Crochet World – August 2019

14 Crochet World CROCHET-WORLD.COM AUGUST 2019

Have you had the experience of diving into a crochet pat-

tern with unbridled enthusiasm only to be unpleasantly

surprised along the way to its completion? You run out of

yarn or find your project looks disappointingly unlike the

original, doesn’t fit, or requires techniques that mystify you.

These scary scenarios can usually be avoided by a careful

review of the pattern before you pick up your hook.

Before You Pick Up Your Hook

By Dora Ohrenstein

Let’s take a close look at a pattern called Turtle Shell

Game from Crochet World summer 2018. The text

enclosed in the beige block is

jam-packed with very important

information that can make or

break your project.

The numbers at the very top are

an indication of the pattern’s dif-

ficulty, and this one is marked

easy. If you see a higher number

there and the pattern is labeled

intermediate or advanced, consider how well

your level of experience matches the pattern’s

demands. It’s not a bad idea to take on chal-

lenges and upgrade your crochet skills, but do

your best to learn exactly what will be required—

an issue we’ll return to shortly.

Next come “Finished Measurements,” and the

measurement of 71/2 inches for the turtle’s width

gives you a clear idea of its ultimate size so that

you can decide whether that’s a good size toy for

the child you have in mind.

Now we come to a listing of the materials that are

needed. We have the name brand of the yarn and

an illustration of a ball of yarn with the number 4

on it. Are you familiar with these numbers? They

tell us about the thickness of the yarn. Turn to

page 64 for a thorough explanation of the “Stan-

dard Yarn Weight System” used by the industry.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Turtle: 71/2 inches wide x
21/2 inches tall
Fish: 3 inches wide x 11/2 inches tall
MATERIALS

• Red Heart Super Saver
  medium (worsted)
  weight acrylic yarn (5 oz/
  236 yds/141g per skein):
  1 skein #988 platoon


• Red Heart Classic medium
  (worsted) weight acrylic yarn
  (31/2 oz/190 yds/100g per skein):
  1 skein each #686 paddy
  green, #1 white, #12 black,
  #230 yellow and
  #245 orange


• Size H/8/5mm crochet hook


• Tapestry needle


• Stitch marker


• Fiberfill
  GAUGE
  Gauge is not important for
  this project.

EASY