Live loop Crochet Cables

I've had a revelation!

I have been crocheting for over ten years and must be, by any definition, an experienced crocheter. And yet, the foundation of my crochet world has just shook. In my rush to learn everything it seems I have missed a basic understanding of crochet anatomy. I'm talking about the Live Loop or Golden Loop.

 

Let me explain!

When we are crocheting a Double Crochet (Sc-US) we begin with a loop on the hook. This loop will become the top of our next Dc.

 

Then we pull up a loop in the next stitch. This is the golden loop. This becomes the post of our Dc. The height of this loop determines the height of our finished stitch.

Next we have to join the post and top loops to complete the stitch. To do this we 'yarn over' and pull that loop through both the post-loop and top-loop.

Our Dc is completed. And the loop on the hook becomes the top of the next stitch.

 

But, what if we don't make that final stage?

What if we pull that final loop through just the post-loop?

We have created a Live Loop. A stitch which is still 'live' because it is not completed. 

 

Look we can create a whole row of 'live-loops'...

Then remove the hook and finish each in turn simply by pulling the live-loop through the preceding stitch.

 

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. Grounded in a thorough understanding of the physics of crochet, Sue Perez, aka Mrs Micawber, has found a way to create cable stitches using live-loops. She published her book, Live Loop Cables in Crochet, in 2020 and I have been putting off learning this skill for no good reason I can think of! Sue Knits and crochets, I think this idea is derived from her knowledge of both crafts. I am not a knitter and I am a little over awed by the whole idea!

 

Fortunately, Sue has made this handy video for us. She explains it all so much better than I ever can!

 

I made this using the Practice Swatch.

Working in the round, from the front only, the cables are straight forward and prove no difficulty.

 

Block One: Straight Cables

 

Working in rows, from the back and front, the cables are a little different and require more attention. There seems to be a lot of information at the beginning of the book which you might find off putting. Don't panic! The stitch patterns are organised in a systematic way. If you work through them, one by one, your skills will develop in easy steps. At the start of each new design you are told what you will learn and where, in the book, you will find the technical information.

 

Block Two: Meeting in the Middle

 

There are 25 stitch designs which each form a patchwork block. You can use the blocks to make the scarf in the pattern section. Or you could make one of the other ten patterns which are varied and interesting.

Block Three: Travelling Cables

In my first attempt at these cables I failed miserably! There is a lot to take on board, and, like a bad workman I blamed my tools. Sue recommends we begin with a worsted weight yarn and at least a 5mm hook. As a non wool user the right kind of yarn is hard to find. The samples I made here use VeganYarn.Co.UK's Chunky weight Cotton Bouclé.

We also need a stitch marker to park the live loops on. Sue recommends a hair grip bent in a certain way to form a sort of closed 'U' shape. Once I had the right tools and watched Sue's videos, I found I could finally make progress!

What's so good about live loop cables? Well for one thing they can be made to bend in any direction. They are soft and flexible. They can cross and create all of the classic knitted Aran designs. Unlike the post stitch versions they're not heavy or stiff. The cables are, in effect, made on the surface of your fabric, so they don't leave those little holes in the fabric that happen when working with post stitches.

Block Four: Raised Cables with Bobbles

Sue's book is still available, so I suggest you grab a copy quick. If you have it already and like me didn't initially make progress. Go on, give it another go!! My advice for using this book would be to gather together some Aran/Worsted weight yarn, large hooks and the stitch markers. Then read through the Chapter on Necessary terms before skipping ahead to the practise swatch. Work your way systematically through the stitch patterns. As you progress you will find your understanding growing. From time to time you may want to refer back to the other information in the book, when Sue directs you to. By the time you get to the projects you will be an expert!

Block Five: Curved Cables with Popcorns

 

At the start I struggled to make the most simple of cables. Indeed, experienced Live-Loopers will spot mistakes in these blocks! But, with each mistake my understanding increases and with each new challenge my skill level rises.

 

Block Six: Honeycomb Cables

 

It has reminded me of what it was like to learn to crochet in the first place. All of the things I once struggled with; like how to hold the hook and yarn, I no longer give a seconds thought. 

 

Block Seven: Flat Rope Cables

 

I have been recording my progress on my Ravelry page. Besides, I will continue to add my progress to this blog post, but I expect you will be wanting a new post next month, so progress may be intermittent! 

Block Eight: Ropes and Antlers

 

Fastening off...

 

  

Block Nine: Simple Crossed Cables

Block Ten: Offset Crossed Cables

Block Eleven: Double Helix

Block Twelve: Twisted Twist

Vintage Quick Crochet Suit

 

What is the oldest item in your wardrobe?

