Category: Yarn

Sketch for Card

unikatissima Card Sketch

Links of entry

Pages of the heart presented once weekly a card sketch for making cards. Together with the beautiful cards made by others it is always an inspiration for card making.

On the photo you see a card I made following the weekly sketch #9 (but I turned it around).
The card background is stamped with bought as well as self-made stamps and the daisies are hand embroidered just as the paper crazy quilt.

They are re-vamping the website, so it is a little more laborious to reach the articles: Go to the articles site and search there (left navigation bar) for ‘Weekly Sketch’ in the categorie ‘Cards’.
The result will compensate for the trouble :)


Links:
At Pages of the heart: Card sketches
Browse them by going to the articles site and search there (left navigation bar) for ‘Weekly Sketch’ in the categorie ‘Cards’

Here at unikatissima:
Eraser Stamps
Paper Crazy Quilt

Inga’s Häkelbeutel – German Granny Square Bag

unikatissima Ingas Haekelbeutel mit Quadrat Margarethe

Links of entry

Via a craftster thread (Inga’s Häkelbeutel ~ German Granny Square Bag (CAL)) I found the tutorial for Inga’s Häkelbeutel (PDF ~140 KB).
The Granny square bag is to be found everywhere in internet and I understand why, because it is a brilliant idea.

On the photo I took my Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe from the day before yesterday and assembled it (digitally) to Inga’s Häkelbeutel – I haven’t had time yet to do it ‘for real’.
Looks good anyhow, doesn’ it?


Links:
At craftster: Inga’s Häkelbeutel ~ German Granny Square Bag (CAL) (‘CAL’ means ‘Crochet Along’: everybody crochet the same thing and later they compare the results)

Inga’s Häkelbeutel (PDF ~140 KB – Englisch)
Inga’s Häkelbeutel (PDF ~140 KB – German)

Square ‘n’ Fair – Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe

Square 'n' Fair - Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe

Links of entry

I proudly present my first self designed
Square ‘n’ Fair – Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe (PDF ~705 KB)!

It is a PDF-File that contains the diagram for the crochet square Margarethe that I designed (it is my first! ;-)).
On the photo you see a big scarf I made with this pattern (but I haven’t blocked it yet – it will look much more beautiful then ;-))

I also included several matching diagrams in the PDF-file to this square (‘elements’): a rectangular half square, a triangular half square, a ‘squeezed square’ and two patterns for matching ‘ribbons’.
Additionally I have inserted several ideas on how to combine the different elements and project ideas about what to do with the elements.

Because different terms are used for the same stitches in British and American English, you can find photo and text descriptions of the used stitches in order to easily identify them (not meant as a tutorial).

Best try it yourself:
Use different materials, as e.g. thick wool yarns, middle acryl yarns ;-), fine cotton yarns, embroidery floss, raffia, package string, gift ribbon/gift curling ribbon, yarn made from plastic bags…
Make different items, as e.g. sweaters, vests, tops, cardigans, scarves, shawls, headbands, hats, mittens, wristwarmers, skirts, purses, wallets, totes, scrunchies, collars, appliqués, insertions, book or journal covers, tablecloths, place mats, glass coasters, pillows, window or door decorations, bedthrows, ornaments for greeting cards …

If you want to make clothing, check again crochet patterns for/from square medaillons (you won’t need the medaillon patterns this time, but only the women clothing models ;-)) and the basic woman measurement charts for clothing patterns at the website of Jessica Tromp.


Links:
Square ‘n’ Fair – Lacy Crochet Square Margarethe (PDF ~705 KB)

Jessica Tromp:
Crochet patterns for/from square medaillons
Basic woman measurement charts for clothing patterns

At craftster: Curling Ribbon+Crochet Hook=Many Purses

At Marlo’s Crochet Corner: Cutting the plastic bag ‘yarn’

At Craft Chi: Doily Racerback

Here at unikatissima:
Plastic Bag Tote
Clothes From Crocheted Medaillons

Freeform CAL

unikatissima Freeform Crochet Along

Links of entry

A ‘Freeform CAL’ is a ‘Freeform Crochet along’, viz., everybody works following the same specification and see, how (different) the results can be.

And I liked this Freeform CAL especially, because I find it often difficult/exhausting to think of a new stitch every time while working freeform.

