Surface Crochet, Part Two - Chain Stitch.

This week's post is all about chain stitch. Hopefully you've already read my last post, an introduction to Surface Crochet, so you already know that this is just the start. But perhaps you've never thought of how interesting chain stitch can be all on it's own.

Let's start with how to do it.

 

What are you going to crochet on to? Well if you can get a crochet hook in and out of it you can crochet on to it!

 

It's important that you get a nice even tension to your stitches so that you don't distort the fabric. So if you're working on to a floppy material like net or light canvas start by putting it in a frame. If you have one of those stands to hold the frame in, it will help. It does sometimes feel as if you need another dozen pairs of hands, but it will get easier as you practise!

My books now say that we have to work in an upwards direction. I don't think this is strictly true but it will help you to understand my instructions.

 

Hold the working yarn below the frame and the hook above. 
Put your hook through the net and pull up a loop.

*Put your hook in the next hole, yarn over hook and pull it through both the hole and the loop on the hook. Repeat from* and work in any direction that takes your fancy!!

I am just learning about these techniques, so you could say that I'm just one lesson ahead of my Blog posts!! So to find out what I could do with the simplest of surface crochet, I sat down with a block of squared paper and drew.

  Here are some of my experiments come to life.

Stripes...

 

 Blocks...

Zigzag...

Rings...

and Spirals.

Beads

You can add beads to your work quite simply with chain stitches. The only differences are that you have to plan ahead, loading the beads onto the working yarn, and work upside down.

 I use a 'big eye' beading needle to load the yarn with beads. The big eye makes it easy to use with even thick yarn.

Turn the frame over so that the right side is underneath. Continue to hold the hook on the top and the working yarn loaded with beads on the bottom.

Chain a stitch, hold the bead up against the stitch, chain the next stitch. 

The bead is now securely in place. Continue working bead, stitch, bead, stitch.

You can even work up layers with chain stitches laid over chain stitches.

It starts getting really interesting with the next post when I'll look at Twisted chain stitches. So I hope to see you then!

P.S. I've just realised that my next post will appear on New Years Day, so till then Seasons Greetings to all!

Surface Crochet, Part One - An Introduction.

I've been dipping into my old crochet books again and have discovered yet another crochet technique that I'd never heard of before. It seemed perfectly simple, so I sat down to write a single post called "How to Crochet on Net and Canvas". As I investigated I discovered that there was much more to it than I'd thought. This was intended to be just one blog post but as usual it has grown into an unknown quantity of posts! How many? I'll let you know!!

 

 I thought surface crochet was all about chain stitches but I've discovered a type of crochet that is worked into Net.

Crocheting on net is called Tambour work and was popular during the 19th century. It creates a kind of mock Irish Lace which was produced to imitate Bobbin Lace. The net was placed on a frame to keep it taught and then worked with a No.60 or 80 crochet thread and a fine hook. You might also see it refered to as 'crochet work on a frame', or 'linen crochet embroidery'. You can infact buy a whole load of products, frames and specialised hooks, but I'm thinking about this in terms of crochet not embroidery.

I've worked all of these stitches with a crochet hook, including beading. It can be worked into any kind of fabric with holes! Imagine working into a fabric of Double Crochet stitches (SC-USA), Tunisian crochet or filet crochet. These stitches can then be combined with weaving and embroidery.

  

This knitted pattern by Miss Nerriss has just been published in Scheepjes Yarn 6. I don't knit but I might just be able to manage this one. The scarf is embellished with embroidery.

 This is my attempt at Kirsten Ballering's Hygge wrap with a few ideas of my own added in. It uses surface crochet, embroidery and cross stitch.

If you use plastic canvas or metal mesh as your base then we can really extend the possibilites of crochet!

The difference between canvas and netting is the way the holes are placed. On net the holes are diamond shape and run diagonally. The holes in canvas are square like graph paper. There are even some techniques that have traditionally been used to make rugs.

I'll work my way through the techniques and hopefully find something to surprise or inspire you. So come back for the next post about surface chain stitches and beading.