Crocheting tiny pieces—how do you hold them?

Hi everyone,

this might sound funny... but when I have to crochet small parts (like the arms and legs of little guardian angels, for example), I have such a hard time with it because I don’t know how to hold them ^^. I’m assuming you guys fumble around with this too... but maybe there’s a tip out there after all. And when there’s a row counter hanging off it that’s always in the way, I get really nervous *laughs*. Maybe if you tell me now that you have the same problem, I’ll feel better and just have to go through it four times each time :-D

Kind regards

Nadine

Haha, I ask myself that question all the time, too. I can only hold onto it with a lot of difficulty… and I don’t have a good solution.

Hi Nadine,

you probably won’t be able to avoid that “fiddling around.” You can’t attach it anywhere since the piece is always moving, so the only option is to hold on to it. Instead of a row counter, we use a simple thread—it takes up less space. Especially for the arms and legs of the little guardian angels, you don’t really need any markers, since there are so few stitches and rounds. Just count the stitches in each round and make a mark on your piece of paper for each round—that way, you’ll save yourself the trouble of using markers and won’t have to hold on to it as much.

Best wishes, Mario

Hello Nadine,

I found the following free pattern. Maybe you'll find the information you need there.

Mini Black Pinguin - Anhänger FreE-Book 

Best regards
Alexander

It does get very fiddly with small crochet projects, that’s true, but I do it just like Mario (Haekelkeks). I just count the stitches and make tally marks, or note which row I’m on.

Good morning, everyone!

Thanks for your advice. Well, I probably can’t avoid fiddling with it :D But I’ve been crocheting a little more loosely now. I have to say, I’m not a complete beginner, but I’m no pro either, so I need that stitch marker ;-) I also count every single stitch in my head and check off each round on my photocopy… and if I get distracted, I get confused and can’t remember where I started (that’s why I use the marker). I also tried using a thread, but it always gets in the way ^^ But so far, it’s worked out pretty well. Now that I know I’m not the only one who does this—that’s already helped :D I’ll get used to the calluses I’m growing on my fingers soon enough *ggg*

How about using a nice pair of tweezers with rounded tips so you don’t damage your crochet work?
In this situation, having three hands would be helpful, since one hand has to hold the yarn.
Anyone who’s been doing handicrafts for many years will surely be able to manage the tweezers and yarn with one hand while the other hand operates the crochet hook. :-)

The banana I crocheted for the Minion egg cozies ( 6-lustige-minion-eierwaermer-handpuppen-spielpuppen-haekeln-pdf-anleitung ) was also very tricky, since I started crocheting in the round with 4 stitches, so a bit of patience was needed. I also tried sticking another crochet hook (or a pen) into the small starting piece to keep that first round in shape and make it easier to see the spots where I wanted to work the next stitches....
Admittedly, the beginning was difficult, but I also “carried along” a thread in a different color as a starting marker from row to row AND counted stitches. It worked well.
TIP: Once the banana had reached a certain size, I filled it with a little stuffing and then just held it loosely while crocheting. That worked very well and might also be a good tip for other crochet projects. The stuffing (or something similar) can, if it isn’t actually needed for the piece, simply be removed again shortly before finishing the small part!
Well — every beginning is hard .... and that’s especially true for things like this, but here too: practice makes perfect!
;-)

Have fun and good luck!
Angela

My little guardian angel is finished :-D I’m sooo proud… it’s going to be a Christmas gift… the picture is in the gallery… a pink “Breast Cancer Awareness” guardian angel :-)

Oh, and… the tip about the stuffing is a good one :-)
And crochet more loosely ;-)

Your little angel turned out so beautiful!