MoEZ Hints, Help and Links
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     Most of the information on this page came from Brenda in AZ who gathered it from different online sources and she tried to give credit to the original source whenever possible. Thank you, Brenda, for sharing the information with me! *S* Hopefully, I can be adding more information to this page as time goes on. If you have any tips that you would like to share and have on this page, please e-mail me and I will be glad to add it to this page ASAP.

Avoiding Holes

To avoid a hole when you change colors: (2 ways)

1. Pick up the new color from underneath the one you are about to drop.

OR
2. Drop the color you are working with OVER the color you are about to pick up. (This is the same thing but sometimes people find this easier to do.)

     By picking up your new color underneath on the return row, you won't have the large hole. Hope this helps. -- Val

Bobbins
( also read organizing )

Drinking Straw Bobbins

     "Just get a drinking straw. I get the big thick ones from Jack in the Box (for milkshakes?) and cut them in half. Then wrap the yarn around the middle a couple times to anchor it, then continue in a figure 8. That for me is clockwise around the top, holding the straw in the middle, and down counterclockwise around the bottom crossing where I'm holding the straw. Rotate the straw a quarter turn every five wraps or so to avoid the big bump where it crosses. Figure out how much of that color you want (gauge and number of stitches for the color), wind that much, thread the yarn down through the straw, and work with the end that comes out. A yarn needle helps it go down through the straw. Oboy! That reads funny, but I just tried it following instructions and it actually worked! Try it and see, then ask questions if I can help any more." -- Brenda in AZ

     I use those little perm rollers the smallest ones with the rubber stretch band, it's amazing how much yarn they hold, when you finish with a colour you wind it up close to the work and it doesn't tangle also holds well. Best thing is the price I paid $1.95 A for a pkt. 10 -- Patricia 

     I tried the bobbins and they would get hung up on each other and then I tried the little bags and they would get tangled together so what I finally done was..I bought this 24 compartment tackle box thing...it's about 3" tall (I bought it in the sporting goods section at Walmart for 3.95....there was one in the craft section that was a lot smaller and it cost about 8.95!!) and has these dividers that you slide in to form the compartments...then I just drilled me a hole in the lid over each compartment....then I just put my little balls of yarn in each compartment and it feeds out thru the hole!! Works pretty good and I can sit with my box in my lap and get to all my little balls of yarn!! Works real good in the truck while we're traveling !!-- Phyllis 

Borders/Edgings
( also read curling )

Edging #1:

The edgings are real easy. I got the idea from Jacqui.

Row 1: Sc all around with 3 sc in 3 each corner.

Row 2: Sl st to middle of 3 sc in corner, ch 2, 2dc in same space, sk 2 st, 3 dc in next st all around with 3 dc ,ch 1, 3 dc in each corner.

Row 3: Repeat Row 2.

Depending on my mood and how the ghan looks, I continue repeating row 2 until I think it is okay. Sometimes just once or twice. I also change colors doing this. Then the last row in just a sc in each st and ch 1 in the corner all around. -- ???

Border #1:

The border is just a couple of single crochet and on the last row I chain 6 single crochet in the next chain 6 and so on. Then I go back and go in my chain 6 and hook them all together to make it look like a braid. The corners I did ch 6, sc, ch 6 so you have two loops in the corner. It's just something I made up. It's a couple of single crochet rows and the next round is a reversed cross stitch.

Reversed Cross Stitch: Skip next st, dc in next st, working around dc just made, dc in skipped st, and so on. -- ???

