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Small Shifts, Big Differences…Where is Your Yarn?

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ScannedImageSimple things can make a huge difference….I was reminded of this just the other day, as I was putting together some “join-as-you-go” motifs.

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Working yarn behind the hook

They would join at through chain loops, and I found that I was working along splendidly, then put things down and come back and have the joins twisting. I could not for the life of me figure out what was causing this difference. I was entering the chain in the same direction, I was making the same number of stitches, and so what was my hold up? Was I distracted? Were my fingers and hook no longer obeying?

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Working yarn in front of hook, being pulled into chain stitch

Then, I noticed a very subtle difference….where was the working yarn drawing from? In every instant that I had a problem with the join twisting the working yarn was in front of my work, in front of my hook. This was the cause of the difference. Usually my working yarn is always behind my hook, this makes for a smooth fabric and joins that behave, but the simple acts of letting the working yarn get in front of the hook and everything goes backward.

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Top join is worked with working yarn behind hook, and bottom join is worked with working yarn in front of hook. Notice the twist of the loops in the bottom join.

This is similar to the effects of how you “yarn over”, the placement has very subtle and telling results (for a description of that post check out “How do you YO?”). The working yarn in front of the hook creates an extra twist to my join and, though creates a more textured fabric, is not necessarily the effect I am looking for.
So I put a little extra knowledge of how crochet stitches work in my basket, and will have to play with it in the future and see what effects it can create, that I actually intend for.

Adding Stitch Extentions

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ScannedImageThe world of crochet seems to be ever evolving, and one technique that I have seen recent renewed interest in is the “extended stitches”. Extended stitches are essentially the same stitches as are regularly used, single, half double, double, treble, etc. however they have an extra pull through making them slightly taller.

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Begin an extended double crochet just as you would a typical double crochet; yarn over, insert hook in indicated space, yarn over, pull up a loop

This stitch type is really nice is you are created a fabric that has gradual height changes as an extended single crochet is slightly taller than a single crochet, yet slightly shorter than a half double crochet, creating a very nice gradient of height by using the three stitches together.
To create an extended stitch, you begin as you do for the standard stitch, for example for a double crochet and an extended double crochet you; yarn over, insert hook in indicated stitch, yarn over, pull through up loop. Now, this is where the only difference now takes place, for an extended stitch, you chain 1, then continue as you would with the remainder of the stitch, yarn over pull through 2, twice.

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Next, Chain 1, then complete the stitch as normal, Yarn over, pull through 2, twice

By simply creating a chain stitch at the very base of the typical stitch you create this extra height. Another interesting creation with this stitch is that it creates a fabric that is a little more “stretchy” than the traditional stitch, while giving a very similar appearance. I often mix this stitches in items that I create in a free form style to allow for smoother transition of styles, and I also use then mixed with more traditional stitches to create fabrics with subtle texture changes.

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See the subtle difference between the stitch on the left and the one adjacent, the bottom of the stitch as a little more height before the first bar in the post

I hope this clears up any mysteries about this simple adjustments to everyday stitches, that can easily be added to you foundation of stitch knowledge.

Hot Weather Crochet…It Keeps Me Cool

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ScannedImageAs the hot days of summer arise I had a question asked of me; “How can you crochet in this heat?” I actually find it quite easy, and when I look back over time I think I understand some of the reason for this.
When I was in my youth, summer was when I had my free time, unlike some of the childhoods of today, mine was a time of being at home, playing outside. There was no differentiating the days of the week, Monday was just like Friday which was just like Wednesday, there were no camps or classes, just finding a way to play with my brother and sister, without fighting and getting on mom’s nerves. So during this time creativity had a time to bloom and picking up a book and working a project was readily done.Rising Temperature
As I grew older and the relaxing days of no responsibility and laid back summers waned, I was crocheting in my down time to actually stay cool. I know that thinking of temperatures at or near 100°F doesn’t sound like a time when picking up a skein of yarn sounds like a cooling off event, but in my home, which has never been comprised of air conditioning, sitting in front of a fan is the greatest pleasure. It is this sitting still, yet being productive that crochet has allowed me, sit right in front of the fan and work away. In actuality most of my leisure crochet has been created in the hottest months of the year. My hands have kept busy while my hands keep creating. In most recent times the yarn in my hands have been bamboos and silks, then just seem to speak “cool temperature”, or maybe even a cotton. This is just a little mental trip I think, but it does the trick and seems to reduce the temperature.
Okay so I might just reverse this argument for reasons way I crochet in the winter, sitting by the fire to stay warm, but it is too hot outside to think of the fire, I just want to think of sitting by the fan, so I guess I will find some crochet and keep cool.

Timeless Crochet?

