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.

 

Mistakes are Learning Opportunities!

What you should be seeing here is a new pattern, what you are getting instead is a whole heap of idioms! What I mean is that this week I put all my eggs in one basket and counted my chickens before they were hatched! This dear crochet friends is what my dining table currently looks like.

This is the conversation I had with Nick.

Rach:I've been working on a pattern for the last couple of weeks and at the last moment it's all gone a bit Pete Tong [Pear shaped] and I don't have anything to Blog about now.

Nick: So that's OK, why don't you blog about that, people learn more from their mistakes than they do from their successes.

That really got me thinking. You know how we live in a blame and shame culture, so that when you make a mistake the last thing you feel you should do is own up to your mistakes. But I'm going to stand on my soap box and right here and now and say, 

"This is a learning opportunity!" 

So what went wrong? I followed the design principles that I'd been taught. I researched my subject and experimented with my materials.

I chose my yarn and made a gauge swatch.

I made careful measurements and tested my ideas.

 I recorded all the details and wrote a detailed pattern, drew a beautiful schematic and a stitch diagram and started to put it all together using my Pattern Template...Uhoh!

Somewhere along the way my rigid plan changed from looking like the scribbled sketches I'd made and evolved into something more organic. The stretchy fabric I was using because it was stretchy, stretched!

So what have I learnt from it all? Well not to count my chickens too soon and to be prepared for my ideas to evolve. To generally enjoy the ride and not give myself unnecessary time constraints. 

And perhaps to have a few back up Blog posts just in case!!

Hopefully the next time you drop by there will be a new pattern here but no promises.

 

Wire Crochet Experiment.

 This week I have mostly been crocheting with wire!

Nick has been busy doing something in his man-cave, so when I spotted this coil of 0.25mm coated copper wire going begging I just had to see what I could do with it.

The only thing I knew about wire crochet was what I had read in 'Crochet Masterclass' and the chapter written by Nancie Wiseman. She uses 30 gauge Brass wire and a 2mm hook to make a sweet little purse.

I couldn't really think what to do so I grabbed up my copy of Edie Eckman's 'Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs' and a 2mm hook. The first motif I made was No.17. It looks a lot different when it's worked in wire rather than yarn and presents different problems. The first thing I realised was that it was quite hard to identify the different stitches. The trebles (Dc-USA) look quite strange. When I'd finished I couldn't work out how to block it!

My next experiment was motif No.20 and I used a 1.5mm hook. I was hoping that this smaller hook would create tidier stitches. Those treble stitches are still not quite right and no matter how much I stretched it, it still won't lie flat. This little chap measures 6.5cm and weighs a mighty 4 grams.
 
It occurred to me that a design made of chain stitches and slip stitches or double crochet (Sc-USA) might look better. So still with the smaller hook size I moved onto motif No.25. I'm really happy with the way this has turned out. It was easier to pull it into shape, and with a little tweaking it will lie reasonably flat.

Being a practical person I am of course wondering what I can do with these motifs. With a few beads added the right motif would work well as a pendant. With a textile backing perhaps a brooch.

The fact that one of my motifs wouldn't lie flat made me think I could make a bowl or a bangle.

After a few(!) false starts I got the hang of it. I found that a bigger hook size was better. A large tapestry needle helped to open up any stitches that had got squished. Once the disc was large enough it was easier to work the bowl from the outside. I also found that putting some of those self adhesive thimbles on my non hook hand helped! It's definitely hard on the hands.

 
I worked the bowl in a spiral, increasing 6Dc (Sc-USA) per round for 8 rounds. A total of 60 stitches in the 8th round. At that point I continued without increasing.

I finished the edge of the bowl with a row of Slip Stitches. My finished bowl measures 9cm/31/2" in diameter and weighs 16g. It might look nice with a ribbon woven around but what I'm going to use it for I have no ideas!

I decided to make the 'Edie Eckman' motifs into greetings cards. I chose to sew the copper designs onto the cards, rather than attempt to glue them in any way.