It's totally faker crochet! If you are a purist...power to you. Hook yourself some little caps for soap.
I confess I find the gifting of handmade items something of a challenge. It's one thing to give something you've painstakingly hooked, or stitched, or knitted, or sewn to someone else who makes things & appreciates them. It's quite another to gift the same items to folk who've no idea of the time involved. Faker or not - it's all the same to them. So...at this time of year when you're crafting to give I heartily recommend the faker route.
I got lucky at the oppy a couple of weeks ago & picked up a set of 6 crochet coasters which were a bit stained & yick. I slung them in the washing machine & stared at them for a while & wondered if a soap cosy might be just the ticket? Loofah & soap in one...yep! Time to have a crack folks.
Five minutes flat per soap...maybe less.
How to make faker crochet covered soap View more presentations from kootoyoo.
It doesn't rely on tension, hook size, type of yarn blah de blah.
You just need to worry about making sure the rectangle of fabric measures...
circumference x head height = super cute 'x' stitch beanie
I was lucky enough to have recipients easily lassoed by the measuring tape but if you're making for a gift you might like to refer to this excellent size chart found via google this afternoon. Thanks Bev.
How to make a crochet & cross stitch beanieView more presentations from kootoyoo.
I knew the heart wasn't going to fly so The Big Girl & I went for something très sophistiqué. The kid hasn't taken the beanie off since it was gifted. Both The Little Guy & The Date think it's fabulous (& those fellas are a tough craft audience).
There's a pdf here if that helps you out.
It goes without saying that you don't have to be able to crochet to make this beanie. You could follow the same formula & use some lovely wool jersey & the machine. That'd make it super quick.
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.
I do love French Knots & I trot them out at every opportunity. Time consuming if you cluster them - yes. This lot represents about 4 hours of knotting!
But I remember they were mystifying for such a long time. Maybe it was the quick movement of Vicky's hands...they always seemed beyond my reach. I always ended up in a French mess!
I've had a few people ask about French Knots so I've prepared a little video of how I French Knot. For me the key/secret is the "correction" which you'll here about & see if you watch the video. I hope you find it useful. It's a great stitch to have in your "kit".
I'm working on my video skills. Obviously I was holding the piece too close to the camera...ah well...practice, practice, practice.
Video made using The Flip. Thanks to Flip Video, I love this piece of equipment.
