Bits and Bobs THE BLOG!

Sunbonnet Potholder - 8

2009-01-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

Last time, we crocheted the potholder together. Now we're going to add a scallop trim to the front of the bonnet.

Here's the way I wrote up the scallop edging when writing up the pattern:

Turn. Continuing to use contrasting color, repeat * ch 3, dc 2 in same space, skip 1, slip stitch 1* to where neck flap meets the main part of the bonnet. Slip stitch 2, then continue to repeat * ch 3, dc 2 in same space, skip 1, slip stitch 1* along the front of the bonnet to the point of the brim. Break yarn. Weave in ends.

In other words, after finishing the last sc in crocheting the potholder together, ch 3. Then dc 2 in that sc stitch -- making a scallop. Skip the next sc, make a slip stitch in the following sc. Then ch 3, dc 2 in the same stitch (the one that you made a slip stitch in), skip the next sc, make a slip stitch in the following sc. Continue in this manner to where the top of the bonnet meets the neck flap. Slip stitch twice. Then ch 3, dc 2 in the same stitch (the one that you made a slip stitch one), skip the next sc, make a slip stitch in the following sc. Continue in this manner to the top of the front of the bonnet. Cut the yarn and weave in ends.

The picture above shows the bonnet after all the scallops have been made with the yarn ready to be cut.

Note: Generally, when slip stitching, one makes the slip stitch through the back loop only. But, in this case, it would be better to slip stitch through both loops.

Note: "Slip 1, ch 3" produces the equivalent of a single dc. The effect is to produce the equivalent of 3 dc's in the same space.

Finally, comes tying the bow. The easiest way to tie a bow is to fold over the chains as in the picture and then tie together.

Note: The extra slip stitches in the scallop edging will lie under the bow.

Sunbonnet Potholder - 7

2009-01-13T10:12:00.003-05:00

This potholder is designed to be worn over the hand -- or, at least, used double thickness. So, the next step is to crochet the 2 pieces together.

This will be done using a single crochet stitch. Slip stitches are also often used to crochet pieces together. In fact, just about any crochet stitch could be used. However, I selected the sc since it's sturdy and looks about the same from either side.

Place the bonnets together, right sides out.

Using white, place a slip knot around the hook -- in preparation for the first sc. Make the first sc at the bottom of the back of the neck flap. Continue to sc the bonnets together. Use white to sc the edges of the neck flap together and blue to sc the edges of the rest of the bonnet together. On the sides of the bonnet, you'll be making 3 - 4 sc's per 2 rows, approximately 1 stitch in from the side. When changing yarn, do the last yo of the sc with the next color (as in the pic) -- since the loop produced at the conclusion of the stitch will be the top of the next stitch.

On the top of the bonnet, you'll be making 1 sc per st, placing the hook through the top loops (all 4 of them) for each stitch.

Stop when reaching the bottom of the front of the neck flap. Do not break yarn. However, weave in all the other ends. Next week will be the conclusion -- scalloping.

By the way, this pattern is turning out so well that I've added it to Ravelry under Sunbonnet Potholder.

Sunbonnet Potholder - 6

2009-01-06T10:21:00.006-05:00

The next step is another chain stitch embellishment -- this one across the dividing line between the neck flap and the main part of the bonnet.

This time start at the back of the bonnet where the neck flap and bonnet meet. Put a hook through the bonnet (at the bottom of a blue stitch nearest the back of the bonnet) and draw some yarn through. Put the hook through the bonnet again (at the bottom of the next blue stitch) and draw yarn through the loop just made.

Continue in this manner until reaching the front of the bonnet. The first picture shows this process a third of the way through -- though, of course, it's upside down from how you'd be crocheting the chain embellishment.

Then, instead of breaking the yarn when reaching the front of the bonnet, continue to chain. Chain 30 ( -- 6 to 7") or more. Break yarn. Weave in ends. The chain will be used to tie a bow at the front of the hat (another embellishment).

The second picture shows a pair of bonnets. Next time, we'll crochet them together. (They are actually the same size.)

added April 16th: After reading the latest newsletter from Talking Crochet (April 14th, 2009), I discovered that this type of crocheting has a name -- tambour -- French for drum. That makes sense since if one wanted to make a chain stitch embellishment onto linen, you'd have to use an embroidery loop to hold the material tight -- which would look like a drum skin tightened across a drum.

Sunbonnet Potholder - 5

2008-12-23T09:47:00.003-05:00

Next is an embellishment to make the potholder look more like a sunbonnet.

The directions say:

"Embroider a row of ch sts in White around front of bonnet about 1 1/4 inches from edge"

It's just as easy to use a crochet hook.

Pick a spot 1 + 1/4" or more in from the front edge and where the white and blue meet. Put a hook through the bonnet and draw some yarn through. Put the hook through the bonnet again and draw yarn through the loop just made.

Continue in this manner until you reach the indentation at the top of the bonnet. I made 3 - 4 chain sts per 2 rows of crocheting.

Cut the yarn, draw the end through, and then weave it in.

The first pic shows the right side of the bonnet, the second the underside, and the third a completed side.

There won't be any more posts from me until after the New Year. Enjoy the Holidays!

In the mean time, you could crochet another bonnet -- placing the chain st embellishment on the reverse side of the second bonnet so that the 2 bonnets are mirror images of one another. Next time, we'll be joining the bonnets together.

Index

Sunbonnet Potholder - 4

2008-12-17T15:15:00.008-05:00

It's taken a while for this post because I wasn't happy with the size of the potholder. It still didn't look right to me -- even with the changes I'd already made in converting a pattern for size 5 thread to one for worsted weight cotton yarn.

Here are the revised directions:
(The previous posts will be edited to reflect the changes.)

With white, ch 22
Row 1: skip 2, hdc 20, ch 2, turn (20 sts -- not counting the ch sts)
Row 2: Decrease 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn (19 sts)
Row 3: Decrease 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (18 sts)
Row 4: Decrease 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn (17 sts)
Row 5: Decrease 1 st at end of row. Break thread. (16 sts)
Attach new thread. (I used blue instead of peach.) Chain 2 to turn.
Work the rest through back loops only.
Row 6: Increase 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (18 sts)
Row 7: Increase 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (20 sts)
Row 8: Increase 1 st at beginning and 2 sts at end of row, ch 2, turn (23 sts)
Row 9: Increase 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (25 sts)
Row 10: Increase 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (27 sts)
Row 11: Increase 1 st at beginning and 2 sts at end of row, ch 2, turn (30 sts)
Row 12: Increase 2 sts at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (33 sts)
Row 13: Increase 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (34 sts)
Row 14: Increase 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn (35 sts)
Row 15: Work even, ch 2, turn (35 hdc sts)

Now to finish off the bonnet:
Row 16: Decrease 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (34 sts)
Row 17: Decrease 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (32 sts)
Row 18: Decrease 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (30 sts)
Row 19: Decrease 1 st at beginning and 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (28 sts)
-- or, in other words: Row 19: hdc 2tog, hdc 26, hdc 2 tog, ch2, turn (28 sts)
-- hdc 2tog is "half double crochet 2 together" -- or, in other words, "decrease 1 st in hdc"

The final 3 rows include sc (single crochet), dc (double crochet), hdc (half double crochet), and -- at the end of the last row, a slip stitch. So, I can't write "decrease 1", I need to write what stitch is used in the decrease.

These rows are a sizable departure from the original pattern. I wanted to keep the upturned brim of the hat (picture top right) from the original pattern. But, I also wanted a more rounded top for the middle of the bonnet.

Row 20: dc 2tog, dc 2, hdc 1, sc 3, hdc 18, hdc 2tog, ch 2, turn (26 sts)
Row 21: hdc 2 tog, hdc 16, sc 3, hdc 1, dc 2, dc 2 tog, ch 2, turn (24 sts)
Row 22: dc 2 tog, dc 2, hdc 1, sc 3, hdc 4, dc 6, hdc 3, sc 2 tog, slip stitch to end row.
Pull yarn through. Weave in ends.

We're almost halfway done with the bonnet potholder. We still need to make a bonnet identical to the one just made. Then we can decorate them and crochet them together.
Index

Sunbonnet Potholder - 3

2008-12-03T15:23:00.005-05:00

After looking at sunbonnets on the web, I've realized that what I thought was the brim of the hat is actually the neck flap -- the part of the hat that covers the back of the neck. I've changed the previous posts to reflect this.

At the right is a copy of the pattern from the booklet. Since I'm working with much thicker yarn and, of course, a larger hook, the pattern here needs to be changed.

Here's the revised pattern, starting with the base chain:
Revisions from this post are in red.

With white, ch 22
Row 1: skip 2, hdc 20, ch 2, turn
Row 2: Decrease 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn (19 hdc sts)
Row 3: Decrease 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn (18 hdc sts)
Row 4: Decrease 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn (17 hdc sts)
Row 5: Decrease 1 st at end of row. Break thread. (16 hdc sts)

Then for the next part of the pattern (which was not included in the last post):
Switch to contrasting color. Work the following in hdc. Work through the back loops only. Chain 2 to turn.

Row 6: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 1 st at end of row (18 hdc's)
(or, in other words, ..... 2 hdc in back loop of 1st st, hdc in back loops only of next 14 sts, 2 hdc in back loop of last st, ch 2, turn)
Row 7: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 1 st at end of row (20 hdc's)
Row 8: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 2 sts at end of row (23 hdc's)
(The picture show the end of Row 8 -- where 3 hdc's are made in the back loop of the last st -- in order to increase 2 sts at the end of the row.)
Row 9: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 2 sts at end of row (26 hdc's)
Row 10: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 1 st at end of row (28 hdc's)
Row 11: Increase 1 st at beginning of row and 2 sts at end of row (31 hdc's)
Row 12: Increase 2 sts at beginning of row (33 hdc's)
Row 13: Increase 1 st at end of row (34 hdc's)
Row 14: Increase 1 st at beginning of row (35 hdc's)
Row 15: Work even (35 hdc's)
(or, in other words, hdc in the back loop of each hdc from the previous row -- and then, of course, ch 2 and turn)

The next installment will have the decrease rows.

Sunbonnet Potholder - 2

2008-11-25T12:09:00.006-05:00

After finishing the second row of the potholder, I thought to myself “This is way too large.” This is what happens when switching from one weight yarn to another without thinking. The pattern as written will work for size 5 pearl cotton. It does not work well for worsted weight cotton.

So, I frogged back (which is easy to do with crochet). With crochet, there is no need to worry about picking up stitches after frogging and, in fact, no need to undo the "cast on edge" (or, rather, the base chain) completely – as there would be in similar circumstances with knitting. I frogged all of the hdc sts plus 14 ch sts – to end up with the equivalent of

ch 22, skip 2, hdc 20, ch 2, turn

for the first row, instead of

ch 36, skip 2, hdc 34, ch 2, turn

as written for size 5 pearl cotton.

