The Art of Crochet

26 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by crystal in Crochet, General

Crochet is a wonderful way to make fabric for many different uses. It can be used to make blankets, clothes, lace, household items and even toys for children.

I first learned to crochet as a teenager when my mother enlisted my help to finish some baby blankets she was working on at the time. I didn’t do much of it for a while after that, until my cousin got pregnant with her first child and I made him a baby blanket. Since then, along with a few more baby blankets, I have made some full size blankets for family members. It was with crochet blankets that I first experienced the feeling of satisfaction when giving a gift that has been hand made with love.

After spending a lot of time knitting in the past few years I’ve recently become interested in crochet again. Mainly to make some Amigurumi toys for my infant son but for other projects as well. I’m also starting to appreciate crochet more fully for what you can do with it that you can’t do with knitting.

Crochet is like knitting in that it uses yarn and makes a fabric. That’s just about where the similarities end. . It uses one needle with a hook on the end instead of two straight needles. It makes a thicker fabric than knitting and uses more yarn. For me, crochet seems faster but I don’t know if this is generally true for everyone or only particular to me. Someone who has been knitting for twenty years and only crocheting for one may not agree. The most obvious difference is that with crochet, you only work with one stitch on your hook at a time while with knitting you have all the stitches for an entire row on the needles at once. This is the reason why some things are a lot easier with a crochet hook than knitting needles.

Overall, I like to crochet and I still turn to it when I want to do something a little different. It’s not any better or worse than knitting; it’s just different. They both have their own place in my heart. I can’t wait to learn more about crochet and expand my knowledge of this wonderful craft.

Short History of Crochet

 

The word crochet comes from a French word that actually means hook. Very appropriate for the craft, I think. As far as anyone can tell, crochet didn’t become popular in Europe until the early 1800’s. It may have existed before that in various countries but there isn’t really any definitive proof. It is theorized that crochet became popular when it did because if the invention of two things. The cotton gin revolutionized the picking of cotton while the Spinning Jenny did the same for the industrialization of spun fiber. By the early 1800’s cotton yarn was much more affordable than at any time in the past. Since crochet uses more yarn than other textiles, this was a very good thing for its advancement.

Women made a cottage industry of crochet in Ireland during the potato famine. Their work became known as Irish lace and became very popular. During more prosperous times, young women used crochet to make things for their hope chests. Among other things, they would make fancy lace trims to sew on to their household linens when they married. Crochet has seen its ups and downs in popularity over the years. One of the down turns was during World War II when women had to go to work in the factories and presumably didn’t have time for needle arts. However, crochet has been on the upswing in the past few years. Many people are enjoying being crafty and making things for themselves.

Where to Find More

 

Here are some places to find out more about crochet. They are also my sources for this post. The Wikipedia article on the Spinning Jenny also has some very interesting history of the textile industry. If you are interested in learning to crochet, I’ll be writing some tutorials especially for blind people. Until then, you can check out the Lion Brand link below.

Wikipedia Crochet Entry

Wikipedia Spinning Jenny Entry

History of Crochet

 Crochet Guild of America

Learn to Crochet from Lion Brand

Discovering Amigurumi

23 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by crystal in Colors, Crochet, General, Knitting

My 5-Month old baby has started holding on to and playing with his toys. It’s ever so precious and all I want to do is give him more things to look at and explore. Combine this with the continuous urge to buy more yarn (Don’t worry about how I told my husband yesterday that I shouldn’t buy anymore yarn until I used some; that’s yesterday.), the 20% off e-mail I received from Red Heart and my discovery of Amigurumi and you get me buying more yarn. What else could possibly result from crafty brainstorming? I mean, other than actual craftiness.

