Crochet Beginner Questions

Dear users, dear authors,
Are there any crochet beginners here? If so, do you have any questions right now?
Then this is the thread for you.

@Experts and advanced crocheters,
it would be great if you could answer any questions.
Thank you.

Hello to all crochet pros!

For my current crochet project, I have to work with a lot of stitch markers. I have plenty of safety pins at home and use them for marking, but I see in most crochet videos that special plastic stitch markers are used. So here’s my question: Do plastic stitch markers have any advantages over safety pins?

Best regards
Inna

Hi Inna.
I use these plastic markers. One clear advantage is that you can’t prick yourself and draw blood with them—or possibly get your work dirty. And they don’t snag on the yarn. I really enjoy working with them. They’re also quite affordable.
Best regards, Julia

Dear Inna,
the plastic stitch markers are okay, but I often find them too thick. In my opinion, the best stitch markers are still homemade loops (just tie a knot) made of cotton in a contrasting color. But that’s really a matter of personal preference.
Best regards from Steffi

Hi....
I often use strands of yarn, usually colorful ones. One color for the start of the round and a second for the repeats... I’m not a big fan of the plastic ones—they break pretty quickly if you have to open them often. They’re great for knitting, though, since you just slip them onto the other needle...
Best, Steffi 

Hi Inna

I also prefer homemade loops, just like Steffi.

With the plastic ones, I often get caught, and I also have some that sometimes slip out. That doesn’t happen with the loops.

Best regards, Marion

I’m such a slow crocheter that I probably won’t end up pricking myself bloody anytime soon, but I find it too fiddly to keep moving the safety pins around. It kind of bothers me that, on top of my already very slow pace, I also have to keep interrupting myself to move them. I need to take a closer look at the colorful yarn now; the way I imagine it, it’s very fiddly, but I’m probably picturing it wrong. But I don’t think the plastic markers would be a better alternative to safety pins for me, so I can cross that option off already.

Thank you all so much!

Dear Inna,
The thing with the yarn is really simple: cut off about 15 cm of yarn and, while crocheting, just place it in front of the stitch you want to mark.
  Then you can either simply place the yarn one level higher in the next round—which also gives you a better overview of how many rows you’ve already crocheted—or you can remove the yarn round by round and place it back over your crochet work.... So the yarn lies between the stitches....
Without having to interrupt your work much... 

I do it exactly the same way as Steffi. It’s quick and easy!

I bought some stitch markers once, but I actually only use them for knitting.
For crochet projects, I always use threads in a contrasting color as markers. You just shouldn’t leave the threads too short, otherwise they can sometimes get pulled out.

@Steffi, Ruth, Petra,

That's right!
Laying in the yarn really does work wonderfully, and I can do it left-handed/with one hand, so it isn't really an interruption.
Thank you all, now it's going a bit faster :-).

Best regards, Inna



This is roughly what it looks like with the contrast yarn

@Nadeleule,

yes, this method is the absolute best so far. Most of all: I'm currently trying to crochet a little pocket into a crocheted figure, where I can later put a music box mechanism, because I don't want to crochet the mechanism in. The thread now not only shows me where I switch from the model to the little pocket, but also marks the closing edge of this little pocket for me for later. So it's a double benefit, so to speak. Really great, this works!

Well, then this is perfect for you!

That’s right :-)