A Rose for Kimberley

This week I have a little pattern for you. Sometimes you need to say a special Thank You! And that's what this is, a special thank you to Kimberley. Kimberley is from Yorkshire and she has that beautiful accent which is exactly like she is; open, honest, friendly and down to earth. So I decided to make her a Yorkshire Rose brooch.

Traditionally there is supposed to be some antaganism between the people of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Having lived on both sides of the Peninnes, (the line of hills that runs like a spine down the north of England) I cannot choose between them! So I am offering you this rose in white for Yorkshire, Red for Lancashire or diplomatically combine them both with the Tudor Rose!

Did I mention that I was the slowest crochet designer ever? I'd really like to be a fly on the wall of another designer to see how they go about things. Usually I start with very rough sketches of what I want, then I try to translate that into stitch diagrams. When I finally pick up a hook and find out what it will really look like I start to make alterations. My problem is not knowing when to stop! As you can see I ended up with a big pile of alterations!
Usually each of my patterns begins with a problem I want to solve. In this case I wanted something which would hold itself together tightly as a brooch and keep it's shape. So the problem was how to join the two layers of leaves and the two layers of petals together. I've done this by using front and back loop stitches.

Being dyslexic I am very aware that we all comprehend information in different ways. So here are the round by round images which will give you an idea of what is going on!

 

Here is the free downloadable PDF pattern! It includes a stitch diagram for each round. I've made mine using Scheepjes Cotton8, a fine 100% cotton yarn which usually uses a 3mm hook. I've downsized the hook to get a tight finish so that my brooch will stay looking good.

EDIT: Due to popular request I have produced a longer version of the pattern with images for each round. Here is the UK version. 

Here is the US version. 

 

Of course it could be any colour or any size you choose, just have fun.

Slip Stitches are Fun!

That's not the sort of thing you would have heard me say until recently! After reading Doris Chan's book Convertible Crochet I became a convert. (read my review HERE) I used her Slip Stitch Rib instructions on my version of Lilla Bjorn's Esja Sweater.

I've owned a copy of Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia for a while now. It opens with four slip stitch patterns. At that time I tried a swatch of the first one but it looked awful. Now that I have more experience I decided to revisit these designs and have another go.

Slip stitches are the work horse of the crochet world but mainly we just use them to join things. I've definitely never thought of them as a stitch in their own right. So after successfully producing these four samples I decided to do a bit of research. Here's what I discovered!

I was just thinking that Slip Stitches were an overlooked stitch that could be much more useful than I'd previously imagined. Then I started to discover that it really is a 'thing'. Not only is it a thing but it has a name, actually many names like Bosnian Crochet and Shepherd's Knitting among others. It even has it's own hook, a pjoning hook. They are hard to get hold of so instead a pointy inline hook would definitely be of benefit but not essential.

The first thing you need to know about using slip stitches is that you need to use a LARGE hook!  Try for two or three times larger than the recommended size. These samples are made with a 6mm hook, the recommended size for this Scheepjes Soft Fun yarn is 4mm.

Then you need to pull up an over sized loop and try to keep it as large as possible. You might find it helpful to hold the base of the stitch as you pull the loop through, at least until you get the hang of it anyway!
Keep counting your stitches, it's easy to loose one, and expect your fabric to shrink in width after the first few rows. (At least until you get the hang of it anyway!!)

I really love that there is SO much to crochet, there always seems to be something new to learn. In writing this post I have discovered 'inverted slip stitches'. If you follow This Link you'll find out how to do inverted stitches.

This gives us six basic stitches in our arsenal; Slip stitch and Inverted Slip stitch, Front Loop and Inverted Front Loop Slip stitch, Back Loop and Inverted Back Loop Slip stitch. (Front Loop slip stitches are simply slip stitches made in the front loop only of previous stitch. Back loop slip stitches are made in the back loop only.)
I've tried out 18 simple variations using those stitches. Some of them are very similar but I hope it will give you a basic knowledge that can be built on.

Dark Purple: This sample is basic Slip Stitch. It creates a thick slightly stretchy fabric.

Yellow: Inverse Slip Stitch. Made in exactly the same way as a basic slip stitch but the yarn is brought to the front and the hook is inserted from the back to the front.This is the thickest of all my samples and also has some stretch.

Pink: Rib Stitch. Back Loop Slip Stitch. This is slightly thinner than basic Slip stitch but is much stretchier. It's the stitch I used on my Esja sweater.

Mauve: Inverse Front Loop Slip Stitch. The ribs in this stitch are much further apart. It makes a warm fabric but isn't very stretchy.

Mauve: Garter Stitch. (I'd love to know why it's called that.) It's simply Front Loop slip stitch.

Pink: Inverse Back Loop Slip Stitch. The photo doesn't do this justice. It has a lovely crisp texture.