To complete the neck flap for the sunbonnet, the pattern states:

"2nd row. Decrease 1 st at beginning of row, ch 2, turn.
3rd Row. Decrease 1 st at end of row, ch 2, turn.
Repeat these 2 rows twice. Break thread. Always ch 2 to turn."

However, since I'm using a heavier yarn than called for, I'm only going to repeat the 2 rows once.

The first picture shows a decrease at the beginning of a row. From left to right, the first loop is from the last ch st, the second is the yo (in preparation for making a hdc), the third is a loop drawn through the last st from the previous row, the fourth is a loop drawn through the second to last st from the previous row. To finish the hdc2tog, yo and draw the yo through all the sts on the hook.

The next picture is a hdc2tog at the end of a row. Since the sunbonnet potholder is going to be edged, it doesn't matter that the directions say to ch 2 at the end of the last row in white.

However, if the sunbonnet were not going to be edged, one should attach the new thread as the last step of the last st. In this case, instead of completing the st with white, complete it by drawing the new color yarn through the loops and then ch 2 with the new color.

The second picture shows this. (The directions call for peach for the color for the bonnet. I'm using a variegated blue – since I had it left over and besides I like blue.)

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Sunbonnet Potholder - 1

2008-11-18T11:23:00.011-05:00

Our next project is a Sunbonnet Potholder. It's pictured at the right along with an Irish crochet doily. The picture is from the American Thread Company booklet as is the pattern.

The pattern calls for 3 60-yd balls of Peach size 5 pearl cotton and 1 60-yd ball of White for trim. It also calls for a steel crochet hook no. 8 and a bone ring.

I'll be using Peaches & Creme worsted weight cotton yarn and a size 7 (4.5mm) crochet hook. If you'd like a ring to hang the potholder with, I'd suggest using a plastic ring instead of a bone ring.

The pattern starts:

"With White, ch 36, and work 34 sdc on ch" (sdc is the same as hdc or half double crochet)

First, note that the pattern does not say to skip 2 ch sts before starting the half double crochet sts. It's understood. The next picture shows the first hdc being worked in the 3rd ch from the hook.

Note: Since we're using worsted weight yarn instead of size 5 thread, we will be making quite a few adjustments to the pattern.
The first is to replace the first line of the pattern with:
"With white, ch 22, skip 2, hdc 20, ch 2, turn"

Note also how the chain sts are laid out to be crocheted into. The hook goes under the topmost part of the chain.

--------

It's easy enough to count to 36, but to illustrate a technique, I've chained more than 36 sts. If one is making a base chain of a few hundred chain sts, it's much better to err on having too many ch sts instead of possibly too few.

The next picture shows the potholder after the first row is complete. There are several ch sts left over.

The hardest part is undoing the slip knot. The next picture shows what the chain looks like after the knot is undone.

Then all one has to do is to keep undoing the chain until there are no extra chain sts to undo.

Next time, we'll finish the bottom of the bonnet.

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Washing and blocking crochet

2008-11-11T12:15:00.004-05:00

Here are the instructions from the American Thread Company booklet on washing and blocking crochet (or knits).

"Using hot water and a mild soap, make thick suds, add cold water until suds are fairly warm.

"Let the article stand in the suds a very few minutes, then squeeze in and out until thoroughly clean. Rinse in clear water several times or until sure the soap is removed. Roll in a bath towel. This will absorb some of the moisture.

"The work is now ready for blocking. Lay the work on a padded ironing board or a flat surface and pin in position with rust-proof pins, stretching it gently to correct size and shape. Press through a damp cloth and leave in position until dry."

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Time off

2008-07-22T16:04:00.002-04:00

I'm going to take a little over a month off from posting on this blog. It will give me time to figure out what to post about next. There are several patterns that look interesting in the American Thread Company booklet that I inherited from my MIL. But, I'd like to crochet them before posting. Then there are some pillow case crocheted edgings that I did a long time ago with my grandmother's help. But, I'd have to figure out the patterns. And then there's the Irish crochet shawl that I helped my daughter make when she was in elementary school.

So, I've got some ideas. But, I'm not even sure anyone reads what I've written so far. I can see from the meter that the blog gets around 100 hits per week. But, it could just be from people doing searches, ending up here, and then immediately leaving. So, if you like what you see on the blog or have any suggestions about further topics, please leave a comment.

By the way, the reason I've been posting about crocheting is that I volunteered to. If anyone would like to volunteer to post about any fiber arts subject, contact the owner of the blog through the Yahoo! Bits and Bobs group or the Ravelry Bits and Bobs group.

Lacet Stitch

2008-07-15T10:52:00.003-04:00

Recently, as I was reading posts from one of the Yahoo! groups that I belong to, I came across a lovely filet crochet iris pattern. I like the pattern so much that I just had to share the link. The pattern uses open and closed filet crochet squares and also the lacet stitch. The lacet stitches appear in the corners of the design.

The directions and picture of the lacet stitch at the right are from the American Thread Company booklet.

As you recall, for a basic open mesh, one has "ch 2, sk 2" between the dc's that form either side of a mesh square. (A row in open mesh is dc 1 -- or, rather ch 3 as a substitute for the dc 1 --, then *ch 2, sk 2, dc 1* across.) For a closed mesh square, one uses "dc 2" in place of "ch 2, sk 2".

A lacet stitch is the size of a 2 x 2 square of filet crochet squares. Instead of crocheting "ch 2, sk 2, dc 1, ch 2, sk 2, dc 1" to form 2 open mesh squares, a lacet stitch has "ch 3, sk 2, sc 1, ch 3, sk 2, dc 1" for the first row. In the following row, to complete the stitch, substitute "ch 5, dc in next dc" for what would be "ch 2, sk 2, dc 1, ch 2, sk 2, dc 1" if making an open filet crochet mesh.

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Crocheted ball fringe

2008-07-08T11:16:00.004-04:00

The final part of the section on trims from the American Thread Company booklet (at the right) is a crocheted ball fringe.

It starts out as the cap on the cap fringe did:
"ch 4, join to form a ring, ch 1". But, instead of making 6 sc's into the chain ring, make 8 sc's.

Then for the next round, as with the cap fringe: "2 sc in each sc". (You are now working in a spiral.) -- 16 sc's in this round.

The next 4 rounds are just like those worked for the cap fringe. -- 16 sc's each round

Next, comes the part where you stuff the ball with scraps (cotton or wool or the like) before starting the narrowing process.

This pattern uses a different method of decreasing than was discussed earlier in a post on increasing and decreasing. Instead of crocheting 2 sts together, you just skip a stitch.

So, the next round is "start narrowing by skipping every 3rd st". -- 11 sc's this round (by my count)

Then for the next 2 rounds, you narrow even faster by "skipping every other st." -- either 5 or 6 sc's in the first round (depending on whether you skip then sc or vice versa) -- It really doesn't matter. And either 2 or 3 sc's in the second round. Finish this part off by making a slip stitch.

Finally, without breaking the yarn, make a chain of whatever length you'd like, and attach it. From the picture, it looks as though one does not join the chain to the mesh by slip stitching the last chain st to the bottom of the mesh. Instead, one attaches the chain by placing the chain around the mesh and then making a slip st to join the last chain st to the third (or possibly 4th) from last ch st -- thus making a small loop into the mesh.

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Crocheted cap fringe

2008-07-01T09:31:00.006-04:00

Continuing through the section on trims, we come to the crocheted cap fringe. The instructions are at the right and a picture below, both from the American Thread booklet.

One starts with an open mesh just as for the other fringes. Because of the width of the caps, the fringe is attached to every other open mesh.

The first step is making the caps. Just as when making the Irish Crochet Rose, one starts with a chain ring -- "ch 4, join to form a ring". Join is just another way of saying slip stitch.

Then "ch1, 6 sc into ring, join".
The ch 1 at the beginning of the round is to get the tops of all the sc's at the same height. Otherwise, without a ch 1 at the beginning of the round, the first sc would be a little smaller in height than the rest. One would join (slip stitch) into the top of the first sc made.

A ch 1 at the beginning of a sc round is used when working in the round. No ch 1 at the beginning of a round is used when working in a spiral.

"2 sc in each sc" There are now 12 sc's in the round. Notice that this round didn't begin with a ch 1.

"without joining rows, work 2 rows of sc working 1 sc into each sc" The last 2 rounds are worked in a spiral. This forms the sides of the cap.

"Break thread" You don't need to slip stitch into the next stitch. But, after you cut the thread and pull the thread around the hook until the loose end is through, you should first weave it into the next stitch as you start weaving in ends.

For the fringe itself, we'll need about 20 6"-lengths of thread. Tie the strands together in the middle with a simple overhand knot. Pull one end of the strands up through the middle of the cap, through an open mesh hole, and then back through the top of the cap. (A crochet hook is useful for this.) Then make another simple overhand knot over the last one to secure the strands. My best guess is that a knot on top of a knot inside the cap will give the cap a little extra bulk and also keep the cap from sliding off.

Index to crochet articles on this blog

Double and Triple Knot Fringes

2008-06-24T10:27:00.005-04:00

Last week, we talked about a single fringe. The fringe was attached to a mesh -- a filet crochet open mesh (dc 1, * sk 2, ch 2, dc 1 * across).

The directions for and pictures of double and triple knot fringes shown here are from the American Thread Company booklet.

The first difference between the single and multi-knot fringes is the length of thread/yarn used. (Because of the knots, one needs to use longer lengths of yarn to get the same length of fringe.) The second difference is that the strands are attached every other mesh opening.

For all of these fringes, the first knot is the cow hitch. Make the hitch every other mesh opening.

Then, take half of the strands from one fringe and half of the strands from the next fringe. Knot them together using an overhand knot. It looks better if the flat part of the knot faces outward. Then, for the double knot fringe, trim the bottom of the fringe to make it even.

(The overhand knot is the simplest kind of knot. The picture in the Wikipedia article shows 2 overhand knots.)

For the triple knot fringe, make a second overhand knot -- again splitting the fringes in half as in the pic. The first and last fringes will be a little different because they are on the edge. Again, trim the fringe to make it even across.

Single Fringe

2008-06-17T14:13:00.004-04:00

Still continuing with the section on Trims from the American Thread Company booklet, we come to fringes. This week will be single fringes. Next week will be double and triple knot fringes.

In order to attach a fringe, the booklet recommends having a mesh to loop the fringe through. As you can see in the picture, the last row of crocheting before the fringe is an open mesh as in filet crochet open mesh ( * dc 1, sk 2, ch 2 * across).

