about crochet

practice crochet stitches to make a garland and more

Tue, 08 May 2012 02:49:18 -0700

on request i made a tutorial for a project that is not very complicated, so it is suitable for beginning crocheters and anyone who likes to join. i assume that you can make all the basic crochet stitches and the magic loop, but practice makes perfect, right :)

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this tutorial is intended to practice and based on that to make cute little things.

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during this project, you practice the following:

the magic loop
threads neatly weaving in

stitches (terms in american english):
- chain = ch
- slip stitch = ss
- single crochet = sc
- half double crochet = h dc
- double crochet = dc
- treble = tr

you will make:
- triangles
- squares
- heart-shaped motifs
- an edge

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used materials

for crocheting these motifs, i used an average cotton yarn and a crochet hook size 3 mm, but you can use another type of yarn.

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let's start with the first triangle

See the full gallery on Posterous

> see for a great tutorial how to finish your crochet work neatly: seamless + symmetrical ..

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make as many triangles as you want, i have made a total of 24

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the making of the garland

for the garland you just have to crochet a lot of chains. i counted all the chains at the beginning and end of the garland and between the triangles. if you do not like to count, just use a measuring tape.

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in this tutorial there are two ways to attach the triangles.

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method 1.

you make slip stitches or single crochets along one side of the triangles, in the back loops only. see photo.

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methode 2.

i find it more fun when the motifs dangle. for this i made a single crochet in the middle dc of a corner. see photo.

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and in this way you can turn your little triangles with many chains into a nice garland.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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small variations

1. sharper corners
if you want to have your triangles sharper corners, you can replace the middle of the five dcs by a treble. how to make the edge, i'll tell you later in this tutorial.

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2. heart-shaped motif
of these triangles you can quite easily make a heart-shaped motif.

see note ***

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triangle to square

this triangle you change in an instant to a square.

See the full gallery on Posterous

see note ***.....

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making the edge

see note ***......

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note ***
= you can make a ss but it is better to cut the yarn and weave in the ends the same as explained in the making of the first triangle. see the tutorial of sarah london: seamless + symmetrical

larger

both triangles and squares you can make larger by repeating row two. you start row 3 and all subsequent rows the same as row two, you just make - the bigger your motif gets - each time more stitches between the corners.
you make a corner by crocheting 5 dc into the middle of the 5 dc of a corner of the previous row.

blocking
if you crochet larger squares and triangles, they can be a bit bumpy. how to bring them beautiful into shape, you'll read in this spray-blocking tutorial.

this is the end of the tutorial. hope you like it! see you next time!

keep crocheting!

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a sign of life

Sun, 06 May 2012 04:29:00 -0700

how are you doing?

i'm doing pretty good, with the usual ups and downs.

to those who have written kind and encouraging words, messages, mails and more: thank you, thank you! it has really done me very well!

i have not taken a final decision on whether or not i continue doing blogging, but it must be said .... i tend more towards yes. the problem lies mainly in the fact that i myself impose/force too much and thereby the writing and taking pictures for my blog feels like something i have to do instead like something that i love to do. i must stop this behavior.

frankly, i'm already working on making a tutorial for not so experienced crocheters because there were some requests for a 'not so complicated' project. a tutorial is in the making.

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in the spotlight

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jeannette

for all her support i would like to put jeannette in the spotlight. she and her husband are dutch but they live in ireland. if you love to see their impressions of the country in words and pictures, their website is certainly worth a visit: dutchyonwalkabout.

and if you like i'm crazy about crocheting, jeannette's pinterest boards together form an encyclopedia. also certainly worth a visit! pinterest.com/jeannette

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pearl of the beading gem's journal

a while back i got a few emails from people who wanted to publish my work on their website. after one or two mails i usually hear nothing about it anymore, but pearl of beadinggem.com mailed me this week:

“Hi Elisabeth,

As promised, here is the link to my blog post which featured your awesome tutorial!

http://www.beadinggem.com/2012/05/more-great-yarn-crochet-bracelet.html

Many thanks,

Pearl”

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many thanks again to you pearl!

if you next to crochet also love making jewelry, beadinggem is loaded, so there can be found something to your liking.

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direct link to: tutorial-flower-bracelet-necklace

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this is it for now, i'm back soon. wishing you a fantastic week!