Amigurumi is a Japanese word that means to knit or crochet stuffed toys. These toys aren’t very big. I think the largest I’ve seen so far is 24 inches and that’s an anomaly. Most of them have been about 7 or 8 inches tall. They don’t take much yarn and you can use them to get rid of leftover yarn that’s just lying around. You also don’t need to use expensive yarn. I’m planning to use Red Heart Super Saver because of the price and the number of colors available. Not to mention the 20% off sale. I think I can do an order of about a dozen different colors and I’ll have enough to make at least twice that many toys. I’ll probably never need to buy more yarn for Amigurumi projects but who knows.

Amigurumi can be knit or crochet but they are usually crocheted. There construction is a little different in that you don’t turn your work. You just keep working in a spiral. Add some eyes and some stuffing and you have a cute little toy. A lot of Amigurumi is made for looks but I like the practical application of making them as toys. Also, I’ve learned that you can use black yarn for the eyes instead of buttons to make them safer for that toddler and younger age group.

Here are some toys I’m thinking of crocheting.

Learn Your Colors Fish Counting Toy

Adorable Aliens

Amigurumi Dinosaur

Other Amigurumi Links:

Crochet Pattern Central’s Amigurumi Page

Knitting pattern Central’s Amigurumi Page

Wikipedia Amigurumi

Red Heart Super Saver yarn

Knitting Pattern Central

16 Mar 2011 4 Comments

by crystal in Crochet, General, Knitting, Technocrafting

I’m very excited to share with everyone that my Be Mine Hat pattern has been listed on Knitting Pattern Central.

Now, honestly, this isn’t a very big accomplishment in the grander scheme of things. The only requirements for listing your pattern are that it be free and have a picture. But, as an amateur pattern designer, I think it’s awesome.

All I had to do was fill out the contact form. I included links for the blog post and the PDF download. She chose to list the blog link which is actually better than just the download.

Knitting Pattern Central is a great website. The owner has compiled a lot, probably thousands, of free patterns. They are all organized by type. You’ll find mine under “Hats”. If you haven’t ever checked it out, please do. The website I mean, not my pattern, but you can check that out too. There is also Crochet Pattern Central for crocheters so don’t worry if you don’t knit.

Hopefully, I’ll share more patterns soon and, if you’ve written your own pattern, spruce it up and share it with the world.

All About The Kitchener Stitch

15 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by crystal in Knitting, Tutorials

the Kitchener stitch was supposedly made popular during WWII by Lord Kitchener of England. He was looking for a better way to graft the toes of socks for his soldiers (they kept getting holes in them) so he promoted the Red Cross knitting program which included a pattern for socks with grafted toes. All though this is a very nice story, you should know there isn’t really any proof that this is where the name comes from. Regardless of the history of the Kitchener stitch, it has become a standard way to seam two knitted pieces of fabric.

For myself, I’ve found the Kitchener stitch to be a great way to seam. I’ve mostly used it for the toes of socks but it can also be used to close the bottom of a bag or the top of a hat. You do not want to use this seam anywhere you want extra stability in the fabric such as shoulders. Yu should still use something like a three needle bind off for these. This seaming technique uses two rows of live stitches and creates a seamless join also known as grafting.

A lot of people get really nervous when it comes to the Kitchener stitch. You shouldn’t be. It has simple steps and can be easily mastered with a little practice. Before you know it, you’ll be able to Kitchener without looking at the directions. Have a little faith and try it the next time you want a seamless join.

Grafting Stockinette Fabric with Kitchener Stitch

 

You can practice by knitting two stockinette swatches and stopping before you bind off. Leave the swatches on the needles and hold the two swatches together with the purl sides facing each other. You will be adding another row of knit stitches with the tapestry needle to join the fabric seamlessly.

Anytime you want to Kitchener, you will need to start with two rows of live stitches. For simplicities sake, each row must have the same number of stitches. The purl sides of the work should be facing the inside. Your yarn should be coming from the last stitch on the right of the back needle and be at least 3 times longer than the seam you are about to graft. You will work all the stitches from right to left. Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle and you’re ready to begin.

