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	MoEZ FAQs & Tips (continued from previous page)

Casting On

How can I get the afghan stitches on my hook?/My stitches just aren't looking right!?!?!:

1. Try using the Double Method or Continental Method of casting on as shown on this page from DnT Inc. There is an animated graphic that will show you how to do the casting on and another graph that shows you how to make the beginning loop. -- ?????
2. Another method to get the stitches on the hook - casting on - may be of help to you. It is one that I use and find quite easy. You do not have to worry about tail lengths and it is basically just a chain stitch.
   
   
   1. Take your large Moez hook and put one chain on it.
   2. Get a standard crochet hook.
   3. Put the standard hook through the loop on the Moez hook. Both hooks should be pointing in the same direction.
   4. Use the standard hook to make a chain one, so you should have a loop hanging off of the Moez hook.
   5. Stretch the loop out large and have it go over the Moez hook.
   6. Tighten it to the tension you want. It should be loose and slide easily on the hook.
   7. Stick the standard crochet hook into the loop you just made. The second one on the hook and repeat - make a chain using the standard crochet hook, expand it out, pull over the top of the Moez hook, and select the tension you want.
   8. Continue until you have the desired number of loops.
        When you are adjusting your tension, make sure that the distance between loops is the same as the height of the loop. If you do this, your stitches will be square.
   Example:
   loop = O
   bottom straight part of stitch (distance between loops) = _
   
   O_O_O_O_O_O these form three sides of your stitch. O_O
   make sure your O is the same length as your _
   clear??
   When you take the stitches off in part two, you put the top on the stitch. If your stitch is square when you do part two - (taking the stitches off) your afghan will be square. You do not have to even do a swatch. One row will tell you. You can do a swatch for practice though. -- Lauren
3. If the stitches seem too far apart to you (which they shouldn't be with this method) and if you have a size smaller hook - if you are making your ghan with the red hook, try doing the chain and first row with the black hook. It might just be that you are not used to seeing the fabric these hooks make, and they will seem too far apart or too loose, but do some practice squares, just like 20 x 20 and you will see how they come together. -- Cis (wizardess13 - S. Philly)

Changing/Adding Colors
( also read Bobs/Bobbins & Tangles )

How do I change/add colors/yarn?:

1. When you are adding a color, you drop the color you are using to the back of your work, don't cut it, just let it hang there. What I do is get the next color, pull it through the next loop, then I tie it with a square knot to the yarn I had just dropped. Keep using that color as long as you need it, then drop it to the back when you are done with it, and tie on the next color you need. You do not cut any colors until you are done with the color in that section. Then cut it and leave a tail to weave in later.-- Wild Di
2. Most importantly is that when you are on the return row after adding the colors. As soon as you get to the next 2 loops on the hook that are of different colors, Pick up the color of the loop on the right and be sure to pick it up under the color that you are about to drop. If you don't pick it up under the the other color you will have a rather large hole in your work. -- Val
3. For adding new yarn, try the Russian method of joining which is a method of joining two pieces of yarn in mid-work. Here are 3 links to web sites that explain more about the Russian Joining and both offer photos to show the steps: Russian Joining by Knitting Any Way
   Russian Joining by HappyGhan
   Russian Joining by Auntie M.
4. Most people work the colors in as they stitch, changing colors as they make the afghan. There was a link that was posted on how to change colors which was really helpful: Changing Colors from Knitting-and.com-- Chelle
5. For more help in changing colors, please take a look at my tutorials page. -- Cheryl

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

Keeping tangles down while changing colors:

1.      Here is a tip to keep the tangles down, when you are putting the loops on there is no tangling, it is taking them off that they tangle. If you are picking up a new color, you go over the top of the one you are about to pick up (another way of looking at this is you pick up your new color underneath the one you are dropping, it means the same thing). Anyway, when you pass the color over the new one, continue around the yarn with 180 degree revolution. So it would be 1) over 2) continue around to the side you just came from and drop it. This puts it back at the location you just came from and untangles it at the same time. It takes a little more finesse to do it this way but if you can do it the other way, it is easy. No more untangling after the fact. If you don't do it this way then be sure to untangle at the end of the row taking off, it will go alot faster than cutting and knotting later because you have such a mess.
        TIP: Complete revolution around the new color being picked up and set the old color down where you started from. Hope this helps. -- Val
2. You know what I have done for my changing colors..... you're not going to believe this. My husband didn't.....I took a brown paper bag and layed the yarn in there and then poke a hole where each one started....and I just carry it around with me.....it works great..... I will probably get a new bag each time but I love it.....and it works great. No problems yet. -- Kelly

Heart Square Practice Pattern:
     Here is the heart square I wrote out to practice color changes. Make sure you can do the afghan stitch in one color before you try color changes. Our expert from down under has made a few improvements, so here is the correct pattern for the heart square. Sorry for any confusion. ;-) -- Wild Di
I used white and pink.
W = white P = pink

