Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Lion Brand Notebook
News, Ideas and Information for Crafting with Yarn
Let me welcome those of you who have joined this crochet-along already in progress. Rest assured that you are not behind, and you can do this at your own pace! As a matter of fact, even if you started with my first blog post, I hope you feel that you are working at a pace that is comfortable for you.
This week I’m going to answer some questions that you’ve been asking, and show you a couple of new tips. First, however, I’m going to give you a little pep talk. At least, I hope it seems like a pep talk!
At many times in our lives, we run across people who correct us—tell us we are doing something “wrong” and show us the “right” path. Sometimes, this is a good thing. Our parents and school teachers guided us to learn and grow. We come to depend on the feedback we get from these mentors, and we seek their approval. At some point, however, we must grow up and decide for ourselves what is right for us.
Relax. Breathe.
This is crochet. There are no tests, no final exam, no grades. There is no “right” way or “wrong” way to do something, only things you don’t know yet. Fear and trepidation should not be in your vocabulary.
Are you having fun?
YOU are the person who must be happy with your work. If you are happy with the way your project looks—and it functions well— then it’s right. If you are unhappy for some reason—you don’t like the way the stitches look, the joins fall apart—then take action to figure out what is going wrong, and fix it.
As a teacher, I can suggest ways to improve the look and function of your work. You must take ownership and responsibility for the results. Solicit opinions if you must, but be confident that you can and will make the right choices for you.
Whether you are a newbie or an experienced crocheter, branch out! I’ll bet you don’t even know what you don’t know! Read crochet books, explore new techniques, search the internet, take classes. I’m always seeking to learn new and interesting techniques, and most of these I learn from other people. Don’t get so frustrated that you give up. So-called “experts” are only experts because they had an inquiring mind and the desire to learn more. With perseverance, anybody can be an expert.
Relax. Breathe.
OK…are you feeling more confident? I hope so.
Weaving in Ends as You Go
One of the main questions I’ve had is about weaving in ends. I tend to do a combination of weave-in-as-I-go, and weave-in-later. If I have a slip knot from beginning the round, I might just pull it tight and weave that end in, tiny knot and all, or I might unpick it so there is no knot at all. It depends on my attitude at the moment.
If I have enough solid stitches in a row, I’ll hold the yarn to the back and work around it over several stitches, as shown here.
Even when weaving in as I work, I still leave a short tail to be woven in another direction later.
However, if I’m skipping some stitches, as on Round 3 of our motif, I tend to save that end to be woven in later. I usually don’t cut off my ends until I’m doing the finishing, just in case I have to rip out a motif for some reason. You can see the results of my mixed efforts (so far) here.
You can see that I have finished off some of the ends in the center “stripe” of the afghan.
More on Join-As-You-Go
Last week I showed you how to join all along one edge. Here is an example of how it might look if you joined just at the corners.
Some of you have asked about the order in which I’m joining. Because the join is done on the final round of the motif, I need to join each new motif to the previous one(s) on the final round. I can do it in any order I choose, as long as I don’t forget and leave out an edge that needs to be joined. I use my planned sketch (or the diagram from week 2) to remind me how they fit together. I’ve been doing it more or less in strips–one length of 9 motifs to start, as shown here.
By the way, I think I’m going to add another 2 “stripes” to my afghan, to make it wider. I have enough yarn. Guess it depends on how much I get done between now and next week, right?
I have decided that my afghan looks best if I join at the corners AND all along one edge. While you can begin Round 4 at a corner, I prefer to begin it in the middle of one of the edges, because I prefer to end a round with a dc-to-dc instead of a ch-to-dc.
Work up to the first corner to be joined. Dc in that corner, ch 2. You are now at about the center point of the corner, as shown:
Drop the stitch from the hook, insert the hook from front to back into the first corner space to be joined, then back into the dropped stitch. Pull the dropped stitch through the chain-space.
Ch 1 to complete the ch-3 corner of the current motif, then dc in the same corner ch-space and join that dc and the remaining dcs along the edge to the afghan, as I showed you last week.
At the next corner, you have to join to chain-spaces from 2 different motifs. Ch 1, drop the stitch from the hook, insert the hook from front to back into the next adjoining corner space, then back into the dropped stitch. Pull the stitch through the chain-space.
Ch 1, then join in the corner of the next motif.
Ch 1, complete the dc in that corner and join along the edge, into the next double corner, and into the next edge as before. On the final corner, ch 1, join to the chain-space of the other motif, ch 2, complete the dc in the corner, and work to the end. Here’s what you have done:
Relax. Breathe. Unhunch your shoulders.
Are you wondering how I learned to do this join? I started with a problem: how to create a strong, flexible, nice-looking join that could be worked on the last round. I also had a deadline: when I started this Crochet-Along I didn’t know what joining method would work and I knew I had to come up with something to share with you! Then I experimented with several different techniques until I “unvented” one that worked in this situation.
