Location Change: June 2012 Meeting Only

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will need to meet at Borealis Yarns, 1340 Thomas Ave in St. Paul for the Saturday, June 9 meeting (2:30pm to 4:30pm).

We'll be back at Prospect Park United Methodist Church for July

Filet Crochet: June 9 Meeting Preview

Julie's Heart sample chart

Filet crochet is a technique that can be used to make lovely lacy patterns, as simple or intricate as you desire. On Saturday, June 9 at 2:30 pm (note location change) Julie will lead us through a project - a small square with a heart - as a simple way to learn the basics of filet. If you can chain, double crochet, and read a chart you can filet. And if you're not sure about the charts, don't worry - Julie will explain the symbols and show how to figure out the foundation chain to get started. She'll also give us ideas to make filet easier and bring sample patterns showing the variety of projects that can be made using filet - it's not just for doilies. At the end of this session, you'll understand how to read filet crochet charts and might even be inspired to try your hand at "translating" other charted patterns into filet crochet!

Although filet crochet is most often associated with fine threads, it can be worked in ANY weight of yarn or thread desired. For this meeting, you'll need to bring the yarn or thread you are most comfortable with and the size hook recommended for that yarn or thread (plus a size up and down if possible). A light colored yarn will make it easier to see the stitches and the resulting pattern.

We hope to see you Saturday the 9th! And remember, we are meeting at Borealis Yarns instead of our usual spot this time.

Meeting Highlights: Blocking and Finishing

With our May meeting we concluded a series of three meetings dedicated to garments.  Hilary lead us through the basics of blocking and seaming.  Here’s an example of her expertise.  This is the inside of a wool sweater with set-in sleeves that she crocheted.  If the seams are this difficult to detect inside the sweater, you can imagine how well they blend into the fabric on the outside.

Why block?  Blocking serves to set the stitches and shape your piece.  If your gauge is a little off, blocking can even out the differences.  Some yarns are not finished until they are blocked, the fibers needing moisture to bloom and attain final shape.

When most people think of blocking, they think of doilies pinned and stretched within an inch of their lives.  However, some crocheters don’t pin and stretch doilies, preferring a more natural look.  With a garment, you will always want to block as blocking can improve your edges and make seaming easier.

There are a variety of methods to use for blocking.  Wet blocking involves immersing your project in water and letting it soak before gently removing the water and laying it out.  Steam blocking involves holding a good quality steam iron a few inches above your project and letting the steam set the stitches.  [Caution:  not all irons are good steam producers].  There are a variety of Internet sources of information on blocking.  This site covers the different blockingproperties of different types of fibers.   You can go to dummies.com and search for “blocking crochet” or “blocking knit” for some quick and to-the-point summaries on blocking techniques.

There are a varieties of stitch methods for seaming.  Here’s some points to remember:

• When seaming top or bottom rows together, you can bring your thread through all four loops or just through the two inner-most loops.  The examples shown here include both methods; a contrasting color yarn was used to make the stitches stand out. 
• It is important not to tug the thread too tightly; you want the seaming threads to have the same tension on them as the crocheted fabric has. 
• Place the item you are seaming on a flat surface after every few inches of seaming to check that the seam will lay flat. 
• Hilary prefers to use Clover’s Chibi bent tip needles (available at craft and yarn stores everywhere); the bent tip provides just a bit more control.
• Blocking wires can make it easier to achieve straight edges when blocking. 

Hilary prefers to use the whip stitch, which is like a cork-screw going over-down-under-up as you work your way up the seam. 

Whip stitch back side

Whip stitch front side

When making baby sweaters, the pieces can be crocheted together using a slip stitch or a single crochet to the outside of the garment.  This type of seam can also be decorative.

Single crochet front side

Single crochet back side

The mattress stitch (no picture available) essentially is a butt join where you first catch a small section of the piece on the left and then a small section of the piece on the right; the thread snakes from side to side as it works up the seam

Hilary brought a lacy shawl to the meeting.  She has promised to send us pictures of the blocking process she will use to finish the project.  Those pictures will be added to this post at a later time.

Our next meeting will be June 9, 2012.  Julie will take us through the intricacies of filet crochet.

Project Gallery May 2012

The idea of doily usually conjures up a light and lacy fabric with lots  open spaces. However, doilies also come in solid forms with lots of surface embellishment, like this doily Joy crocheted.  Here's a close-up showing the extended post stitches that create visual interest around the doily's center. Joy was concerned that her gauge got a little tighter as the crocheting progressed but we all agree it was just perfect.

Here's a project in reverse. A client gave Hilary this crocheted collar and asked her to write a pattern for it. The piece has a velvet ribbon wound through it just off the center line, resulting in a double-layered collar. This piece of lace has not been blocked. This piece is about twenty years old, not quite old enough to be vintage.

What makes a perfect project? First you make the perfect booties (which will have flower applique), then you make an adorable little hat with a large flower applique and some ribbon to wind through it.

Then you find the perfect buttons to put on the perfect little sweater. Carmelle is the maker of this baby layette. She has one more piece to make and that is the blanket.

And here's the completed layette!  Carmelle always chooses such interesting projects.  Just click on the pictures to see in a larger format.

This is a work in progress by Maxine. It will be a shawl from a Kristin Omdahl pattern out of Madelinetosh yarn. Madelinetosh does make a chunky yarn but is known for its lace weight and sock weight yarns. Love the color.

Since garments have been the topic of the last three meetings, we have some garments for show-and-tell. The first is a turtle back shrug by Jean. She used Lion Brand Homespun yarn in a single crochet back loop only stitch pattern. If you have ever made an afghan or garment from Homespun, you know how cozy this yarn can feel--and it comes in a zillion color combinations.

This is a detail from a work in progress by Jodi. She is making a summer top out of Cotton-ease, another Lion Brand yarn. The plain sleeve-less top will have a button closure at the hip.  This is another spot calling for a perfect button.

Blocking and Finishing: May 12 Meeting Preview

This meeting is the last of our series on Making Garments. Now that you've had a chance to practice a small garment and learned some tips for fitting garments to a specific size, in this meeting you'll learn tips for professionally finishing your garment or other crochet project. The right finishing techniques can help take your project from homemade to professionally handmade!

For the May 12 meeting (2:30pm to 4:30pm at Prospect Park United Method Church), Hillary will demonstrate a variety of blocking and finishing techniques:

• Blocking a garment - tips and techniques for blocking, demo of how to get started
• Seam techniques - review of the different seaming techniques and suggestions about determining which type of seaming technique to use
• Edgings - tips for working edge stiches evenly across ends
• Finishing off yarn - tips for weaving in yarn ends

To get the most from this class, please bring the following materials so that you can practice seaming techniques and edging techniques:

• Four to six crocheted swatches that are roughly the same size (at least 4" square)
  - or -
• Completed pieces from March baby sweater  

As always at our meetings, participation in the class is optional and there's a separate table set aside for anyone who wants to use the meeting time to work on other projects. This month, we'll also have a separate area where a more experienced member will help beginners on projects and problems of their choice.

We hope to see you on Saturday the 12th!