Crochet a few practice swatches if you’d like to get comfortable with embroidering before moving on to a larger project.
It’s hard to use a standard sewing needle since the eye is too small to thread yarn or embroidery floss.
Remember that you can double up the strands of embroidery floss for thicker embroidery stitches.
If the paper doesn’t fit through the eye, trim it down until it does.
Avoid using wax pencils since the wax is difficult to wash out of the yarn.
Don’t pull the slip knot tightly since you’re going to take the slip knot off of the crochet hook.
Insert your crochet hook through a gap in the crochet stitches so you don’t split them. The knot stays at the back of the crocheted piece so it’s not visible.
You might work the slip stitch into the crocheted stitch that’s above, below, to the side, or diagonally from your starting point.
The slip stitch is also called a chain stitch since each loop on the surface looks like a chain.
Keep your stitches loose so they don’t make the crocheted fabric pucker. Work a row of slip stitches to make a letter. Leave a space between letters if you’d like to create a word using slip stitches.
Use a darning needle to weave in the yarn tail so it’s not visible on the surface. There’s no need to tie a knot since you’re weaving the tail through the crocheted piece.
If you’re using embroidery floss, use as many strands as you like. Keep in mind that sewing with 2 or 3 strands gives your embroidery a thicker, fuller appearance.
Use a plastic needle if you like working with a flexible needle or choose a metal needle for more support while you sew.
Work through the gaps between the crochet stitches instead of splitting through the yarn. Don’t pull so hard that the knot comes through the fabric. Instead, stop pulling as soon as the knot rests against the back of the crocheted fabric.
Make your stitch in any direction from the starting point. Embroider the running stitch vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
If you want to leave a bigger space between your stitches, make the gap larger before you push the needle back up through the crocheted work.
If you want a continuous line, bring your needle back 1 space and make back stitches across your pattern. Use the running stitch for simple flower stems, geometric designs, or shapes like hearts and stars.
It’s important to tie off the yarn under your work so the knot is hidden.