For a single fringe, the booklet suggests cutting the yarn into 5 - 6" long strands. It looks as though there are about 6 strands for each part of the fringe (though, of course, you could use fewer or more strands and shorter or longer strands).

Evidently (after a bit of research on my part), the way the strands are attached is called a cow knot or cow hitch. To attach the fringe, fold the strands in half and slip the folded edge through the mesh from the back. Pull the folded edge through enough to be able to slip the loose ends through. Then pull the loose ends to tighten. Finally, trim the loose ends to make the fringe even across.

Tassels and Pom-poms

2008-06-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

The section on Trims from the American Thread Company booklet continues with tassels and pom-poms. The directions from the booklet are at the right.

Both start out the same way, with wrapping yarn around a 3" wide piece of cardboard as in the leftmost of the pictures directly below.

For a tassel, wrap the yarn around the 3" cardboard about 20 times. Cut the yarn. Then tie the cut yarn around the middle. Finally, tie the yarn again about 3/4" down. The result is the rightmost of the pictures at the left. The tassel is just under 3" long. You can and probably should trim the bottom of the tassel to make it even.

For a pom-pom, again wrap yarn around a 3" piece of cardboard -- but this time about 60 times. Slide the yarn off the cardboard. Tie it in the middle -- as in the leftmost pic of the pics at the right. Then trim the sides to produce a pom-pom as in the rightmost pic of the pics at the right. The pom-pom is just under 3" across.

You can, of course, use a bigger piece of cardboard in order to make bigger tassels or pom-poms.

The booklet also gives instructions on making several at a time. Wind the yarn around heavy pins set several inches apart (depending on how many you want to make). Tie the yarn together at intervals and finally cut the yarn between the tied sections. So, if you wanted to make three 3" pom-poms at the same time, you'd place pins 9" apart. Then you'd tie the yarn together 1 1/2" from each edge and also 4 1/2" in from an edge. Then you'd cut the yarn 3" in from each edge. Finally, you'd trim the yarn and shape each section into a pom-pom.

Covered Buttons

2008-06-03T10:53:00.005-04:00

Continuing with the section on Trims from the American Thread Company booklet, we have instructions on how to cover buttons. Pictures of 2 covered buttons from the booklet are at the bottom of the post. The directions start out as follows:

"Ch 3, 12 dc in 1st st of ch, without joining rows, work 4 rows of sc increasing a sufficient number of times to keep work flat."

So, one starts out with a ch 3 followed by dc 12 in the first ch st. The picture at the right shows the first dc in progress.

"Without joining rows" means not to end the round with a slip stitch into the top of the first dc of the round. Instead, the first sc of the next round is made into the top of the first st of the previous round -- in other words, the button cover is worked in a spiral.

Then work flat. If you remember the spiral dishcloth we made, you'll remember that the rule of thumb is to increase 6 sts per round. So, for the second round, you could work * sc 2 in same st, sc 1 * around -- or increase every other st. For the third round, you would want to increase every 3rd st, etc. The picture at the right shows a button cover after the first sc round.

The directions say to work 4 rounds in sc. But, of course, you'd want to work the rounds of sc just enough to cover the button completely.

Once the face of the button is covered, you'll want to start on the underside and start making decreases. This is where the directions for the plain and fancy button covers differ.

For the plain button cover, you'll want to make 5 or 6 decreases per round until the back of the button mold is encased sufficiently that the button won't fall out. Then slip stitch (join), break the thread, and weave in the end.

For the fancy button, I'd suggest not following the directions as written by breaking the primary color. Instead, continue as for the plain button cover, but, for the first round of decreases, sc into the back loops only. For subsequent decrease rounds, proceed as you did for the plain button cover.

The reason for "back loops only" is to have a place to attach the secondary color. When finished with the back of the mold, attach the secondary color with a slip stitch anywhere around the outer edge of the button cover (into the front loop). Then ch 2. Then make 2 hdc's (hdc, half double crochet, is the same as s d c ) in the same place; ie, where you made the slip st. Finally, repeat " skip 1 st, slip st in next st, ch 2, 2 hdc in same st " around, as in the pattern, but use the front loops only.

Crocheted cord

2008-05-27T10:53:00.005-04:00

Between the sections on "Fancy Stitches" and on "Irish Crochet" in the booklet from the American Thread Company (which I inherited from my MIL), there is a section on trims. The first 2 trims it talks about are cords.

The twisted cord is pretty self-explanatory. It's the second cord in the picture. To make this, you get several strands of string or yarn and twist them. Then you bring the ends together, and let the strands twist around each other. Finally, you tie a knot where the ends meet to prevent the cord from untwisting.

The other cord (1. Crocheted Cord) described in the booklet involves crocheting. (Directions for both cords are at the right.) It reminds me of a knitted i-cord.

Start out as if making a spiral hotpad. Then continue as you did in making the hotpad -- except do not make any increases. In the variation here, the stitches are crocheted through the back loop.

In particular, as before, "ch 6, join" means to join the last ch to the first with a slip stitch. Then "Work 1 sc in each st" is exactly how we started the hotpad -- round 1.

"Without joining rows" means do not slip stitch the last stitch of a round to the first stitch of the round -- in other words, work in a spiral just as you did the hotpad.

Finally, "working in back loop of stitch only" means to crochet into the back loop -- and not under the entire loop (both front and back loops) as we did when making the hotpad. This, crocheting into the back loop, leaves a ridge which spirals around the cord.

The cord in the last picture is made in Peaches & Creme and a size 7 or H (4.50 mm) crochet hook. It's about an inch across.

Why the ch 2?

2008-05-20T12:11:00.003-04:00

For both diamond dishcloths, we started out rows with ch 2 followed by a dc into the last dc of the previous round -- instead of making a ch 3 as a replacement for the first dc of the row.

The main reason for this is to give a nicer edge for times when you don't want to crochet on an edging later. The reason that this gives a nicer edge is that crochet stitches don't rest exactly on top of each other.

In knitting (in plain stockinette), each knit stitch rests squarely on top of the stitch from the previous row. (A notable exception is when one knits through the back loop across every other row. But, we're not going to go into that here.)

In crocheting, this is not the case. The stitch rest just a little bit to the right of the stitch from the previous round. This can be most clearly seen in the picture in the second row from the top (a right side row). The dishcloth ended up square because when working on the opposite side of the dishcloth, the new stitches will also rest a bit to the right. And that "bit to the right" looks like a "bit to the left" when looked at from the first side. This can be seen most clearly in the first row from the top (a wrong side row from this perspective).

The ch 2 at the beginning of a row fills in the side a little. By the way, if we started the row with a ch 3 substitute for a dc, there would be a small gap between the ch 3 and the following dc.

Filet Crochet Diamond Dishcloth - v2

2008-05-13T09:31:00.004-04:00

The dishcloth we made last week had a mesh size 3 dc's wide. It's also possible to have a mesh only 2 dc's wide – with an open mesh consisting of only 1 chain st. The result is squarer.

The diamond pattern to the right shows such a pattern. Since a dc is approximately twice as high as it is wide, a block of 2 dc's will be approximately as high as they are wide. So, the chart has column widths and row heights the same. The chart has as many rows as columns. The resulting dishcloth itself is 31 sts wide by 15 rows tall (excluding the foundation or base chain).

Filet Crochet Diamond Dishcloth - v2
I used some left-over Peaches & Creme (or else Sugar 'n Cream) cotton yarn – worsted weight – and a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook. Finished size 8" x 7 ½"
(As was the last pattern, this pattern was made up by yours truly just for this blog.)

Foundation: ch 33
Row 1: dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc 14, ch 1, sk 1, dc 15, ch 2, turn
Row 2: dc 3, ch 1, sk 1, dc 9, ch 1, sk 1, dc 3, ch 1, sk 1, dc 9, ch 1, sk 1, dc 3, ch 2, turn
Row 3: dc 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc 7, ch 1, sk 1, dc 5, ch 1, sk 1, dc 5, ch 2, turn
Row 4: dc 7, ch 1, sk 1, dc 1, ch 1, sk 1, dc 11, ch 1, sk 1, dc 1, ch 1, sk 1, dc 7, ch 2, turn
Row 5: same as Row 4
Row 6: same as Row 3
Row 7: same as Row 2
Row 8: ch 2, then starting with 3rd to last dc in previous row, dc 13, ch 1, sk 1, dc 13, ch 1, sk 1, dc 1, ch 2, turn
(This row is different from the others. The ch 2 from the previous row isn't used as an edging. Instead it's used as the beginning of a ch 3 substitute for a dc. The following st, a ch st, is the top of an open filet. This is the only row of the pattern worked this way. Row 8 is the row being worked in the picture.)
Row 9: same as Row 2
Row 10: same as Row 3
Rows 11 – 12: same as Row 4
Row 13: same as Row 3
Row 14: same as Row 2
Row 15: dc 15, ch 1, sk 1, dc 15
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Note: Lion Brand has a wonderful collection of stitch patterns made into dishcloths. It also sends out a weekly newsletter with a stitch of the week made into a dishcloth. This is a great way to learn and try out new stitches.

Filet Crochet Dishcloth

2008-05-06T10:15:00.003-04:00

In designing a filet crochet pattern, the first thing to remember is that each "square" is actually 3 sts wide – a dc plus either 2 dc's or 2 ch's. The height of each "square" is a dc's height or, in other words, the height of 2 ch's.

I used a spreadsheet for this. In order to make a filet crochet pattern that will look a bit like the finished object, one needs to adjust the cell height and width. To do this, select the entire sheet by either clicking in the corner above the "1" and just before the "A" or click "Edit" – "Select all". Then select "Format" – "Row" – "Row height" and change it to "0.2". Finally, select "Format" – "Column" – "Column height" and change it to "0.3" -- or any combination that will give a ratio of 3 to 2.

After fiddling around a little, here's the design I came up with. (I copied the cells to "Paint" and then saved the result as a .jpg before posting it here.) The black cells are the holes or "open mesh" and the clear ones are the solid part or "closed mesh".

There are 9 cells across. -- which means 9 * 3 + 1 sts across – or 28 sts across on each row. To be different, I decided not to work an edging. So, I'm starting each row with a ch 2 – which is not a substitute for a stitch. It is there only to make a nicer edge. -- This is an alternative to starting a dc row with ch3 as a substitute for the first dc. -- For this alternative, the first dc of the new row is placed in the top of the last dc of the previous row.

Hint: When making long foundations chains, make the chain longer than needed. Then undo the unneeded sts after finishing the next row. It's better to have too many ch sts at the beginning of a long project than too few.