Now, the set up involves two steps. You will only do each of these once.

  1. Run your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl and pull the yarn through.
  2. Run your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit and pull the yarn through.

 

Now, you can get down to business. You will repeat these four steps until all the stitches are grafted.

  1. Put your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front as if to knit and slide the stitch from the knitting needle to the tapestry needle. Do not pull the yarn through.
  2. Run your tapestry needle into the next stitch on the front as if to purl and pull the yarn through. Do not slide the stitch off the needle.
  3. Put your tapestry needle into the first stitch on the back needle as if to purl and slip the stitch from the knitting needle to the tapestry needle. Do not pull the yarn through.
  4. Run your tapestry needle through the next stitch on the back needle as if to knit and pull the yarn through. Do not slip the stitch off the knitting needle.

 

It helps to chant knit purl, purl knit as you go to help keep track of where you are. ‘With a little practice, Kitchener stitch becomes second nature. Try not to make your stitches too tight or too loose. You want your finished tension to match the tension of your work. Just like everything else, this gets easier with time and practice.

Grafting Garter Fabric with Kitchener Stitch

 

You can also graft garter fabric seamlessly with the Kitchener stitch. If you have been working garter in the round, you need to end with a knit row. Your last row of purl bumps need to be facing each other. If you hold the needles as if you are about to Kitchener, the last row of bumps will be behind the front needle and in front of the back needle so they will touch when held together.

The basic preparation is the same as for grafting stockinette. You need the same number of stitches on each needle and a tail of yarn three times longer than the seam coming from the back needle on the right. When working the Kitchener stitch for garter fabric you will be creating a row of purl stitches that will become the last garter ridge needed to join the fabric seamlessly.

Your set up steps will be a little different. Do each of these only once.

  1. Run your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl and pull the yarn through.
  2. Run your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back needle as if to purl and pull the yarn through.

 

There will only be two actual steps to repeat to Kitchener garter fabric but here are all 4 steps written out. You are repeating the same two steps on each needle.

  1. Put your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the front as if to knit and slide the stitch from the knitting needle to the tapestry needle.
  2. Run your tapestry needle into the next stitch on the front as if to purl and pull the yarn through. Do not slide the stitch off the needle.
  3. Put your tapestry needle through the first stitch on the back as if to knit and slide the stitch from the knitting needle to the tapestry needle.
  4. Run your tapestry needle into the next stitch on the back as if to purl and pull the yarn through. Do not slide the stitch off the needle.

 

For this the chant would be knit purl, knit purl.

Good luck using the Kitchener stitch. If you’re nervous, be sure to practice before trying it on your finished work. You’ll be making seamless joins in no time.

Review: APH Score Card as Row Counter

10 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by crystal in Crochet, Handy Accessories, Knitting, Reviews, Row Counting

Many blind and low-vision knitters have a problem finding a good way to keep track of what row they are on.  One device I’ve found useful to count rows is the score card from APH.

These score cards are about 3” by 10” and very thin so they will go into most project bags easily. There are two rows of ten buttons each that can be used to count up to 110. I use the top row for tens and the bottom row for ones. The cards are made of thin plastic with a cardboard backing. They can be bent if you, for example, sit on one. However, they are very brightly colored so they would be easy for a low-vision person to see.

As for durability, I would say that, with care, they would last for a very long time. Now, if you compulsively press and un-press the buttons while talking on the phone, the plastic will break down and you’ll have holes where your buttons should be.

I like using one of these as a row counter. They are easy to lay on the table or couch and mark each row with just the press of a button. This can be done one handed so there is minimal interruption to your knitting or crocheting.

I would recommend these to anyone looking for a convenient way to count rows without a lot of hassle. You can find these score cards at APH and they are two for $15.

