Questions on Crocheting

[Jean Marie]

When I get to the end of a piece of yarn and I'm ready to start a new piece of yarn I usually crochet over the old piece of yarn. Sometimes I have a couple ends of yarn that I have to weave through. But now I'm towards the last few rows and I tied the yarn together so I would have a longer piece of yarn without going into another skein. But then it's harder to pull out the yarn(when you find you made a mistake) when you have a knot. Would you tie the ends together? It' softer if you don't tie a knot. I think I might have enough yarn for one more row without going into another skein. I'm crocheting a baby blanket. The pattern says to chain 112 and the finished size is 38x48. Since the blanket was at an angle on one side, I added (or crocheted) to try to make it so it's not at an angle and I did a slip stitch to attach the piece to the blanket and then I also decreased some stitches on the side where the blanket comes together so I wouldn't have to piece it together. Now I'm continuing to crochet the rows. It's about 27 & a 1/2 x 42 to 45. The blanket is white and when I'm finished I'm putting a dark blue edge on it. I hope I have enough of the dark blue yarn. There's only 1 row of edging. Do I have to wet the blanket so I can shape it and then let it dry. Is that called blocking? Do I get the blanket wet before or after I put the edging on?

[Dustygirl]

I would do the blocking After it is done.

[MsBhaven]

you might want to try the russian join to join your yarns and block it after you are finished

[Anaisa]

Yes block when completely done; the Russian join is good; but what I don't understand is the slant; was that you or the pattern wanting that?

[grandmajenny]

Have you tried the Russian join? I love it, and heard about it here. I am curious also as to why you have a slant on one side of your blanket, was it the way the pattern wanted it? or are you doing a tunisian stitch or some other stitch that made it slant? As far as the blocking I would wet and block it before I put the edge on. I know I am differing from the others and everyone has their own way.

[Jean Marie]

No, the blanket wasn't supposed to be slanted on one side. Thanks, I should try that Russian join sometime but as of now I already knotted the yarn together so I had a longer piece of yarn and I crocheted it. I have a little bit of yarn left without going into another skein, not enough for another row. I have 66 rows now. I'm going to end that yarn and start on the edging. I have never blocked before. Someone said I might have forgotten a stitch and someone else said I could have also added a stitch but when I get to the end of a row I have a tendency to pull the product(or blanket or whatever I'm working on)while I'm crocheting the last few stitches on the row.

[Jean Marie]

Anaisa, I looked at your profile and see that you do engine work. What kind of engine work do you do?

[Anaisa]

Hey, Jean Marie, I've worked along side my husband as he has pulled out the engine in our 92 ford f 350 diesel and rebuilt it; he has done the transmission and all engine work. I would like to build a jeep from the ground up; or a early 70's bronco.

As for the slant I would think you missed a stitch; I used to do that; what helps me is just in the first couple of rows, I count and recount even use markers to make sure I get the very last stitch. Working w/ thread can be hard to see if I've missed the stitch so no worries, it appears you got it under control. Would love to see it when you are done. Happy crocheting.

[Jean Marie]

I googled how to block and found a few different ways to block. After pinning it, you can use a spray bottle with clear water or wet your item in the sink or you might be able to lightly iron your product if it's a cotton yarn, you'd have to read the instructions on the label-whether or not you can put the iron directly on the product, but don't press the iron down-iron lightly. You can also put a towel or something over your product before you iron but again-don't press down on the iron-iron lightly.