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shall i stay or shall i go?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:26:00 -0700

hello everyone!

for a while i think about to stop blogging. i started this blog when i could no longer work and i still wanted a sort of task. it was until a month or two ago super fun to do, but then i found that writing about crochet was only a bit of a commitment and i had and have the feeling that i was/am not doing it very well.

posterous was then taken over by twitter and that's very good news for these parties, but not for the bloggers because this platform in this form will cease to exist. on the advice of a friend i would switch to wordpress, but … i opted for posterous because it is so incredibly easy to work with. i love posterous and what will entail working with wordpress?

last week i saw on a blog i regularly visit similar reflections. there are so many blogs about crochet, why should i continue? do i add something nice, handy, useful, inspirational? i love to crochet but do i love to write about it? do you like to read about all these stitches i make?

now my brother has left our world this week everything feels a bit heavier, so maybe i wait with taking a decision. will i continue blogging or not and will i switch to wordpress or do i wait until posterous comes with news about this blogging platform?

i am of course busy crocheting: the large purple pouf, the yellow bag, two other bags, the summer blanket is waiting for me and so there are more half-finished projects. i'll keep you informed.

wish you a very nice weekend!

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tutorial for the gerry flower

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:24:37 -0700

to decorate my cushion cover, i created this little flower. it is named after my brother and i hope you will crochet many of them. it's not hard to do, so good luck!

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crocheting rounds tutorial

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:29:00 -0700

tutorial working in rounds - part 2

intro
the purple pouf description
the yellow pillow description
the gerry flower
see also part 1 of the tutorial

intro
this method (i do not pretend that i have invented it) i have tested with thicker and thinner yarn and both types of yarn create a flat circle. if you're working with a more thicker yarn then your work - i think - will remains flat too, but if not so, start the circle with 6 half double crochets instead of 8.

the circle can be used for making a rug, a bag or basket or like i do for a pouf and a large floor cushion.

this is not a pattern, but more an attempt to explain how i work when i crochet in circles.

the pouf

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used stitches (american english)

ch = chain
ss = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
h dc = half double crochet

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used materials

drops cotton light
60% cotton - 40% acrylic
50 g = approx 110 m
crochet hook size 4 mm

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colors and amount

lightest color - 6 balls
second color - 3
third color - 3
dark blue - 3
black - 3

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how to start

make 2 chain
make 8 h dc in second chain from hook
tighten loop
close row with a ss in the first h dc
make 1 chain

work the next rows as follows

first row - 8 stitches
second row - 16
third row - 24 - 1 stitch between the groups of two stitches
fourth row - 32 - 2 stitches between the groups of two stitches
fifth row - 40 - 3 stitches between the groups of two stitches
sixth row - 48 - 4 stitches between the groups of two stitches
and further
the first place you increase is into the first half double crochet of each a row by making 2 h dc in 1 h dc
the other places where you increase are always the first stitches of the groups of two of the previous rows (see also part 1)
end each row with a slip stitch in the first half double crochet
then make a chain
start the next row by crocheting 2 half double crochets into the same stitch in which you have made the slip stitch
forget the chain
end your work with a couple of rows without increase.
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in close up the joining will look like this

See the full gallery on Posterous

colors and number of stitches of the pouf

for the first part crochet 35 rows in the first color, the last row of this shade has 33 stitches between the groups of 2
second part in the second color: 7 rows, the last row of this shade has 40 stitches between the groups of 2
third part in the third color: 7 rows, the last row of this shade has 47 stitches between the groups of 2
fourth color: don't increase but crochet three rows one stitch in each stitch of the previous row,
than 1 row decrease, which is done by crocheting two h dc together on the place where you would actually increase (if you had continued to increase the last 3 rows) and 1 extra stitch back - see photo

> this row creates the bend to the side of the pouf
after this row crochet 3 other rows with one stitch in each stitch
fifth color: 7 rows one stitch in each stitch of the previous row
make the other side of the pouf in the same manner
my pouf has a diameter of about 72 cm and is about 14 cm high.

filling and buttons

the two parts of the pouf i finished. what i have to do next is crochet the two parts together, make a part with buttonholes and sewing on the buttons. i ordered bean bag filling (polystyrene) and after sewing an inner cushion, i can fill it and put it into the pouf. that is what i am working on.

the result i post another time.

yellow floor cushion

used materials
for the large yellow floor cushion i have used regular and mercerized cotton from my stash. both yarns are suitable for hook size 2.5 to 3.5 mm, i used hook size 4 mm. as a result, the cover is quite stretchable.
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size
if you like to make a similar pillow, just follow the same method of making rows and increasing until the cushion has the size you like. i did 47 rows, but this time i did not crochet rows without increase or rows in which i have decreased the number of stitches. the cushion cover has a diameter of about 67 cm.

