How to do Trinity Stitch

I was reviewing my instructions for crochet trinity stitch and thought it would be so much better if I could show it ... and then remembered that my (very) old compact camera has a video mode, so it has no audio but at least I can show what I am doing.

This is my first attempt at making a crochet video ... so sorry the quality isn't exactly brilliant.  Hopefully its good enough for you to see what is happening.

A trinity stitch is (oddly enough) made over 3 stitches.  It can be made over any number of odd stitches (+1 for your turning chain).   Start your work with the base chain as follows.

Using US Notation.

SC into the second CH from hook

Then working into this same chain, insert your hook and draw up a loop, keep the loop on your hook and work into the next 2 chains in the same manner, inserting your hook & drawing up a loop - you will have 4 loops on your hook when you finish.  You have worked into 1 previously worked chain and 2 new ones.  Then yarn over and draw through all 4 loops. 

Chain 1.

Then repeat this across your work until the last chain.  When you have worked your last trinity, do not chain this time, but work another SC into the last chain of the trinity.

The little video that follows shows how you continue to work.

The movie should be viewed in conjunction with these written instructions.   

On your second and subsequent rows you start with a turning chain. 

Then working into the last SC from the previous row work 1 SC 

Working into the SC just worked, insert hook and draw up a loop, insert your hook into the next stitch and draw up a loop, and again for the third stitch.  You now have 4 loops on your hook, yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.  (You worked into 1 previously worked stitch and 2 unworked stitches.)

CH1

Continue across the work in this manner, creating 1 trinity stitch followed by a CH until you get to the last trinity.

With the last trinity you will see that you have 2 unworked stitches to reach the end of your row plus the already worked last stitch of the previous trinity.  So working as before.

Insert the hook into the last worked stitch and draw up a loop, insert the hook into the next 2 stitches drawing up loops.  4 loops on your hook, yarn over and draw through all 4 loops.

This time do not make another chain, but work 1 SC into the last stitch of the last trinity.

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.

Aran crochet diamonds... lesson

My aran crochet shawl is progressing quite well now.  The first critical lession I have learned is that its a very visual process.  You really need to view the pattern and keep a close eye on where things are going, the pattern description can be complicated or indeed simply confusing.  But that can be easily overcome by watching the pattern progress.

The key stitch is a front post treble (FPTR) in combination with half treble (HTR) stitches.  The plain parts of the work are done using HTR and the cables and raised areas are achieved using FPTR's

The "back" rows are all done using HTR, therefore the raised stitches are worked into the last "Front",

The difference in the heights of the stitches (TR & HTR) keeps things level while the TR is worked into the row below.

The classic aran pattern of cables & diamonds is worked by altering the number of stitches before & after the FPTR sitiches, this pulls or pushes the raised rows into the right position.

In the pattern above there are raised rows either side of the diamond, this really helps to keep the pattern right.  These raised rows don't move so they can be used to visually ensure that the pattern is working out right.

To achieve the diamond shape, each front row the number of HTR's worked before making the FPTR is changed, starting with 3 HTR in this particular pattern.  The FPTR is always worked into the lower FPTR.

This means that when the V of the diamond is being worked you are actually skipping an HTR from the previous row & then working these skipped HTR's into the centre of the diamond.    Then the reverse is true for the ^ of the diamond.

As you can see its quite difficult to explain in words ... Much easier to visualise.

The patterns are worked over a consistent number of stitches, it is simply the number of HTR's that proceed & follow the FPTR stitches that are altered to create the diamond pattern.

In my pattern above the diamond is worked over 11 stitches.  I'm ignoring the bobble for the purposes of this explaination.