Filet Crochet Diamond Dishcloth
I used some left-over Peaches & Creme (or else Sugar 'n Cream) cotton yarn – worsted weight – and a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook.
finished size 7" x 6"

ch 30. Start work in 2nd chain from hook.
Row 1: dc 28, turn
Row 2: ch 2, dc 7, sk 2, ch 2, dc 10, sk 2, ch 2, dc 7, turn
Row 3: ch 2, dc 4, * sk 2, ch 2, dc 4 * across, turn
Row 4: ch 2, dc 13, sk 2, ch 2, dc 13, turn
OR (Row 4: ch 2, dc 1, sk 2, ch 2, dc 10, sk 2, ch 2, dc 10, sk 2, ch 2, dc 1, turn)
Row 5: same as Row 3
Row 6: same as Row 2
Row 7: same as Row 3
Row 8: same as Row 4
Row 9: same as Row 3
Row 10: same as Row 2
Row 11: same as Row 1
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Note: When dc-ing a stitch into a chain st, dc into the chain itself just as you did in Row 1.

Note: It will look as if you're making the last dc of a row between a dc and the ch 2. This is how it should look.

A thought: Filet crochet with dc's and ch-2 holes produces holes that are basically square but a design that is squatted down. The beginning and end rows of dc's were added to counteract this squatness. However, this design could be reworked with triple crochet sts intead of double crochet sts to produce a square dishcloth but holes that are elongated:

ch 31. Start work in 3rd chain from hook.
Row 1: ch 3, tr 7, sk 2, ch 2, tr 10, sk 2, ch 2, tr 7, turn
Row 2: ch 3, tr 4, * sk 2, ch 2, tr 4 * across, turn
Row 3: ch 3, tr 13, sk 2, ch 2, tr 13, turn
OR (Row 3: ch 3, tr 1, sk 2, ch 2, tr 10, sk 2, ch 2, tr 10, sk 2, ch 2, tr 1, turn)
Row 4: same as Row 2
Row 5: same as Row 3
Row 6: same as Row 2
Row 7: same as Row 3
Row 8: same as Row 2
Row 9: same as Row 1
Fasten off and weave in ends.

a Pansy

2008-04-29T09:29:00.005-04:00

We made a rose. How about designing a pansy? A pansy generally has 5 petals so we'll start out with 5 spokes instead of 6.

For the rose there were 6 spokes with a ch 3 in between for a total of 24 sts around. We'll try 25 for the pansy (since 25 is close to 24 and is divisible by 5). I'm going to start with a smaller initial chain loop – just to be different. I'm also using triple crochet sts for a little extra height since we're only going to have one round of petals.

The flower begins essentially like the Irish crochet rose – with a center chain loop and spokes. The petals are worked differently. The first picture shows the 5 spokes plus 2 petals. The last sc of the second petal isn't finished. Why there's a picture of an unfinished sc will become apparent later.

Here is the pattern:

Pansy

I used a size 5 or F (3.75 mm) crochet hook and leftovers from a couple of balls of Peaches & Creme cotton yarn – worsted weight -- in yellow and blue. Yellow is the color for the center and the first 2 petals.

This is my own pattern, just made up yesterday especially for this blog.

The flower is about 3 ½ " in diameter.

Instructions:
Ch 4. Join to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 7, * dc 1, ch 4 * 4x, join with slip stitch to 3rd st of ch 7. (5 spokes)

Rnd 2: In each of the first 2 loops work "sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, tr 3, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1". If desired, change colors. In each of the remaining 3 loops work "sc 1, ch 3, tr 2, dc 1, tr 2, ch 3, sc 1".

That's all there is to the pattern -- except for fastening off and weaving in the ends.

There are several ways to change colors. One way is to fasten off the old color and then start with the new. However, for the pansy, I changed colors by just starting to crochet with the new color.

For that method, for the last sc of the second petal, don't draw a loop of yellow through to complete the sc. Instead draw a loop of blue through. (The loop created when finishing a st is the top of the next st. This is shown in the second picture.) That is all there is to it. (One, of course, needs to weave in the ends. But, whatever technique you use, you'd need to do that.)

Note also: Just as the ch 3 (the first part of the ch 7 at the beginning of round 1) is a substitute for dc 1, "sc 1, ch 3" and "ch 3, sc 1" are substitutes for tr 1.

Why 6?

2008-04-22T10:29:00.003-04:00

-- or "Crocheting a hotpad"

It's no accident that the Irish crochet rose started with 6 spokes (and 6 chain loops). Six appears often in circular patterns.

A single crochet spiral hotpad starts with 6 sc sts in the center loop. Then each round after that has an increase 6 sc sts. If you make fewer than 6 increases per round, you'll end up with a cup or bowl shaped object. If you make more than 6 increases, you'll end up with ruffles.

Something similar holds true for double crochet As you recall, a dc st is twice the height of a sc st. To make a circle in dc, you would start with 12 dc sts in the center loop and then increase 12 dc sts per round. For triple crochet, the "magic" number is 18.

In the case of the rose we just completed, we started out with the equivalent of * dc 1, ch 3 * six times. This gave 6 spokes and 6 loops. If we hadn't wanted loops but just a basic pinwheel shape (a circle with spokes), we would have made the equivalent of * dc 1, ch 1* six times – for 12 sts around.

-------
My aunt Ila was my first crochet teacher. And the first thing I ever crocheted was a hotpad. (I didn't start out with long chains of chain sts but rather with something to use in the kitchen.)
Here's the basic pattern:

A Simple Spiral Hotpad
I used Peaches & Creme worsted weight cotton yarn and a size 7 or H (4.50 mm) hook.
The finished hotpad is almost 7" in diameter.

Rnd 1: Ch 2. Sc 6 in 2^nd st from hook. (6 sc)
-- Make a slip knot around the hook. Chain 2. Insert the hook into the second st from the hook (ie, the slip knot) and sc. Make 5 more sc's in the same st (ie, the slip knot).
The out-of-focus photo shows the start of the 4^th sc.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in same st 6x (ie, sc twice in each sc from the previous round). (12 sc)

Rnd 3: * 2 sc in same st, sc 1 * 6x (18 sc)

Note: If you wanted to, you could slip a locking stitch marker into the first st of a rnd to let you know when you're about to start a new rnd.
In the photo, you can see that at the end of rnd 3, there are 18 sts on the outside and that there are 3 rows of sc's.

A lot of patterns for simple spiral hotpads like this have for the next few rounds:
Rnd 4: * 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (24 sc)
Rnd 5: * 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (30 sc)
Rnd 6: * 2 sc in same st, sc 4 * 6x (36 sc)

This will produce a hexagon with rounded corners. To get something circular, one needs to vary where one places the increases. Here's a way to do that:

Rnd 4: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st * 6x (24 sc)
Rnd 5: * 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (30 sc)
Rnd 6: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (36 sc)
Rnd 7: * sc 4, 2 sc in same st, sc 1 * 6x (42 sc)
Rnd 8: * sc 6, 2 sc in same st * 6x (48 sc)
Rnd 9: * 2 sc in same st, sc 7 * 6x (54 sc)
Rnd 10: * sc 2, 2 sc in same st, sc 6 * 6x (60 sc)
Rnd 11: * sc 4, 2 sc in same st, sc 5 * 6x (66 sc)
Rnd 12: * sc 6, 2 sc in same st, sc 4 * 6x (72 sc)
Rnd 13: * sc 8, 2 sc in same st, sc 3 * 6x (78 sc)
Make loop: Ch 10 (or more), attach to top of last sc as you would a picot.
Rnd 14: * sc 10, 2 sc in same st, sc 2 * 6x (84 sc), ending with a slip st into the base of the picot-like loop.

For added sturdiness, you can slip stitch along the chain sts. Fasten off.

A final word:
As you work around, you'll find that just before it's time to make an increase, the sts are slanted to the right. After the increase, the sts are slanted to the left.

The way I learned to make hotpads was not to follow a pattern -- but to make an increase when the sts start pulling to the right. (This did work out to about 6 increases per round). Also, if there was a choice about where to place the increase, place it in the middle of a flat edge.

Irish Crochet Rose - 5

2008-04-15T10:27:00.003-04:00

I was going to name the post "Why 6?" but decided there was too much for one post. So, "Why 6?" will have to wait until next week.

Here are the last 2 rnds for the Irish Crochet Rose (from the American Thread Company booklet):

"5th Row. * Ch 7, sc in back of work between next 2 petals, repeat from * all around.
"6th Row. In each loop work 1 sc, 1 sdc, 7 dc, 1 sdc, 1 sc. Sl st in 1st sc of row and fasten thread."

So, the 5th round is basically a repeat of the 3rd round, and the 6th round is basically a repeat of the 4th round. Again sdc or short double crochet is the same as hdc or half double crochet. Sl st is slip stitch and is done the same way as in the link for the baby blanket edging. The picture shows the slip stitch being made. Note that the hook is placed through the back loop only.

This flower in worsted weight yarn is about 4 1/2" across. The one pictured in the first section for the rose and done in size 10 crochet thread is about 1 3/4" across.

As I was thinking about writing this post, I realized that I hadn't said anything about how to attach the rose. Here are some ideas:

To attach it to a sweater or handbag or scarf: I would use floss like one uses for cross stitch. It comes in many colors. It's thicker than regular thread but not as thick as yarn. I would thread a blunt needle with the floss and tack the flower to the object between the outside petals -- where you would place the sc's if you were to do a round 7.

To make a shawl of flowers: I would lay the flowers out how I wanted them to be in the final product. Where the petals touched, I would sc through the tops (either both top loops, the back loops, or the front loops) of touching dc sts, then chain to the next touching petals. If a chain crossed another chain, I would slip stitch them together where they crossed.

To make the flower the center of a square or circle or whatever: I would divide each petal into thirds mentally. For this flower, which has 11 sts per petal, I would sc in the 4th st of the petal, make enough ch sts to start achieving the shape I wanted, sc in the 8th st of the petal, and then ch again, making the next sc in the 4th st of the next petal, etc.

---

By the way, one isn't limited to just sc, hdc, and dc when making petals. In fact, the booklet has another flower design immediately after this one. (I don't like it as well -- mostly because the petals turn out more square than rounded.) In round 1, one makes only 5 instead of 6 ch loops. It has for our equivalent of Row/Round 2:
"Ch 1, * 1 dc, 7 dc, 1 dc in ch 3, 1 sc in dc, repeat from * all around."
In other words, instead of skipping over the dc's from the previous round and working only in the ch loops, ch 1 -- which counts as a sc in the first dc. Then work 1 dc, 7 tr (triple crochet), 1 dc in the next loop. Finally, work a sc in the dc on the other side of the ch loop.

Irish Crochet Rose - 4

2008-04-08T10:41:00.005-04:00

Here's a pic of the underbelly/WS of the rose through the end of Round 3. The chain loops are lying on top of the petals.

