crafty storage idea for your tunisian crochet hooks.

Is it wrong to buy junk food just to have the cannisters? That is exactly what I did!!

I'm not normally a Pringle eating girl but my husband brought home a cannister of them not long ago and when they were all done I thought to myself that this would make a good...mmm...something...

I didn't know at the time what it would become but then one day it hit me.  I needed something to hold my tunisian crochet hooks.  Next camping trip I purchased more Pringles with my project in mind.

I purchased my papers at Michaels for $0.20/sheet and the Pringles only cost me $1.69/sleeve.  Not only cheap but quick as well.

Gather your papers and your Pringle cannisters.  If you are like me and can't wait for someone in the house to eat the Pringles, dump them into a bowl and set them out.  I guarantee they will get eaten.  Slice your papers at 10.1875" (or ten inches and three sixteenths).  You may want to double check that measurement before slicing.  It took me one go with the polka dot paper before I got it right. 

Tape one edge to the cannister, lining it up in between the two silver rims.  Roll the paper around the cannister, tape down and you are done!!

tara.

how to do the tunisian knit stitch.

I have recently been experimenting with Tunisian crochet. It is easy to do and I love the fabric that it can produce. I thought I would share some little hints and tips that I have learned along the way and found helpful.

Tunisian crochet starts out with a traditional chain. For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use a chain of 12. Also, I am only going to concentrate on doing the tunisian knit stitch as this is the stitch that I am so keen on right now.

A few notes before starting – with Tunisian crochet you don't turn your work. You are always working on the front of the work. One row is actually worked in two parts. The first pass is called the “forward”, and the second pass is called the “return”. There are sometimes different terms used depending on the designer. On the forward pass you are working from right to left and the loops are left on the hook. On the return pass you are working from left to right and the loops are removed from the hook.

Now let's tackle the foundation row.

Start by making a chain of 12. 

This is the first part of the row or the “forward” pass - In 2^nd chain from hook, insert your hook, yarn over and pull through a loop and leave the loop on your hook. Repeat this for each ch across to the end. (pic 1). Here it is just a few stitches done.

At the end, you should have as many loops on your hook as you had stitches in your beginning chain. Here we have 12 loops on the hook.

Now for the second part of the row or the “return” pass - Yarn over and pull through one loop only on the hook. This would be equivalent to your turning chain in regular crochet. Yarn over and pull through two loops on the hook and continue to yarn over and pull through two loops all the way to the end. You should now only have one loop remaining on your hook.

Now lets turn our attention to the tunisian knit stitch (Tks).

Row 2 (forward): Skip the first stitch as the loop on your hook will count as your first stitch.

In the second stitch, insert your hook from the front to the back through the two vertical bars and under the horizontal bar.

Yarn over and pull through a loop and leave the loop on the hook.

Repeat this for each stitch across to the end. See the below picture to see the placement of the the 12^th and final stitch. The hook should run behind these two vertical bars.

Row 2 (return): Yarn over and pull through one loop only on the hook. Yarn over and pull through two loops on the hook, continue to yarn over and pull through two loops all the way to the end.

Repeat both parts of Row 2 until you have the desired amount of rows. If you are like me and loose track of your count, look at the right-hand side of your work and count the stitches going up the side. This picture shows 3 rows worked.

Easy right?  And see what you can make knowing just this one tunisian crochet stitch??

Pattern will soon be released for sale. Stay tuned!

If you have any questions/comments about this tutorial or if you see any glaring errors, please feel free to leave me a comment or email me directly at knotsewcute@gmail.com. I appreciate any feedback.

Update: Click here to purchase the Drawstring Gift Bag.

tara.

how i lined the "touch of africa shoulder bag".

The perfectionist in me has been procrastinating this project for some time now as I tend to put off anything that I'm not 100% sure of.  Plus, I have always had a love/hate relationship with sewing. I love the finished results, but I hate the process. Finally, I decided that it was time to just get this project finished, so this may not be the best way to line a bag...it's just what I did.

