Crochet Instruction Guide 1

This will hopefully be the first in a sequence of instruction guides for some basic, and some not so basic, crochet stitches.

Firstly the apologies .... I'm not that proficient with my videoing yet, so sorry for disappearing out of frame occasionally, hopefully that doesn't detract too much.  Also, I'm still working up to narration - so I have subtitled :)

I use US terms for stitches, since I think they make more sense - even though I am from the UK!!

I start off with single crochet (known as double crochet in the UK), then half-double & double stitches.  I also show front post and back post crochet stitches - in this video they are double stitches.  Then to finish I have shown a popcorn stitch.

I hope this video is useful, feel free to comment on this video or request further stitch instruction.

New pattern - will need a stitch guide

I am finally getting round to putting together the pattern for my kindle cover ..

I have used some "aran" style crochet to make this. When I started to crochet I never knew that you could do this sort of thing with  hook - I thought aran was the preserve of knitters.

For my cover I use  a sort of roaming cable, that drifts back and to across the front ....

And a sort of vines & berries pattern on the back

I've started writing out the pattern, but without photographs of what I mean by a "front post double crochet worked in front of the previously  missed stitch" its going to be almost unintelligible !

I think that this is providing me with the perfect opportunity to create a proper stitch guide that I can add to all my patterns & also include here.

Hopefully next update will be to say the pattern is finished & I have a full (or at least the start of) my stitch guide.

Crocodile stitch

I ran out of yarn again, so I thought I'd make myself useful and show you how I am making the shawl and update progress.

I've captured a few stills from my video below to explain what I am doing - I'm not confident enough to speak on my videos yet ... I'm working up to that, you can just enjoy the birdsong and not have to listen to me droning on.

A crocodile stitch is created over two rows, a row of triangles (created by  DC, CH, DC in a single chain space) and then the second row creates the crocodile scales by working into these triangles.  The image below shows the triangles row.  To get to the overlapping scales look you skip one triangle and work into the next.

The stitches are worked around the posts of the DC stitches of the triangle.  Each half of the scale is 6 DC stitches.

Once the 6 DC are worked, then you need to work 6 more DC round the second DC of the triangle. 

I find that if I fold the rest of the work under so that I am just holding the stitch I am working around it is easier.

When you have done the second 6 DC you have created your crocodile stitch scale - ta da!

And here it is as a video, you get a great view of my chubby hands .... enjoy (I don't think Stephen Spielberg has anything to worry about)

This is how far I have got with my shawl so far ... I think another 10 or so rows should do it once I have spun up enough yarn.

Crochet coin purse with purse frame

This is a project that I have been planning to start for a while, I kept putting it off because I wasn't really sure where to start but then I decided - I'll just give it a go.

First off I purchased my frame, It's not the smallest frame so the end result is likely to be a bit of a cross between a small handbag and a large coin purse.

Then the next thing to do is to crochet the bottom.  I've chosen to use 100% cotton 4Ply yarn in green and  ecru and a 3mm hook.

I decided to create an ellipse for the bottom.  To crochet an ellipse just follow these simple rules. (I am using single crochet)

start with the chain length you need, the longer the more elliptical the shorter the more circular your finished crochet will be.

How to create a crochet ellipse:

1. On the foundation chain, 2SC into second CH from hook, SC in each chain to the last, 3SC in last CH
2. DO NOT TURN but continue to crochet into the back of the foundation chain, SC into each CH to end and 1 more SC into first CH. Then Join with a Slip Stitch.
3. Now you have the basis for your ellipse.  To continue simply increase by 3 on each end on every row.  This means you are increasing by 6SC every ellipse row.  The increases should be done visually to keep the curves even.  Remember your turning chains and to close every row with a slip stitch.
4. Try to not increase in the same stitch every row as this will tend to lead to curling.

For my purse I have created the ellipse so that it is as wide as the widest part of my purse frame.

The next stage is to create the sides of the purse.  To start this process I have done a single row where I crochet into the back loop only, then continue rows working into both loops until the purse is as long as I want it.

To explain further, When you look at an SC stitch from above it is a < shape, one half of the < is the front loop and the other half is the back loop.  The back loop is the one furthest away from you.

Have a look on the Craft and Yarn Council website for more details.  Figure 8 on the "Crochet Patterns - How to read" section shows the front and back loops in a diagram.



At this stage I need to start to decrease the width, so I am crocheting each side individually.  I am decreasing a single stitch at the end of each row.



When I have done both sides I will then sew the purse into the frame.  Fingers crossed it turns out OK.

Tatting ... Hummm

So I got my tatting kit this morning, it consists of 2 balls of tatting yarn, a shuttle & an instruction manual.

Well I thought that Crochet was hard to learn from a book !!  After quite a bit of creating useless knots and trying to figure out why my tatting looked upside down compared to the instructions I decided that I needed some extra tuition.

My mantra is "there is nothing you can't find on the internet" so I got out trusty old google and set about finding some how-to's for tatting.

YouTube - you are a Godsend!  I discovered that the instructions were not making "the flip" clear ... and this, as I know now. is what tatting is all about - no flip, no tat :)

This YouTube video is great for showing what is supposed to happen - this is what made it clear to me.

Now I have managed to create a wonderful chain of tatting - hardly the most exciting thing in the world but a huge leap forward from my knots of earlier.