APH Score Cards

For other row counting ideas see Ana’s post, Asking Stitchers and Counting Rows

Ravelry Tutorial: Joining A Group

06 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by crystal in Crochet, Knitting, Technocrafting, Tutorials

Ravelry has a very large network of online groups and forums. There are groups for everything you can imagine. I’m in a group for people who like the Wheel Of Time fantasy series and another for people who hate charts. There is also a group for blind and low vision knitters. I don’t post to the groups very often but they can be very helpful.

Finding And Joining A Group

 

  1. Go to Ravelry and log in if you aren’t already.
  2. Go to the top of the page and arrow down to find the “Groups” link.
  3. This page will list the groups you are in. You can search for a group as well as browse. Searching will probably be faster. The search field can be found under the “Search Groups” heading. It’s also the only form field on the page so you can easily find it with your screen reader’s find next form field command.
  4. Let’s search for the group for blind and low vision knitters. Type “Blind” in the search box and press enter.
  5. Use your screen reader’s find next text command to find the words Search Results for blind”. Then arrow down to view your search results. I got 13 results in my search including one very funny one at the end of the list. The biggest group for blind knitters is called “Blind Webs”, and it is the first result.
  6. Press enter on the group you want to join or learn more about.

 

This will take you to the group’s main page and you can explore to find out more about the group. There is a search edit box after the fresh discussion threads if you want to search the groups or forums.

The quickest way to find the “Join This Group” link is to use your screen reader’s links list. You can also find it a few links down from the search edit box.

Posting To A Group

 

On the individual group pages there will be a heading called “Fresh Discussion Threads”. Below this heading you will find a link to post a new topic as well as a link to subscribe to the group. This subscribe link takes you to the RSS feed and, if you want, you can get a message when there is a new topic in the group.

Below these links there is a table with the latest discussion threads. Press enter on any of the titles and it will take you to the thread. You can also subscribe to the individual threads from their specific pages.

To post to the thread just press enter on the reply link after any post to answer that comment specifically or use the “Reply To Thread” link at the bottom of the page for a more general response.

To quickly get to a list of your groups just press enter on the “Groups” link at the top of the page. The first heading will tell how many groups you are in; just arrow down to read the list. Have fun checking out all the different groups in Ravelry. There’s one for just about everything and if you can’t find the group you want, you can start one.

Thanks Honey!

02 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by crystal in General, Handy Accessories

The other day I was feeding the baby when my husband, Brian, came in and asked, “Do you still have that pattern?” I have no idea what he’s talking about, of course. At first I thought he wanted me to make him something but it turned out to be the other way around. He wanted the woodworking plans for a tabletop yarn swift. I’m thinking it’s been years since I asked for one but I’m not about to say anything now. Come to think of it, I have been mentioning lately that I have a lot of skeins of yarn waiting to be spun up. I’m sure Brian is picturing having to hold the skeins of yarn with his arms straight out while I spin endless balls of yarn with my ball winder.

So we dig up the plans and he goes to the hardware store. The materials cost under $5. Basically some wood, a bolt and a wing nut. The swift consists of two main pieces with a small block of wood in between so it will spin easier. The top piece is a large cross with peg holes drilled in the arms. There are dowel rods that you move to keep the skein of yarn snug.

We tested it this evening. With the addition of a couple washers and some waxing to reduce friction, it works wonderfully. I don’t know if it works as well as a commercial yarn swift but I’m sure the difference, if any, isn’t much.

Here’s the pattern he used. He did make a few changes but they are all minor.

So Easy Portable Tabletop Yarn Swift

Ravelry Tutorial: Searching For A Pattern

23 Feb 2011 1 Comment

by crystal in Crochet, Knitting, Technocrafting, Tutorials

Ravelry is a great place to search for patterns. The most helpful part is selecting different search parameters. In this tutorial we’ll go through a sample search. We’ll search for a sweater pattern that uses worsted weight yarn, uses between 900 and 1200 yards, is for a child aged 4 to 12 and is available for free.