After I had prewashed and ironed my material I folded it in half with right sides facing. I then laid the Touch of Africa Shoulder Bag out on the fabric and used it as a template. I lined the top center of the handle on the fold so that I would be cutting out both sides of the bag handle at once. I added a 1/2" to 5/8" seam allowance. More is better as it leaves room for error and you can always trim any excess material later. 

They say to measure twice and cut once, but as you can see from the photo I used a combination of following the tape measure as a guide and eyeballing it. 

This is what the strap looked like after I had cut it out. I used the same technique to cut out the body of the bag. I placed the bottom of the crocheted bag along the fold so that I was cutting out one long piece of fabric. Again, I added about a 1/2" to 5/8" seam allowance.

It's hard to tell from the picture, but I added a pocket. Nothing fussy. I simply cut out a rectangle about 5 1/2" x 10". I folded the sides and the bottom in about a 1/4". I folded the top of the pocket down a 1/4" twice and machine stitched in place. I laid the pocket onto the right side of the fabric and sewed an 1/8" seam around both sides and the bottom of the pocket. I also ran another seam down the middle so that the pocket was divided into two separate pockets.

Once the pocket was complete I folded the body of the bag in half, right sides facing, and machine basted the two side seams together. I then made sure that the lining fit nicely into the bag and that the top edges lined up. Once I was sure that everything lined up I machine sewed the two side seams.

I folded the long edges of the handle in about 1/2" and ironed in place. I laid the handle on the bag, right sides facing and matching the center of the handle up with the side seam on the bag.

I machine basted the handle in place and again checked to ensure that the lining would fit the bag. The wonderful thing is that the crocheted bag has alot of ease so I found I didn't have to make any adjustments. After double checking that everything fit I machine sewed the handle in place.

I folded the top edge of the bag lining down 1/2" and ironed in place.

With the bottom of the bag facing I folded both corners of bag towards the center leaving 6" between the two points. Lining the points up with the bottom center of the lining I tacked the corners into place.

With the wrong sides facing out I inserted the lining into the crocheted bag and pinned in place. I machined sewed around the edge and voila...the whole process took me about an hour and a half.

kim.

how to make felted wool dryer balls.

We were looking for a way to use up our ever growing collection of scrap wool, when we discovered wool dryer balls.  We had so much fun making them that we just had to share this great idea with you!

If you have never heard of wool dryer balls they are rapidly growing in popularity as an eco-friendly alternative to dryer sheets. They reduce static, they soften your cloths without the use of harsh chemicals and they cut down on drying time saving you money. You can also scent them by adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil.

You can purchase new 100% wool for felting, or you can use up your leftover scraps. The important thing is not to use a super wash or machine washable wool as this in theory will not felt. If you are worried about colour fastness in the laundry then you may want to stick to the light neutral colours.

Getting started

Start by winding your 100% wool for felting around your fingers.

Slide the yarn off of your fingers and wind in the other direction.

Fold the ball in half and keep winding. Don't worry about whether or not it is pretty.

If you are using scrap wool, when you reach the end of one colour just join the new colour with a slip knot and continue winding. We saved our largest yarn scraps for the outside so that our finished ball was one consistent colour.

When you have finished winding your yarn into a ball 10” in circumference, or about the size of a tennis ball, use a crochet hook to tuck your yarn end in.



To keep your yarn from unraveling in the washing maching you will want to place it in an old pair of nylons or the toe of a sock.

For added security you might want to knot a piece of cotton (non-felting) string around the sock. Wash with like colours in hot water in the washing machine. It may take a few washings to get the ball to felt. If you desire a fuzzier more uniform look you can remove the dryer ball from the sock (once you are sure that it is felted enough that it won't come apart)  and wash it on its own. Throwing it in the dryer will also speed up the felting process.

For added detail you can needle felt a design onto your felted dryer ball.

Simply divide your yarn into 3 seperate strands as shown.

Using 1 strand of yarn and a 38 gauge all-purpose felting needle lightly tack your design into place. If you are not satisfied with the results then simply pull the yarn off and start again. Don't be afraid to be creative. When you are happy with the design and its placement then stab the design evenly until it is firmly attached.

kim.

help with the hanging storage pouch crochet pattern.