In the first round, each of 6 chain loops had 3 ch's. In the third, each of 6 chain loops had 5 ch's. In the second round, each of 6 petals had 3 dc's. You can probably guess how many dc's for the fourth round. From the American Thread Company booklet:

"4th Row. In each loop work 1 sc, 1 sdc, 5 dc, 1 sdc, 1 sc." (sdc -- or short double crochet -- is the same as hdc)

Here is a picture from the RS of the rose with 3 petals made plus part of a fourth. You can see how the base of the petals in this round is hidden beneath petals from the 2nd round. Also, notice that, to make it easier to crochet, I've bent a petal forward. Finally, as with the 2nd round of petals, I need to scoot the sts over to make room for more in the chain loop.

Next week will be the last 2 rnds of the rose -- under the title "Why 6?".

Irish Crochet Rose - 3

2008-04-01T11:35:00.004-04:00

So far, we've completed the first round of petals. Next comes a set-up round for the second round of petals. The next line of instructions from the American Thread Company booklet is:

"3rd Row. * Ch 5, sc in back of work between the single crochets of next 2 petals, repeat from * all around."

The picture shows the back of the rose. I chained 5. (The chain sts are hidden by a petal in the picture. They really shouldn't be.) Then I placed the hook through the back of the stitch between petals -- the back of a dc from round 1 -- as the first step in making a sc.

The last stitch from the previous round is just to the left of the petal just to the left of the crochet hook (from our perspective) . (It's at about the 11 o'clock position.) When the round is complete, none of the sts from this round will be easily visible from the right side of the rose.

Bits and Bobs Crochet Tutorial Index

2008-04-01T10:54:00.027-04:00

An Introduction

Stitches

Chain space
Chain stitch
Cluster stitch
Double crochet
Double treble crochet
Half double crochet
Lacet stitch
Picot
Single crochet
Slip stitch
Treble crochet

Techniques, etc

Buttonhole
Changing colors
Covered button
Crocheted ball fringe
Crocheted cap fringe
Crocheted cord
Decreasing
Double knot fringe
Filet crochet, defined
Increasing
Irish crochet, defined
No-edging edging
Picot edging
Single crochet edging
Single fringe
Tassels and Pom-Poms
Triple knot fringe
Washing and blocking

Projects

Filet Crochet Diamonds Dishcloth
--Version 1
--Version 2
Irish Crochet Rose
--Part 1
--Part 2
--Part 3
--Part 4
--Part 5
Kitchen Towel Hanger
--Part 1
--Part 2
--Part 3
--Part 4
--Part 5
--Part 6
Pansy
A Simple Spiral Hotpad
Sunbonnet Potholder
--Part 1
--Part 2
--Part 3
--Part 4
--Part 5
--Part 6

Other patterns mentioned in the tutorial

Diamond mesh
Filet Crochet Iris
Lion Brand dishcloth patterns
Ripple afghan

Irish Crochet Rose - 2

2008-03-25T10:35:00.003-04:00

For round 2 of the rose, we'll add the first round of petals. There are 6 petals, one for each loop of the previous round. Each petal begins and ends with a sc. There are dc's in the middle of the petals.

A dc is twice the height of a sc. And so, for a smoother curve to the petal, it would be nice to have a stitch that is about halfway in height between the two. That stitch is the half double crochet. At the right is a description of the stitch from the American Thread Company booklet. It's called a short double crochet there. (The British call the stitch a half triple crochet.)

To work the stitch, start out as if making a double crochet. But, instead of pulling the thread through 2 loops twice (as for a dc), pull the thread through all 3 loops. NexStitch has a video.

The second round is (paraphrasing the directions from the booklet):
2nd Row: In each loop work 1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc.

Here are 4 petals plus part of a 5th. Since the pattern calls for 7 sts in each ch 3 loop, there is apt to be crowding. Scoot the sts over a bit to make more room for the rest of the sts. That's what needs to be done in the picture to finish the 5th petal.

Irish Crochet Rose - 1

2008-03-18T10:57:00.004-04:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and also in honor of the soon-to-be arrival of spring, our next project is an Irish crochet rose. The picture at the right is of this type of rose done as a border for a doily. The pattern is from an old issue of Workbasket Magazine. (My grandmother had a subscription to Workbasket and let me borrow various issues.) It's made with size 10 crochet thread. The roses were made separately. The inner halves of the roses were attached in the second-to-last round of the doily, the outer halves in the last round.

The pattern we will be working with comes from the American Thread Company Booklet but appears to be the same pattern as the Workbasket one. To be different and to see how the rose looks in a different size, I'm going to use worsted weight yarn (in particular Wool-Ease) and a size F (or 5) hook.

First a word about Irish crochet. ....

Last week, we talked about filet crochet. It is, at its most basic, a grid of dc and ch sts. It's lovely in its own right. Irish crochet is, at its most basic, a lot of ch sts to produce not a rectangular grid but triangles and diamonds. Some of these diamond shapes are visible in the upper left hand corner of the first picture. It's also lovely and possibly more of what one thinks of when thinking of crocheted doilies. However, Irish crochet is not limited to circular doilies. It can also be worked back and forth.

Here's the first part of the pattern (from the American Thread Company booklet):

"Ch 7, join to form a ring, ch 6, dc into ring, * ch 3, dc into ring, repeat from * 3 times, ch 3 and join in 3rd st of ch 6 at beginning of row." -- for a total of 6 loops. I'm not sure whether or not it's a typo. But, the part between the asterisks should be worked 4 times.

To begin, chain 7 and join to form a ring. The second picture shows the project at the point of joining to form a ring -- ie, making a slip st in the first st. So, after chaining 7, put the hook through the first ch st, yo, and draw the yarn through both loops.

Note: This is the usual way to start a circular project. The ch 7 produces a nicely defined circle. One could start out with as few as 3 ch sts for a smaller loop. More than 7 ch sts would probably produce too large of a loop. (More on this is at the end of the post.)

Then ch 6, dc into ring, * ch 3, dc into ring *. The third picture shows the second dc into the ring. The first 3 sts of the ch 6 are a substitute for a dc.

If you're going to use the tail later for attaching the rose to a garment or a purse, then let the tail dangle. If not, hide the tail as you dc into the ring. The picture has the tail next to the ch ring and partially hidden under the dc's.

And here is the completed first round. There are 6 chain loops, not counting the center one. The last st is a slip stitch.

A final word: To have no loop at the center (which is another usual way to start a circular project), do not make a loop to start out. Instead of making dc or sc (or whatever) sts into a loop, make them into the 1st st. The first round of the pattern would then be written:

Ch 7, dc into 1st st, * ch 3, dc into 1st st * 4 times, ch 3 and join to 4th st of ch 7 at beginning of rnd.

Filet Crochet

2008-03-11T10:57:00.005-04:00

The terry cloth dish cloth hanger is now finished. It used a couple different mesh patterns plus a buttonhole plus a picot edging. Here is a pic.

Meshes are part of a type of crocheting called filet crochet.

Two basic meshes in filet crocheting are the open or filet mesh and the block or solid mesh. The American Thread Company booklet shows how to do both of these basic meshes.

The picture at the top is of an open or filet mesh. To start off this mesh from a chain base, first chain 8 plus a multiple of 3 sts. Then, quoting from the booklet, "work the first dc in 8th ch from hook, * ch 2, skip 2, dc in next st, repeat from *. Succeeding rows, ch 5 to turn and dc in dc, * ch 2, dc in next dc, repeat from *."

The 7 unworked chain sts at the beginning of the first row represent 2 ch sts for the top and 2 for the bottom of the first mesh hole and 3 ch sts to replace a dc at the beginning of the row. The ch 5 at the beginning of subsequent rows is 3 ch sts in place of a dc plus 2 ch sts for the top of the mesh hole.

The picture at the bottom has block or solid meshes filling in some of the open mesh squares. To work the mesh pictured from a chain, first chain a multiple of 6 sts. Then, work a dc in 4th ch from hook, dc 3, * ch 2, skip 2, dc 4, repeat from *. (The ch 3 at the beginning of the row counts as a dc.)

Note that for the 4 dc blocks, the first and last dc's are made in the top of a dc and the middle 2 dc's are made in a chain space.

For subsequent rows, alternate:

Ch 3, skip 1st dc, dc 2, * dc 4, ch 2, skip 2, repeat from *, end with dc 7
(or, alternatively, for an open mesh at the beginning and end of the row, ch 5, skip 1st 3 dc's, * dc 4, ch 2, skip 2, repeat from *, end with dc 1.

Ch 3, skip 1st dc, dc 3, * ch 2, skip 2, dc 4, repeat from *.

It's easy to design your own filet crochet patterns and mesh patterns. Get some graph paper and shade in the squares that you want as chain spaces. Here's a link to a traditional filet design, a spider.

Here's a diamond mesh design that I made up years and years ago for a throw (in worsted weight yarn). The rows are:

Row 1: Ch 3, * dc 2, ch 1, skip 1, dc 2, repeat from *.
Row 2: Ch 3, * dc 1, ch 1, skip 1, dc 1, ch 1, skip 1, dc 2, repeat from *.
Row 3: Ch 3, * ch 1, skip 1, dc 3, ch 1, skip 1, dc 1, repeat from *.
Row 4: Ch 3, *dc 2, ch 1, skip 1, dc 2, ch 1, skip 1, repeat from *, but last time dc 1 instead of ch1, skip 1.
Row 5: Same as Row 3.
Row 6: Same as Row 2.

A final note: For each of these rows, I've started out with a ch 3 as a replacement for a dc. There is another equally good (and sometimes better) way to start rows of dc's. --- Ch 2, then dc in the first not the second stitch, as we had been doing. The ch 2 is not a replacement for a dc. It just gives a more interesting edge. This ripple afghan pattern has an edge like this. It's done in sc, and so there is a ch 1 at the beginning of each row.

Picot Edging

2008-03-04T15:22:00.006-05:00

First of all, I want to say that I've made this hanging kitchen towel thingy many times and have never given it a picot edging. I've never started and ended the edging with a slip stitch before either. But, there's always a first time for everything.
-- I have always made it with an edging, though.

When adding an edging in knitting, one has to be careful about row and stitch gauge. A knit stitch is about 1 1/2 times wider than it is tall (at least for a gauge of 4 sts and 6 rows per inch). So, the number of stitches to be picked up along a vertical edge is different than the number of rows along that edge.

On the other hand, a single crochet stitch is pretty much as tall as it is wide. When picking up stitches along a vertical edge, one would pick up 1 st off of a row of sc's and 2 sts off of a row of dc's and 3 sts off of a row of tr's, etc. (A dc is about twice as tall as a sc, and a tr is about 3 times as tall.) The picture shows a picked up edge (plus some picots).