  1. Go to Ravelry and log in if you aren’t already.
  2. Go to the top of the page and arrow down to find the “Patterns” link. Press enter.
  3. This will take you to the pattern search page. You can also browse for patterns but today we’re going to search. Type “sweater” in the search field and press enter.
  4. This will bring up your preliminary results. Navigate to the first heading. It will read “Search.” Now use your screen reader’s find next text command once. It should land on the number of search results. I got 22,884 so we definitely need to narrow it down a little.
  5. Arrow down until you find the drop box with the words “Jump to filter.” Below this box is a list of all the different search options. They are all the same as what is listed in the drop box. When you select a filter from the drop box it will move that set of options to the top of the list. You will have to go back to the drop box each time you need to select another filter because when you press enter or tab out of the box your cursor moves to the bottom of the filter you chose. The drop box will be the first form field from the top of the page so it’s not hard to find.
  6.  Select “Weight” from the drop box and press tab to exit the box. You can arrow up through the choices or go back to the drop box and arrow down to get them in the right order. Either way, press enter on “Worsted 10-Ply”. The numbers after the choices tell how many matching patterns Ravelry has for this filter.
  7. Now select “Yardage” from the drop down box. If you have any trouble finding where you are after you tab out of the box, just remember that the drop box is the first form field from the top of the page, and the filter you just chose is immediately after it. Now press enter on “900-1200 yards”.
  8. Go back to the drop box and Select “Gender/Age/Size/Fit”. This filter requires you to select a sub-filter before you can make your choice. Press enter on “Age or Size”. Then press enter on “Child (4–12)”. You can press escape to close the sub-filter options if you are going to be arrowing around a lot but it’s not necessary.
  9. Now find the drop box for the last time and select “Availability”. Either arrow up to find “Free” or go back to the drop box and arrow down. Press enter on “Free”.
  10. Now that your search has been narrowed down you can get your results. After selecting the last filter, your cursor should be at the top of the search results. If you arrow down, you will find a list of the filters you chose followed by your search results. If you get lost on the page go to the top and use your screen reader’s find next text command to find the words “Search Results for Sweater” and arrow down from there.

 

Keep in mind that you can select as many or as few search parameters as you like. Also, pressing enter on the pattern name will take you to the Ravelry pattern page. This page has a lot of information about the pattern that can include yardage, available sizes. Gauge and suggested yarn. You will also find a link to the pattern source.

After the pattern details you will find the following links: Cast On, Add to Faves, To Queue. Selecting “Cast On” Will add this pattern as a new project in your notebook. Select this if you want to start the project right away. “Add to Faves” adds this pattern to a list of things you like. “To Queue” adds the pattern to a list of patterns you want to do in the future.

Have fun looking through the patterns. I’ll be back soon with another Ravelry tutorial.

You Do What You Do

17 Feb 2011 2 Comments

by crystal in Crochet, General, Knitting

I love making baby blankets. It’s really gratifying to give a handmade blanket to an expectant or new mother when you know she really appreciates the time you put into it.

Recently, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for two new baby blankets. One is for a friend in Charlotte. This one isn’t too hard; I’m just waiting to find out if it’s a boy or a girl. I have a couple patterns picked out to choose from as soon as I know.

The second one is for my closest cousin who is having a girl this summer. I crocheted a Blanket for her first born 8 years ago. He used his blanket so well that it was eventually full of holes. She patched it for a while but soon it was a hopeless mess. The same thing happened to the blanket I made for her daughter 3 years ago. Now, in hindsight it occurs to me that maybe I shouldn’t have used the exact same yarn and basically the same pattern if I wanted the second one to last longer. One of my favorite sayings is, “You do what you do, and you get what you get.” Basically, you can always expect the same results from the same actions.

This time, I’m trying to be a little smarter about it. I still want to crochet the blanket for the sake of continuity and it can’t take too long to make. I have my own new baby and not as much time these days. I think I’ll double strand the yarn and make the gauge a little tighter. I’ll also give my cousin some special washing instructions.

