Tag Archives: Tunisian

A Month of Crochet- A Focus on Color

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ScannedImageWow, a whole month focused on crochet! It has been fun following all the blogs featured on the Crochetville blog tour, and thank you Amy & Donna for all your hard work in pulling this together.National Crochet Month 2014

 

This year the blog tour is featuring the charitable organization of Halos of Hope. Please consider making a hat for the cause or make a financial contribution to this organization that helps many with cancer. Find more information at Halos of Hope. Halos of Hope

 

So spring is in the air, it always brings about the thoughts of color for me, which is always an inspiration. Granted I have not been living in a world of winter white, but seeing all the flowers open up and the trees beginning to bloom looks like a painters palette to me. So I grab some yarn and begin to play, but not all yarns are created equal.

 

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Notice the difference between the lines of color in the bottom of the swatch, double crochet clusters, and the band toward the top worked as single crochet. Different stitches, different color pooling.

Lately I have pulled toward variegated yarns, ones that have a mixture and change of color within the skein. However the length of each color run can make a real difference in how my finished fabric looks, so I have to take it into consideration.  I pulled some variegated yarn off the shelf the other day, with the inspiration of spring, but found that my fabric just looked like a bunch of speckled dots, and there was no “color pooling” that happens when colors stack up upon themselves.

 

Why did my work look like little specks? The stitches I was using. Most yarns are not created with crocheters as the primary user in mind, so as a result the color repeats are usually shorter then would best highlight the art of crochet stitches. Often each stitch will include more than one color resulting in speckling. However, with a little playing, stitches can be found that act a little differently. A good example of this is Tunisian crochet, that gives pooling more like that of knitting, but even changing from double crochet to single crochet can create a difference in the appearance of the fabric, and one that might be more what I am looking for.

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Left and Right same yarn, different stitch. Left in Tunisian, Right in single crochet cluster.

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I was playing with some hanks (the twisted up rounds of yarn that need to be unwound into a ball for easier using), that were dyed by an Independent dyer , these are businesses that are usually small in size and create beautifully colored yarns in small batches, some even painted by hand. I found the color runs of each hank to have been about a foot long, and created just a couple of stitches in each color. I asked the dyer about this, and was enlightened to learn about the process she used. She explained that to create longer color runs she would have to have a way to work with the hank either in a much longer format, or have it unwound then rewound into the hanks standard size, to be dyed/painted. Both approaches are more labor intensive and cost prohibitive. Since the yarn is so beautiful though, I think I can find a stitch that will work in complimenting it.

 

Basically, if you find a yarn that you love, be mindful that it may not be the best match for every pattern you find. So do a little of that dreaded word….swatching, and see how the color comes together. It really can help you find some beauty. Your crochet is your therapy, your art, your history, so help your vision come to life, use the yarns you love and work the patterns you enjoy. Do not be limited by want the photo shows or the materials listed, make each crochet moment your own.

 

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Free Garden Flower Head Band

Now if you have any scarps left give my newest free pattern a try! It is a head band, which has an attached flower (worked as you go, no sewing!), so check it out Garden Flower Head Band, and find my self-published designs at Crochetville, Ravelry and Craftsy.

Designs that Will Ring in Spring

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ScannedImageSpring is in the air; the ground is beginning to warm and release the blooms of daffodils. The days are getting longer and spending time outside is a greater joy. So it has made it a nice time to release 2 of my latest designs, they help take a little chill out of the air and dress up a casual look.

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Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap

The first is the Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap; it is created with a simple 3 row repeat, and 1 skein of Lisa Souza Sylvie 100% Bombyx Silk yarn. The highlight of this wrap is a unique stitch that is created free hand, of long loops, a technique that was originally featured in my article in the Summer 2012 issue of Crochet! Magazine, with the Drop Stitch Short Scarf. I really enjoy this technique as it gives the appearance of hairpin lace without the loom, or the joining of strips. It is worked as one continuous piece, and when you finish, you only have 2 ends to weave in.

This pattern includes the details on how to complete this technique, and I have to say that the silk gives it such a great drape that it adds IMG_6150 - Copyelegance to the work.

What inspired me to put this design together was actually the yarn. I had a skein, and I made it a personal challenge to see what I could create with it, and the Drop Stitch lends itself to this non-stretch yarn very well. The openness of the stitch with the smooth surface of the yarn, allows both to be featured in a positive way with this design, creating a classic style.

