Crochet in art

Here's a fun picture a fellow teacher found. I thought it was very fitting, so I thought I'd share.

"Girl Crocheting" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 

This was painted in 1875. It's amazing how long crochet has been around. It's still done completely by hand - no machine (yet) can crochet. (There are knitting machines.) If you give or receive a crocheted gift, you know that it was (sometimes painstakingly) made by actual hands. 

Pattern: Glasses Case

Here's another accessory that might come in handy. It could be modified by adding an applique design to one side, stripes, multicolored yarn, add loop with a chain before you finish it off to hang it, etc. 

Glasses Case

Materials:

Small amount of worsted weight (4) yarn.

Crochet Hook: Size G (4.25 mm)

Gauge is not really essential for this project.

Finished piece measures 3 inches wide and almost 7 inches tall.

Abbreviations:

ch = Chain

dc = double crochet

hdc = half double crochet

rem = remaining

sc = Single Crochet

sk = skip

sl st = slip stitch

tr = treble (triple) crochet

st(s) = Stitch(es)

Note: Pay attention to where the first stitch in each row is worked. For hdc rows, the chains do not count as a stitch. For dc and tr rows, the chains DO count as a stitch.

Pattern:

Ch 13

Row 1: Hdc in 3^rd chain from hook and in each ch across.

Row 2: Ch 2, turn. Hdc in each st across.

Row 3: Ch 3, turn. Dc in 2^nd st and in each st across.

Row 4 and 5: Ch 2, turn. Hdc in each st across.

Row 6: Ch 4, turn. Tr in 2^nd st and in each st across.

Rows 7 and 8: Ch 2, turn. Hdc in each st across.

Repeat rows 3-8 until piece measures about 13 inches and fasten off.

Assembly:

Fold piece in half and seam up both long sides, leaving the top open.

Pattern: Easy Coin Purse/Wallet

If you're looking for a quick and easy beginners project, this one's for you. You can add stripes or use a multicolored yarn if you'd like to change the look. 

Easy Change Purse

Materials:

Small amount of worsted weight (4) yarn.

Crochet Hook: Size H8 (5 mm)

.75” Button

Gauge is not really essential for this project.

Finished piece measures 4” x 3”

Abbreviations:

ch = Chain

rem = remaining

sc = Single Crochet

sk = skip

sp = space

st(s) = Stitch(es)

Pattern:

Chain (ch) 16.

Row 1: Single crochet (sc) in second chain (ch) from hook and in each chain (ch) across.

Row 2: Chain 1 and turn. Single crochet (sc)  in each stitch (st) across.

Row 3: Chain 1 and turn. Single crochet (sc) in each of the first 6 stitches (sts). Ch 3. Skip (sk) 3 stitches (sts), and sc in the next stitch (st) and in each of the remaining sts.

Row 4. Ch 1 and turn. Sc in each of the first 6 sts. Work 3 sc into the chain three space (Ch-3 sp). Sc into the remaining stitches.

Row 5: Ch 1 and turn. Sc in each st across.

Repeat row 5 until piece measures about 9 inches, and fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming.

Assembly:

Fold the top (without the button hole) down leaving about 2.5 inches. Seam the sides, leaving the top open. Once seaming is done, fold top down. Keep track of where the button hole falls. Open the top and sew button in the appropriate spot.

Finished folded piece measures 4 inches wide and 3 inches tall.  

Need inspiration? Here's one way to find it.

The people in my life have always been an inspiration for my crochet work. I love when someone says, "I wonder if you can make [x]." It then becomes a challenge. I immediately go into thinking, "how could I do that?" or "can it even be done?" Usually, the answer is yes. (Sometimes I get this inspiration by going to various websites, looking at designs for clothing, jewelry and more and wondering how could I do that with crochet?)

The other day, I was playing with some tulle I have hanging around the house. (Some of the results will be posted on March 30th for my date for Crochetville's blog tour for National Crochet Month. If you want to catch up or see the websites and posts from other associate professional and professional members of the Crochet Guild of America, you can do that here. Crochetville's Blog Tour Catch Up.) My husband was wondering if I'd be able to make a bracelet that had some translucent areas in it created by the tulle. The result? A few hours of playing and I came up with this design.

 

I was pretty pleased with the design overall, then I added tulle. It was a bit tricky to figure out how much tulle to add.