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attaching
with the wrongs sides facing each other, i have both parts crocheted together with a row of half double crochets, but i have left a space large enough for a pillow to put through. along one edge of the opening i also made a row of half double crochets.

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button holes

See the full gallery on Posterous

on the other side of the opening i made button holes by alternating half double crochets with chains and skipping two stitches. this you need to divide equally.

i started with 2 h dc, *2 ch, skip 2 stitches, 4 h dc* repeat between * * and ended with 2 h dc.

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edge

then i crocheted along all edges of the cover alternate 1 ch, 1 ss in every stitch and then tied off. and i have sewn the buttons on.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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stuffing

first i wanted to fill the cushion with the stuffing of a spare pillow that i had in the closet and to make a lining, but i finally decided to buy a ready made one. because of the model my floor cushion has therefore more the shape of a pouf. i do not know whether i love it. another possibility to fill the floor cushion is cutting circles out of an old duvet. time will tell.

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the gerry flower

See the full gallery on Posterous

the cushion cover i have embellished with a few gerry flowers. the tutorial for these flowers you will find in a separate post very soon.

UPDATE: click on this link for the gerry flower tutorial!

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my floor cushion is ready!

for more info about crocheting rounds/circles: see also part 1 of the tutorial

See the full gallery on Posterous

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crocheting rounds

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 05:03:00 -0700

hello and welcome back!

you have asked me questions about crocheting in circles, how i created that beautiful swirl, how my work remains flat, how i change colors when crocheting something round and more....

although i'm not sure i can add something to all the wonderful tutorials on these subjects already available on the internet, i'm going to try.... in my own way.

all in all it's become a long story, so i post it in two parts.

tutorial part 1

this is part one

intro
increase: how and where
changing colors: methods

UPDATE!

part 2 of the tutorial is ready too

intro
the pouf description
the yellow pillow description
the gerry flower

intro
crocheting in rounds shows to be intriguing for many crocheters. there are many patterns for round bags, pillows, rugs and much more. a number of patterns can be found on my pinterest boards, but it are not patterns i've tried.

for a while i wanted to make a pouf and i insisted on working with half double crochets. first i started with a magic ring and 12 stitches and then increase as you normally would, but the result was very bumpy. if i had pulled it over football, it would still not become smooth.

then i started with two chains with the first h dc in the second chain from the hook and from that moment it went very well.

increase: how
to create a nice round product it is necessary that you evenly increase the number of stitches. i do it the way like everyone else - i guess, but i venture an attempt to tell you.

if you start with 12 stitches you increase every subsequent row with 12 stitches, when you start with 8 stitches you increase every subsequent row with 8 stitches.

increasing the number of stitches is done at the indicated places by crocheting two stitches, instead of one, in one stitch of the previous row. so you make on multiple places in a row groups of two stitches. because you increase the number of stitches, you create each row more stitches between the groups of two.

you do not need a complex scheme, it is as follows: you start with 8 stitches and you increase every row with 8 stitches.

first row - 8 stitches
second row - 16
third row - 24 - 1 stitch between the groups of two stitches
fourth row - 32 - 2 stitches between the groups of two stitches
fifth row - 40 - 3 stitches between the groups of two stitches
sixth row - 48 - 4 stitches between the groups of two stitches
and so it goes.

i always count the number of stitches between the pairs very carefully until the point there are 12 stitches between the pairs. then the base is good and if i'm afraid to forget to multiply on time, i mark the places with paper clips.

increase: where

end each row with a slip stitch in the first half double crochet
then make a chain
start the next row by crocheting 2 half double crochets into the same stitch in which you have made the slip stitch
forget the chain
work not too loosely, then there occurs a neat joining.

so, the first place you increase is into the first half double crochet of each a row
the other places where you increase are always the first stitches of the groups of two of the previous rows. if you do it that way you create that beautiful swirl
see the yellow and blue lines on the pictures.