Perhaps it's your first pair of shoes or an inherited wedding dress. What ever it is, I bet it carries with it memories and history. When we view faded finery in a museum we often don't know the history that comes with that garment. Who made it, why was it made and when was it made?

 

I want to share with you a piece of crochet history and a bit of personal history. I have just been gifted a 1970's crochet suit. Not only do I know who made it, but I also know when and why it was made. And, best of all, I have the original pattern from which it was made.

 

Me and my big sister!

Sometime between 1970 and 1972 my family and I were living in Skipton, West Yorkshire. I mention this, because besides being part of this story, Skipton is important in the history and current story of yarn. Even if you are not British you may very well have heard of the yarn festival, Yarndale, which takes place every September in the town.

 

The name Skipton comes from the Anglo Saxon words 'sceap', meaning sheep, and 'tun', meaning town. West Yorkshire was an important area in the history of wool, becoming very wealthy until modern fabrics, foreign competition, and Australian Merino wool supplanted it's importance.

The secret to the towns success probably stems from the fact that a Norman castle was built in the town sometime after 1090. You'll find it at the top of the High street. In 1204 the King granted a charter for a weekly market in sheep and woollen goods. Later the arrival of the Leeds to Liverpool canal helped trade to flourish during the Industrial Revolution. 

If you could take a time machine back to sometime around 1970, to that very same High street, you might spot my Mum and Godmother, Anita, admiring a crochet jacket and skirt in the window of a wool shop. Later that same year Anita had a wedding to attend and thought the crochet suit would be perfect. To hear Anita tell it, they bought the pattern and yarn, my Mum taught her to crochet and on returning home Anita finished it in time for the wedding! When I think of all the patterns that are available today for a beginner, I can't imagine anyone making this suit as their very first project.

Shall we look at the pattern? This is the original copy Anita used to make the outfit. It is a little the worse for wear, but the fact it still exists is amazing, don't you think? Ravelry tells me that this pattern was first published in 1966, although this copy is a later edition. Look who that is modelling the outfit. It's Twiggy, arguably Britain's very first supermodel. When was the last time you saw a supermodel on the cover of your crochet pattern? It tells us something about crochet in the sixties and seventies. Gone is all that fiddly Victorian crochet, gone the Irish crochet doilies, gone the Filet panels. We have thrown off the utilitarian war time knitting. Now crochet is bold and modern and for the young.

 

The pattern is by Twilleys of Stamford, Lincolnshire. Founded by the yarn manufacturer H.G.Twilley in 1936. Later the company was bought by Thomas B. Ramsdens of Guiseley near Leeds. I mention this because Guiseley is a mere 20 miles away from Skipton and so it brings our story neatly back to where it began!

 

We can make this pattern in Twilley's Crysette No3 Cotton, or as Anita chose, in their Stalite No3 Soft Cotton. The hooks we need are Nos. 14 and 12 which I believe are 2mm and 2.5mm in modern sizes. Interestingly the pattern can be made for a 32, 34, or 36 inch bust (81,86,or 91cm). There is no size inclusion here! I notice the pattern is priced at one shilling (1/-) or 5 pence. Britain took up the decimal currency on the 15th February 1971 so even the price of the pattern tells us something about the social history of this era!

The jacket is constructed from panels worked from the top down, which gives the hems their scalloped edge. It begins with the smaller hook until the 8th row when the larger hook size is used and the stitch pattern is increased at the end of the rows. This makes the panels flare towards the bottom and shapes the sleeves and arm hole. The sleeves are made in a similar way but with additional increases. Even the collar is made separately. The button band is crocheted directly to the jacket front edges with six buttons.

 

Unlike a modern pattern there is no mention of blocking, instead we are told to; 'Press work lightly on the wrong side with a warm iron over a damp cloth.' This is what we did before steam irons! I remember my Mum ironing in this way using either a damp tea-towel or a damp muslin cloth.

 

The skirt is also made the same way, from a single panel worked from the top down, changing hook size at row 8. Along with the increases, this creates that classic 1960's A-line skirt. It is seamed along the back. The waistband is simply rows of Dc (Sc-US) and finished with elastic on the inside of the band.

 

This little swatch shows the first rows of the sleeve and shows how the increases are made.

 

All in all the instructions are brief, to say the least. They require us to have plenty of confidence and knowledge. We are not even told what size buttons are needed. I am not sure that the designer would be able to sell patterns in this modern era! Would we tolerate these meagre instructions? I tore my hair out trying to work out the stitch pattern and find how the increases were made. In the end I had to refer to Anita's work to find out what she did!

 

I am very proud to now own this piece of our crochet history and my own family history. I was surprised at how comfortable the jacket was to wear and how modern it still looks. Anita has kept it in such a good condition that it looks as if she finished making it only yesterday! Once again I am in awe of those who crocheted before us!