 

These, I thought, had too much tulle. It wasn't translucent enough for me. So I took some out.

 

I'm happy with the results. I really like my husband's idea of translucency. I may have to keep trying out new things branching off of this theme.

Does anyone have any "I wonder if you can make..." questions for me?

Michaels class open house!

Tomorrow (Saturday, March 9th, 2013) Michaels is holding a class open house from 11-3pm. During that time you can stop by the store, meet your local instructors and get answers to any questions you have about the many creative classes Michaels offers.

To help celebrate the event, Michaels is offering a discount on the registration fees for all their classes. (It's 25% off!) Register for as many classes as you like and get the discount on all of them. To make registering easier and more convenient for you, I've also posted my class schedule for March, April, and May! If you're not finding a time or date that will work for you, contact me and I may be able to organize an extra class to accommodate your schedule. Click on the class schedule link at the top of the page to view the most current class schedule.

I'll be at the Normal, IL Michaels store during this event, so stop by and see me and the many things I've been up to lately. (Plus, you'll be able to see some of the class projects in person!)

I've added a few new classes to the class roster. (Visit the class roster here.)

Amigurumi - Amigurumi (pronounced ah-me–goo-roo-me) is Japanese for crocheting small stuffed animals and other creatures. This class will focus on the basics of amigurumi and provide tips for creating these fun, plush toys.

Wiggly Crochet - This technique is a relatively new one, combining a mesh (like in Filet crochet) with additional dimension. It creates a 3D effect and makes for great hot pads, perfect for protecting your table from hot dishes. It can also be used to make plush rugs.

Wedding (and Prom) - This themed class will focus on the ways crochet can be used to add personalized touches to any wedding to make it even more special. From wedding favors, to garters and elegant wraps, this class is sure to inspire your creativity!

Reading yarn labels

When I first started crocheting, I didn't know a whole lot about yarn. I went into the store and grabbed a skein based solely on it's color. If I liked the color, I picked it up. For my first couple of projects (blanket and scarves), this system didn't matter much. (I guess I got lucky there.) Then I decided I wanted to make a sweater from a pattern book. I went into the store looking for a color. I was about half way through the pattern before I realized that it was going to be way too large for me (or most people I knew) to actually wear. I ended up scrapping the project.

I worked out the pattern successfully. My mistake? I didn't pay attention to the yarn. My pattern called for a super fine (weight of 1) yarn and I was using a light (3) yarn. This made my "medium" sweater turn into an extra, extra, extra large.

For many beginners, reading yarn labels can be a tricky thing. Here's a link that has a brief breakdown on how to read yarn labels and what all those little symbols mean.
http://stitch11.com/yarn-labels-what-do-they-mean/

Working into the foundation chain

Did you know that there are many ways of working into your starting (foundation) chain? Each has a different look and feel to it. There isn't one right way; how you choose to work into your foundation chain can affect your overall product. Let's first take a closer look at your foundation chain. (For this, I'm using a large crochet hook to make it easy to see the strands of each chain stitch.)

Anatomy of a chain:

If you look closely at your chain, you'll see that on one side there is a series of Vs. The reverse side has a bunch of bumps or ridges. (The front is the side with the Vs.) Each chain stitch is made up of three individual strands. The top and bottom of the V and the back ridge.

A couple of ways of working into the chain:
1. Work stitches under the top strand of the V only.

Using this method the first row of stitches (single crochet stitches in this instance) has a slight gap between them and the starting chain. The unworked loops of the chain will shift slightly toward you as you work this row. 

2. Work stitches under the back ridge (bump).

This method creates a starting edge that is exactly like the finished edge. (It has the same appearance of a row of single crochet stitches.) The advantage here is that it's easier to add additional rows or edgings to this side of your work.


3. Work under the top strand and the back ridge.

This method is similar to the first one I listed in that the remaining, unworked loop of the chain shifts toward the front of your work as you work the first row. This is typically the method I use mostly because I like to have a little substance to where I work my stitches. It does however make working edgings or additional rows (or working on the opposite side of the chain) a little difficult because there's only one strand of the chain left.

There are a couple of other ways you could work into the chain. For example, you could work under both strands of the V. (I find this a little difficult to do especially if you make your chain stitches tight.) There is also a method of working your foundation chain AND the first row at the same time. (YouTube has a number of videos on how to do this. Here's one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A83tzk49DzI)