3 tips for better crochet afghans

When you're done, washed your crochet afghans in soapy, cold water

NEVER wring or scrub, however.

This will get any color of the afghan that may bleed out in a wash out as oon as possible, and allow all the material to set.

Rinse in a separate set of water, and lay flat to dry.

DO NOT hang dry - this will cause the crochet afghans to lose shape as it stretches the fabric.

Let safety pins keep your place

It's easy to lose your stitch count in your crochet afghans - especially if you have small children or other interruptions!

I keep a set of safety pins nearby, and every ten stitches I place one in.

When counting rows, all I need to do is count the number of safety pins, multiply by 10 and add any extra stitches to get the total stitch count.

This is also helpful for keeping place and count - as interruptions do come up quite often, you can always know where you are.

Wind your yarn gently

Winding yarn is both an art and a science. Keep a gentle pressure on when you're in the process of winding yarn into a ball - this will ensure that when you're crocheting, your ball won't fall apart or become too thin.

Crochet Afghans are great for keeping yourself warm or gifts for others - and a great hobby to get into!