See the full gallery on Posterous

if you continue to increase this way your work will be beautiful round and if not, without any ado you can bring it into shape
after the rows in which you decrease the number of stitches it is advisable to crochet some rows without increase, so one stitch in each stitch of the previous row.

changing colors: methods

if you want to change colors then i would recommend the method of sarah london, here is the link to her beautiful tutorial: seamless + symmetrical

of course there are more ways, but i think this is a very good method and you can use it when you make circles and squares. sarah advises to work this way each row, even if you are not changing colors, but for me that's a bit too much.

changing colors: in this pattern

every row you end with a slip stitch to the first stitch and then you would make a chain but in stead of making a chain, you pull the new color yarn through the loop and then make the two half double crochets in the same stitch as the slip stitch.

the round yellow floor cushion i made with a too large crochet hook and therefore i could not make the color changes as neat as i wanted, because for that you need to work tight.

a brief explanation for changing colors in the middle of a row

for who wants to see it one more time: don't finish the last stitch but you pull the new color yarn through the last 2 loops on your hook and for the half double crochets through three loops. it is the same way as when you attach a new ball of yarn.

changing colors half double crochets

See the full gallery on Posterous

changing colors single crochets

See the full gallery on Posterous

changing colors double crochets

See the full gallery on Posterous

for every method: probably needless to say but it is important to weave in all the ends neatly, so the different colors won't show between the stitches.

that's it for today, part two will follow soon. hope to see you again!

UPDATE!
part 2 of the tutorial is ready: crocheting-rounds-tutorial part 2

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Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2012

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:08:57 -0700

welcome and thank you so much for visiting my blog.

i put aside the hospital visits and the daily routine for a moment, because i like to show you how wonderful the beautiful blogger blanket of 2012 has become. maybe you have already visited jill's website but if not, it is worth to!

her original idea has resulted in a blanket that is unequaled and she has worked so hard on it that it really is worth a big applause. barbina of little things made with love has won the blanket, she must be happy! :)

in addition, jill has put - next to many pictures of the blanket - the links to the blogs of all participants on a row and therefore you may find new addresses to explore.

have fun and i hope to post again soon!

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easter break

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:46:00 -0700

a few days i have been writing about crocheting rounds, the pouf and floor cushion, in response to questions that you asked about. honestly, at this time i can't concentrate on it very well due to sad family affairs. therefore i take a break, but i hope to pick it up next week.

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i wish you a pleasant easter time and i hope to see you again soon!

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as decoration two daffodils from my garden

the narcissus poeticus, she smells deliciously, like a little perfume bottle

and the narcissus replete, which also smells quite nice.

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yellow wednesday

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:38:00 -0700

welcome back!

since monday, the bag has more shape, but the round pillow is not much increased because i have a number of rows pulled. the yellow shade that i had used i did not like so well.

i'm going to continue working on both, they are nice projects to do and next week i continued with my big pouf (i hope).

with my projects i take part in these parties, if you like join them too!

link parties

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yellow monday

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:00:43 -0700

welcome!

here in the netherlands it is bright spring weather and i hope the weather is nice to you, too.

this lovely white crocus stands with it's "brothers and sisters" in my living room. the orange looks like neon orange, pretty don't you think?

and this daffodil blossoms in my garden, could hardly be more beautiful.

in terms of crocheting, the first half of my pouf is ready, but working with the black yarn has done my right thumb no good. that yarn is as stiff as rope. giving my hands a break would be a good idea but a day without crocheting is not a very good day to me.

so i started the same working method of the pouf with a much thinner cotton yarn and an oversized hook. it goes well, just the joining you see a little clearer.

See the full gallery on Posterous

i also started a little bag for summer for myself, but if it works out …?

another time i'll tell you more about it.

i wish you a beautiful new week!

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pouf - floorcushion

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:11:00 -0700

regarding my round project, did you write in a comment that i was going to make a large cushion? you had it right.

like many others i've wanted to make a pouf for a while. i have looked on the internet and saw many beautiful things. large (very nice!) floor cushions which are mentioned poufs, also real ones but those are often knitted.

i noticed that many of the covers for floor cushions are made by crocheting or knitting around the filling or cushion and therefore can not or not easily be taken off to be washed. the ability to wash my stuff is something that i find important.

i have often hooked round things so i started working and this is what i've done the past few days.

to be continued

See the full gallery on Posterous

with this project i participate in some parties, if you want to join too, look here, these are the parties i like

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orange & stripes Q & A

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:49:00 -0700

one last post about the orange stripes & blanket and bag to answer a few questions of you.

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can you do a tutorial on how to join your pieces please?

not really a tutorial but what i did is the following:

hold two strips together with the right sides facing each other.
attach the yarn to the first single crochet (sc) of the lower strip, then a slip stitch (ss) in the first sc of the other strip. you crochet 1 ss in one strip, then 1 ss in the other. you make the ss only in the sc, skip the other stitches.
i alway crochet things together, just prefer to do so. others prefer needle and thread.

hope this helps? good luck with it!

in addition: my blanket looks smooth on the front side and at the back it has small ridges. the yarn i used is fairly thin, but if you use thicker yarn than the result may be different.

