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	MoEZ FAQs & Tips (continued from previous page)

Chevrons

What is a Chevron Strip:
     The chevron strips look like the logo for the Chevron gas stations. Anyone remember them? They are upside down V's. One over the other. I have even gone to doing 3 top colors over a different color. Kind of my trade mark now. Everyone seems to want them on their afghans that I make. I charge a penny per stitch. (Roughly, it depends on how complicated the pattern, sometimes I'll cut the price some.) I charge an additional 2.00 per round with regular single crochet edging or 5.00 per chevron. They don't seem to mind paying for the chevrons. They do look nice. I add them mainly when I want something to be bigger than what I made. -- ????

Val's Chevron Strip Pattern:
     The chevrons are wonderful for adding on to afghans. It gives an elegant touch and it leaves a nice edge down each side. The short hook works better for this small project:

1. Chain 9
2. Pull up a loop in 2nd ch from hook and in each across. Total 8 stitches or spaces on hook.
3. Now take them off as usual, YO pull through first loop on hook, (YO and pull through 2 loops on hook) repeat ( ) till one loop remains on hook.
4. Do the regular afghan stitch for 3 more rows.
5. Do the regular afghan stitch in the next 3 stitches, YO the hook three times and insert the hook in the first row that you did way down below, to insert the hook you want to put it under the 2nd vertical bar from the right, YO and pull up a loop, YO and pull it through 2 loops on hook, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook, repeat once more, (this brings you back up to the row that you are working on) now YO 3 times and insert the hook under the vertical bar 2nd from the left on the first row way down there, YO and pull up a loop, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook, YO and pull through 2 loops on hook and once more YO and pull through 2 loops on hook. (This last one is to join the first treble crochet to the 2nd treble crochet to make an upside down "V.") Now skipping the stitch behind the "V" insert the hook in the next vertical bar and pull up a loop, do the same in the last 3 stitches. Take off the stitches like normal.
6. Do one regular row of afghan stitch.
7. Repeat the treble crochet chevron row, skipping one row between the last treble you did and the one you are about to do, insert the hook in the vertical upright bar and do your treble, repeat on the other side inserting the hook with one row as a spacer in between.
8. That's it. Do it until it is as long as you want it. -- Val

Converting a .doc file to a .jpg one

1. Open Paint (Microsoft Paint) and click on Edit... then click on Paste From and go to the file where your instructions are and then click on Open... it should open for you, then click on File, Save As and give it a name but, before you save it, click on Save As Type and change it to a jpg file format. -- Patty

Counting Rows
(also see Row Counts for more information)

Counting Rows in Afghan/Tunisian Stitch:

1. When you are counting, each row is really 1 row, but done in 2 parts, once over and once back. In MoEZ, you count it as 1 row, and you never turn your work over. If you are looking at a graph, one row on the graph is one row (part 1 and part 2) on your afghan. -- Wild Di
2. Each row is 2 parts, put loops on and take them off. Down and back is considered 1 row not 2. -- Val

Curling

To avoid curling:

1. I found a fantastic way to keep the afghans from curling. With these hooks, I know that the curling is minimal but I found a way to make it perfectly straight. When you do the start ch the number of stitches you need and insert hook just like normal for the first row, al the way across, then take the loops off just like normal too. Now the second row do alternating purl, regular stitches. Start with a purl stitch in the first stitch, then a regular afghan stitch in the next stitch, *then a purl stitch, then an afghan stitch* repeat from * to * across. Take off the loops just like normal and this does keep it flat. I haven't reached the top yet but I will do this stitch on the last row before slip stitching and I am pretty sure that it will not curl there either. This is great because it also causes a ridge if you keep doing it, row after row. But if you just do it for the first, it will suffice to keep the curling a thing of the past. It takes a little longer to do that row but it is well worth the effort. -- Val
2. 2 rows of the purl really work to keep it from curling!!!! One row curls a little but the 2 rows keeps it flat. Of course, at the end of your project you should use 2 rows of the purl to make it look even. -- Evelyn in Ky
3. Alternate the purl and basic stitch for two rows (one purl stitch, one basic stitch, one purl stitch, one basic stitch, etc.) -- ??
4. To keep mine from curling, I cast on (as in knitting) and take off in the usual manner, then the next row, I knit the stitches onto the hook and remove in the usual manner, then on the third row, I do the afghan stitch for the rest of the piece and the bottom does not curl, and has a nice finished edge. Just remember to knit the last row as you pick up the stitches for the last row and take off in the usual manner. Works every time. -- Jeanne Springer
5. For those of you with the curling woes.......On the attached pic I used the black hook. Do you see the black, gold, black "edging"? THAT was worked into the graph (pattern). I did one purl, one knit, one purl, one knit ALLLLLL the way across for the WHOLE "edge." On the side "edge" I continued the pattern (one purl, one knit. one purl, one knit). From the bottom edge to the white, there are 6 rows (one row black, two rows gold, three rows black). Then on the sides, there is one stitch black, 2 stitches gold, and 3 stitches black. As you can see doing it this way did two things: 1) took out ALL the curl 2) it puts an "instant" edge all around so you don't have to go back and PUT one on. Hope this helps someone! Blessings -- Angie
6. When I finish, I like to start at the upper right corner with 2 sc in both loops, then sc in the back loop of each stitch around, (with 2 sc in the corners using both loops), back to where you started. You do 1 more sc in the corner, then I join it, ch 1 and turn, now I go in the front loops only, skip the first sc and sc in the next one, now sc in the one you skipped, *skip the next sc and sc in the next sc, sc in the sc that you skipped* repeat from *to* around doing 2 sc in first sc of corner and 2 sc in 2nd sc of corner. When you are done, if you want it to lie flatter without blocking repeat from beginning once, starting with the piece facing you sc in blo of each stitch with 3 in the corners and ch 1 turn, repeat the cross stitch sc around in front loops only with 2 sc in ea sc in the corners.-- Val
7. To prevent curling, I usually do 3 or 4 rows in the backward afghan stitch. I have been doing 4 stitches on each side of the afghan also. No curling at all. To explain it, you have a background to every graph. The first 4 stitches on the beginning side and the last 5 minus 1 stitches wouldbe with the backward stitch so I would do this say for a ghan with 15 stitches. (R is regular afghan stitch and B is backward afghan stitch.)R B B B B R R R R R R B B B B I start out chaining however many I need for the graph. Sometimes adding to the sides. Then I usually do 3 rows of all backward stitch. This all depends on how many rows before the color changes start. If a count has a total of 10 rows before color changing, I would do 3 in the backward stitch and the last one regular making sure you go under 2 strands.
        The backward stitch is not used as a border when the ghan is done. It is used in the ghan as you work it. It is the same as the basic afghan stitch but instead of going through the loop in the front of the ghan, you go through the loop on the back side. If you look at the loop (front side), you see 2 strands. You normally go through the one in the front but with the backward stitch, you would bring the hook to the back of the ghan and go through that back loop. -- Linda from New York
8. I am using the red hook, and I LOVE the look the red (MoEZ) hook makes....I like the looser look now more than the tighter stitch look. If you do the backward stitch as mentioned before in this group (a lot actually), your work won't curl as you go...but if you are doing the regular stitch, then adding a border around your ghan when you are finished will stop the curling. Also, I have noticed, the smaller the hook you are using, the worse the curling is on the ghan. HTH :o) -- Chelle
9. It is true that the smaller diameter causes more curling. That is one of the reasons that the MoEZ hooks are such a big hit. If you alternate the basic afghan stitch and the purl stitch on the first row and the last row it will not curl. If you use the backward afghan stitch all the way across for a few rows and on the top for a few rows it won't curl, if you do the same numbers of stitches on each side, left and right, as the rows top and bottom, it will frame it nicely as well as keep the edges from curling. -- Val
10. I tried something different earlier. I have 3 small balls of Patons Baby Astra. Not really much to make something with. I decided to do a scarf. What I did was ch 200 and did 2 rows in sc with an H hook. Then I starting using the green hook and continued with the afghan stitch. No curl at all and it is turning out pretty nice. I am done with 1 ball and started on the 2nd. I got the 2 sc rows and 4 BAS rows done with 1 ball. When I start on the 3rd ball, I know it will be time to keep track of the rows to end it off. I will end with 2 rows of sc. -- Linda from New York

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