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Learn to Sew Melbourne

Sewing Journal

Crochet Hook Size Conversions

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At a bare minimum to get yourself started on crochet you’ll need a crochet hook and some yarn. As you become a premier hooker you’ll build up an arsenal of hooks of all sizes, and you’ll also find it handy to have stitch markers and a yarn needle.

Different brands have slightly different benefits to their hooks. Bamboo hooks can be nice to work with but sometimes little splinters will grab your yarn. You can also get steel and plastic hooks, ultimately any cheap hooks can be a bit grabby and tough on your hands after hours of absent minded hooking. Soft rubber handle hooks are more gentle on your hands and they are a much better choice for people suffering from arthritis and finding it difficult to grasp a thin hook.

There are (unfortunately) three different ways to refer to the sizes of crochet hooks, these are outlined in the table below.

  1. The U.S. identify hooks by letters and numbers from B to S and 1 to 15.
  2. There are imperial measurements of the shank diameter (common in The U.K.).
  3. Australia commonly uses the metric measurement of the shank diameter.

  4. Steel crochet hooks are finer and generally used with lace weight yarns and crochet threads.

    Crochet Hook International Size Conversion Chart

Bra Made In Class

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This beautiful white underwire bra was made by a student in our Bra Making Course. 

In our course students learn to make a bra that has multiple cup pattern pieces (this means more support), wires, hooks and eyes, adjustable straps and full (wider) band. We provide details of wonderful suppliers for gorgeous bra fabrics and laces during booking and advise of the pattern that students need to purchase.

To accommodate different skill levels, you can take this course over 16 or 8 hours!

  • 16 hour course students make a toile bra first and learn how to undertake pattern adjustments before cutting into their fabulous fabric. The course starts two weeks before the 8 hour option –
  • 8 hour course students join after the first two workshops, they choose their size based on measurements and learn to make a beautiful bra.  

Bobbin Dramas?

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Are you getting a bird’s nest of threads underneath your sewing work? Or perhaps experiencing skipped stitches? Is the thread really loopy and messy on the underside of the stitch? 

Here are some tips to troubleshoot problems that may occurring when threading the bobbin:

  • Firstly, have you got a nicely wound bobbin? If your thread looks messy or gives when you squeeze it on the bobbin, it is most likely that you haven’t wound it correctly. A well wound bobbin will have neat, even and firmly wrapped thread around it.
  • Is your bobbin inserted correctly? Double check with your manual to ensure your thread is flowing clockwise or anti-clockwise as per your machine’s requirement.
  • Is your bobbin thread pulled through it’s tension guide? You need to pull the bobbin thread through the notch/guide to ensure there is a small amount of tension on the thread.
  • Did you snip of the thread tail? If you have a thread tail of a centremetre or more from the other end (not the end you are threading) your needle thread is going to try to pick-up both ends of the thread each time it rotates around the bobbin.
  • Is the needle thread correctly threaded? One of the most common problems we see is that the thread is not on the silver up-take hook/guide.
  • Don’t forget to lower the presser foot.
  • You can also double check that you have not got your stitch length on zero.
  • Lastly, try holding onto both of your threads for the first couple of stitches.  

The top bobbin is no good
The top bobbin is too loosely wound. The bottom bobbin is perfect.
This bobbin window shows the direction the thread must flow.
Bobbin tension guides
See the small tail thread? Snip it off!
Has the thread fallen out of here?

A local friend’s goal to buy nothing new this year.

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Make Mend Swap is a Melbournite trying to dress in style while not buying any new clothes for a year. The blog is an inspiration for the rest of us to do what we can and maybe give it a go ourselves.  

I am scared of doing this for a whole year though. No new clothes for a whole year. I did make some concessions though. I can buy second hand, within reason, but mostly swap, sew, mend or modify what I already have.

Check out the challenge and how it is succeeding – click here.