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Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap

The second design I am releasing is the Honorable Mention Winner of the 2013 Crochet Guild of America Design Contest, Accessories category; the Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap. This is a uniquely constructed piece that is comprised of 3 large pentagon motifs created with Tunisian Crochet. These motifs create a negative space design that is enhanced with additional motifs, thus creating flowers inside of flowers. All motifs are joined as you go, requiring no sewing.

One of the original features of this design is the “floral buttons” these are added embellishments that allow the fabric to be secured together to create air sleeves of a shrug, or left unsecured for an interesting wrap. This versatile piece is also worked in Lisa Souza Sylvie 100% Bombyx Silk yarn, which has beautiful color and gives great drape to this piece. This is a fun shrug that can be paired with jeans or a simple black dress, can be a nice compliment for a day at the beach, or a night on the town. It fills a very unique niche in any wardrobe, and trust me, it is fun.

#My inspiration for this design was born out of a watermark I saw in a magazine advertisement. It was a flower that was actually featured in a negative space (the space that is not the color, but the blank background), and I began daydreaming of how to create this in crochet, thus the large motifs were created. However they lacked structure and did not allow for a stable fabric, until the addition of contrasting motifs within them. This the negative space flower grow to have an addition of flowers within its petals. 

Both of these designs are available for sale on Ravelry.com or Crochetville.com for the simple price of $5. Check them out and let me know what you think of them.

Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap (Ravelry – Crochetville)

Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap (Ravelry – Crochetville)

Crochet Review

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ScannedImageI never intended to be quiet for the month of December, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just disappeared in a blink. I had many things ready to write and post, but my world got caught up in birthdays, families and traditions.

Speaking of traditions this is the usual time of year for reflections and promises of goals to accomplish in the next 365 days. I usually take some time reflecting on the year my family has had when I write up a Holiday letter, but that did not occur this year either, however I am sure it looked like many peoples. We made new friends, we lost others. We had highs, we had lows. We overcame challenges, some small, some large. We gained, we lost. We dealt with change, both positive and negative.

I thought I would take this opportunity to do something that I never have done before, reflect on where my crochet has been in the last year. I am not meaning focusing on my designs, or where my designing has gone this year (even though I can see it growing and it is definitely on a journey), I mean my actual crochet. Highlighting the moments of understanding and conceptualizing with clarity some stitches or techniques I have taken for granted.

MC900222914In 2013 I can say that I put to practice the concept that was introduced to me in the fall of 2012, using much larger hooks then would be expected. It has made a much greater drape in my work, and opened me up to some yarns that I felt were more limited in the past. It is a simple concept that I did not really put to understanding, but after some play it has changed my perception of Tunisian crochet, as it has made a great difference in this stitch technique for me. The work curls less, is not nearly as stiff, and can have a flow like silk in some cases.

I have also paid more attention actual stitch construction. This sounds like something I really should have understood well before now, but once again it is something I took for granted. I knew the parts of a stitch and how to create them, but this year I spent more time playing with how each part affects the stitch and what happens if they are changed. This has opened a completely new door for my thoughts, that I am sure will be carried forward with me for many years to come.

I have also really paid more attention to my finish work. After many discussion with other crocheters (and even some knitters), I began applying new ways of finishing my work, and seaming. The differences are subtle, but subtle can definitely make the difference.

So, basically, it looks like I learned a lot this last year from playing. I hope that I have more opportunities to play, in the upcoming year; and that the adventure in learning, even from things I think I know, never ends.

Fun Learning Tunisian Crochet

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ScannedImageLast weekend I had a great morning in a winery, surrounded by eager crocheters, learning Tunisian Crochet stitches. We were fortunate enough to have our lesson at Plucky Fluff Studio, at Boeger Winery, while using fabulous yarns from Lisa Souza Knitwear and Dyeworks. The weather was great, the yarn was beautiful, and even those that had never crocheted before got the hang of the stitches and will be well on their way to finishing their Tunisian Skinny Scarf! Hopefully we can get together soon for another workshop. I am so proud of everything the students accomplished.

Tammy & Janice doing a great job with Tunisian

Tammy & Janice doing a great job with Tunisian

 

 

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Lona enjoying the relaxing morning

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Diane finding it fun to trade in her knitting needles

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Carolyn trying to be coy with how well she has learned the technique

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Christine and Patti, doing a little work outdoors. I can’t believe that Patti has never used a crochet hook before!