Thursday, May 30, 2013

Tunisian Basics: June 8 Meeting Preview

You call it Tunisian crochet - your mother may have called it afghan stitch - your grandmother may have called it tricot crochet. No matter what you call it, it's a wonderful crochet technique that yields beautiful results - and it's going strong with new Tunisian patterns appearing every day.

At this month's meeting you'll have an opportunity to learn Tunisian for the first time or to practice Tunisian if you already know how. We invite all Twin City crocheters to join us Saturday, June 8 from 1pm to 3pm at Prospect Park United Methodist Church.

Julie will give us tips and tricks for working in Tunisian and then demonstrate the basics, including Tunisian simple stitch. Everyone will then have a chance to practice with a project: a headband that uses one to three of the basic stitches that you'll see demonstrated. All attendees will receive a handout with general information, stitch directions, and a  list of patterns and online resources. The pictures in this post are all samples that we'll have at the meeting and are all made from free patterns available on Ravelry, links included in the handout.

You will need to bring the following materials to this meeting:
  • An ounce or two of worsted or DK weight yarn for the headband
  • A size I9 / 5.5 mm hook - or J10 / 6.0 mm if you tend to crochet tightly. A Tunisian hook is not required; the rows on the headband are short enough that you can use a regular hook if you do not have a Tunisian hook.
We hope to see you there!

Charity Projects Update: May 2013 Meetup

Good coffee, good company, good charity crochet projects - what a great combination! And earlier this month, five of our members (Carla, Gail, Jo, Julie, and Max) had a great time as we gathered at Bruegger's SunRay to work on chapter community service projects.

This meetup most of us worked on Warm-Up America (WUA) blocks, with Julie taking the prize this time - she donated 45 blocks! No, Julie didn't make all these all at the meeting (nobody crochets that fast!). But we were all amazed that she had managed to complete so many so she shared her secret with us: these are actually grown-up swatches! She says that she gets a daily email from newstitchaday.com with a new stitch to try - so she's decided to practice by making the 7" x "9 WAU blocks. Great idea for us all!



We've started to track the number of charity items that our chapter donates to our selected service projects and will post updates to the blog when we announce future meetup times. Carla had been keeping track on paper so she was happy to start tracking electronically. If you weren't able to make the meetup, we invite to bring donations for our selected community service projects to any monthly meeting: Carla will make sure your donation is tracked and distributed to those in need.



Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Project Gallery May 2013

Rosemary brought two scarves for Show & Tell.  The first is a lovely gray acrylic version of the "feather and fan" pattern found on Ravelry (it's a freebie).  This scarf is as soft and cuddly as it looks.  The second scarf, a triangle was done in a sock yarn.  The color variations really emphasize the stitch patterns--no pooling colors here.  Nice work, Rosemary!

Two members did finish the tapestry crochet projects from our April meeting.  Jean made this short basket in green and white cotton.  Joan used worsted weight cotton with an H hook to make this tall container.  It is just the right size to hold a Mason jar, which would be great to hold pencils or other tall items on your desk.

Every meeting has to have a "wow item," and the little banana in this sock monkey baby blanket is it.  Jodi used two strands together to get the ragg (yes, that is the correct spelling) wool look of traditional sock monkeys.  The head was stitched separately and sewn onto the blanket square.





Here's an excellent example of letting the yarn work for you.  Julie used Bernat Mosaic in the psychelic colorway.  This is a Margaret Hubert pattern from Runway Crochet.



I think we're going to have to call Vi "Detail Girl."  She brought two bags to show us.  The first is a work in progress using the crocodile stitch.  She worked a rectangle in three colors.  Instead of a seam up the side, she will seam it up the middle front.  She is working up some flowers which will be sewn over the seam--can't wait to see that.  The second bag has a purchased handle with a separate glasses case attached.  As you can see by this view of the inside, Vi put as much effort into the lining as she put into designing the outside.  Beautiful job!




