Author Archives: webmaster

Halloween Costume Confessions

Posted on by

ScannedImageWith tomorrow being Halloween I have seen many adorable crocheted costumes on various social media outlets. There are so many creative and talent stitchers, that I will admit put me to shame.

DSCF0540

My “Mummy” and “Witch”

Several people believe that my kids must have adorable hand crocheted costumes to wear to various Halloween parties and trick or treating events. They would be grossly incorrect. I am not saying that I spend a fortune on the costumes that are available in many stores, heck; I even balk at spending $25 for a costume that will be worn for only one night, so many of my kids’ costumes are homemade, relatively speaking.

One year my son wanted to be Indian Jones, so a pair of khaki’s, a white shirt, brown hat and a piece of rope (to simulate a whip) and he was quite happy. Another year, a mummy, white face paint some medical gauze rolls, done. My daughter wanted to be Iron Man, her red sweat pants, a red sweat shirt, and some felt cut into a few shapes and tapes on to the clothes…okay I did crochet a red hat to attach a cardboard mask to, but that was it.

There are a couple of years that I spent more time in putting a costume together. One year I made Toothless, the dragon from the How to Train Your Dragon movies, this was a little more involved, but only in taking felt to make the tail and the wings. The rest is just black sweats. Another year the kids both wanted to be a Genie, I had some extra fabric around, so I made some harem pants and simple vests, but these were my more involved years. Fortunately, Toothless has been worn my more than one child, and more than once for Halloween, the Genies have had many play-times at home.

IMG_4725

My “Genies”

This year, the kids are putting together their own costumes, my daughter is creating a Spider Witch and my son…well, my son has come to the age, that he only wants to dress up because that is what needs to be done to trick or treat and receive candy, so he is putting together some mask with a cape.

While I greatly admire the costumes many have created in crochet, and the talented ideas and artistry these creators have, I am one of the moms that is keeping it simple, and stitching up some sweaters for use on more then one night.

Tunisian Full Stitch….How I Found It for Myself

Posted on by

ScannedImageMany years ago I taught myself to crochet, I remember seeing the “Afghan Stitch” in the book I was using, but I was never interested in doing cross stitch embroidery, so I never looked at it too long. Then several years later I was taking a free form class and the teacher mentioned using some Tunisian Simple Stitch in the piece for fun.

IMG_6555.1

Tunisian Full Stitch

Well what I remembered of the stitch, insert you hook, pull up a loop, repeat, and then work them all off, so I proceeded to do just that. What I was not paying attention to was working behind the vertical bar; instead I worked between the vertical bars, you know that space that somewhat reminds me of chain space, and pulled a loop up. Later I realized my error, but I was sure that I was just doing a different stitch, however when I began looking around for the name, I couldn’t quite find it.

I searched on-line and through various books, and found some different names for it. Some called it “net stitch”, others “Basic Stitch”, and as Tunisian Crochet is becoming more mainstream and the terms more universal I have finally found it; the “Tunisian Full Stitch”.

IMG_6558.1

Working in the space Immediately next to the current loop on the hook

As I stated earlier there the stitch is worked between the vertical bars, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Since the stitch staggers on either side of the stitches below, you need to make adjustments at one side or the other of the fabric, or you will be making a piece that is not square. To make this adjustment on the beginning of one row you work a stitch immediately in front of the loop already on your hook, and end that row pulling up a loop in the last space between vertical bars. Then work the usual Return Pass (Chain 1, *YO, pull through 2 loops; rep from * across, until 1 loop remains). On the next row, you skip the space immediately next to the loop on the hook, and work in the rest of the spaces between vertical bars to the end of the row, insert hook in the chain-1 of the Return Pass below, YO and pull up a loop, then work the Return Pass again. Alternate these rows throughout the fabric. You will notice that the side that the Return Pass is begun, the edge will not be perfectly straight and this is normal, as you are adjusting a stitch to the last stitches every other row.

IMG_6560.1

Working the last stitch in the last space between vertical bars. This is the row ending to working the first loop in the space immediately next to the hook.

I personally really like this Tunisian Stitch, I am not sure if it is because it is the stitch I stumbled upon early on, or if it is because it does not give you a set straight line appearance but pulls the eye diagonally instead. The fabric does have a lot of stretch with this stitch and I find that useful in many designs, not to mention it is a fairly forgiving technique.

Memory Lane with Some New Patterns

Posted on by
M22157_CrochetWinter14_FrontCover

photo courtesy of Annie’s

ScannedImageI have to admit, I really enjoy these designs. They can be found in the current issue of Crochet! Magazine (Winter 2015).