It isn’t the first or the second or even the third thing I tried, but eventually I discovered what I think is just the right join for us. I don’t say this to make you feel bad, but instead to encourage. You, too, can use your brains and problem-solving skills to create new (or new-to-you) techniques to improve your stitching!
Are you having fun?
Reader challenge: As I’ve worked on this afghan, I’ve decided that I get the best results by beginning with a standing double crochet not started with a slip knot on my hook. That is not within the scope of this blog, but I’ll bet you can figure it out yourself. Take the bull by the horns and figure out how to do a standing double crochet without a slip knot!
Please don’t be intimidated into keeping your own cool techniques to yourself. I want to learn from you! Share with all of us your favorite tips, especially those that will help in this project. You know more than you think…
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Thanks to everybody for helping me decide which colors to choose for my afghan. I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments and can’t want to see all the colorful combinations you choose for your projects. It seems like I got plenty of votes for colorway #4, and since that fits with my décor, I’ll go with that one. Here are some I didn’t choose, but that you might have:
Many of you are anxious to get started with learning a join-as-you-go method, but I’m going to ask that you be patient for one more week while we do some other steps.
Swatching Tells the Tale
As with any project, it’s important to do a swatch before beginning a project. A swatch gives us an idea of what size hook to use, how much yarn we’ll need, and what the likely finished dimensions of the afghan will be. Luckily for us, in this case the swatch may just be the first or second motif of our project.
I tried a couple of different hook sizes and settled on an I-9 (5.5mm) hook for the Vanna’s Choice yarn that I’m using. You may need a different hook size to get the ideal feel for your gauge and yarn. You want a motif that has a little bit of body without being too stiff or too floppy. If you’re not sure what size you need, start with the suggested size on the yarn band, but don’t hesitate to change hooks to get the ideal gauge for you.
My motif measures about 3.25″ across one edge, 6.5″ from point-to-point across the center, and 5.5″ from side-to-side across the center. I printed out some (really cool) hexagonal graph paper from Incompetech.com and used that to envision how the motifs will be arranged. Here’s what my hand-drawn worksheet looks like. You can see the size and shape of the afghan outlined in black.
Sketch of afghan outline
You can also see that I need 60 hexagons in all. My swatch weighs in at about 12 g, so 12g x 60 motifs = 720 g, or 8 balls of Vanna’s Choice yarn. However, since I’m using more than one color, and I’ll need some yarn for joining, I know that I’ll need more than 8 balls of yarn, not including the yarn needed to join the motifs together either as we go or at the end. At this point, I can’t be completely accurate in knowing what amounts I’ll need, because I don’t know how colors A, B and C will be used.
If you are using lots of colors, and just want to do a patchwork/freeform design without a plan, just start stitching. Leave a longish (12″) tail on the final round, and don’t weave in the final tail. You’ll understand the reason for this later.
Planning the Design
In my case, I want to have a plan for placement of my motifs. I still need to decide how I want to arrange the colors on each motif, and also how to arrange the motifs to form the overall design. I’ve started by stitching one motif. Because I’m still in the designing stage, I’m going to work the first few motifs in a variety of color arrangements. Let’s call my colors A (taupe), B (cranberry) and C (linen). I use a kind of shorthand to describe the color arrangements, with letter designations for each round. Here are the motifs I’ve done so far, although I could do even more variations with just these 3 colors.
CABA
BABA
BACA
Here’s where it gets really fun. I can do any of the following: (1) Decide to join my motifs once they are all complete. That means that right now I can just stitch individual motifs. I can decide on placement and color arrangements as I go, allowing the design to develop as I stitch. I don’t have to commit to a placement scheme until the last minute. I actually prefer this way most of the time. That’s because I don’t mind joining motifs at the end—it’s not that hard or time-consuming, I promise. (2) Use a random pattern of color variations throughout. (3) Pick one or two color arrangements and use them in alternating rows. (4) Scan the motifs, then print out the (now smaller than life-size) images on my color printer, making as many prints of each one as I choose. Then I can cut them out and play with the pieces until I have an arrangement I like. If I tape the pieces together I’ll have a template to remind me what to stitch next. (5) Do #4 above with color pencils or crayons. This can be lots of fun, and the kids can play, too! (6) Scan the motifs, and then manipulate them digitally using an image-editing software program. Since I’m trying to learn a new-to-me program, and since it makes nice prototype afghans for this purpose, this is the method I’ll choose here. You’ll see that they are just rough digital “sketches”, but that’s all I need at this stage. (Note to mention: this is just about the extent of my skill at this point. The strange white lines between the motifs are just my inexperience!) Here are some of the options I came up with, based on the scanned motifs above.
Version 1-Alternating Stripes
Version 2-note that this one has 3 more motifs than the sketch.
Version 3- an allover pattern of a single motif
Version 4-note this is a bit shorter than the sketch
Of course, there are many other options! This time, I’m going to let other members of my family decide which version they like, and which one I’ll make. I suspect I’ll be adding a tiny amount of a fourth color (sapphire?) to add some pop.
What’s next?