 

Here are some specifications:

  • “DC an amount of stitches equal to the number of letters in your full name”
  • “…please do a cluster for each pair of shoes you own” (therefore the photo ;-))
  • “Let’s play. Take a breath, how many times can you say the phrase ‘floppy fluffy puppies’ before you need to take another or you trip over your tongue? That many shell stitches please “

I find it great: this way you have a ‘pattern’ you can follow even when you work freeform and when you look at the pictures at the Freeform CAL thread you will see that every item looks different from the others.

I’m amazed!


Links:
Freeform CAL at craftster.org

Here at unikatissima: Freeform Needlework

Weave a Ring

unikatissima Weave a Ring
As said before, I like to play around with weaving.
The other day I thought: Why not weave a ring?
I think that it worked out amazingly good ;-))

 

unikatissima Weave a Ring
Material:

  • Yarn
  • Needle
  • Finger replacement ;-)
    That is a roll of firmly rolled paper, it must be a little broader than your finger.
 

What to do:
unikatissima Weave a Ring
Wind the yarn around the finger replacement and knot.

 

unikatissima Weave a Ring
Then wind the next round, in doing so pass the yarn under itself.

 

unikatissima Weave a Ring
Repeat the last step as long as you reach the ring’s width.

 

unikatissima Weave a Ring
Now begin to weave: pass the yarn over and under the threads.

 

unikatissima Weave a Ring
And that’s how the rings can look.
You have now a ring that you can embellish, e.g. with buttons or beads.

 

This technique surely can be enhanced, but it is fun already :)
Have fun!

Coil a Basket

unikatissima Basket Coiling.jpg

Links of entry

I find another interesting technique basket coiling, where a long thread from (nearly ;-)) any material is to be wound around a curled up thread (also from nearly any material).
It is similar to the clothesline crochet that I presented before, but the thread is to be wound, not crocheted.
On the photo you see my first attempt: I wound plastic raffia around package string.
Actually it should have become a basket, but then I lost my patience ;-)

I followed two tutorials that I find very good, not least because they are heavily illustrated: Pine Needle Baskets (there is also a second part (for the new links see the links below) (and How to coil a basket. In a second entry: More coiling fun… she presents pendants made with the same technique – and which are muuuch more faster;-))


Links:
Pine Needle Baskets – part I
Pine Needle Baskets – part II
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive (I’m not sure whether some of the illustrations have disappeared?!):
Pine Needle Baskets – part I
Pine Needle Baskets – part II
or here:
Pine Needle Baskets – part I
Pine Needle Baskets – part II

How to coil a basket
More coiling fun…

Here at unikatissima:
Clothesline crochet

Roll or Bullion Stitch

unikatissima Crochet Bullion Stitch

Links zum Beitrag

This stitch is beautiful, but it needs getting used to ;-)
I like it especially in freeform needlework.

Fortunately it is (theoretical) learnable, e.g. in this tutorial on how to make the bullion stitch.
The description sounds easy, doesn’t it? ;-)
I break my fingers and knot my thread in any case ;-)

There are much more instructions (perforce ;-)), by googling for the bullion stitch e.g. you get lots of help.
Unfortunately you still must crochet it your self ;-))


Links:
Roll or Bullion Stitch
Google search result for ‘how to crochet bullion stitch’
Google image search result for ‘how to crochet bullion stitch’

Here at unikatissima:
Freeform Needlework

Shoe-torial

crochetme Shoe-torial

Links of entry

I always like to crochet, best not too large projects (because of the patience ;-))
The Shoe-torial therefore hits the mark: it is a tutorial on how to revamp shoes with crochet.
Great!

I think that it should work also by knitting, but anyway that’s not my cup of tea.

At the next opportunity I will check my shoes if they can be revamped that way ;-)


Links:
Shoe-torial

Spool Knitting

Project Gutenberg Spool Knitting

Links of entry

I’m browsing from time to time Project Gutenberg and found last time a book about spool knitting from 1909. They have mittens, bed shoes, a baby ball and much more, all made from I-cords.
It feels to me like a book from the 70th’s ;-))

Perhaps I do a little rummage to play with my knitting spool once more ;-)


Links:
Spool Knitting, by Mary A. McCormack