time to your project, but the
302. 11:43visual difference [music] as is
303. 11:45everything. It's huge. Mistake number
304. 11:47nine is not taking any photos during
305. 11:50your process or taking bad photos of
306. 11:53your process. This isn't even a crochet
307. 11:56mistake. [music] It's literally a
308. 11:57presentation mistake. So, if you make
309. 11:59something that is genuinely so
310. 12:02well-made, a piece can look very
311. 12:04homemade with bad lighting and bad
312. 12:06photos. If it is wrinkled, if the angle
313. 12:09is weird, like if it's on a hanger or
314. 12:11something, you know, it could be a
315. 12:13couture piece, but with a really bad
316. 12:15photo, it will just look nasty. I know
317. 12:18we want to share a picture of our
318. 12:20finished piece straight away, but
319. 12:22waiting for good lighting and to style
320. 12:25it is going to make a huge difference
321. 12:27and not make it look like a bit of an
322. 12:28afterthought. Especially if you are
323. 12:30posting photos on Instagram, anything
324. 12:32like that, or selling your pieces, I
325. 12:35recommend steaming your piece
326. 12:37beforehand. Make sure there's no
327. 12:39wrinkles and to use natural lighting.
328. 12:41And I always recommend putting your
329. 12:43pieces on yourself on a model or a
330. 12:46mannequin instead of being just flat
331. 12:49because a piece will look so different
332. 12:50on than off. And it will change how
333. 12:53every piece you make is perceived, even
334. 12:56old projects. So, those were all nine
335. 12:59mistakes. And honestly, if you fix just
336. 13:01like the first two or the first three,
337. 13:04you'll make a massive change, a massive
338. 13:07improvement in how your pieces turn
339. 13:09[music] out. The top I'm wearing right
340. 13:11now uses every single one of these
341. 13:13things I've talked about, the blocking,
342. 13:15the seams, the single crochet edge,
343. 13:18adjusting my measurements. If you want
344. 13:20to make this exact top, I'll have the
345. 13:22pattern linked, as well as all of my
346. 13:24other crochet patterns. Let me know in
347. 13:26the comments which of these nine
348. 13:27mistakes you are most guilty of. I'll go
349. 13:30first. I am guilty of not blocking every
350. 13:32single one of my pieces. I still skip it
351. 13:35more than I should. I admit it. Thank
352. 13:37you guys so much for watching and
353. 13:39sticking around with me today. If you
354. 13:40enjoyed the video, please leave a like.
355. 13:42Please subscribe for future videos. I
356. 13:45love to share tips and tricks about
357. 13:47crocheting on my channel. I hope you
358. 13:48have an awesome rest of your day or
359. 13:50night. I'll see you in the next video.
360. 13:52Bye.