Meeting Highlights: Going Round in Circles


We began with a brief business meeting.  Here’s the highlights:
  • A retreat location has been chosen.  An email has already gone out to members with more information.
  • The members approved the bylaws changes that put our fiscal year in sync with our elections.
Maxine led us through the finer points of working circles.  If you were not at the meeting, you will want to ask her about the handout because it is a terrific resource.

There are three methods of beginning a circle:  with a joined chain, or working all your stitches into the first chain, or by using a magic circle.  Did you know that there is a correct way to make a slip stitch?  There is.  Did you know there is a better way to wrap the yarn around your hand when making a magic circle?  There is.  We spent some time discussing these techniques with a real “who knew” sense of wonder that something we’ve been doing for years can be so easily improved.  A suggested resource for this is Edie Eckman’s book Beyond the Square.

Here’s some tips regarding circles:
  • Always use a stitch marker to indicate rounds.
  • Research “invisible join crochet” on the Internet for some good ways to finish a circle.
  • Increases in rounds come in regular intervals—be sure to count your stitches.

Our next meeting will by June 8th, when Julie will lead us through a refresher course in Tunisian crochet.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Going Round in Circles: May 11 Meeting Preview

What do you think all these items have in common (except, of course, the cat)? If you guessed that they are all crocheted, you're right. If you guessed that they are all crocheted in the round, you're right again. The thing that may not be so obvious is that they were all designed "on the fly" using variations of a basic circle formula.

If you're interested in learning how to make hats, baskets, flowers, bags, drink cozies, coin purses, and any number of fun items - then you are invited to join us Saturday, May 11 from 1pm to 3pm at Prospect Park United Methodist Church.

Maxine will give us tips and tricks for working in circles and then provide general guidelines for making several projects; you'll pick the one that's most interesting to you and most appropriate for your skill level:
  • A flower pin (or pins)
  • A basket (with or without lid)
  • A hat (beret or beanie style)
The written guidelines and instructions that you'll be provided at this meeting will be more like a recipe with infinite variations than a traditional pattern. And if you think of a different circular project than the list we give you, that is great too. Each project will be unique, so help us remember to get a group photo - of the projects, not of us! - at the end of the meeting.

You will need to bring the following materials to the meeting:
  • A 2-oz or more ball or skein of yarn in a weight that you're comfortable with. If you're a beginner, we suggest a worsted weight yarn in light to medium color. You can bring multiple colors (and multiple types of yarn) if you'd like. If you plan on making a hat, you'll need 3 to 4 ounces.
  • Appropriate sized crochet hook for the yarn. If you're using worsted weight yarn, that's size I9 or J10 for most people.
  • Tapestry needle and scissors
  • Any circular projects that will be inspirational to others (including any completed projects from last month's tapestry crochet class) 
We hope to see you there. While this class is targeted to beginners, we hope that intermediate and advanced crocheters will enjoy the opportunity to play with circles and be a designer for the afternoon!

Charity Projects: May 19 Meetup Announcement

Time flies! It seems like just a few weeks ago that we gathered to work on charity projects as a group but it's actually been several months. Once again, the community outreach committee would like to invite all interested crocheters to join us for a CTC Charity Project Meetup on Saturday morning May 18 at the Bruegger's in Sun Ray Shopping Center in St. Paul. We have the private room reserved from 9AM to noon but you are free to come for any length of time. The only thing we ask is that you use the time you're at this meetup to work on the designated charity projects rather than other projects.

If you're joining us, please bring the following items:
  • A skein of smooth worsted weight yarn of machine-washable material such as 100% acrylic is best
  • A suitable hook for the yarn - for most people, this will be an I9 or J10 size hook
  • Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

To read more about the specific charity projects we will be working on plus answers to many other questions, see this blog entry about our first meetup.
A special note for those of you who plan to attend the May meeting on May 11 (Go Round in Circles): This meetup will be the perfect opportunity to practice some of the skills that you learn in that meeting by improvising your own hat designs!