Chain 26 with White.
Row 1: 25W
Row 2: 1W, 1P, 1W, 1P, continue to alternate colors all across, end with 1W.
Row 3: 25W
Row 4: 1W,1P,1W,19P,1W,1P,1W
Row 5: 3W,1P,17W,1P,3W
Row 6: 1W,1P,1W.1P,17W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 7: 3W,1P,8W,1P,8W,1P,3W
Row 8: 1W,1P,1W,1P,7W,3P,7W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 9: 3W,1P,6W,5P,6W,1P,3W
Row 10: 1W,1P,1W,1P,5W,7P,5W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 11: 3W,1P,4W,9P,4W,1P,3W
Row 12: 1W,1P,1W,1P,3W,11P,3W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 13: 3W,1P,2W,13P,2W,1P,3W
Row 14: 1W,1P,1W,1P,1W,15P,1W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 15: 3W,1P,1W,15P,1W,1P,3W
Row 16: 1W,1P,1W,1P,1W,15P,1W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 17: 3W,1P,1W,15P,1W,1P,3W
Row 18: 1W,1P,1W,1P,2W,5P,3W,5P,2W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 19: 3W,1P,3W,3P,5W,3P,3W,1P,3W
Row 20: 1W,1P,1W,1P,17W,1P,1W,1P,1W
Row 21: 3W,1P,17W,1P,3W
Row 22: 1W,1P,1W,19P,1W,1P,1W
Row 23: 25W
Row 24: 1W, 1P, 1W, 1P, all across, end with 1W
Row 25: 25W, bind off row.

For the rest of the card patterns, please go here:

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
3. Take oil (any kind, olive, vegetable, baby, massage, etc.) and mix it with either salt or sugar until you have a thick paste. Scoop some up and massage it into your hands, especially around cuticles. Rinse off the granular stuff. If you've used baby oil, you don't have to wash your hands. With other oils, wash your hands. They will be soft and smooth with no rough skin flags to catch on yarn or delicate fabrics. Works great on feet, too. -- Becky

Craft Abbreviations For Online Chats/Groups

Some Abbreviations:

NOTE:  These may be in all capital letters or in all lower case letters or a combination of them and may be preceded and/or followed by symbols such as an asterisk (*), tilde (~), less/greater than (</>), brackets ( [ / ] ), etc. Please remember that in some chats/groups, typing (talking online) in complete sentences in all capital letters may be considered the same as shouting/yelling/hollering would in real life and it's not considered as proper netiquette to do so (unless you're really upset, that is). If you're in a hurry, please use all lower case letters instead of all caps unless you want to be viewed as shouting.

AA = Annie's Attic
AS = Acquisition Syndrome
ASN = American School of Needlework
BAS = Book Acquisition Syndrome
BF = Boy/Best Friend
BHG = Better Homes and Gardens
BIL = Brother-In-Law
BTW = By The Way
CC or C&C= Coats & Clark
CGOA = Crochet Guild Of America
CP = Crochet Partners
CYCA = Craft Yarn Council of America
DD = Dear Daughter
DH = Dear Husband/Darling Husband/D(word of your choice, depending on your mood) Husband
DIL = Daughter-In-Law
DS = Dear Son
FIL = Father-In-Law
Frog, Frogging, Frog Stitch = To take out stitches (i.e. Rip it, rip it, rip it)
FUFO = Finished Un-Finished Object
FYI = For Your Information
GF = Girl Friend
HAS = Hook Acquisition Syndrome
HL = Hobby Lobby
HOWB = House Of White Birches
HTH = Hope This (That) Helps
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion
IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion
IMO = In My Opinion
IRC = Internet Relay Chat
ISO = In Search Of
L = Laugh
LA = Leisure Arts
LMAO = Laughing My A** Off
LOL = Laugh(ing) Out Loud
LYS = Local Yarn Shop/Store
MM = Mary Maxim
MIL = Mother In Law
OT = Off Topic
PAS = Pattern Acquisition Syndrome
PC = Plastic Canvas (or Politically Correct, depending on the chat/group)
PLS = Please
PIGS = Projects In Grocery Sacks/Bags
ROFL = Rolling On Floor Laughing
ROFLMAO = Rolling On Floor Laughing My A** Off
S = Smile
SAHM = Stay At Home Mom/Mother
sig = signature
SIL = Sister/Son In Law
SO = Significant Other
THKS or THX = Thanks
ThUD = The Usual Disclaimer(s) Apply (not affiliated with the company mentioned/listed)
TIA = Thanks In Advance
TTYL = Talk To You Later
UFO = Un-Finished Object
WIP = Work In Progress
WM = Wal-Mart
XS = Cross Stitch
YAS = Yarn Acquisition Syndrome
YW = You're Welcome

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