WOW... lots & lots of you are pretty excited about hyperbolic crochet. Maybe you're keen to have a crack yourself? Good on you I say...
Hyperbolic crochet is all about maths! You can find out all about the formula here.
I do not have a maths brain. What I read was blah, blah, blah, blah CHAIN blah, blah blah, blah SINGLE (AU double) blah, blah, blah, blah.
What I did...
CH 2 6DC (US single) into the 2nd chain from the hook.
Then I just spiralled (out of control) 2DC (US single) into each DC (US single) repeat ...... for 2 balls of yarn. It's probably not mathematically correct but it gave the desired result. My finished hot pink number fits into my cupped hands.
Further very valuable info...
Last night I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Sew La Tea Do by Pip Lincolne. The event was fabulous, the book is fabulous & actually Pip is quite fabulous. I was thrilled to be included.
I was further thrilled when Gemma Jones told me that The Melbourne Reef is being exhibited in Upwey! I'm so totally going along to see it. They are even hosting workshops.
A little while ago I picked up these beautiful crochet cushion cover/cosy pieces at the Op Shop for the princely sum of $2 a piece!
They are stunning & the work that has gone into making them...incredible. If you're all about the hook & proving your eye straining worth then go for it I say. You'll earn my respect.
BUT I'm all about the smoke & mirrors & figured I'd have a go at a bit of fakery based on the original.
I love the combination of natural & white. I've used a thrifted/opped table cloth & a hotel grade (also opped) sheet. The sheet further adds to the fakeness of the whole deal as I didn't even have to hem the envelope closure.
I ripped the sheeting to size & whipped a pair of these up in under 20 minutes. I figured this bit of magic might be something you guys would like to have a crack at. I think that they would make excellent Christmas gifts.
The Date hates the pretty girly lights, hates the TV cabinet & chair but surprisingly doesn't mind the cushions! He still thinks the room's too girly but I'm not convinced. I prefer fresh. Faker crochet cushion View more presentations from kootoyoo.
How It seems that the mulberry granny shrug has inspired a few of you to have a crack yourself. That's super exciting & exactly why this patch of web space exists. Over the weekend Lara & I have worked together to present to you the whole box & dice for the granny shrug enthusiast.
There's something for everyone. This is the master class...for lovely folk who like to follow a pattern, or maybe you need the visual (like me) or perhaps you'd like to watch a dinky video.
If you know how to make a granny square then you know how to make this shrug. Just crochet yourself a couple of lovely granny hexagons.
You can just skip over the "instructions" & make the granny exactly as you always do. Maybe you slip across to the next chain space...ripper knock yourself out. There is no "right" way to make it.
You'll just end up with a lovely curly hexagon...good, that's great...exactly what we want. Just keep checking your sizing after each round to decide when you're done.
Mine have been 9 rounds (in the Wilderness) but depending on your tension & hook size yours might be 8 or 10 or more. Keep folding the curly hex in on itself until you're confident that the fit will be right for you.
the pattern My very favourite crocheter is Lara. She's one of the reasons I picked up the hook in the first place. She likes to be good at stuff & works hard to make sure she gets things right. Well, guess what? She's written a fabulous, fabulous pattern (it might not have posted yet...be patient) for you to print & keep. And spared you all from my effort at a written explanation. Thank you Lara, you're the very best & it was lovely to share the making of the how to with you.
& the video Just so you know it was really hard to crochet standing up stradling a tripod & keeping (or trying) the crochet in the frame.
Australian/UK terminology
Yarn You've got a HUGE amount of flexibility here. You want to achieve a good deal of chunkiness & you'll just adjust your number of rounds accordingly so pick something that suits your style. I did make the suggestion the other day to use stash yarns crocheted together to make up the chunky style yourself.
I used Patons "Wilderness" 14ply. I like it...A LOT. It's a blend so purists might like to check out other options but I think it's just the perfect yarn for the job. Here's why... (& where to buy too).
OR you can have a go with 2 balls of 8 ply held together or whatever else takes your fancy. You'll just adjust your number of rounds according to tension & fit. Go nuts. Lara's using two strands of 12ply & is very happy with the result.
Hook I'd say 15mm. I'm really happy with the result I'm getting with the 15mm hook. You need it to be loose so that you get a nice drape with the finished "fabric". We're not going for sturdy here folks...we want the pretty drape.
Making Up I switched to a 2.65mm hook & just used double crochet up the centre back seam.
Then I doubled along the top sleeve seams & single crocheted along the back of the neck opening to give extra strength.
Again if you know how to do it your own way...do that. It will be great.
What, haven't had enough? Here's the steak knife! A round by round for the visual learner. How to make a granny shrugView more presentations from kootoyoo.
Other Stuff There's a flickr group. If you make a shrug we'd love to have it added to the group.
HAC class? There have been a couple of requests for a HAC class for the shrug. If you still think you need it or would like to make it up with a bunch of other girls over tea & biscuits, I'd be happy to run it over two evenings. If you're keen please email me kootoyooATgmailDOTcom & if we get enough interest we'll go ahead.
It was so nice to have a bit of time to myself yesterday.
