Crocheting with "Bumpy" Yarns

Our charity crafting group is fast accumulating some wonderful donations of yarns and threads for our work for the needy. Some of these yarns are the "bumpy" yarns, including baby boucle. I suspect it is easier to knit with this than to crochet with it. It drives me nuts trying to find the stitch in which to insert the hook.

I have found, however, that if I use a bigger hook, it is a little easier to see the stitches.

I have also found that if I take extreme care and have exceptional patience with the foundation row, the very first row, it is much easier.

I used to just chain whatever it say, something like 108 or 86 or whatever. I used to make these chains very loose because I thought a bigger chain stitch would be easier to see when I began the next row or round. For me, however, the only result I get from that looser chain is a funny looking edge when the piece is done.

These days, I just take my time with that first row, in whatever tension is natural to me that day, and I take a deep breath, get some diet root beer or decaf coffee, and then tackle the next row(s) or round(s).

I also am careful to avoid splitting the plies in the yarn. This is because I often have to "frog" that next row and those bumpy yarns do not like being ripped out. Nope, they do not like it at all. Neither do I. So the bumpy yarns and I have finally reached a working relationship. For now.