 

... Fastening off

 

Investigating inverse Yarn-Over Slip-Stitch

     

I have come to believe that Crocheters are, by and large, all rebels. We are always pushing at the limits of what our craft will allow. It is also true to say that some of us are more adept than others! 

Last month as I was playing with slip-stitch lace, I found myself messing about with Yarn-over Slip stitches. This post is a record of my thoughts and experiments. It is not slick and well thought out, but instead offered as a work in progress!

 

Let's start with the obvious and instead of that mouthful, 'Yarn-Over Slip-stitch', let's just call it YO. Which makes, Front-loop-only Yarn-over Slip-stitch, simply YOF.

 

To create the stitch; Yarn Over the hook before placing the hook into the Front-Loop-Only, catch the working yarn and pull through the stitch and the two loops on the hook.

This makes such an interesting and unexpected fabric. Compared to the standard Front-loop-only Slip-stitch it is soft and thick.

 

We can do the same thing using the Back-Loop-Only, YOB.

If we compare it with the standard Back-Loop-Only rib stitch you can see that the fabric is perhaps a little thinner but the ribs are more defined.

A standard Inverse slip-stitch is worked in reverse. The yarn is brought to the front of the work and the hook is placed into the stitch from back to front. Then with the yarn under the hook, grab the yarn and pull through the stitch and loop on hook. I found it impossible to do the same thing with a Yarn Over stitch.

I said to friend Anna (Mmatildas Virkstad) "Inverse Yarn-Over Slip-stitch is not possible."

"The yarn-over slip-stitch? Yes you can do it in reverse!" she asserted and then she explained how!

This most definitely needs investigating.

 

To work an inverse Yarn Over stitch (iYO):

1. Bring the yarn to the front of the work
2. Bring the yarn over the hook from front to back, and then back under the hook, so that it is once again at the front of the work
3. Place the hook through the front (or back) loop only from back to front 
4. Catch the yarn under the hook and pull it back through the front (or back) loop
5. Allow the hook to rotate anti-clockwise and then continue to pull through the two loops on the hook.

It takes a little practise because it is a new and strange thing to do!

This is what iYOF looks like. You can compare it with the other stitches. You can see that it looks a little bit like YOB.

 

This is what iYOB looks like. I have found this sample quite hard to make even and regular. It looks a little like YOF.

 

So why do we need to make inverse stitches? 

If you want to work in the round, the back and front face of the fabric will look different.

This sample is YOB made in the round. You can see that it looks nothing like the rib pattern achieved by working in rows.

So to achieve the same effect, when working in the round, alternate between rows of YOF/iYOB or YOB/iYOF.

In this sample I am showing you YOB/iYOF worked in the round. The turquoise is YOB and the orange iYOF.

 

In attempting to create the iYO stitch I accidentally produced a Yarn Over Twisted stitch. In my previous investigations here, I found the twisted stitches to be really horrible and impractical inventions, best avoided! But this version is really interesting and easier to create.  To make the YOTwisted stitch:

1. Use a larger hook size than usual
   
2. Yarn over the hook from back to front in the usual way
3. Place the hook through the stitch from back to front
4. Bring the working yarn forward over the hook
5. Catch the yarn and pull it back through the stitch and the two loops on the hook.

It is this combination of the hook being placed backwards into the stitch and the yarn over coming from the back of the work which produces the twisting effect.

 

This is what YOB Twisted stitch looks like. It creates this deeply ribbed fabric which reminds me of a concertina. I really can't show you in a photograph how remarkable it is. I encourage you to make a swatch yourself!

 

This is what YOF Twisted stitch looks like. The fabric is very flat and features that unusual slanted effect.

 

Now it is your turn. I leave it to better minds than mine to do something interesting with these stitches! 

 

fastening off...

Edit: Apologies for the incorrect link which is now corrected!RP

Discovering Slip-Stitch Lace

    Is it possible to make lace using only slip-stitches? 

 

It's not a silly question! When making traditional crochet lace we do so using a combination of tall stitches, crossed stitches, clusters and chain. Most of these things are not possible with slip-stitches alone. Whether you go with Back Loop Only or Front Loop Only or inverse stitches, all traditional Slip-stitches are very short in height. (I talked about all these stitches here.)

How shall I begin?

I assume that we could learn something from knitted lace but, having forgotten the little I ever knew about knitting, I must set out to find the solution on my own. 

I think I should start by choosing a flat, fairly open but simple stitch. So I am choosing to work in the front loop only pattern, known as garter stitch.

 

Using only these shallow stitches how shall I make lace? It seems sensible to use chain to create holes in the fabric. My first experiment is made of alternating rows and Chain2 loops.

