Learning to Lucet, beyond basic cord.

Since my post on making cords I've been trying to find out more about working with a Lucet. I was sure that this tool couldn't have survived for a thousand years if all it did was to make a simple braid. I just love being right!
The first thing that happened was that I got Jennifer Hansen's book 'Learn to Lucet' as a gift and then Nick set about making me a wooden Lucet in the shed. His efforts weren't entirely successful and I got rather frustrated. I was finding it hard to control the tension and my braid was ending up rather lumpy and uneven. Meanwhile I kept getting drawn back to 'The Lucet Co' website and spending hours drooling longingly over the Lucet there that looked quite different from any I had seen before.

Yes! I've finally given in and Alleluia! As we were in plastic-free-July I bought the wooden Lucet. It's lightweight and smooth and wonderful to work with. But it also comes with a beginners handbook. That too has been a revelation. The inventor, Ziggy Rytka has developed a technique that naturally produces a regular and even cord without any effort at all.
Does that mean that you shouldn't buy the Jennifer Hansen book? No not at all. Jennifer will introduce you to several methods Ziggy won't show you and offer some suggestions of what to do with your cord once completed.

Here's her Turk's Head Bracelet.

But the Lucet Co. offers techniques that you won't find anywhere else.

What could be so difficult about learning to Lucet? After all there are only two prongs on it. But it turns out that being proficient is a true skill that I'm still discovering. Both Jennifer and Ziggy walk you through the processes allowing you to build your skill level one step at a time. As with all skills practise makes perfect. 

Before you move on to the advanced techniques you need to fully understand how the stitches are formed and which part of the loop moves what. It makes a difference whether you pull from the back or the front.

Based on the Ziggy 'Overhand' method, here are my two tips to an even cord. Firstly, having formed a stitch pull it gently to the centre. Don't tighten it beyond what you see in the image above.

Secondly, after casting over the prong, pull tightly. These two things give you greater control over your Lucet and an even regular cord.

Now that you have mastered basic cord you could try adding beads. The instructions for these techniques all came out of Jennifer Hansen's book. 

She also shows you how to work in extra threads which she calls 'gimps'.

This technique is very similar to 'frogging' which Ziggy Rytka will teach you.

I've saved the best till last! I also bought Ziggy's Advanced Book. I drove myself mad for a while getting to grips with the bobbin. Eventually I decided to try working with a really thick yarn, that gave me enough control and understanding of what I was doing. I definitely recommend that as a starting point.

 

Here is a Cross Parallel cord and a Kiss cord.

There are still loads more skills and techniques to develop! So I hope I've inspired you to give it a go.

Crochet Tips: Foundation Chain

I was thinking of calling this post 'How to end at the beginning!' Borders are usually something we add at the end of the project but I have discovered how to beautify the beginning.

I've already talked about foundation stitches in a previous post. In the image above the dark blue is the very first line of crochet. The top four all use Double Chain, while in the final image the scallop is made at the same time as the foundation row.

Let's start with Double Chain.

Doesn't it look like two rows of chain stitches laying next to each other? I've altered the finished look by changing which loop I work into with the first row of stitches. Here's how to make it: 

Chain 2 stitches (sts) and insert hook into first chain st made, Yarn Over (YO)

Pull yarn thru the chain st only, YO

Pull yarn thru both loops on hook

First Stitch made.

.

*Insert hook in left hand loop, YO and pull thru first loop only

YO and pull thru both loops on hook.

Second stitch made.

Repeat from* to desired length!

 

So now that you have your foundation Double Chain you can decide how to work into it. In the following images you will see the position of the foundation before I worked into it.

In this example I've worked into the top two loops with double crochet (SC-USA). It leaves a neat row of 'chain' stitches at the base. It's a bit like working into the back bump or third loop on a row of chain stitches except it's more substantial, stable and easier to do!

 

Now I've turned it over and worked on the back, into the top loop only.

Here I've turned it upside down and worked into the top loop only.