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are you planning on making a tutorial on the bag and sharing it with us all??

not this time, so sorry.

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really loving the way you've finished the top edging too... how do you get that rim?

the bobbles are a result of a variation of the bobble stitch of linda permann which is: make 4 half-complete double crochets into the same stitch, leaving the last loop of each stitch on the hook. yarn over and draw a loop through all 5 loops on the hook.

a small explanation about what i did around the edges of the blanket and the bag.

instead of yarn over and drawing the yarn in one go through all loops on hook:

yarn over and pull the yarn through only two loops, repeat this until there is one loop left.
regarding the stitch pattern: make the bobble stitch in the dc and when there is one loop left, crochet 1 sc in the sc.

the stitch pattern of the upper side of the bag is the same as that of the blanket.

after the row of bobbles you crochet a row of 1 sc in every stitch, following by 2 rows of slip stitches, turn, 1 row of slip stitches, turn, last row of slip stitches. this will give you a firm but smooth edge.

and this was the story of orange & stripes:)

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round crochet project

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:45:00 -0700

my intention not to buy new yarn lies in the trash can :(

last week i was looking for yarn for someone else and then i saw an offer for drops cotton light. yarn that is just right for my new project. the temptation was too great, so i bought these colors: light lilac, lavender and purple, (besides a few other colors). the dark blue and black yarn i had bought last year.

i do not know for sure if i'm going to use the blue color, it depends whether i can create the desired size. what it will be? i'll tell you next week.

hope you will have a good weekend!

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orange & stripes in a bag

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:34:00 -0700

imagine this...

it is lunch break and you pack your bag and blanket and walk or cycle to the park nearby. there you sit on your blanket and read a book or listen to music, a bottle of water within reach, the sun on your face.*

nice, isn't it!

* it is just one example, adjust these thoughts to your own situation or wishes:)

See the full gallery on Posterous

thanks for thinking with me about the blanket. on second thought, i have kept the blanket as it is and made a matching bag. for the bottom of it i used one of the motifs that i had crocheted. actually i wanted a bag with a drawstring closure like one for a sleeping bag, but there wasn't enough yarn … i thought… because now a skein of orange yarn is left - sigh.

See the full gallery on Posterous

by the way

do you see that round ball of yarn in the bag? that is yarn that i have made of pieces leftover yarn that i've tied together. after making a knot pull it again firmly and cut the two ends. it is hours of work but it's very relaxing to do. i had more balls made but i have given those away.

this is it for this time. hope that this week will be good for you!

PS. you can find the explanation and the stitch pattern for the blanket via this link:

> orange & stripes - stitch pattern
> orange-stripes - Q&A

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orange & stripes - WIP 5

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:22:00 -0800

welcome back, hope it goes well with you!

today an update on the orange blanket. it's a gray day here in the netherlands and that makes the colors on the pictures not really nice, a little weird.

for the blanket i wanted a friendlier appearance. first i have made a crochet border around it with the same stitch pattern as the strips. because i worked in the round and not back and forth a different texture was created. then i added an edge of bobbles, it is a variation on the pattern of the bobble stitch of linda permann. if you like to know how i've made the variation, i explain that in another post.

i am also making some decorations, but i am doubting about them. if i do it will only be the larger motives and not the smaller ones….i think:)

See the full gallery on Posterous

what is your opinion about it?

you can find the explanation and the stitch pattern via this link:
> orange & stripes - stitch pattern

> these parties i participate - scroll to wednesday and thursday

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some serious talk about pinterest

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 05:49:00 -0800

i love pinterest because i like to collect pictures. my earliest memories of pasting pictures date from around my sixth year. i cut pictures from a catalog and pasted them i in a cheap unlined notepad that i got from my mother. years later, i collected still pictures i cut from mainly magazines. i had a folder with embroidery patterns (given away), knitting patterns (given away), decoration with flowers and plants (i still have) and interior styling (discarded). now i have folders filled with crochet patterns next to the directories i have on my computer.

from the moment that i had an account on pinterest, i pinned pictures of where i could find them. now there are discussions on sourcing and it have awakened me. some discussions are become somewhat 'wild' in my opinion and i don't want to boost them. the important thing to me is to pin in a neat way.

