how to do a shallow single crochet.

I have struggled with this stitch for awhile.  It is a very easy stitch but I could never get it quite right.  I finally sat down with super chunky yarn and a huge hook to practice.  Working with the larger yarn and hook really helped!  I've got it figured out and so I thought I would share.

Here you are looking at the right side of your work. The last row worked was a row of single crochet.  Normally, you would place a single crochet under the horizontal 2 bars.

 

But with a shallow single crochet, you need to place your hook below the 2 horizontal bars AND between the 2 vertical bar as shown by the gray yarn.

Make sure that your hook goes through the 2 vertical bars on the wrong side of your work as well.
 

 
If you place your hook through these 2 vertical bars both in the front and back of your work, it will result in a completely reversible stitch that looks very similar to a knit stockinette stitch.

I love this stitch.  I have used it as the trim on my Textured Cowl and I have plans to use it again in a hat pattern.  Can't wait!

Would love to hear if you have tried this stitch yourself and what projects you created with it.  Or if this is your first time trying it, I would love to hear what you think or if you have any questions!  Have fun playing with your yarn and hook!!

tara.

can you felt items in a front loading washer?

I have found that items will felt in a front loading washer, but it may take a few washings. Remember that it is a combination of heat and friction that causes an item to felt, so throwing the item in the dryer will also speed up the felting process. Although these are the easiest methods for felting there are some downsides. The biggest being that with machine felting you don't have as much control over how much the item felts.

For example, I had one pair of slippers that I didn't love enough, and I just kept throwing them in the front loading washer. I probably washed them about 3 or 4 times and in between washing I didn't even so much as give them a second glance. Unfortunately, as you can see from the pictures, I found that they didn't felt evenly.

 

The machine scrunched up the fabric in such a way that wherever there was a fold, the fabric didn't felt completely.

In the end I was able to salvage the slippers by vigorously scrubbing them by hand, but tiny evidences of the wrinkles still showed.

 

Now, to eliminate this problem I will often do a combination of hand and machine felting. Also, because a front loading washer spins the fabric until it is almost dry I will always finish off with a quick hand felting. That way I am able to shape the item and allow it to dry naturally.

I would love t hear from others about their felting experiences.



Related Posts:

what is felting?
felting tutorial.
felting gone awry.
can you felt wool by boiling it?

kim.

how to crochet in the back or front loops only.

Normally, when you are crocheting you insert your crochet hook through both top loops as shown...

...but sometimes you will be directed to work into the front or the back loops only. It is important to follow these instructions as it will greatly change the look of your project.

To work in the front loop only you insert your hook through the front loop (as shown below), leaving the back loop unworked.

To work in the back loop only you insert your work through the back loop leaving the front loop unworked.

This technique will produce a ridge or a horizontal line across your work and it is often used to create a ribbed effect.

kim.

how to work into the back humps of your starting chain.

A crochet technique that I've recently learned and quickly fell in love with is to work into the back humps of the starting chain.

Normally, I was working into the front of the starting chain as shown.

To work into the back hump of the starting chain simply flip the chain over and insert your hook into the back hump.

Not only does this make for a nicer finish but it also makes it easier to see your stitches later on when you are adding an edging to your crochet project.

Also, if you want to make a nice even cord simply slip stitch into each back hump of your starting chain (starting with the second chain from the hook).

As you can see from the photo below this makes for a pretty symmetrical cord that is perfect for ties and bag handles.

kim.

more painted crochet...

A few weeks ago I featured a blog post called "this child of mine". The post was about Painted Crochet and I talked about the gorgeous hat that my daughter had made using this technique. Well, I loved the hat so much that I picked out my favorite colours and had her make one for me...years of diaper changes and sleepless nights paid off:) I absolutely love my hat and I wanted to share.

kim.

this child of mine.

I recently picked up a copy of Rita Weiss and Jean Lienhauser's latest crochet book, "Crochet Master Class", from our local library. This beautiful book features several different crochet techniques and the designers who have mastered them.

My oldest daughter was immediately fasinated and inspired by the chapter on Painted Crochet with Ferosa Harold. With Painted Crochet you are not actually painting, but rather it is a term used to describe gradual colour changes achieved by holding three strands of fine thread together. 

My daughter was anxious to try this technique out on a crochet hat pattern that I had bought for her. She started with 3 three strands of the dark blue as shown and when she was ready for the next colour she simply dropped one strand of the dark blue and picked up one strand of the lighter blue. She crocheted a row and then again dropped one strand of the dark blue and picked up one strand of the lighter blue. She continued this process until all three strands were the same lighter blue colour. She worked a total of four gradual colour changes and as you can see the result was stunning.

The hat was made using DMC^® Cotton Perle thread in size 8 and the pattern was created by Jennifer Hansen, who was also featured in the Crochet Master Class book for her work with Hairpin Lace. The pattern is called the " Baroque Toque" and may be purchased from Stitch Diva Studios. 

kim.

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.

how to make an adjustable ring in crochet.

The adjustable ring, also known as the magic ring or the yarn ring, is not a new technique but it is one that has recently grown in popularity as it produces a small, neat center hole.  This is an easy technique to learn and once you have tried it you may never want to go back to the using the chain method as your starting ring.  In this tutorial we will look at how to make both the adjustable and the double adjustable ring.

To begin, wrap the yarn around your finger to create a loop. Make sure that you leave at least a 4" tail.

Using your crochet hook, draw the yarn through the loop.

You should have one loop on the hook.

Slide the loop off of your finger and work the chain as directed. For the purpose of this tutorial we will be working in double crochet so the chain 3 will count as the first double crochet.

 

Crocheting over the tail, work the required number of double crochets into the ring.

 

When you have finished working the required number of stitches simply pull the yarn tail until the center of the hole is closed.

 

For a more secure closure try the double adjustable ring. To make a double adjustable ring wrap the yarn around your finger twice to create a loop.

Using your crochet hook, draw the yarn through both loops. Continue working through each of the steps in the same manner as you would if you were making the adjustable ring.

kim.