------

After finishing off the buttonhole and weaving in the ends, I started with another color of thread. As usual, for starting any crochet project, I made a slip stitch knot around the hook. Then since I wanted an almost invisible start to the edging, I did a slip stitch stitch into the bottom of the first sc in the project (as in the picture at the right). -- To get the yo through the starting loop more easily, I held one edge of the loop (the part of the loop with the loose end) with my left hand. That completed the slip stitch. Then, I did a sc into the edge of the next row, a sc row.

Then comes the first picot.

I used the first method of making picots (as described in the American Thread Company brochure excerpt). I chained 3 and then did a slip stitch into the top of the last sc. NexStitch has a nice video of the stitch.

As you can see, it is a bit difficult to do. That's probably why there is an alternative way to do the picot (as mentioned by both the booklet and NexStitch) -- namely, instead of doing a slip stitch, make another sc (or whatever stitch the picot is on top of) "in the same space" or, in other words, as if one were doing an increase.

Just doing a sc without either the slip stitch or the "increase" would make the picot too open.

One isn't limited to doing just 3 or 4 chains for a picot. It just depends on how large you want it to be. However, with more chain stitches, the inside of the loop of chain stitches becomes more visible, and it's naturally called a chain loop. One is also not limited to doing picots on top of sc's. It can be done on top of most any stitch. Picots also don't have to be restricted to edgings.

To finish this edging, repeat *sc 4, picot* around. For the buttonhole, pick up as many stitches as were skipped at the bottom of the buttonhole. End by making a slip stitch.

Cluster Stitch, Increasing, Decreasing

2008-02-26T11:27:00.005-05:00

Increasing is easy to do in crocheting. One doesn't have to worry about which way the increase will lean (as one does in knitting). All one needs to do is crochet (single crochet or double crochet or ...) two or more times into the same stitch.

Decreasing is a little harder to do. But, again one doesn't have to worry about which way the decrease will lean (as one does in knitting). But, I'm going to talk about cluster sts first.

To make a cluster stitch of 3 triple crochet sts (as in the diagram at the right from a booklet from the American Thread Company), start a triple crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Then start another triple crochet st in the same st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook. Then start a third triple crochet st in the same st but do not do the last step. Four loops remain on the hook. To complete the st, yo (as in the picture) and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook. The pattern at the right could be written as:

*cs (3 tr), ch 2, skip 2*, repeat * to *

with cs standing for cluster stitch and 3 tr showing that 3 triple crochet sts are combined to form the cs. (But, there are very few standard abbreviations in crocheting or, for that matter, very little in the way of standard terminology.)

NexStitch calls a st like this a popcorn, bobble, or puff and reserves the term cluster st to one that creates a decrease.

Decreases are made as follows: (This time, I'll use an example of decreasing in double crochet. But, "triple" or "single" could be substituted wherever the word "double" appears in the directions.) -- To double crochet 2 sts together, start a double crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Then start another double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook (as in the picture). To complete the st, yo and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook.

Here are some abbreviations.
sc2tog -- single crochet next 2 sts together
tr2tog -- triple crochet next 2 sts together
dc3tog -- double crochet next 3 sts together.
Directions for dc3tog: Start a double crochet st but do not do the last step. Two loops remain on the hook. Start a double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Three loops remain on the hook. Start a double crochet st in the next st but do not do the last step. Four loops remain on the hook . To complete the st, yo and pull the yarn through all loops. The stitch is complete, and just one loop remains on the hook.

After looking at last week's creation, I decided that I wanted it more rounded. So I frogged it to the last lace mesh row and replaced the sc row by:

Turn, ch2, skip 1, *skip 1, dc, ch1* across, ending with skip 1, double crochet together next st with the third st after that. (This takes the st count down to 9 from 15.)

(Then the buttonhole row is:)
ch 1, sc 1, ch 4, skip 5, sc 1, slip st 1.

a buttonhole

2008-02-19T17:35:00.005-05:00

A horizontal crocheted buttonhole is generally made in a row of sc's simply because sc's have a little height but not much. And so, the buttonhole would have a little height but not much. The bottom of the buttonhole is the top of the last row. (Skip as many sts as the buttonhole is wide.) It doesn't have to be a row of sc's as it is here. It could be a mesh or a row of dc's or .... The top of the buttonhole is made by ch sts.

Here's what the mesh from last week looks like -- unstretched and unblocked. I ended up with 15 sts across. Then, for this go-around, this is what I did next:

Turn, ch2, sc across.
Turn, ch1, sc4 (I did ch 1 instead of ch 2 to give the edge a more rounded look. I'm going to end the row with a slip st to give the other corner a rounded look as well.)

The next question is how many ch sts to make to create a buttonhole.

The general answer is "however many sts skipped". However, ch sts stretch more than sc sts. The second picture shows this.

For the third picture, I did 1 fewer ch st than I skipped in the previous row.

And here's the final picture.

The last row is:

ch 1, sc 4, ch 4, skip 5, sc 4, slip st 1.

Terrycloth Kitchen Towel Hanger

2008-02-13T10:21:00.007-05:00

Returning to the terrycloth kitchen towel that we've been working on, off and on.......
Here's where we left off:

Row 1: Sc 1 into cloth, *ch 2, sc 1 into cloth* to end.
Row 2: Turn, ch 2, sc 2 in each ch sp across, sc 1.
Row 3. Turn, ch3, dc in next st in previous row, *ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* across, dc 1.
The pattern will, in most likelihood, not work out exactly. So, you can fudge by skipping only 1 st before making the last two dc's of the row or else by ending dc, skip 1, dc.

The ch 2 at the beginning of Row 2 is a substitute for a sc. The ch 3 at the beginning of Row 3 acts as a substitute for a dc. The last st of Row 2 (and also Row 3) is made into the last of the ch sts that started the previous row.

To continue:
Repeat Rows 2-3 until there are somewhere around 10 sts across (between 9 and 15), ending with a Row 3. The picture shows the first repeat of Row 2. The first of 2 sc's is being worked into a ch sp.

Then, we will switch to a different kind of mesh. The sc's in the previous mesh gave the piece a little sturdiness that was needed due the rapid decrease in width. Now, we're going to use a different mesh pattern and not change the width.

Row 1: Turn, ch 3, *ch 1, skip 1, dc 1* across.
The ch 3 at the beginning of the row serves as a substitute for a dc. The ch 1 creates a ch sp (chain space). So, even though the row starts out with 4 ch sts, it's really a dc substitute plus a ch.
Row 2: Turn, ch3, dc 1, *ch 1, skip 1, dc 1* across, dc 1.
The last dc of the row is made into the last of the 3 ch sts that served as a substitute for a dc in the previous row. The rest of the dc's can either be made into a chain space or into a ch st (whichever, as long as it's consistent). It's much easier to dc into a ch sp than into a ch st.

Repeat these 2 rows to around 5". Next week, we'll do a buttonhole for the hanger.

-----
As a side note: Last week, I said that double triple and triple triple sts were rarely used. Well, then I joined the Antique Pattern Library Yahoo! group. The first pattern that I looked at was a large doily pattern that had dtr's in the first round.

Treble Crochet Stitch, etc

2008-02-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

The treble (or triple) crochet stitch is about three times the height of a single crochet stitch. (It is called a double-triple or double-treble crochet stitch in England and several Commonwealth countries and is abbreviated d tr c, dtr, or 4-c.) In American notation, it is abbreviated tc or tr c or tr or 3-c. The photo at the right is from the American Thread Company booklet and shows both the front and back of the stitch. NexStitch has a video.
(The caption on the picture is for the double treble crochet st -- discussed later.)

This st and the other two sts discussed here are used mainly in lace edgings or doilies, etc and in Irish lace. They're fairly thin with definite space between the sts. They can be used in combination with the sc and dc sts to form shells.

Again, one starts with a single loop on the hook (and ends with a single loop on the hook). The difference is how many yo's to make. For the single crochet st, there was no yo before placing the hook through the top of a st in the previous row (or into a ch sp). For a dc, there was a single yo. For a tr c, there are 2 yo's.

Step 1. Yarn over (yo) twice. That is, wrap the thread around the hook twice (from the back over the hook to the front). There are 3 loops on the hook.

Step 2. With the yarn in back, put the hook through the top of the desired st -- or whatever (as you did for a single crochet st), yo, and draw the thread through. There are now 4 loops on the hook.

Step 3. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 3 loops on the hook. (The pic shows the yo part of this step.)

Step 4. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Step 5. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops. There is now only 1 loop on the hook, and the treble crochet is complete.

Going further:
One might ask oneself what would happen if one made 3 instead of 2 yo's to start out. The answer is that one would have a double treble crochet st -- shown in the pic at the right -- abbreviated dtr or d tr c or 4-c. (It is called a triple treble crochet st in England.) Here is a link to the video at NexStitch. This st is about 4 times the height of a sc. It is not used very often even in lace.

The picture at the right is of the double treble crochet st.

Similarly, one could do 4 yo's to start out. The result is a triple treble crochet st (or treble treble crochet st or tr tr c or trtr or 5-c). NexStitch has a video. (I assume it would be called a double treble treble crochet st in England.) It's about 5 times the height of a sc.

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those swatches?

2008-01-01T20:15:00.000-05:00

Well these Swatchies are absolutely adorable.

Links to Knitting for Baby

2007-12-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

Last week's was my last post on crocheting for the year -- and probably for a few weeks afterwards. Christmas is coming. Then in mid-January, we're moving.

But, I thought I'd share with you all a few knitting links that I recently found and that sort of fit with the Bits and Bobs format. (By the way, I don't know of anyone about to have a baby. But, I know several people who know someone about to have a baby.)

First come a couple of links from Fleegle. I've been reading her blog for quite a while -- not from the beginning but still quite a while. (The first post on the blog is an ingenuous way for making toe-up socks.) But, the links I want to direct you to are a couple of posts on baby booties -- a seamless bottom-up "regular" bootie and a seamless (Sartjees) one with buttons.

The other is a link to a Tetris baby blanket. It seems to me to be a great way to use up yarn. (One wouldn't have to do the Tetris blocks in the same color each time.)

Slip Stitch

2007-12-11T10:05:00.001-05:00

The project we're working on has an edging on just one edge. But, what if one wants to put an edging all around.......

Here's an example of this -- a blanket with a single crochet edging.

To make it easier to add a crocheted edging, I used a chain stitch selvage when knitting-- I.e., I knitted the last stitch of every row and slipped the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front -- on both right and wrong side rows.