I've had a few emails asking for pointers on stem stitch & again I think that this is the kind of thing best learned by watching & listening rather than still shots or sketches.
I stitched a bit of lettering & thought that I'd share the video. I've kind of adapted my traditionally taught stem stitch over the years. Vick...if you're reading this - click away now. This is my "go to" stitch. I use it for lettering, for outlining & for anything with a curve. I love the flexible nature of this stitch. You can very easily rocket ahead on straight sections & then slow right down & do teeny tiny stitches around sharp turns. It's a forgiver...I like that.
Hoping that this helps you out & you become a (sort of) stem stitcher too.
Now that I watch this video...is it any wonder my stitches are so tight. Just look at how I "correct" each stitch.
We all know I'm a huge fan of just about anything "on wood" but I had no idea just how much I was going to love the crochet table cloth hacked & tacked to a couple of pieces of thrifted furniture.
Things are coming together quite nicely in the new house. If you've had a peek inside my place you'd notice that there was only a tiny patch of our bedroom photographed. We've been looking for something nice & skinny for the TV to sit on. It's in an awkward place because it's very close to the ensuite door.
I'd picked up this glass fronted cabinet at the Op Shop (for $5) intending for it to be hidden in The Date's office & reserved for his "straight to the pool room" golf trophies & such. It looked ridiculous & he pitched it out into the hallway earlier in the week. I seconded it for this maybe temporary maybe permanent fixture in the bedroom.
I'm not a huge wrap for the basket shelves (which came out of this unit) I've fashioned below & prefer a more open look. I've got another idea for that (which will hopefully still hide the power cords). I'll keep you updated.
While I had the glue gun out I worked a bit of crochet magic on this sweet chair (also Opped for the princely sum of $5).
Beautiful floaty images by Bricolagelife.
So I think I've managed a pretty nice bedroom makeover for under $20! Unbeatable value & my very favourite ... reused, repurposed, recrafted, upcycled.
If you fancy having a go at this yourself it's just super-easy-thrown-together fun.
You'll need... double sided tape, spray adhesive, hot glue gun, a thrifted crochet table cloth ($2-$8).
For the cabinet... Using double sided tape create a frame on the inside of the door (as close to the glass as possible).
Then... Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.
Now... Expose the double sided tape & position your crochet piece.
And... Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.
Finally... Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.
Repeat for the other door.
For the chair... Rough cut the table cloth to size. Keep all the motifs intact at this stage.
Then... Spray the wrong side of the tablecloth piece with spray adhesive.
Now... Position on the chair.
And... Use your hot glue gun to more permanently adhere the crochet piece.
Finally... Trim away excess fabric so that everything looks nice & neat.
Here's the how to for my wrist cuff. This cuff makes an excellent gift & is a fairly quick & easy project.
You should be able to pick up vinyl off cuts from your local hardware or flooring shop.
Obviously you could stitch text or basic images using the same technique. Just be careful not to make your design too detailed...you'll drive yourself crazy.
How To Make a Wrist Cuff - faux wood & embroidered.View more presentations from kootoyoo.
- You can pick up the print friendly PDF tutorial here... how to make a wrist cuff
I'm planning on doing more "how to" posts this year. I've made myself a rule ... but it's a bit early to say if I'll stick to it. I really enjoy making them & it's all about keeping me motivated.
OR maybe you'd like to come to a HAC workshop to make it with me? If I get enough interest I'll go ahead.
Date: Saturday 6th February 1-5pm Venue: Balwyn TBC Cost: $55 includes all materials & refreshments Email: to register your interest kootoyooATgmailDOTcom with HAC 6th February in the subject line.
No surprises here...Claire has inspired my to have a crack at something new - Once daily
I'll be photographing the kitchen bench...ever changing & in the hub of the house. It's going to be fun & I think I'll get a real kick out of looking back on it once I've got a few photos up. Maybe you might like to join in?
Visit Once Daily
Today's bench isn't mundane at all...
-Machine stitched portrait by Frutejuce which arrived in the mail...isn't it wonderful? See how she did it here. -Ebay purchased "necklace of raindrops". Amaretto...yum. -Overstuffed wallet...sadly not stuffed with cash.
There have been a few questions about my giant circle drawing.
I just used the biggest circle we had in the house (which happened to be a footstool). This wasn't quite large enough so I extended it by taping a pencil to a glue bottle. Then as I moved the bottle around the footstool...hey presto greylead circle.
I broke out the lino cutting tools for the first time in about 20 years.
I know I've talked before about the wonderful school I went to and how I swanned around the art department in a dreamy textile, garment and ceramic haze.
The printmaking studio was one of my favourite haunts. I'm sure I haven't used proper technique but I had such a lot of fun. My twitter mate reminded me of the wonderful smell & it's true...cutting lino smells really good.
I should be music boxing but instead I'm having a crack at a (largely recycled) version of a quilting board. Justine has one...it's an ironing board, cutting, tracing & piecing mat all rolled into one handy little notebook style thingy. Super handy little tool really.
Anyway, progressing well despite the frequent stop/starting because of vomiting smallest.