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more information about it can be found on:

UPDATE 24 march 2012

the last week i have a good look at my pin boards, and i have decided to delete a few because i want to concentrate on my other boards. in my eagerness i also deleted boards that i wanted to keep... sometimes i'm quite a dork.

the boards i want to keep i have been checking for the original sources of the pins. if i can not find the source i delete the pin. it turned out that i too had pinned illegal copies of crochet books. not so very nice for authors and publishers. it takes a lot of time to clean it all and i'm not finished yet but it gives me a good feeling.

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this is where i pay attention to:

if i like someone's pin i click on it to see if it leads to the original source, if not i don't repin.
on tumblr you can find many wonderful things but the source is almost never mentioned, so i don't pin.
if i find anything via google i go to the website itself and pin it from there.
if a pin says “uploaded by user” then the source is usually disappeared, i don’t repin.
like link parties you must link the blog post and not the entire blog.
over the world, people have copied books and patterns and posted it on their website. i won’t pin these copies.

i love my pinterest boards!

hope to see you again soon!

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orange & stripes - WIP 4

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:24:00 -0800

the past few days i am less advanced with the blanket than i thought, but the five strips are attached to each other and all the ends i have woven in.

now the remaining part of the blanket...

how about your project?

> these parties i participate - scroll to wednesday and thursday

you can find the explanation and the stitch pattern via this link:
> orange & stripes - stitch pattern

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orange & stripes - WIP 3

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:42:00 -0800

it does not go rapidly with this blanket, but i work on it every day. three parts i crocheted together, part four is almost finished and yesterday i started on part five.

the blanket looks very pleasant, it is not a bright orange hue, but fresh and cheerful. i have never crocheted a blanket in this way, in long strips and with such a color division. i enjoy it to 'invent' something that is new to me.

See the full gallery on Posterous

you can find the explanation and the stitch pattern via this link:
> orange & stripes - stitch pattern

> these parties i participate - scroll to wednesday and thursday

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yarn treasury

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:03:00 -0800

for a while i was planning to sort and store my yarn again. not that it's hugely messy, but it is much. in addition, i have intended that the orange & stripes blanket is my last project with acrylic yarn for a while. so a part of the acrylic yarn i have stored in plastic boxes in the cupboard and a part i still have to select.

the yarn i like to work with this spring and summer i have done in my drawers in the living room and also .... my summer blanket project.

See the full gallery on Posterous

look at all that delicious yarn!
(also some acrylic).

this feels like my own treasury. there is little property to discover in my house, but that yarn is so delightful to have and at the same time i am actually a little embarrassed for it.

last friday i saw a cute cartoon on kristine's blog ambassadorcrochet. i could not resist writing a comment because yes, i'm slightly addicted to yarn. i have promised myself not to buy yarn for a while because in my cupboard someone else can do some shopping. actually i am frugal, i spend little money, i do not by clothes often, but yarn ….

how about you?

like to see more of the summer blanket project?

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old patterns with new yarn

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:18:00 -0800

not long ago i showed you these motives that i've crocheted a few years ago. some of them i made using very old patterns and i've learned a lot of that.

the generations before us and the generations before them crocheted impressive works. the women learned to crochet and developed their skills and designed themselves, without books, magazines, let alone the internet.

there are many patterns preserved. so if you like me, can’t or won’t buy expensive books for your own good reasons, don’t worry just look on these sites, but it takes time and there are no pretty full color pictures.

a while ago i came on angelfire.com/folk/celtwich many times because old patterns were gathered there. but for all sorts of reasons the lady had to quit. fortunately, these patterns are still accessible to us.

it's nice to crochet old patterns with contemporary yarns. you can do many different things with your try outs like framing them,

decorating bags, back pockets, knees and elbows on clothes. i made a few doilies of thick acrylic yarn for someone who, with textile hardener, made bowls of them.

to give you an idea, below is an example of a motif (with a counting error) that is actually part of a lace tablecloth. with acrylic yarn and crochet needle 4 mm, it looks very different. if you would follow the complete instructions you could make an interesting bedspread. or a couple of extra rows on the motif and voila you have a cushion cover. the name is sunburst splendour no.7533 (1942).

See the full gallery on Posterous

you can find the pattern for this motif and a few others on my crochet pinterest board.

UPDATE
i now have pinned all vintage patterns on one board. this is the link to it: crochet vintage patterns

anyway, i hope you have lots of fun with these old patterns.

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