To make the single crochet edging: Start with a single loop on the hook, just as you did when starting the edge for the terry towel dish towel. Single crochet around. This time there is no need to make any chain stitches. I used a size 10 needle for the knitting part and a size H crochet hook for the crochet part. Make 1 single crochet under each (double) loop of the chain stitch selvage and 1 single crochet under the bottom/top of each stitch from the cast on/bind off edge. To turn the corner, single crochet 3 times in the same place. The picture shows a corner with the extra stitches (to make it lay flat) and a sc in process of being created.

When you get back to the first stitch worked, you need a way to join the edge together. The answer is the slip stitch. It's almost invisible.

Most stitches are worked by slipping the hook under both loops at the top of a stitch (unless you want a ribbed effect). For a slip stitch (slip st), place the hook under the back loop only. Yarn over. Then draw the yarn through both loops. NexStitch has a video of the stitch plus other uses for the slip stitch.

edited March 2008: In England, this stitch is called a single crochet stitch.

Finish off the piece essentially as you would a piece of knitting. Elongate the last loop and snip off the yarn just as in knitting. Then weave it in just as you would for knitting. NexStitch has a video of weaving in the ends. I dislike needles and so use a crochet hook to pull the yarn through.

If this were crocheted back and forth, I would do exactly as the video shows (except for using a hook instead of a needle). Since this is crocheted in the round, I would weave the yarn around the first few stitches made in the round instead of the last few.

Here is the finished piece, not yet blocked. The slip stitch join is in the upper right hand corner. The bottom of the picture shows what the wrong side of a single crochet stitch looks like.

Here is a picture from the American Thread Company booklet describing the slip stitch.

Double Crochet Stitch

2007-12-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

The double crochet stitch is about twice the height of a single crochet stitch. (It is called a triple or treble crochet stitch in England and several Commonwealth countries and is abbreviated tc or 3-c.) In American notation, it is abbreviated dc. The photo at the right is from the American Thread Company booklet and describes the stitch.

In the photo, you can see both the right sides of dc sts (the top row) and the wrong sides (the bottom row).

NexStitch has a video of the stitch. The video shows the dc being made in a chain st (with the hook being put under just one loop of thread). In the pattern we're working on, the dc is made on top of a sc and so (since we want a flat effect instead of a rib effect), put the hook under both loops at the top of the sc. -- For a further discussion, look at the last 2 paragraphs of the previous article on crocheting.

The single crochet stitch took 2 steps to complete. The double crochet stitch takes 4 steps. As with most, if not all, crochet sts, one starts with a single loop around the hook -- and ends with a single loop around the hook.

Step 1. Yarn over (yo). That is, wrap the thread around the hook (from the back over the hook to the front). There are 2 loops on the hook.

Step 2. With the yarn in back, put the hook through the top of the desired st -- or whatever (as you did for a single crochet st), yo, and draw the thread through. There are now 3 loops on the hook.

The picture at the right shows the yo in Step 1 and the hook through the top of the stitch that I wanted to dc into. (I skipped 2 sts between dc's because that's what the pattern I'm making calls for.)

Step 3. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops on the hook. There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Step 4. Yarn over and draw the thread through 2 loops. There is now only 1 loop on the hook, and the double crochet is complete.

The picture at the right shows the yo in Step 4. You'll notice that bottom half of the stitch is already made.

-----------

Now to get back to the terry cloth dish towel that we were working on. The final picture shows the end of the row of sc's from the directions from last week. The next row of work is a row of dc's and ch's -- to give an open mesh effect.

Row 3. Turn, ch3, dc in next st in previous row, *ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* across, dc in last st.

To explain these steps:
Turn -- Turn the fabric so that now the RS is facing you. We were working on the WS.

Ch 3: Chain 3, as a substitution for a dc.

dc in next st in previous row: Don't dc in the last st of the last row but rather one stitch over. (Sometimes, one just writes dc instead of dc 1.)

*ch 1, skip 2, dc 1* The pattern that is repeated across the row is to first chain 1, the double crochet in the 3rd stitch over from the last stitch crocheted into (to skip 2 sts).

Finally, the pattern will, in most likelihood, not work out exactly. So, you can fudge by skipping only 1 st before making the last two dc's of the row or else by ending dc, skip 1, dc. -- As was the case in the last row, there are fewer sts across than in the previous row.

Single Crochet -- Part 2

2007-11-26T14:48:00.000-05:00

In the last installment, we talked about making single crochet stitches with either no foundation row (just a piece of cloth) or a chain stitch foundation. In this installment, we'll talk about making single crochet stitches in the top of a stitch or in a chain space.

First to recap about making sc's in ch sts. --- Here's the 6-foot chain again. This time it's much different. It's wider and a lot sturdier. I used the technique in the last picture of the last installment to single crochet in each chain stitch of the chain (except, of course, the one used in turning the work). You'll notice that it curls a lot. That can be fixed by blocking.

I've also made progress on the terry cloth dish towel. I've done sc 1, *ch 2, sc 1* to the end. That was the first row (done on the right side of the fabric). Also, all the sc's were made into the fabric.

Next ch 1 and turn the work. (The ch 1 is a substitute for the first stitch in this next row -- a row of single crochet stitches.) Then single crochet twice into each chain space. In the picture, I've already worked 3 chain spaces and am preparing to sc in the next chain space. (This is the beginning of Step 1. Step 2 is done just as before.) When I get to the end, I'll single crochet into the top of the last st (which was the first st of the previous row).

Row 2: Turn, ch 1, sc 2 in each ch sp across, sc in last st.

You're probably thinking that you'll end up with fewer stitches than you started out with. And you'd be right. The number of stitches will be decreased by about a third.

If I had wanted to keep the same number of stitches, I would have done one of the following:
Turn, ch 1, *sc 2 in each ch sp, sc in next sc* across
or
Turn, ch 1, sc 3 in each ch sp across
or
Turn, ch 1, sc in each st across
I would have taken the first option. First of all, it's easier to sc into a ch sp than a ch st. Second, it keeps the sts lined up vertically.

Finally, a word about what the top of a stitch looks like. It looks like a chain selvage on the edge of a knitted garment. When the directions say to sc into the next sc, it means to put the hook under the 2 loops on the top of the stitch (as part of Step 1). Then do Step 2 as usual. It really doesn't matter how you crochet the last st of this row, though, since it will be hidden by the edging.

Here, (a rippled afghan) is an example of what a crocheted piece looks like when one crochets in the back loops only instead of both loops.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T01:16:00.000-05:00

Single Crochet Stitch

2007-11-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

The single crochet stitch is abbreviated sc in patterns as in sc 2 in next ch sp (single crochet twice in the next chain space) or sc 3 in next st (single crochet 3 times in next st).

A word of warning: This is American terminology. The British term for the same stitch is double crochet (dc).

As with all crochet stitches, one starts with a single loop on the hook. In the picture at the right, I started with a loop created by making a slip stitch knot around the hook (just as one often does in starting a cast on in knitting).

There are 2 steps to making the stitch.

First, with the yarn in back, draw a loop through. In this case, I used the crochet hook to poke a hole through the terry cloth dish towel. Then I wrapped the thread around the hook and pulled the thread through. (Terry cloth is woven loosely and so it is possible to poke holes through it without snagging the fabric.) There are now 2 loops on the hook.

Second, wrap the thread around the hook again (as in the first picture) and then pull the thread through both loops.

The stitch is complete and one is left with one loop on the hook.

To make the edging, I then did 2 chain sts before making the next single crochet.
sc 1, *ch 2, sc 1* to end

The second picture show several repeats of the pattern, ending with a chain 2. The chain 2 forms what is called a chain space. I did it this way to space out the single crochet stitches.

I hope you were able to make a 6 foot long chain of chain stitches. Here is mine. But, it looks so thin. To remedy that, let's single crochet back.

The video at NexStitch shows how to do just that. The last picture in this post (from the booklet from the American Thread Company) also shows how.

Remember when starting a row to skip the first st. The last chain st made (at the end of the previous row) serves as a replacement for the first sc (at the beginning of the next row).

We've talked about how to single crochet. We've also seen how to single crochet into fabric and into chain stitches.
Next time, we'll talk about how to single crochet into a chain space and also how to crochet into the top of a single crochet stitch.

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 6

2007-11-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

Christmas Pattern

Christmas Crackers

And an early one for Valentine's Day:

Valentine Roses

I hope you have enjoyed this series of patterns.

Cora

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 5

2007-11-14T21:12:00.001-05:00

Woven Ribbon Tree

Winter Landscape

Embroidered Tree

Snowman

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 4

2007-11-14T21:03:00.000-05:00

Smiling Snowflake

Skating Bear

Shadow Quilted Rose

Fun With Sequin Waste

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 3

2007-11-14T20:56:00.001-05:00

Here is Part 3:

North Pole Xmas

Parchment Craft Deer

Peek-a-boo (Ouch!)

Ribbon Wreath</span>

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 2

2007-11-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

Here is Part 2:

Holly Wreath

Fabric Picture Cards

Oval Patchwork Stars

Simple Symmetry

Are you looking for some fast crafting ideas that don't take a lot of time or materials? Part 1

2007-11-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some great ideas.

Candle and Holly

Christmas Stocking

Christmas Robins

Dove Of Peace

The Chain Stitch

2007-11-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

In patterns the chain stitch is abbreviated ch -- as in "ch 3" for chain 3 sts or "skip 1 ch" as an instruction to skip the next st (which happens to be a chain st)

The first step is to make a slip stitch on the hook (the same way one would make a slip stitch for knitting). Here is a video on making a chain stitch from Nexstitch. It doesn't start with a slip stitch, however. It has an ingenious way to start without making a slip stitch.

Or, in words, how to hold the yarn and start to chain, quoting from the booklet from the American Thread Company (since it describes how to wrap the yarn around the hand better than I can.)---- This quotation starts after instructions on how to make a slip knot and assumes that the thread is already hanging from the hook.

"Hold the hook in right hand as you would a pencil, bringing the middle finger forward resting it about midway between the broad bar and top of hook. With the thread in back of hand, place thread between fourth and little finger, across palm side of fingers and over fore-finger, if more comfortable, wind thread over finger once. Do not hold thread too tightly. Hold the hook in left hand, insert hook in loop, pick up the main length of thread on hook (this is termed 'thread over' ...) and pull through loop. Repeat this ch for required length. On this foundation chain may be worked practically any stitch desired."