Waves Hat

Wavy Hat Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The Wavy Hat was actually one of my first patterns, at least one of the first patterns that I worked out and actually wrote down. I wrote it up for a friend of mine that wanted a hat that had a chevron appearance, so I play around and came up with my interpretation, and inspiration of that idea with this hat. I have made some changes to the original pattern, making it more streamlined and easier to understand, but I am still happy with the results.

All-Round Rug

All Round Rug photo courtesy of Annie’s

The All Round Rug was inspired by bubble in the bath. I was watching the bubbles in a bath (a bubble bath is a rare thing in my home, so enjoying them as long as possible means the water is usually going cold), and while relaxing my mind began to drift and looking at the shapes that were being created. The way they stacked upon each other made me wonder if I could recreate the pattern in yarn. So a little playing around and this rug was born.

These two designs are one that I have found memories of, and I hope that you enjoy working them up for yourself.

Sharing Free Pattern- Cented Flowers

Posted on by

ScannedImageSo with the craziness of the end of summer and the beginning of fall weather, I have been able to do a little regrouping. In the process, I realized that I had not shared a pattern I was intending to release after the Knit & Crochet Show at the end of July.

I was honored to be included in the Crochet Guide of America’s Make & Take projects that were available this year’s conference (its 20th Anniversary), in Manchester, NH. I designed and donated the pattern, Marty Miller shared her time and knowledge doing the technical editing of it, and Designing Vashti was generous enough to supply the Lotus Yarn for the sample as well as the projects at the conference.

IMG_6177.1I admit I over thought the pattern, and probably over symbolized it. Since it was for the Anniversary conference, and the theme colors were Emerald, White and Platinum, I made sure to include them in the project. Then for 20 year anniversaries some websites indicated that the Aster flower was the recognized flower for the event, so I created a daisy like flower. Then I added dimes in the center, made sure there were 2, so that there was 20 cents, 1 for every year. So I had two white flowers with green leaves, and “platinum” color centers. Yes, I probably did over think this.

DSCF0745.1

A few of the attendees of my Make & Take

The Make & Take was scheduled for Saturday during lunch and I had a total of 18 people participate (people did not have to stay the entire time, but drop in and go as they liked). Many people learned some new skills, as the pattern included foundation double crochet, surface crochet, and extended stitches. The project is mounted to a snap hair clip, but can easily be used to embellish many things, and created in many beautiful colors.

So, I wanted to share the free pattern “Cented Flowers” (yes, it is a little puny) with those that may not have been able to attend the conference in New Hampshire, I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to down load it here. Cented Flowers

Catching Up September

Posted on by

ScannedImageSomehow September always seems to run me around in circles. It seems to be a month that leaves me a little anxious, almost feeling like I am hyperventilating.
It maybe all the family birthdays; my husband, his brother, his sister, my dad, my sister…all within a week, and then the anniversaries; my parents, my in-laws, my aunts, and then my sister is planning her wedding for September of 2015. None of that even includes holidays for long time friends…only family.
Maybe it is the change of season. Being in Northern California I am very happy that this last week has a feeling of fall; it helped to increase the containment of a large wildfire in my community (at least it was not a threat to my home, but I had many friends evacuated for several days, some for nearly two weeks), and seeing some rain makes us all hopeful that our drought may ease. However fall also brings the harvest of our small farm. I am not even sure how many pounds of pears I gave away this year, probably close to 50, I know that I used the dehydrator and dried nearly 140 pears, which my family has nearly consumed all of. I harvest many seedless grapes, and actually made raisins this year…about 10 pounds after they were dried. I still have to make some jelly from the seeded grapes, but that is in the next couple of weeks. MP900384696
It could also be the births and deaths, and tragedies in my local community, I know they are there all the time, but for some reason they seem amplified in September. None of them affected me closely, but it affected people in my life. Or it could me the annual remembrance of “where were you when” , those moments that make you realize that a year has already passed and you are not sure where it went.
So my days were spent settling into the routine of the school year for the kids, accomplishing the things needed for the household, and then not to be over looked….CROCHET! I have spent each and every day with my fingers dancing over stitches and my mind flying over new and possible combinations and ways to use a technique. I plan on getting some of them written down and posted soon, but in all my time writing has taken a sideline. Since October is almost here, I can already feel a change, a calming. This should allow me to regroup and share more of the thoughts that I find in my world of hooking, here is to hoping that October brings cool weather, rain, and calmer seas.