By Helen Reimer

Many crocheters or knitters usually have more than one project on the go. I usually have one where I can just mindlessly sit and crochet and another which I’m designing, or one that’s a little more complicated. That way when you become tired of concentrating and just need to relax, you have a project on the go which can help you do just that. This way you’re still doing what you love without wearing yourself out.

I know a lot of people start multiple projects because they just can’t wait to start the next project! I know this to be true especially for those who are new to the art. They are still learning and unable to work as fast, but they are excited and doing this keeps them motivated. When they struggle with one, they have the other to fall back on.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this, as long as the projects which are started are also finished. However, this many projects on the go can leave you in a disorganized state. The more projects you have on the go the easier it is to forget where you left your scissors, a particular hook, needle, or pattern book.

One way to handle this is to purchase an organizer and stash all your projects in there if your projects are small. This will help to keep everything together and it makes it easy to carry your projects from one room to the next, and really comes in handy when traveling.

But when working with larger projects these, I find these organizers are hardly big enough for one large project, let alone two.

The best thing to do is purchase or make your own craft bag for each project on the go. This way you can keep each project separate and organized which will help to keep track of where everything is.

Check out http://www.crochetncrafts.com and http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Organize-All-Your-Yarn-Projects

Article Source: Helen Reimer == http://EzineArticles.com/?How to Organize All Your Yarn Projects

By Toby Russell

In this brief article we aim to just give a basic understanding of knitting needles, their sizing and what you need to look out for.

Size IS important

Knitting needles come in different sizes. It is important to know the size of your knitting needles because their size is related to the size of your stitches and, implicitly, to the appearance of the finished work.

Knitting needles are given different numbers according to their measure. Do not think of their length! It is important how big round the needles are. However, these numbers can differ from one country to another. For example, a knitting needle of 3.75 mm is number 5 in American measurement and number 9 in British measurement, or you may see on the bag of the knitting needles you buy it is simply written as a 3.75 mm needle.

Notice that the American measurement has low numbers for needles with smaller diameters, and the numbers can go up to 50 for a larger diameter like 25 mm, while the British measurement has high numbers for low diameters and the numbers decrease when it comes to high diameters; for example, 000 for knitting needles of 10 mm. Therefore, you need to look up a knitting needle conversion chart to ensure you end up with the correct needle size.

To confuse you still further if you have a 4.5 mm knitting needle, in that case the size number coincides, with both countries calling it size 7.

Understanding Gauge

In knitting, there is the concept of gauge and it means the number of stitches in a given length. This concept is related to the pattern you have and, if in your pattern it says there are supposed to be, for example, 5 stitches to an inch and you can make only 3, then you should and need to change the size of your knitting needles. Each pattern requires that you knit a certain number of stitches using a particular yarn and a specified needle.

However, it is not necessary to stick to the yarn or the needles specified in the pattern, but it is important to get the correct number of stitches per inch in order to have the right size, length and other characteristics of the pattern.

Different Kinds

You can also choose between circular needles and straight needles. Some people prefer circular needles because they are more comfortable to use and you can knit both in the round or back and forth like straight needles. You can find circular knitting needles, double point knitting needles and also single pointed knitting needles made of different materials such as steel, wood or bamboo. There are also different types of knitting needles like Addi knitting needles, Clover knitting needles, Misc knitting needles, Crystal Palace, Rosewood and HiyaHiya.

To find out more, pay a visit to a good knitting or haberdashery store & ask for advice.

Toby Russell owns & operates http://www.knitting4beginners.com‚ an information site dedicated to helping knitters just starting out.

Article Source: Toby Russell ==> Understanding Knitting Needles