Category: Crochet

Cross Stitch Patterns Treasures

myauntsattic Cross Stitch Patterns

Links of entry

I found a blog where the author fetched the cross stitch patterns of an old aunt from the attic and published them.
I saw beautiful patterns thereby and it’s not as if you had to work cross stitch only with the patterns ;-)

The blog is written in Netherlands and English (the italic text), but the patterns can be recognized anyhow ;-))


Links:
Cross Stitch Patterns Treasures (Tantes zolder) (Netherlands and English)

Here at unikatissima:
What Can You Do With Filet Crochet/Cross Stitch Embroidery Charts?

Bag from Granny Squares

Vallieskids Granny Squares Bag

Links of entry

I really like crochet bags ;-), therefore the tutorial on how to make bags from crochet squares came in handy.
It remembered me of Inga’s Häkelbeutel, but is still easier to make.
You can make it also with my Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe but I think that the holes will be too big if you don’t line it.

Anyhow: Have fun crocheting the next beach bag ;-)

 

Links:
Bag from Granny Squares (Get Your Granny On~ bag)

via: ravelry tutorial for it

Here at unikatissima:
Entries with the tags ‘crochet’ and ‘bag’
Inga’s Häkelbeutel – German Granny Square Bag
unikatissima’s Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe
crochet medaillon

Beaded Freeform Wire Crochet

sqbr Freeform Wire Crochet

Links of entry

I really love freeform and freeform crochet and therefore I found of course the instruction on how to crochet a freeform necklace with wire and beads instruction on how to crochet a freeform necklace with wire and beadsinteresting.
I haven’t tried it yet because I (still) have no jewelry wire and she wrote that her wire has since gone all rusty – it doesn’t have to come to this.
I will make the necklace one day!


Links:
How to make a beaded freeform wire crochet necklace
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
How to make a beaded freeform wire crochet necklace
Thanks, Louise, for telling me! :)

Here at unikatissima:
Entries with the tag ‘freeform’
Entries containing ‘freeform’ and ‘crochet’

Little Improvised Knitting Helpers

Links of entry

Recently I knitted more often (mostly mazes and cellular automaton patterns) and got some little helpers together on the spur of the moment.

unikatissima Little Improvised Knitting Helpers
The first is a take-those-threads-away (I simply don’t know the name of this item!) for two-coloured knitting, that I made from a plain piece of wire: …

 

unikatissima Little Improvised Knitting Helpers … simply bend the wire twice around the finger, hook the threads into and begin knitting.

 

unikatissima Little Improvised Knitting Helpers The second are paper clips used as stitch markers…

 

unikatissima Little Improvised Knitting Helpers …that I hooked in every 10. stitch, everywhere where the decimal lines from the pattern are.
I selected a different coloured paper clip every five clips, that helps to orientate in the pattern faster.
For the partly chaotic cellular automaton patterns it can be a real help.

 

unikatissima Little Improvised Knitting Helpers And the last are my post-it notes I use to mark the row I’m working on.
Some people use rulers but the post-its stick better to the paper and if necessary I can take it with me without having to mark the last row.
However I noticed that I have to change the notes quite often because the glue gets weak from the constant tackling and untackling.


Links:
At unikatissima:
Entry concerning the maze pattern generator
Maze Pattern Generator

Entry concerning the pattern generator (cellular automaton)
Pattern Generator (Cellular Automaton)

TED Talk: Nature, Crochet and Geometry

unikatissima Math and Crochet TED Talk

Links of entry

Recently I presented the beaded hyperbolic planes, now I found a TED Talk to this that inspired me to eventually crochet a hyperbolic plane.

 

I wanted to crochet this in fact for a long time, ever since I got this beautiful pin I still adore.
Thank you again!
unikatissima Math and Crochet Pin unikatissima Math and Crochet Pin

 


Links:
TED Talk: Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math that links coral, crochet and hyperbolic geometry

At The Institute For Figuring:
Crocheted Hyperbolic Models and Coral Reef Taxonomy Gallery at The Institute For Figuring
   – a wonderful gallery
Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef
   – ditto ;-)
Beaded Hyperbolics
   – still ditto ;-)
Crochet instruction for a hyperbolic plane (Interweave Knits article Taking Crochet to a Higher Plane)

At unikatissima: Beaded Hyperbolic Planes

Knitting and Crochet Dictionary

unikatissima Knitting Crochet Dictionary

Links of entry

I have already presented translations of crochet terms, now I found even more complete translation lists at Garnstudio & DROPS Design (see links below at the links).
I find them a great help at translating patterns into/from other languages.