Red: Alternating rows of Back Loop and Inverse Front Loop Stitch. These are the front and back of the same stitch. I found it impossible to make it even and tidy.

This is crochet 'spot the difference'! These are four different stitches. There are subtle differences between them. The fabric is double sided, lets call the first group of images the front. All these samples have a tendency to roll up until they are blocked.

Beige: Alternating rows of Front Loop and Inverse Front Loop Slip stitch. Notice how it leans to the right.

Blue: Alternating rows of Back Loop and Inverse Back Loop Slip stitch.Notice how it leans to the left! 

Left hand Green: Purl Stitch. Alternating rows of Front Loop and Back Loop Slip stitch.

Right hand Green: Alternating rows Inverted Front Loop and Inverted Back Loop stitch.

Flat stitch. This is alternating rows of Front Loop and Inverted Back Loop stitch. Why is it called Flat stitch when it clearly wants to roll up? This could be annoying but it could also be useful for rolled hems, necklines and cuffs perhaps?

All of the last six examples are produced by repeating pairs of stitches. This is where the magic really begins. Suddenly we're starting to see something that that doesn't look at all like crochet.

Grey: This is made by repeating Front and Back Loop Slip Stitches. It has a wonderful waffle like texture with a small amount of ribbing.

Pink: Repeating Inverted Front and Inverted Back Loop stitches. This has a crisp texture with a little more ribbing than the grey sample.

These two examples have even more of a waffle texture.

Beige: This one is repeating Front Loop and Inverted Front Loop stitches.

Blue: Repeating Back Loop and Inverted Back Loop stitches gives this sample more texture than it's sibling.

Blue: Moss Stitch. This is my favourite stitch. It takes a few rows before the pattern emerges. Repeating Front Loop and Inverted Back Loop Stitches.

Yellow: Repeating Back Loop and Inverted Front Loop Stitches.

 It's not just me that's excited about these techniques. There are some incredible patterns available. If you're starting to get hooked then you definitely need to go and visit Vashti Braha, and A Yarnified Life. If you're a member of Ravelry check out This Group. (If you're not a member of Ravelry - why?! Go join now!!)

Photographing these samples can't convey their tactile qualities. I definitely recommend taking some time out to practise this technique, it's well worth the effort you put in!

P.S. I decided to try a quick pattern to prove to all of us (you and me!) that it is possible to make something completely using slip stitches. I chose Ann Linderhjelm's 'Hat in Slip Stitch Crochet'. Xx

Book Review: Convertible Crochet.

Goodness! It's long past time we reviewed my Crochet Christmas present - Doris Chan's Convertible Crochet.

The premise of this book is simple; Why? When crochet is so adaptable for 3 dimensional shapes why do we forget that when we make garments? Why do we create separate pieces of fabric, as if we were a dressmaker cutting cloth, and then join them together. Well why do we? Don't you hate those lumpy seams and the way they restrict the drape of that garment you've spent hours creating; or the way the increases and decreases leave little holes along the seam? Don't you dread the words, 'Sew seams, set in sleeves'?

Get ready to be taken on a journey through the cosmos with Doris. We start off nice and slow. She starts off with a doily, what could be more innocuous than that? She blows it up so that we can all imagine it as a throw or a shawl. Now we can imagine it with a hole in the middle so that it becomes a poncho, lets add a waistband so that it's now a skirt. So far so good?

Here's where Doris shows off her genius, she deconstructs that simple doily and creates a myriad of hexagons, octagons and pentagrams; a whole constellation of stars!! By putting these shapes together you can start to create a cloth that moulds and fits itself to the human form.

Perhaps by now your head is spinning a bit? Don't worry we're still travelling slowly. She shows us how those shapes can be put together to create a stole, a cowl, another poncho and another skirt.

We're not even half way through the book when we pick up speed. We start to really move into proper garment shapes with 3 different loose cardigan style wraps. You're not just being given a garment pattern but a real understanding of how to create a garment yourself.

The last two chapters are where my favourite patterns are. The patterns are all in exploded lace, but don't worry, there's no crochet thread or lace weight yarn to worry about. The designs are DK, sports weight and fingering. They go from girl next door to dressy and elegant. There are 2 more skirts and a beautiful dress, 3 summer or maybe evening tops, 2 tunics, a really sweet shrug and 2 Jackets.

Just to round things off, there are some proper no sweat finishing instructions and not a seam in sight!

All in all great value for money and a very entertaining read. If you want to expand your core crochet skills it's a must buy!

Help! I can't see to crochet.

I know there must be someone out there who's having the same problem as me, so I thought you might like to hear about my solution. 