I hold yarn for crocheting the same way I hold yarn for knitting. (I'm a Continental style knitter.) I hold a crochet hook slightly differently than I do a knitting needle. For crocheting, I have my middle finger farthest toward the end of the hook. For knitting, I have my index finger farthest toward the end of the needle. The fingers in the left hand are also used to pull the thread downward a bit to make it easier to pull the yarn through. Note also that the yarn starts out behind the hook.
----
The chain stitch is a multi-purpose stitch. It serves the same purpose as the cast on in knitting in that it can and usually is used as a foundation row. It also serves the same purpose as the yarn over in knitting in that it's used to make crocheting more lacy. It's used to make picots. It's also used as a substitute for other stitches at the beginning of a row. Instead of making a single crochet at the beginning of a row, one might be asked to chain 1 (or 2). Instead of making a double crochet at the beginning of a row, one might be asked to chain 2 (or 3). (Some people use the lower number -- because a ch 1 is the same length as a single crochet is in height. Some people use the higher number.) I also use chain stitches when I'm going to put crocheting down for a while. I chain a few stitches loosely so that if it unravels, I won't lose any of my work. Then before beginning again, I undo the chain.

Things do even out. Double or triple crochet stitches are often substituted for chain stitches at the end of a row or round.

Our Bits and Bobs "Mom" has posted a CAL that uses chain stitches and would be great practice in chaining. (For beginners, chaining a chain 6 feet long instead of single crocheting a chain 6 feet long is much easier. For those wanting a challenge, here is a link on single crocheting a chain.)

Finally, next Tuesday, I'm going to post directions on making a border on a dish towel. For this, you'll need a terry cloth dish towel (to be cut in half), a size 7 crochet hook, and size 10 crochet thread (100% mercerized cotton). The hook and crochet thread could also be used for the CAL.

Have you done Cross-Stitch and found it to time consuming?

2007-11-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

This is a a really great technique and one I am going to try on an ornament later. This ornament is available in the 2007 Christmas Ornaments from the Just Cross Stitch Magazine. Wish me luck.

Stitch 'N Paint is quick option for cross stitchers. This is a technique I found on Leisure Arts website. They have PDF of how to do this.

As you can see they have done this with not only small pictures such as the sun, but with Disney charachters like Eeyore and the Princesses.

If anyone does this technique, please share with us, especially pictures.

Cora

B&B SUPERFAST CAL!

2007-11-08T10:24:00.001-05:00

The Materials List is similar to that for the Ravelry KAL

MAterials:
Thin yarn
Crochet hook
balloon
elmers glue
water
bowl

Instructions:

Make a chain 6 feet long.

That's right folks SIX FEET LONG! LOL!!!

Now inflate the balloon. Make a mixture of glue and water 1-1 ratio. Dip the balloon in the water and begin wrapping the chain all around the balloon. Any way you like. once the chain is completely wrapped up lightly apply the mixture to firm it. or you can use spray starch instead. add a coat and dry it, and repeat until it is really firm. Then apply tape to the balloon, and pierce the balloon through the tape. Remove the deflated balloon and attach an ornament hook. Crocheted Christmas Ornament!

Bits And BobS UnRavelled KAL Update

2007-11-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

Ok the Ravelry group has started their KAL!

Materials List:
Thin Yarn or Crochet Thread
Size 8, 9,10, or 11 Needles, whichever you prefer
1 Balloon
Elmers glue
A bowl
Water
Scotch Tape
A sewing needle

Basic Instructions:

Knit 50 rows
Bind off.

You can add beads if you like as you knit using the crochet hook method:
Slide an appropriately size seed bead onto your crochet hook.
Pick up stitch off of the left needle using a size 1 crochet hook. Slip the bead off of the crochet hook and onto the stitch that you are holding with the hook. Replace the stitch on the left hand needle. Add beads as you see fit.

Fold the piece in half lengthwise and stitch together. Seam up the top as well insert balloon and inflate to desired size. Then seam up the bottom.

Mix water and glue to a thin consistency. 1 part glue to 1 part water. Dip the balloon in the mixture and let dry. Repeat several times until your knitting is super stiff. you can even sprinkle with glitter while it is wet after the final dip if you like.

Once it is dry and firm. Place a piece of tape on the baloon and insert a needle through the tape. This lets the air out without popping the balloon. Remove deflated balloon and attach and ornament hook.

A lovely lace Christmas Ornament!

"Crochet is Quick"

2007-11-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

This is the first installment in several on crocheting. I recently found a booklet , which belonged to my MIL, on knitting and crocheting (or at least the middle 20 or so pages) from, I believe, the American Thread Company (The first 6 pages are missing.). The booklet appears to be over 50 years old. The title of the section on crocheting is "Crochet is Quick".

I'll be posting parts of the booklet. Later, I'll also post directions for edgings -- since knitters occasionally used crocheted edgings to prevent curling -- and other projects (as the mood hits me). The first project is pictured at the right.

But, before we begin, we need some basics:

"What You Need and How To Begin
"Materials
"Crochet work takes its name from the hook with which it is done. It is one of the oldest and most useful needle work arts. It is composed of a few foundation stitches by which every design may be developed.
"Crochet Hooks used, differ in size according to the material and object to be worked. The largest, usually of Composition, Bone, Ivory or Wood are used for the heavier kind of work in wool or heavy cotton, steel hooks are preferred for finer types of Crochet in cotton. The Afghan needle is longer than usual and is the same thickness throughout.
"Crochet threads vary as to twist, size and color. Whenever possible, use the thread recommended in the directions and be sure you purchase a sufficient quantity of the same dye lot. This applies to all colors, including Cream, Linen and Ecru. Wherever 'Gauge' appears, it is important that it be followed.
"Needle gauge means the number of stitches worked to one inch and the number of rows worked to one inch. It is wise to work about a two inch square with the thread and needle recommended. If the stitches per inch do not correspond, the size of needle must be changed. If there are more sts to the inch than given, use a larger hook, and if fewer stitches to the inch, use a smaller hook. Practice until correct gauge is obtained."

Bear with me

2007-10-23T14:16:00.000-04:00

Please bear with me as I get everything up and runing. The poll at Bits and Bobs will be closed tonight or this afternoon depending on when I get to it. And based on those votes we will begin organizing the Newsletter format for the blog. I will be opening up a database for members to sign up to help run the blog. Until then please be patient with me and forgive the limited posts for the time being. I promise once everything is worked out it will be great!

Into the Fray is up and running!

2007-10-22T06:27:00.000-04:00

The new fiber arts discussion board "Into the Fray" is now up and running, soooo lets get some members in there and start some threads! I have a few intros to get you up and running. This discussion board is for all fiber arts, and there are sections for each. Check it out! And make sure to bookmark it so you can find it again!

It is pretty bare bones right now, but you know me, I will be tweaking it and adding more as we go along. If there is a lot of interest I may eventually upgrade.

Have fun in there!

Knit 1 blog Too Net Ring Temporarily Closed to New Members

2007-10-19T11:17:00.000-04:00

I am planning on adding our frinedly little blog to the Knit1BlogToo Ring as soon as possible. However it has been temporarily closed to new members until November. So we really don't have too long to wait. Jsut as soon as they open membership again I will get our blog on there.

Also,

Related news. I am considering opening a knitting forum for members of all of my groups. It would be a simple basic forum for web reading only. It would have areas designated for each group to chat in (you can meet people in other groups as well) and there would be sub topics that you can post and chat in. This would help cut down on the extra email in our groups. What do you think? Does it sound like something you would be interested in? In the forum you would be able to post pics IN the thread of your work, and other fun stuff. It would be similar to the yahoo groups but expanded and simpler to use. Also it would cut down on the chit chat emails. Which I don't mind, but for those on digest, or web only it can be trying to muddle through all of the extra stuff.

Sign the Map!

2007-10-18T22:51:00.001-04:00

Update from Karen!!!!

2007-10-18T19:53:00.001-04:00

I've heard from Karen! She has had no news on her cancer and that is a great thing! So far there is no new growth. WOOOHOOO!! She has caught a cold or flu or some type of bug that is bent on world domination ( as it seems as though everyone has the same thing) so she isn't feeling well. She has been keeping up with the groups though and she loves everything that she has seen. Hear that Cathy? We aren't screw ups after all!! LOL! She has been knitting, but she has been keeping her projects simple. Instant gratification. Oh how I love thee! lol!

This one's for you Karen!

Bits and Bobs UNRAVELED!

2007-10-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

For those members who are already a part of Ravelry, I wanted to let you know that we are there too!

Bits and Bobs UnRaveled

We are booming! We already have over 103 members! I am so happy to see how the group is growing over there! So lets get it moving along and start posting! Don't forget to add your intro post to the Intro thread! We love our members and want to get to know you all better. Tell us a little about yourselves so that we know what types of projects are of interest to you!

Don't Forget to check out the KAL thread, in there will be all pertinent information for the UnRaveled KALs. Materials lists, rows, everything KAL related will be posted in there first. All KAL information will also be posted to the blog from all 3 groups, Bits and Bobs, Bits and Bobs 2 Special Projects, and Bits and Bobs UnRaveled.

Also for those on Ravelry, be sure to post your fishie progress in the Fishies thread!

Hugs!
Tiff

Working on the Page, B&B News

2007-10-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

Still working on ideas, and if any of you visit my personal blog at all you probably know that this site will continue to grow and evolve as we go. I love adding fun little interactive things that you can play with, so keep your eyes open for new features as I work on this.
I hope to add fun polls, and snapshots, as well as music that will be changed out intermittently. I will be setting up a database for those who wish to contribute to the blog. It will be run similar to a newspaper and you can be the reporters!
Each person will be assigned an area to cover. For example Cathy(if she were to choose to do so) could be assigned the Quilting section. Meaning that it would be her responsibility to post the quilt stitch of the day, pattern of the day, and fabric of the day. The Sections that are getting more feedback such as knitting and crochet will receive more in depth coverage, and therefore one member will be assigned to certain areas of the broader topic. For Example under knitting we would have a team of "reporters" that would each cover their own area. One would be assigned knit pattern of the day. This person would post a link to the pattern with a description of it, and a brief review of the difficulty level and quality level of the pattern. And any personal opinions of it as well. The reporters will be given a description of their duties with their assignments so you will not be running blind here.
More to come!

Forums

2007-10-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

I will be contacting Cathy to see what she thinks about setting up regular forum times once a month or so. These will be regular times when both she and I or at least one of us will be visiting the blog to help you out in the chat box with any questions you would like answered, or even walk throughs of stitches. We might even set aside certain times to explain the stitch of the week, month whatever. Just a general time for everyone to meet up here and chitchat in real time, and not have to send a bazillion emails.

Welcome Bobbers!

2007-10-16T14:34:00.000-04:00

Welcome all bobbers! We are so happy to have you here! This will be the place to look for all KAL info and any new news! If you are only interested in the fiber arts related materials, and want less chitchat this is the place to look! This will be our place to post news, and all things fiber related. All KAL rows will be posted here as well as on the group, so if you fall behind just check out our blog!

I can't wait to see how this works out!!!

Hugs!!!
Tiff
List Mom
B&B