Starting from the Center

I've started a new baby blanket for my future nephew. It is a crochet pattern of a star (Click here for the pattern). It starts in the center and goes round and round. Whenever I start a new pattern from the center, it takes me 2 or 3 tries to make sure the center is just the way I want it. I think the start of every project is important to get right, and it is worth the effort because this is the foundation upon which you are building your entire project. It is even more important when you are starting from the center because your eye will always be on the center while your eye doesn't always go to the bottom of a sweater. Also I prefer to crochet blankets, especially bigger blankets. The reason for this is simple: when you knit a project the entire weight of the project is on your needles while with crochet, only one stitch is on your needle so your lap carries the bulk of the weight.

Back to the Star Blanket, it is going well, and I think it will turn out really cute. This particular project didn't start with a center circle that you are crocheting into. When you make a hat from the crown down or a granny square, you often make a chain, join the chain ends together to form a circle and then crochet into the center. I recently found a great way to start this which makes the neatest, tight center circle. The answer is an adjustable circle. Click here to find out how to make it.