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ScannedImageI have always heard of the “trends in fashion” and how things become “dated”. I will say that I believed this for most of my life. However lately I have been cleaning some closets and finding some “lost” projects, and when reflecting on the time they have been tucked away I find that they may be a little timeless.
This is not to say that you cannot date crochet pieces; usually this is most accurate to date the material used. The composition of some yarns date them better then the stitches used to put them together, but I do not know if the style of crochet really goes out of fashion.

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A scrap afghan created with left over baby yarn

A simple reference for this is for me is baby afghans. Since I have been crocheting for most of my life, I have created afghans for the new additions to a family since high school. I have one “go-to” pattern that I have made with the same yarn for nearly twenty years (It is Precious In Pink by Cathy Hardy from the book Afghans For All Seasons by Leisure Arts and Oxmoor House, made with Bernats Baby Coordinates Yarn). I can probably work the pattern in my sleep, and often can complete it in less than a day and a half. The size of the skein has changed since I started making it, it use to take me only 2 skeins and a dab of a third (only enough to finish the last row), while now it takes nearly the entire third skein. But that is a side effect of working a pattern so long. Why I mention this, is one day about 10 years ago, I worked up a full size afghan in a chevron pattern from the remaining “third skeins” of yarn from the baby afghans. At the time, I was able to identify 35 different skeins used, and I know that not every afghan was accounted for. The number has only increased since then, but the effect the afghan has on the recipient is the same; gratitude, and genuine warmth. Some of those “babies” are having children of their own, but the same blanket brings the same response; a proof of timeless.

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My “Pneumonia Afghan”

Another project that speaks of me of the passage of time, or the lack of recognizing it, is my “pneumonia afghan” (Actually the pattern is Stitch Sampler by Jean Holzman from the book Afghans For All Seasons by Leisure Arts and Oxmoor House). It is so named by me due to the illness I had when finally finishing it (I was sick enough with walking pneumonia that the doctor only gave me 2 options: two weeks of bed rest with heavy antibiotics, or hospitalization….since I lacked health insurance I opted for the former) . To pass the time I completed this afghan with scraps I had, I have since worked this pattern many times as well, almost always with scraps. This afghan is still in my home, after, again nearly twenty years. The only reason I can date it is due to my illness, the stitch work itself is still as recognizable and noteworthy as when I first made it.
Okay, so maybe crochet is not timeless, but in my hands I do not see the time, I can only date it from the context it is worked in. So, if a piece of hand work can still be honored in your home for a quarter of a century (heck, I know people that treasure handiwork from their grandmothers, and it looks appropriate in their home as well), then maybe it is a timeless treasure. Some may only think of crochet, from the 1970’s and think that it is only representative of stiff yarns and granny squares, but if you really look around you see that it does not really have a date, not in most cases.

My Drop Stitch Journey

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ScannedImageAs any long time crochet has realized “fancier” crochet stitches really do not have a single name. The term Popcorn, or Cable give you the basic idea, but a Cluster can have a few different interpretations. So it is important to pay close attention to the “Special Stitches” selections of patterns, and if working up your own idea, remember to be consistent with the process or steps of your stitch.

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The Drop Stitch with Shells

With that being stated, I wanted to share how my version of the “Drop Stitch” came about.
Several years ago, I was attempting to find a way to create a round open loop within a row of fabric. I know you can create chain and skip spaces, but I have a vision that was a little different, almost like a “loopty loop” of a roller coaster. In my attempts to find this approach to fulfill my vision I began playing with some “long loops”. With these long loops I twisted, I stitched over, I stitched through and around, in various ways and found eventually found a way to make them secure in the fabric, and eventually began to see what resembled the effects of Hairpin Lace.

Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap- pattern.

Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap

I wrote up the process and created a short scarf for Crochet! Magazine in the Summer 2012 issue to explain what I found, and how to create it. Since then I have played with the stitch in a variety of ways in my personal crochet, even creating a self-published design earlier this year, Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap.(Available for $5 at Craftsy & Ravelry)
The principal behind the process is not the difficult; essentially you pull through a long loop in the indicated stitch. Then you remove your hook and dependent upon the design, insert the hook in either the same indicated stitch or into the adjacent stitch and pull through a loop, and slip stitch. This slip stitch secures the loop and you then move on to the next stitch. The fun in this fabric is that you can work across the ends of the loops to create a second row, and thus have a row of long open loops, similar to the drop stitch effects in knitting.
I have used this stitch in a wide arrange of yarns and am happy with the results of most. However the only ones I have not been as happy with are yarns that have a little “springiness” to them. They have a lot of stretch and easily return to their natural state (like some sock yarns). This did not allow for a very long loop, it caused the loop to pull back, creating a more 3D effect in the fabric, which I have not found a good use for yet.
I still have not found a way to create the circle of loopty loops that are in my head, but by playing with various techniques and concepts along the way, I hope to enjoy many more discoveries.

If you want to take another journey of a Drop Stitch, check out Kim Guzman’s new book Learn Drop Stitch Crochet, She works it a little different then I do, she uses a knitting needle to keep the loops more uniform.