Chapped Fingers/Hands

Chapped fingers/hands:

1. Vaseline very good. Try greasing your hands up real well then putting a pair of cotton socks over them while you sleep. Another GREAT item is 'Bag Balm.' You can buy it at feed stores (eg: Southern States) and it's wonderful! -- Trish
2. Cornhuskers lotion when you go to bed at night. -- Mrs. Claws

Curling

To avoid curling: (2 ways)

1. 2 rows of the purl really work to keep it from curling!!!! One row curls a little but the 2 rows keeps it flat. Of course, at the end of your project you should use 2 rows of the purl to make it look even. -- Evelyn in Ky
2. Alternate the purl and basic stitch for two rows (one purl stitch, one basic stitch, one purl stitch, one basic stitch, etc.) -- ??
3. To keep mine from curling, I cast on (as in knitting) and take off in the usual manner, then the next row, I knit the stitches onto the hook and remove in the usual manner, then on the third row, I do the afghan stitch for the rest of the piece and the bottom does not curl, and has a nice finished edge. Just remember to knit the last row as you pick up the stitches for the last row and take off in the usual manner. Works every time. -- Jeanne Springer
4. For those of you with the curling woes.......On the attached pic I used the black hook. Do you see the black, gold, black "edging"? THAT was worked into the graph (pattern). I did one purl, one knit, one purl, one knit ALLLLLL the way across for the WHOLE "edge." On the side "edge" I continued the pattern (one purl, one knit. one purl, one knit). From the bottom edge to the white, there are 6 rows (one row black, two rows gold, three rows black). Then on the sides, there is one stitch black, 2 stitches gold, and 3 stitches black. As you can see doing it this way did two things: 1) took out ALL the curl 2) it puts an "instant" edge all around so you don't have to go back and PUT one on. Hope this helps someone! Blessings -- Angie

Dealing With Ends

How to get ends to stay put after tucking in:
Use fabric glue -- ???

     For weaving in the ends, I found the best way for me is with a yarn needle. I just go back and forth about 2 or 3 times through the strands trying to keep with the same colors. So far it has held up. I have tried with the crochet hook and it did not hold as well.-- Linda from NY 

Faces

Faces:

1. I haven't tried doing anything on pcstitch, but from art lessons I took ages ago, if you are doing a face, it should always start as an egg or oval shape. Then imagine it cut in 1/3rds from the top down, the lip line starts at the bottom third, the nose (nostrils) begin at the middle 3rd and the middle of the eyes will begin at the top third. The eyebrows will always have the epoc or top of the curve at the iris part of the eye, and the outside of the nostrils will be where the inside of the eye socket starts. These are constants. If you widen the face, you will widen the eyes and the nostrils on the outside will, naturally follow along and widen. If you make the head longer, the base of the nose will elongate, but the nostrils will always be where the eye sockets are, and the arch of the eyebrow will be where the middle of the eye is. Then you can always proceed from there to make a round face, a narrow face, etc. Start with these basics for any face, you can even start with them to make any number of animal faces, just begin with these basics, and then elaborate on them for any face, animal or human. Any questions? -- Cis

Gauge

Gauge:
Since gauge is a very personal thing, even changes on different days for some people, we need to get in the habit of testing our own. Just take the hook and yarn you will use in your project, put on about 20 stitches and make 20 rows (numbers arbitrary here) then measure. It's nice to pull it out and measure yarn, too, so you know how much yarn for each stitch before you wind bobbins or cut from skein for those little color patches. ...my 2¢...Enjoy! -- Brenda in AZ saguaroaz@qwest.net

Graphs

How to read a graph:

Keeping your place on a graph:

1. Make a COPY of the pattern, if you think you will ever want to use it again. Then, on the copy, when you finish a row, LIGHTLY pencil in (gray out) THAT row. You will still be able to see the color through the light pencil markings, yet, it will give you a visual aid as to where you left off. -- Angie in Texas
2. First, take it to Kinkos and have it enlarged (easier on the eyes) and copied in full color. Then laminate so you can mark off rows as you go and remove the marks when you're done and still have a nice clean pattern to use later. -- nancy
3. I make a copy of my graph and then put it on one of those metal boards with a magnetic line magnifier on it. The magnifier is clear and has a red line in the middle so you can see the line you are on, the one before and the one after. It helps to keep you on track by not covering the previous one. I put the strip magnets below it and that keeps it from shifting just in case it gets jostled. ; ) -- Val
4. Insert the pattern you are working from in a plastic sheet protector and use a dry erase marker to mark off the rows completed. 

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Created by Cheryl (a.k.a. "Cinnaminn") as of 11 July 2002.
Updated as of 7 Aug. 2002.