1. 3HTR, 2FPTR, 1HTR, 2FPTR, 3HTR ( 11 stitches)

2. 2HTR, 2FPTR, 3HTR, 2FPTR, 2HTR  - To achieve this, work the first 2 HTR, skip one HTR before the 2 FPTR, work the 2FPTR stitches,  then work into the HTR sits above the second FPTR, work the 1 HTR from the middle of the diamond, work the HTR  above the 3rd FPTR (creating the 3HTR for the middle of the diamond), then work the 3rd & 4th FPTR, skip 1 HTR and work the last 2 HTR stitches

3. 1HTR, 2FPTR, 5 HTR, 2FPTR, 1HTR (worked in the same manner as above)

4. 2HTR, 2FPTR, 3HTR, 2FPTR,  2HTR - to achieve this I work the 1 HTR, then 1 HTR into the HTR that sits above the 1st FPTR.  Work the 2FPTR. skip 1HTR, work the 3 middle HTR, skip 1HTR, work the second 2FPTR, work 1 HTR into the HTR above the 4th FPTR, work the last HTR

5 3HTR, 2FPTR, 1HTR, 2FPTR, 3HTR - in the same manner as above.

This may not be a classic way of working aran crochet, but it works for me.

Hairpin crochet/lace tutorial

Having had some success with the wire crochet yesterday, I thought I'd go for another technique today.

I already have a very small hairpin crochet loom, which really is too small to be of much use but its a start.  I've ordered myself a new loom this morning which is much bigger so hopefully I'll have the techniques mastered when it arrives.

Its a bit of a performance to do hairpin crochet, and quite a difficult process to explain.  Having said that, once you know the technique its really quick.

To do hairpin crochet you need, yarn, a hook & a hairpin crochet loom.  The loom is simply 2 pins held in position with end pieces.

Start off with a slipknot, in the same way that you would start any crochet chain.  The slipknot is passed over one of the pins and positioned centrally between the 2 pins

The yarn is draped over the second pin and taken behind the loom, tension is taken up with your non hook hand.  I am right handed so the loom & tension is held with my left hand.

To start the hairpin crochet, insert the hook through the loop made with the slip knot & grab the yarn.

Pull the yarn through & complete a chain.  This is the first stitch in your hairpin crochet.

How we need to work through the technique for continuing the crochet.  This involves flipping the hook & the loom.  The hook flips front to back and the loom side to side.

Firstly, flip the hook.  Take the hook and turn in so that it points downwards.

Now you are going to "flip" the hook through to the other side of the loom.

Completing the flip backwards means that the hook is completely at the back of the work.  As you look at the loom the hook is facing away from you and is the right way up.

Now we need to flip the loom.

Starting from the position above, with the hook at the back.  Turn the loom side to side so that B moves to position A.  Do this by flipping the loom so that B comes towards you & A away.

This means that the hook is now at the front of the work again, and the yarn wraps around pin A.

Now you have the hook & the loom in position to make your next stitch.

Pass the hook through the top most loop, and make a single crochet.

Continue like this, flipping & single crochet until the piece is as long as you need it.

Crochet Trinity stitch tutorial

I thought I'd give a quick tutorial on trinity stitch.  I'll be using UK notation, for US notation simply change the DC to SC :)

It is made over any odd number of stitches (+1 for the beginning chain)

Starting with a chain of even number. 

DC into the second chain from the hook,
DC3 together by inserting the hook into the same chain that the first DC is in, draw up a loop, insert the hook into the next chain & draw up a loop, insert the hook into the next chain & draw up a loop.  You now have 4 loops on your hook, having worked into 1 preworked chain & 2 new chains.  Yarn over and draw through all 4 loops on the hook.
Chain 1

Continue as such across the chain until you reach the end.  The last stitch on the chain will form the last loop of a trinity.  In this case do not chain following the trinity, but instead DC into this last stitch.

For the next row;

CH1, DC into the last DC of previous row. 
DC3 together by inserting the hook into the same DC just worked into & draw up a loop, insert the hook into the next stitch & draw up a loop, insert the next 1CH loop & draw up a loop.  You will have 4 loops on your hook, having worked into 1 preworked DC & 2 new stitches's.  Yarn over and draw through all 4 loops on the hook.
Chain 1

Continue as such across the chain until you reach the end.  The last DC will form the last loop of a trinity.  In this case do not chain following the trinity, but instead DC into this last DC.

Follow this pattern.