Sunbonnet Potholder - 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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