I spent some time looking for a pattern that might fit all these criteria and it really just takes too long sometimes. I decided it would be much more interesting and fun to make up my own pattern. I have the basic idea in my head already so I’ll probably get started tonight.

I’ll keep track as I go and share the pattern after I give the blanket to my cousin. Maybe this one will last longer but if it doesn’t, that’s ok too. At least I know it will be loved and appreciated.

Ravelry Tutorial: Adding A Project

16 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by crystal in Crochet, Knitting, Technocrafting, Tutorials

One of my favorite Ravelry features is the project page. You can add a project and include details that might be needed later. What size needles did I use on that pair of socks that fit so well? Which pair of needle tips was I using on that sweater before I took them for something else? Which yarn did I use to make that cuddly baby blanket? If you keep track of your projects with Ravelry, all these questions and more can be answered easily.

You can also view other people’s projects on Ravelry. If someone else has made the same sweater you are working on, you can see what they did and read their notes about the project. This can be helpful if you run across a tricky spot or something doesn’t seem quite right. I usually glance through the completed projects before I start something new to see if there are any common problems to watch for.

In this post, I’ll explain how to add a project and share a few tips for adding the details for your project.

Adding A Project

 

1-      Go to Ravelry and log in if you’re not already.

2-      Go to the top of the page and arrow down until you find the link that says, “My Notebook” and press enter.

3-      Use your screen reader to find the link that says ”Add Project” and press enter. You can use the links list or spend some time exploring to find the link. It will be in the list of things under the first heading.

4-      The first page that comes up allows you to name your project and link to Ravelry’s pattern database. First, type the project name into the form field. This can be whatever you want it to be. You will also be able to change it later if you want.

5-      Now select the specific craft for this project.

6-      Check the box before the source for your pattern.

7-      In the next form field, type the name of the pattern you used. Try to make it as close to the actual pattern name as possible. Ravelry is going to do a search so you can link to the pattern in their database.

8-      Type the name of the pattern source in the last form field. You can leave this blank if you want but it will help to find the pattern if it has a generic name.

9-      Press the continue button.

10-   Now you will be on the pattern search page. The name of the pattern you typed on the last page will be automatically filled in the search box. Arrow down past the search button and you will find the list of patterns that have already been pulled up. Click on the link after the correct pattern that says “Choose This Pattern.” If it doesn’t show up right away you can change the text in the search box to try again.

Adding Project Details

 

Once you’ve linked to the pattern in Ravelry’s database you will be on your project page. On this page you can add as many or as few details as you would like. The form fields are self-explanatory. The only part I’ve found inaccessible lately is where you enter the needle size. When I click on “Add Needle” nothing happens. The same thing happens when I click on the “Add Yarn” link but if I save changes and come back to edit details, the form fields for the yarn details show up so don’t click on these more than once unless you want to add more than one yarn. The “Add Needle” link used to work the same way but something has changed. I’ll contact Ravelry to try to get something done about it and I’ll update this post if anything changes. In the meantime, I just make a note of the needle size in the notes section.

You can also link to Ravelry’s yarn database the same way you linked to the pattern database. Enter the name of the yarn in the yarn form field and tab to the next link and press enter. Then click on the name of the yarn you want to link to. This will automatically fill in the details for the yarn. You can add additional information like the color way, how many skeins you used and purchasing details.

One last note is about finding the drop boxes to fill in the start and finish dates for your project. These drop boxes are found after the “Save Changes” button so arrow down to add these details. Also remember that you can leave anything you don’t want to fill out blank.

Ravelry is a very large website so please don’t get discouraged if you have trouble finding what you want at first. Spend some time looking around to learn what there is on each page. I could explain exactly what is on every page but we would be here all day and it would take all the adventure out of it. Have fun exploring and I’ll be back soon with more posts to help.

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