    Row1. Slst into back bump of foundation chain across. Turn.

    Row2. (3Flo, Chain2, Skip2) repeat across row ending 3Flo. Turn.

    Row3. (3Flo, Slipst under 2loops of chain x2) repeat across row ending 3Flo. Turn.

    Rows2&3 are repeated.

While the swatch looks quite different to the original It doesn't look much like lace!

 

The obvious solution seems to be to make bigger holes. I also chose to stagger the holes, instead of placing them one on top of the other as in the last swatch. Here is what I did.

    Row1. Slst into back bump of foundation chain across. Turn.

    Row2. 4Flo, (Chain3, Skip 3 sts, 3Flo) repeat across row ending 4Flo instead of 3Flo. Turn.

    Row3. 1Flo, (Chain3, Skip3, Slipst under 2loops of chain x3) repeat across row ending 1Flo. Turn.

    Row4. 1Flo, (Slipst under 2loops of chain x3, Chain3, Skip3) repeat across row ending 1Flo. Turn.

    Rows3&4 are repeated.

I think this fabric is very successful except the beginning and end of the rows, probably Rows2&4 should begin and end with a taller stitch. 

I remade the sample with a Flo Half Treble (Hdc-US) or Chain2 at the ends of Rows2&4 replacing the first Flo.

 

Simplifying that stitch into simple chain loops, I've ended up with this.

    Into foundation chain:

    Row1. 3Flo (Chain3, Skip3, 1Flo) repeat across row ending 3Flo. Turn.

    Row2. (1Flo, Chain3, Skip3) repeat across ending 1Flo. Turn.

    Rows1&2 are repeated.

Once again, I think Row2 should begin with a taller stitch, so, I had to check that out and began and ended Row2 with a Flo Half Treble or Chain2.

 

There is one more slip-stitch that I discovered recently, that is the 'Yarn Over Slip-stitch'. Quite literally you yarn over the hook before placing the hook into the stitch, catch the yarn and pull through all the loops on the hook. This has a little extra height.

    Row1. Slst into back bump of foundation chain across. Turn.

    Row2&3. (1Flo Yoslst, Chain3, Skip3) repeat across ending 1Flo YoSlst.

    Row4. Slipst under 2loops of each chain across.

    Row5. Flo of each stitch across.

    Repeat Rows2to5.

Now that is more interesting!

Can I use spike stitches to open up the fabric?

After some unsuccessful experiments I offer this. 

    Row1. Working into the back bump of foundation chain; 

    (3Slst, Chain5, Skip5) repeat across ending 3Slst. Turn.

    Row2. (3Flo, Chain2, Slst by placing the hook under the centre of chain5-loop, Chain2) repeat across. Turn.

    Row3. (3Flo, Chain5, Skip5) repeat across. Turn.

    Repeat Rows2&3 ending on Row2.

  

There are some more open-work stitch combinations which we might consider 'lacy', like this one which is Back loop only, Inverse Back Loop only repeated over an even number of stitches.

I thought I would work that between rows of Front loop only in order to contrast the more open rows with the solid ones.

I worked over an even number of stitches;

    Row1&2. Flo across the row. Turn.

    Row3&4. (Blo, InverseBlo) repeated across the row. 

    repeat Rows1to4.

The result also has two sides which both give a different effect. 

 

Perhaps it would work better with a larger hook and an additional row of Blo,iBlo. This swatch has 3 rows of Flo and 3 rows of (Blo, iBlo).

 

I'm very happy with that, whether you consider it to be lace or not is a matter of debate!

 

After talking over the problem with Anna MmatildasVirstad, it occurred to me that it might be possible to Yarn Over the hook more than once. 

This swatch shows 4 rows of Flo Slst made into a chain foundation row;

4 rows of Flo YarnOver Slst;

4 rows of Flo Double YarnOver Slst;

4 rows of Flo Treble YarnOver Slst.

 

I remade the very first deep blue swatch, replacing all the Slst with Double Yarn Over Slst, the spaces are chain2. I wrapped the yarn twice around the hook before making the Slip-stitch as usual. The fabric is quite thick but also soft.

 

Anna then reminded me that with a big enough hook and the right kind of 'yarn' any slip-stitch pattern becomes lace. Consider something stiff like paper or raffia. Alternatively, perhaps cotton, linen, jute or hemp and some heavy starch. Below I have used a cotton/jute mix yarn and worked Back-loop only in the round.

To see Slip-stitch crochet as you/I have never imagined it before, I tried working with a 28gauge copper beading wire and worked Front-loop only in the round.

Thank you for your help and inspiration Anna!

 

So, what do you think? I remain convinced that there are other solutions. What did I miss? What else could I try? I eagerly await some clues to unlock this mystery!

fastening off...