I got my first summon for jury duty! How exciting!!! Alright maybe it’s not that exciting, but at least now I can join the club of people that got one, plus I get a lot of down time to do you know what…crochet! Everyone that I’ve talked to says it’s just so boring. But I’m still excited because I’ve never done it before. Plus I have a thing for crime shows and it might be cool to sit in a court room and listen to an interesting case.

Let me know what it’s like if you’ve had your turn at jury duty!

Inspired by my early Teddy Bear Coaster crochet pattern, 5 more friends were born! Meet the bunny rabbit, dog, duck, elephant and turtle. All are friendly as can be and are more than willing to hold your cup so that your table doesn’t get messy. Crochet them for kids to love and also for the adults who cannot deny how cute they truly are. This pattern set is now available in the Crochet Spot Store (free to download for all Premium Pattern Members).

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 4″ (10 cm) diameter

Main Materials: Medium Weight Yarn (small amount of each color) Crochet Hook F (3.75 mm)

By purchasing this pattern, you will be helping to fund Crochet Spot in making all the tutorials and patterns that you enjoy on this site. Thanks in advance for all your support!! Visit the Crochet Spot Store to purchase or become a Premium Pattern Member.

If you need help crocheting these adorable coasters, let me know and I’ll be glad to help!

Back post double crochet is very similar to front post double crochet. The only different is the way you insert your hook. If you already know how to do front post double crochet, then this going to be a piece of cake! If you don’t already know how, then visit the “How to Crochet: Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc)” before attempting this tutorial.

Here is what you do:

Yarn over just like you will do if you were making a double crochet

Insert your hook through the back of your work, across the front of the indicated stitch, then through your work again, such that the hook is at the back of your work again. It will look like this from the front:

Now finish your double crochet as you normally would: yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on your hook, yarn over, pull through the final 2 loops on your hook.

Still need help? Let me know!

Are you ready to start making texture in your crochet work? If so, then lets get stared with the basics! Front post double crochet is also known as front raised double crochet. Front post can be done using many stitches, but for this tutorial we will focus on the popular double crochet stitch. You will need to know the basics of crocheting before attempting this tutorial. Visit the Crochet Tutorials Section for more help.

The only thing that is different in a front post double crochet compared to a regular double crochet is the location you insert your hook to make your stitch.

This tutorial is for both right and left handed people. For left handed pictures, roll your mouse over the image and it will change for you.

To make a front post double crochet, follow the instructions below:

Yarn over (wrap the yarn around your hook)

The circular flower coaster is great to make if you need a quick gift for a friend or a fast solution to decorate your home. This dainty flower pattern is made with three colors to give it a different look no matter what colors you choose. Since this is a small project, feel free to you use scrap yarn! Skill Level: Finished Size: 4″ (10 cm) in diameter

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Does it matter if it’s winter or summer? To me I crochet whenever I want, no matter what the season or weather may be. The other day I was at the craft store buying some yarn and the lady at the cash register looked at me like I was crazy, asking me what I was doing with all that yarn in the middle of the summer. Don’t people crochet and knit in the summer too? Or maybe because the weather is nice and no one wants to sit around crocheting when they can be outside swimming in a pool. But if you’re a real hardcore crocheter you’d be the one who crochets on the beach! I mean you can crochet and enjoy the weather at the same time.

Plus, if you’re like me and get cold very easily, all that air conditioning blowing in the summer just says, “Rachel! Rachel!! Go get some yarn to keep you warm.”

So what about you? Do you crochet less in the summer or are you one of those hardcore crocheters?

I’m asked this all the time and yes, gauge is important in crochet and knitting alike. So what is a gauge? A gauge is a small swatch of work, typically made up of a small piece of the pattern or a stitch that is used in the pattern. The purpose of making a gauge is to ensure that the tension and size of your stitches match the designer’s. This way your finished item will be the same size as the size indicated in the pattern.

How do you make a gauge swatch?
In all of my patterns, there are pattern instructions for you to follow to make your gauge. Some patterns will tell you to repeat certain rows in the pattern. After creating your gauge swatch, be sure that the finished size is the same as dimensions indicated for the gauge. If you find that your swatch is too big or too small, try using a smaller or bigger sized hook.

Is gauge really important?
Sometimes. Depending on what you’re making, you might not care if your work turns out the proper size. I don’t care if my refrigerator magnet turns out a little too big, but if I’m making a sweater, it better fit me. It’s up to you to determine when you think it’s important, but when in doubt make the gauge anyway.

Do you always make gauge swatches or are you guilt of skipping it?

Today I went to my local yarn shop (LYS) and I saw some of the most amazing yarns! I’ve always wanted to crochet with mohair, alpaca, bamboo and all those other fancy yarns. But I just couldn’t buy anything at the local yarn shop. After all why would I buy 1 skein of yarn for $65 when I can go to the craft store and get one for $3. Granted that the $65 skein was very pretty, but hey, I’m frugal and I admit it.

The most I’ve ever spend for yarn was $5 for a small skein of %100 wool (I wanted to felt). What about you? How much do you spend on yarn?

If you are new to crocheting, one of the toughest things to master is making consistent stitches in your work. If you’ve ever tried making a square and it ended up not so square, then you know what I’m talking about!

Here are some crocheting tips to establish consistent crochet work:

1. Count, count, count! It is really important to count the stitches in a row or round so that you know you aren’t adding or missing stitches by accident. You can also use stitch markers to help you count.

2. Slide loops back. When you put “loops” on your hook, be sure to slide them back to the part of the hook that is leveled. The edge where the hook is, is normally skinnier than the rest of the hook. Pushing the loops back to the leveled part of the hook will ensure that all the stitches you make will consistently be the same size and have the same tension.

3. Not too tight or loose. Make sure that the loops on you hook aren’t too tight or too loose. It should be loose enough so that it is easy for you to slip your hook in and out of loops. It should be tight enough such that the loops are securely wrapped around the leveled surface of the hook.

4. Know how long to make your turning chain. As a rule of thumb you make 1 chain for single crochets, 2 for half double crochet, 3 for double crochet, and so on. This will ensure that the beginning of your new row/round will be the same height as the rest of the row/round.

5. Use different hook sizes. Sometimes you may find that your foundation chain is much tighter than the rest of your work. Try using a larger sized hook for the foundation chain or for the adventurous try the foundation single crochet (can be altered for other crochet stitches too).

6. Practice. Practice makes perfect, as the old saying goes. Sometimes the best way to learn is from doing, no matter how long you end up doing it for.

7. Crocheting should be relaxing and fun. No brute force needed. If you notice you’re pushing and pulling your hook with a lot of strength, then there’s probably something wrong.

Do you have a crochet tip to add?