Whew! I’ve been doing lots of planning, but now I’m ready to start stitching in earnest. I’m going to make 4 or 5 complete motifs, but not join the final round. I’ll probably make some others through Round 3 only. Once I decide on my joining method (next week’s post), I’ll do the final round on those motifs as needed. Why don’t you do the same?
The Sliding Loop
One final thing for this week: I want to show you how I do the “sliding loop” technique for starting a motif in the round. Although the pattern says to start with a ch-4 ring, I prefer to start all my motifs with a sliding loop—a variation of what you may know as the magic loop. It is a bit tricky to learn, but once I mastered it, it became my favorite method. It makes an adjustable ring into which to work the first round, and I can make the ring as large or as small as needed to fit my needs.
Wrap the yarn 2 full times around your finger, with the yarn tail toward the tip of the finger and the working end of the yarn toward the palm.
Insert the hook under all 3 strands.
Pull the working yarn under the other 2 strands.
Pull the yarn through and allow the two strands to come together. Take the doubled loop off your finger.
Pinching the doubled loop to keep them from coming apart, chain the number called for in the first round. In our case, it will be ch 6.
Work all first-round sts into the doubled ring. Those of you with eagle-eyes will notice that this example is not exactly the same as yours-I’m only putting 1 chain between treble crochet sts, not 2 as called for in the pattern.
As you work, you may have to expand your doubled loop in order to get all the stitches in. Once you have completed the round, you’ll see that the doubled loop is still peeking between your stitches. Gently pull on your yarn tail and you’ll notice that one of the strands (probably the inside strand) will tighten. Go ahead and tighten that strand up, but not all the way. Once it is just barely visible, stop tugging on the yarn tail and instead pull on that tiny little tightened strand.
When you pull the inside strand, the outside strand will tighten, and you’ll get a big loop from the inside strand. It looks scary, but the next step is magic…
Now pull on the yarn tail once more and that big loop will magically disappear!
Once you have a nice tidy center, finish the round with a slip stitch. Again, note that this round only has 1 ch between each treble. Yours will have 2 chains.
Please post your questions or comments here, and feel free to chip in with helpful suggestions for each other. We’re in this together!
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If you’ve ever wondered what an owlsquid or a spidercat would look like, look no further than Another Day, Another Monster. Gina from the Lion Brand Yarn Studio is crafting a monster a day for an entire year and blogging about the process. Some are big and some are small, but they’re all original and fun. Her blog is a great inspiration for anybody getting ready to decorate for Halloween. If you love her work, each monster is for sale on her Etsy page.
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I always love to see how the fashion world takes crafts like crochet and knitting and reinterprets them in unexpected ways. This simple, oversized crochet chain as necklace is such a fun pop of color from German design duo Gabriel & Schwan. Sehr schön!
Via Oh Joy!
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A guest post From Marlene, sales associate at Lion Brand:
This Labor Day weekend, we spent a few days at my parents’ house. We barbecued, told stories, and had lots of good laughs. During the evening, while some folks played dominoes, we girls pulled out our yarn and hooks and crocheted a while. We even taught my sister how to crochet and we were delighted to see how quickly she grasped the concept and how well she was doing.
Pictured from left to right: My sister, Acela; my sister-in-law, Mily who also works at Lion Brand; me, and my niece Bianca who interned this summer at Lion Brand.
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A new pattern came out, the Thermal Scarf, and it had a stitch that I wanted to try. It was a scarf using front post double crochet. I grabbed a ball of Cotton-Ease from our demo bin of yarn and gave it a try. I wanted to make sure I understood the pattern in case any of our customers asked about it. I was having so much fun I couldn’t stop. I took it to home and I realized I was getting close to the end of the ball, but alas, I had no idea what the dye lot was. I had two choices, rip it out and start again, or improvise.
I decided to look up how to do crochet button holes. I put in two button holes, picked up some cute buttons from the Studio and turned it into a one ball neck warmer. I love it.
Posted in Crocheting, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, Tips & How To | 1 Comment »
For Lion Brand, charity is a part of what we do and we know it is part of your lives as well. Instead of the regular knit and crochet-alongs, this summer, we have decided to try something different — we want to encourage you in joining us in giving back to others in a charity knit & crochet-along.
In the next five weeks, join us as you:
Please comment on this post and make a promise to make something for charity by the end of this summer. When you name the charity, please tell us why they have touched you. If you need help finding a local/national/ international organization, click here to use our Charity Connection.
Join us next Thursday, and every Thursday for the next few weeks, for new ideas, stories shared, and more.
Posted in Community, Crochet-Along, Crocheting, Knit-Along, Knitting, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, Lion Staff, Tips & How To | 131 Comments »
It’s almost hard to believe that these “paintings” were made with a crochet hook and yarn.
Posted in Crocheting, Yarniverse | 9 Comments »
Posted in Crocheting, Knitting, Yarniverse | 7 Comments »
A positive attitude, a generous spirit and a passion for crochet has kept this lovely lady healthy for 100 years.
Posted in Crocheting, Yarniverse | 2 Comments »