Meeting Highlights: Tapestry Crochet


Our meeting started with a brief business meeting.  Just a reminder:  our next meeting will start with a vote on bylaws changes.  These changes have already been distributed by email to members.  Those who know they will not be able to attend the meeting can vote by replying to that email. 

April’s meeting focused on tapestry crochet.  Carla provided us with three pattern options for learning the technique, the simplest being a pop can cozy.  For those wanting more information, be sure to check out the tapestry group on Ravelry.

Here are some things to remember when doing this technique:

  • Your stitches can be loose or tight, just as long as they are consistent throughout the project.
  • Since you are working in the round, be sure to use stitch markers to mark the beginning of rows.
  • Tapestry crochet can be done using any weight yarn, but make sure the yarns you use are the same weight and that you use the proper-sized hook.
  • You can easily make your own designs by using graph paper.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, May 11, 2013, at Prospect Park United Methodist Church.  Maxine will lead us through an exploration of all things circular.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Project Gallery April 2013


Jody is ready to stuff this little tunisian pillow once she sews on the Celtic knot applique. Click on the image to see a blown-up version of it and you will see how the strands of knot flow over and under each other.

Erin made this sea glass bracelet for Jeanne.  Aren't the colors wonderful?  As you can see, it is possible to mix different sized beads in a project for stunning results.  Erin's friend has a bead shop in Taylors Falls--she'll give you directions if you ask.

Who doesn't love a good doily?  This effort, by Joy, is not crocheted using a single continuous strand. Individual motifs are crocheted and then joined into a whole.  You have to like working in fine ends to do this type of doily.  I wish I'd had a chance to see this up close because it just invites examination.

Here are some squishy little baskets by Lisa, great examples of what you can do crocheting in the round (the topic of our May meeting).  The one on the left reminds me of a souffle dish--wouldn't it be a hoot to crochet a squishy little souffle to go inside it?

This is Carol's version of a cardi-wrap, only without the sleeves. She used two different but related colorways of Kauni Effektgarn. Only two skeins were needed for this garment with 53 ounces of yarn left over. You can't quite tell by the first picture, but rather than let the front of the garment hang straight (not so hot for a larger bust), Carol secured it with crocheted and felted "collar studs." For more information on the project, check out oldcroaker's Ravelry project
page.

June made this toy based on the Mother Bear Project pattern (one of our charity efforts). June thinks this toy is a bit stiff, but maybe those outstretched arms just invite a hug. When making toys, there all sorts of admonitions about safety eyes, using child-friendly fibers and the like. This face was embroidered on. Unless you've tried embroidering a face on a toy, you have no idea how difficult it is to do this well.

Here's a felted purse by Jodi.  When felting objects made from highly contrasting yarns, it would be wise to test the yarns for colorfastness first.  Even if one does bleed, you can always crochet the pieces, felt them separately, then assemble.

Jodi made this scarf using a partial motif.  Instead of making a complete motif, one does just a portion of it, laddering partial motif upon partial motif.  Robin Chachula's stitch encyclopedia has several patterns that work like this.  These designs work best in solid colors.

Boy, gotta be careful what you suggest at one of our meetings--somebody is sure to take you up on it!  Jodi followed a suggestion from the March meeting and felted a bowl crocheted using the Bavarian technique.  The post stitches result in little lines of color, seen best here in the which and purple portions of the basket.  Because of how Bavarian crochet is worked, felting resulted in little holes (slits, actually) in the fabric.  Depending upon the desired use of the finished product, I don't think that would matter, do you?



Jodi was busy felting and also made these embroidered glasses cases.

Here's a camouflage cap with ear flaps and a brim done in an adult size by Jen (I hope it was Jen, because it wasn't June).

No, Lisa can't work with woolen fibers--and she didn't crochet this hat.  Darn cute hat though.