If you have the Hanging Storage Pouch crochet pattern and you have questions as to where to place some of the stitches, perhaps these figure pictures will help.  Of course, feel free to contact us directly at knotsewcute@gmail.com or ask away in the comments section and we will do all we can to help.

Above is a picture of the pouch at the beginning of Round 2.  Completed already is the ch 1 (which will count as your first sc of the round) as well as the first FPdc (front post double crochet) of the round. The FPdc is worked around the beginning ch 2 of the previous round (purple).  You will then do a sc into the top of the next dc (red) and then a FPdc around the post of the same dc (yellow).  Because the FPdc lays on top of the work, it may slightly hide the next stitch.  Just gently pull your stitch on your hook to the right a bit so it uncovers the next stitch completely.

Also worth mentioning is how to do the FPdc in Round 3 and 4. Below is a picture of how to pick up the post of the FPdc of the previous round.  Notice that the hook is under the post but it is still on the front of the work.  It isn't worked right through to the back of the fabric.  This way of doing the FPdc will only be applicable in Round 3 and 4.

The below picture shows the pouch at the beginning of Round 4. Already complete is the ch 2 (which will count as your first BPdc of the round. You will now FPdc around the post of the first sc (orange) and then a BPdc around the post of the next sc (orange). Because you are dealing with such a small area, it will be a tight squeeze around these posts. It will be much easier on the remaining rounds.

We hope that you find these figure pictures helpful.  As mentioned earlier, don't hesitate to ask questions in the comments section or if you prefer you can email us directly at knotsewcute@gmail.com.

 

 

Update December 13, 2012:

If you are looking for the crochet pattern for the Hanging Storage Pouch you can find it on our blog at http://knotsewcute.blogspot.ca/2011/05/new-crochet-pattern-hanging-storage.html.

tara.

how to work in a spiral fashion in crochet.

In order to avoid a seam when you are working in the round sometimes a pattern will ask you to work in a spiral fashion. In this tutorial we will look at how to work in a spiral fashion in both single and double crochet.

When working in sc often at the end of round 1 you would join the round with a sl st, ch 1 and then you would continue on to round 2.

To work in a spiral fashion you do not join your work at the end of the round, but rather you work your first sc into the first stitch of the round. It's important to mark this stitch with a safety pin or a stitch marker.

This is what your work will look like at the end of round 2. Continue working in a spiral fashion moving your stitch marker up as you go.

To work in a spiral fashion in dc it might be better to start with a smaller stitch on the first round and then work your stitches in ascending order (sc, hdc, dc), but it is possible to start your first round in dc.

Work your first dc into the first st of the round. Again it is important to mark this first stitch.

This is what your work will look like at the end of round 2.

You can finish off your last round by creating a tapered end. To do this work your final stitches in a decending order. For example you could work the last 6 stitches as follows: 3 hdc, followed by 3 sc.

Finish off by working a sl st into the first stitch of the round.

kim.

how to work a post stitch in crochet.

A post stitch, also known as a raised or relief stitch, produces a beautiful richly textured fabric. A post stitch is made by working around the post or the stem of the stitch on the previous row. Trebles may be used when you need to span multiple rows. For this tutorial we will be looking at how to crochet both a front post double crochet (fpdc) and a back post double crochet (bpdc).

fpdc = YO, insert the hook from front to back around the post of the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops on hook) twice.

bpdc = YO, insert the hook from back to front around the post of the st indicated, YO and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), (YO and draw through 2 loops on hook) twice.

kim.

how to do a reverse single crochet stitch.

The reverse single crochet stitch, also known as the crab stitch, is an easy stitch to master yet despite its simplicity it makes a beautiful corded edge.

Reverse single crochet - With right side facing and working from left to right insert the crochet hook into the next st, YO and pull up a loop (2 loops on hook), YO and pull through both loops on hook.

If you are using the reverse single crochet as a border around a cushion or an afghan remember that you may need to add 2 or 3 stitches in each corner for your project to lie flat.

kim.