Links:
At Garnstudio & DROPS Design: select your language, e.g. ‘American’ or ‘English’, then select ‘Tips & Help’ in the top menu bar and there into the sub-menu select ‘DROPS Dictionary’ (at the end).
There you have lists in a lot of languages into/from which you get translations, at the moment English to/from Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and French .

Row Counter Bracelet

Sutherland Studios Row Counter Bracelet

Links of entry

When knitting or crocheting you must often count the rows.
I have seen people who kept checklists in a very disciplined way, but personally I find this taking-the-pen-and-sketching-a-checkmark-on-the-list bothersome, the more so as one needs a table for this (at least I need it ;-)).
But not if you’re making a row counter bracelet (ok, you must leave your work beside, but you don’t need a table ;-)).
I didn’t make one yet, but I found the tutorial very good.

I’m sure that you can make the beads yourself, e.g. from polymer clay or felt (but felted beads may be too lightweight ?!)


Links:
Row Counter Bracelet
via: Row Counter Bracelet at ravelry

Google search result for ‘row counter bracelet’
Google image search result for ‘row counter bracelet’

Here at unikatissima:
Entries with the tag ‘polymerclay’
Entries with the tag ‘felting’

Beaded Hyperbolic Planes

The Institute For Figuring Beaded Hyperbolics

Links of entry

Today again more an inspiration than an instruction, nonetheless fascinating: beaded hyperbolic planes.

And while you’re at The Institute For Figuring you must absolutely take a look at the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef!
Wow!


Links:
At The Institute For Figuring:
Beaded Hyperbolics – a wonderful gallery
Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef – ditto ;-)

Crochet Cables

unikatissima Crochet Cable

Links of entry

Recently I ‘discovered’ crochet cables via the ravelry group ‘Crochet Celtic Cables’.
I knew them for long but up until now I never found them very nice.
This is different now ;-))
They seem to be as versatile as their knitted ‘siblings’ and I will surely get back to them once more.

 

unikatissima Crochet Cable
Links:
Crochet Cables – Fun and Effective
Crocheting Cables Photo How-To
Cabled Embroidered Purse
Crocheting Cables – 6 stitches
Adventuring Sage Cable Vest
Even an instruction for Tunisian crochet cables:
ARNie’s Method for Working Tunisian Crochet Cables

Google Suchergebnis für ‘crochet cable’
Google Bildsuchergebnis für ‘crochet cable’

 

Knitted/Crocheted Bangles

unikatissima Knitted Bangle
Recently I wanted to make some knitted napkin rings as a gift and looked for a way to 1. keep their shape and 2. make them washable.
And I really found a solution which is also great for making bangles ;-)): use a core of recycled plastic bottle and a knitted or crocheted all over cover.

 

That’s what you do:
unikatissima Knitted Bangle Cut rings in the desired width from a plastic bottle.
I cut here two rings because the circumference of the bottle was too small for a bangle for me.

 

unikatissima Knitted Bangle Where the rings are to be joined you need an overlap of about 2 cm.
I pricked 3 holes with a pointy needle and threaded the yarn I used later for knitting through them to fix both sides. The big advantage is that you don’t see anything of this later.

 

unikatissima Knitted Bangle Then knit the ‘cover’. I worked with quite thick acrylic yarn and began with a stocking stitch part for the inside whereas outside I used a moss stitch pattern.
Depending on the used yarn the inside diameter can get a good deal narrower, in this case make the plastic rings a little bit larger.
When the cover is finished sew the sides together.

 

unikatissima Knitted Bangle That’s how the finished bangle looks.
Originally I wanted to have the seam at the inside of the bangle but I ‘produced’ always a thick bulged seam. Therefore I knitted the ‘folding line’ between both patterns with purls and sew at the rim (which is much easier, too ;-)).
The bulged seam looks similar to the purled row and now I like it.

 

unikatissima Knitted Bangle The plastic ring core has more advantages (besides the fact that it is cost-saving): the bangle keeps its shape but is flexible so that it doesn’t interfere with writing (usually I don’t wear bangles for just this reason).

 

unikatissima Knitted Bangle What is more I can wash it: That’s how my bangle looks after I machine-washed it at 30°C together with dark(!) cloths.
No problem there ;-)
But this depends strongly from the used yarn.

 

I used thick acrylic yarn here and find that it looks like a winter bangle, but it can surely be crocheted as well with fine cotton thread or knitted in stocking stitch with variegated sock yarns or simply be wrapped with fun yarns, possibly even be wrapped with a sewn fabric cover…
If you try something like this I would appreciate if you’d link it in the comments!
Have much fun.
plastic bottle bracelet