This is the same as the grey version except that I turned it over and worked into the top loop on the back. It is my favourite version of the four. I can imagine this at the neckline of a top-down sweater.

 

Now let's look at the Scallop Edging.

I found this in an old book on crochet, but I couldn't make head nor tail of the instructions. So this is my version!

 

Start by making 4 chain Sts.

Then make a Treble (Dc-USA) in the chain furthest from the hook.

*Chain4, Treble in chain furthest from the hook,

Repeat from* to required length. Each Scallop is equivalent to 3 stitches plus 2, (a stitch at the beginning and end of the row).

Where do you place your first row of stitches? This was the part that I found hard to understand. Locate the two diagonals, as highlighted in the following image. The black dots show where to insert your hook.

As in this image, ensure that your hook goes under two loops.

I've made these examples in Scheepjes Whirl (4ply) and to give you a better idea of what it might look like I've added more rows of stitches.

I'm sure that there must be alsorts of other ways of making a foundation row, so I hope that you are now thinking about your beginnings it a different way!

The Vicar's Tea Cosy

I promised you another surface crochet pattern and so I have the perfect excuse to finally get round to making myself a Tea Cosy. After all there is nothing worse than a lukewarm cup of tea.

I'm so useless at naming crochet patterns. When I started to think about what to call this one I remembered whose fault it is that I am now an Earl Grey addict. So the name of this pattern is a bit of a private joke. My Dad was a vicar and maybe he spent a great deal of time drinking badly made tea when he was visiting his parishioners. In any event we all started drinking Earl Grey tea at home, so Dad, this one's for you! (If you're not from the UK you might not get the reference to tea, vicars and the phrase 'more tea vicar?')
I've gone a bit mad with this pattern because I've decided to use Slip Stitch Crochet as well as Surface Crochet. If you've never tried slip stitch crochet before, please don't be put off! We are using a giant 7mm hook and a worsted weight yarn. If you've never tried before I suggest you start with a gauge swatch. You can always pull it out and reuse the yarn. By the time you've finished your swatch you'll be an old hand at Slip Stitch crochet.

You will want to pull up oversized loose stitches that will feel far too big, but you'll be surprised by how much they tighten and even themselves out.

 

The stitch I've used is Slip Stitch Rib. Notice how the top of the stitch falls forwards as you work the row. So that when you turn for the next row, the top of the stitch is now falling to the back of the work.

The yarn I have chosen is Scheepjes Bloom. It is 100% cotton and has a knitted structure, giving it a light weight airy quality. When worked in Slip Stitches it produces a thick stretchy fabric that will keep the teapot cosy!

When you think about a tea cosy, it's basically a hat with two holes for the spout and the handle. You would expect to make it in the round but as we are using Slip Stitches we are working in rows instead. I have given you a schematic so that you can visualise what you will be doing and understand the pattern more easily. I've also put in plenty of photos too!

First of all you will create the Slip Stitch base.

Then you will work the Surface Crochet decoration. 

I've given you full instructions in the pattern to copy what I've done but you may want to try something else. If you stretch your fabric open you'll see a backwards facing rib between each of the forward facing ribs. You'll also see spaces between each rib. So you can work into the spaces, or into the ribs, or even over the ribs.

In order to navigate more easily you may like to run tacking threads through the base.

You can work horizontally...

Or vertically.

I've used zigzag surface chain stitches in this example. This post tells you all about zigzag stitches. 

Have you spotted that some of these pictures show the cosy with more sections than others?  I've given instructions in the pattern so that you can adjust the size of your cosy. The picture above is made with 8 sections and uses 70 grams of yarn, where as my pattern is worked in 6 sections using 54 grams of yarn.

When I was a child I had an old fashioned wooden Tea Chest which I used as a bedside table. It was covered in some left over kitchen wall paper. The wall paper lasted longer on my chest than it did in the kitchen and so it is indelibly imprinted on my memory. The design I have chosen reminds me of that blue stripey paper and I thought the link with the old tea chest was a kind of synchronicity!

This link will take you to the downloadable PDF. I hope you enjoy doing something a little unusual.