The 2015, 10th anniversary Puget Sound Local Yarn Shop Tour is May 13-17th 2015.
This is Perfectly Knotty's free pattern contribution:
Our featured yarn is Queensland Uluru. One of my personal favorites.
A
beautifully soft blend of Cotton, Acrylic and Polyester in colorways
that are too delicious to describe! These are the colors I currently have
in stock, and it comes in others too!
Both of these patterns are simple and basic, to allow stress free stitching that really showcases this amazing yarn!
The wonderful thing about stitching with a double crochet, is that you get amazing height with it! One row of double crochet is slightly taller than 2 rows of single crochet, depending on your yarn, hook, and personal tension.
The down side for me with double crochet, is that I do not like the gaps between the stitches for a lot of projects, unless I am making something lacy, or am intending to weave something through the spaces.
A couple of years ago I learned about connecting double crochets, and WOW ... What a difference it has made in several of my projects! You'll bee seeing it more in upcoming designs.
I am also NOT a fan of the long starting chain for afghans, but especially garments! It is too easy for it to get twisted, and is just isn't stretchy and flexible, so not comfortable at all around the edges of garments. I am a lace maker from the beginning of my crochet life ... often referred to as a "Threadie" which is where I learned to make foundation double crochet and foundation single crochet.
Over the years I have combined these techniques together and come up with some great techniques that really are game changers! I present for you here four video tutorials that I hope you find useful and helpful!
Be sure to share these, Pin them on Pintrest, and share them on Facebook and so forth! Let's make them viral! I hope that my tutorials take some of the challenge and mystery out of creating meaningful crochet work for Stitchers everywhere!
This is the Foundation Single Crochet.
Try out the Foundation Double Crochet:
Build on your basic skills by trying the Connected Double Crochet:
Now, put it all together ... DO NOT psych yourself out here!
Take a deep breath and watch this tutorial as many times as you need to to totally master the
Connected Foundation Double Crochet!
Growing and building your stitching skills also grows and builds your confidence and creativity!
Which is another amazing part of
I used the Hayfield DK w/Wool that I carry in my yarn shop, and it worked beautifully!
However, I did find that the way the original pattern is written to be confusing and frustrating, so I set about making it more clear and understandable. Beautiful patterns shouldn't be scary :)
The texture of the pattern is beautiful, and I can see myself making this pattern again, using my edited version of course.
Don't be afraid to play with patterns that others have written. Much like cooking recipes, they are wonderful starting points for more amazing creativity! I started the pattern again by making a flat, solid, circle with crochet thread that had the correct number of starting stitches. Worked the pattern as usual, only in thread ... and VIOLA ... an adorable draw-string pouch! It could be made deeper by working the rows that create the body one extra time
Exploring texture and technique leads to ...
Living Well,
Love SuziQue
This is not new, but it sure is fun! I started doing this science experiment when my kids were little, so almost 20 years ago. I had always been under the presumption that the science behind it goes like this ... Ivory soap is made with natural fats and minerals, including phosphorus. Fats are acids. Phosphorus effervesces when in contact with warm acid. The microwave heats the fats, and that causes the reaction. However I have recently read that this is not a chemical reaction after all. It is a physical reaction ... The whipped condition of the Ivory soap causes it to have air bubbles trapped inside. As the soap heats in the Microwave, it gets hot and causes the soap to get soft. The microwaves bouncing around in the oven excite the water and air molecules inside the soap cause them to move in opposite directions from each other and vaporize. The vaporization of these molecules causes the tiny air pockets or bubbles trapped inside the soap to rapidly expand. Since the soap has been heated and is in a soft state, the expanding air and water molecules can easily push it out into a new foam like substance. I'm not sure which rationale is correct, but I do know it's super fun and gets and smells out of the microwave!!
Check out my video and then try it yourself! I give some little tips on what to do with that fluffed up soap after you are done. Let me know what you discover!
Trying new things and experimenting with new experiences is
This Grami LOVES to make fun things for her grandchildren, so when my daughter-in-law hinted about a floppy bunny ear hat for my granddaughter I got busy!
This hat is stitched using a size H hook and Peter Pan Cupcake yarn; this is a
SUPER soft fluffy 50/50 acrylic/nylon yarn perfect for babies! The
50gram balls have about 90meters.
I used one full skein for the back of the ears and the body of the hat; a little bit of a second color for the inside of the ears and a
third color for edge joining the inside and outside ear sections and making the ribbing on the hat body edge.
I started first by making the ears. I did a lot of searching to find the right thing and finally happily settled on this one: Mama G's Bunny Ear Pattern. I made a total of 4 pieces. Two are pink, for the inside of the ear, and two are made from the hat body yarn.
After weaving in the ends, I aligned each pair of ear pieces, one inside and one outside wrong sides together and with the beginning knots at the same ends. Starting at the end where the beginning knots are and with the inside facing me, I began the third color yarn in the first stitch with a slip stitch working through the stitches on both pieces to join. Ch2, and dc down the row, inserting the hook in one loop on each ear piece.
To turn the corner at the tip of the ear, I identified the "tip" and one stitch on either side. I made 2 dc in each "either side" stitch, with a singular dc in the "tip" stitch. Dc back down the other side, and finish off, leaving a long tail to secure the ear to the hat later.
To make the hat body I followed my basic hat tutorial, and added 2 rounds of front post/back post dc to make the ribbing. To determine the diameter of the crown, measure the circumference of the
head and divide that number by 3.15 (pi). This will give an approximate
diameter.
If the crown will not lay flat for you here are a couple of TIPS:
1. For ruffling edges, you are getting too many stitches, or just too much length due to individual stitching style. Back out your rounds until it is laying flat, and stitch your increases in less frequent spaces.
2. For cupping, you are not getting enough stitches or length, again often do to personal technique. Simply back your rounds out until the crown lays flat again and add increases in a couple of additional locations.
Once the hat body was finished and ends woven in, I folded the attaching end of the ears in half, and used a couple of stitches to hold them in place. I used long pins to temporarily hold them in place on the hat until I had them evenly and pleasantly located. The I used the long ending tail to securely sew them to the hat body.
All in all the whole project could easily be done in an evening!
Please message me if you have any questions and I will do my best to make corrections, or answer your question!
Ear version #2!! After making Sara's hat, I got a customer request for another, but with BIGGER ears!
I made these ears single layer, but you could do them double layer so the inside and outside are different colors.
R1: 3FSC (foundation single crochet) Here is the video tutorial for FSC
R2: Ch2, turn. Sc in 2nd ch from hook, and in each sc across, then FSC
R3: Ch1, turn. Sc across the row.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until there are 9 sc.
Work straight until the entire piece measures 10 inches, or 2 inches short of your desired length.
Decrease by sc2tog at the beginning and end of each row until 3sc remain. Finish off.
Attach trim at the beginning of R1. Work counter clockwise making 1sc in each ends of row, around the end, and back down the other side, leaving the FSC un-worked.
Change colors as often as desired.
I folded a little dart in the FSC row, and with the folds facing forward, stitched to secure near the top of the hat.
Share your pictures!
Adorable babies in adorable hats is truly ...
Living Well!
Love,
Suzi~Q