You know I used to have perfect vision, but sadly as we get older we all need some help. To start with I just needed reading glasses but you have to keep taking them off! I used to forget where I'd put them, so I started to wear them round my neck but that wasn't an ideal solution either. Eventually I ended up with Varifocles, it means that I can crochet and watch telly at the same time. 

As my eye sight has slowly deteriorated I started to find thread crochet really difficult to work on. Glasses are set for a comfortable reading distance but I have found that I tend to hold fine crochet work much closer than I would hold a book, tablet or work on a computer. There are innumerable solutions on the market from magnifying lenses on stands, with clips or that you can hang around your neck. You'd think that there would be a solution for me, but none of them felt comfortable. But then I had an idea!

I remembered my Mum complaining that she was having difficulty telling the difference between two different coloured yarns. She took the two samples with her on her next visit to the optician. The optician explained that as we grow older we need more light to see by.

So on my next visit to the opticians I took a sample of thread crochet and the appropriate hook with me so that she could see exactly what the problem was. I felt very silly but was made to feel quite sensible! Apparently this is a not uncommon problem for people who do fine work. The solution is to have a pair of reading glasses which are set just a fraction stronger than usual. Of course I can't watch telly while wearing them but I haven't lost them yet because they are always with my crochet work!

It is so wonderful to be able to do this kind of work again that I thought it was worth sharing with you.

Surface Crochet, Part Seven - Just Some Ideas!

You know how much I like to experiment. This seemed liked an ideal excuse to play. So here are some ideas I came up with for ways you might like to use surface crochet on crochet.

The most obvious base to use is double crochet (SC-USA).

Starting with the basics this is Surface Chain stitch. I talked about that in this POST.

 

Then I tryed Surface Zigzag Chain. Find that in this POST.

 

The last example is what I called Surface Double Crochet Spike stitch. You'll find the instructions HERE.

Tunisian Crochet is also a good base. The technique creates obvious horizontal and vertical lines. I am fairly new to Tunisian work so I have chosen to use Tunisian Simple Stitch.

 

I've used two different versions of Surface Zigzag Chain stitch. The Tunisian fabric makes a very flexible base making it easy to put the stitches exactly where you want them. It was easy to make the rows of zigzag stitches very close together. Compare this one with the red/purple one made on the Double Crochet base.

 

For the second version I made longer stitches. The instructions are in this POST.

Filet makes an excellent base. This is chain/Treble (DC-USA). Having worked this sample I now realise that it is better to use a smaller hook size for the filet than the surface work! I've used Scheepjes SoftFun, a cotton acrylic yarn with plenty of body.

In this sample I've worked mostly Surface Double crochet stitches vertically. Find out how to do that in this POST. In the white row I've used Surface Chain stitches, but I've double the yarn up in order to make the stitches more substantial. I think I prefer the chain stitches, what do you think?

Making the connection between the surface crochet samples I've shown you over the last few months and some practical crochet does take a leap of faith. I hope that these few examples have helped to bridge that gap. I am now buzzing with ideas and plan to give you a few patterns soon. However I do have to admit to being the slowest crochet designer in history so please be patient!!

Surface Crochet, Part Six - Loops and Pile.

Even I have to admit that I am stretching the subject of surface crochet to the limit this week! I thought that for the penultimate post we could lift off from the surface.

The first technique should be obvious but somehow it's taken me six weeks to think of it. Surface Treble Crochet (DC-USA). Jen Tyler (Hooks 'n Tales) uses it very cleverly in her Amanzi block. 
This is my version of the Amanzi block.

Unlike all the other surface stitches we've done so far, this time both the yarn and the hook are held above the work. 

There are obviously two ways to start this stitch. We can either begin with a slip stitch and three chain stitches,

or a standing treble stitch.
 
Then make stitches into any bar of the canvas or stitch of base fabric.

 

We don't have to restrict our selves to Treble Stitch either. Use any size of stitch and place as many stitches as you'd like into each bar.
 

When you start moving about the canvas the stitches start to stand up.

 

 The final offering is an old technique for making rugs. Once again we are working above the canvas. First lengths of yarn, cord, or rag strips are laid out horizontally.Then a row of surface chain stitches are made vertically over the top, holding them in place.
 
Place a gauge under the yarn, here I'm using a ruler.
 
'Fold' the ruler over the row of chain stitches already made.
 
Chain alongside the gauge.
 
When you remove the gauge you will have a row of loops all at the same height.
 
Continue repeating this process, working from left to right.

You can now cut the loops to produce pile if you want, or use the technique to make a fringe on the edge of your fabric.
 
An alternative method to produce loops is by using surface slip stitches and chain.

In case you're thinking I've gone completely mad and you're never EVER going to want to crochet into net or canvas there will be one final post of this series.  I will show you some examples of these techniques when worked into a crochet base! I hope then you'll be as inspired as I am.