Tag Archives: afghan

Crochet For a Difference- Stacked Clusters

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Crocheters often have a desire, or a need to help others…at least in my experiences, and there are so many ways to Crochet for a Difference. I have found various local opportunities that can benefit from the handiwork skills of crochet and am sharing some stitch ideas and some organizations for you to make a difference in your local community.

I don’t really buy into the “crochet stitch names” kind of thing, meaning, unlike knitting that has an understanding that “garter stitch” is nothing but knitting every stitch, I don’t feel that there is anything that really fits this in crochet. If I call something a “popcorn”, all I am essentially saying is that it is a group of stitches that are joined at the top and bottom of the stitch…I am not telling you how many, or where the stitch is worked, there are just to many variables to be consistent over all the possibilities. So with that said, I have to have some way to differentiate from the stitches I want to share, thus they will have names, but keep in mind my names may not match what another designer may refer to the set of stitch patterns.

So I will refer to this stitch pattern as the Stacked Clusters.

A Cluster stitch is basically where the base of many stitches are worked into the same point, but are finished together as one stitch, in a manner of speaking, like a decrease worked in the same location.

For this stitch pattern the Cluster (Cl) stitch will be worked as follows: [Yarn over, insert hook into indicated stitch, Yarn over, pull through a loop, Yarn over pull through 2 loops] three times, there will be 4 loops on hook, yarn over and pull through all 4 loops.

Stacked Clusters www.lindadeancrochet.com

Stacked Clusters

Row 1: Create a chain that is a multiple of two, single crochet in the second chain from hook, [chain 1, skip 1 chain, single crochet in next chain] repeat across, turn.

Row 2: Chain 3, [Cl in chain-1 space, chain 1] repeat across, double crochet in last stitch, turn.

Row 3: Chain 1, single crochet in same stitch, [chain 1, skip 1 stitch, single crochet in next stitch] repeat across, turn.

Repeat Rows 2 & 3 until desired length.

For some more fun with this stitch, use two colors and change colors every row. Leave long tails when changing yarn and create fringe as you work.

Consider creating a lap size blanket and donating it to a local dialysis center. People receiving medical treatments such as dialysis, sit for an extended period of time, and often this alone can make anyone feel cold. Find a dialysis center near you…here.

The Book Club Afghan- A Twist On an Old Classic

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ScannedImageClassic Aran Fisherman afghans are ones that I have long admired. They are solid colors with panels of great textures like basket weave, cables, and popcorns, they always remind me of an almost formal bedroom type style, finished in fringe…well this could be the influence of the 1970’s on my childhood.

I have made one of these traditional style throws several years ago. I remember being frustrated with the tension of my first panel with the rest of the afghan, as it was looser than the rest, resulting in one side being taller than the other. And since it is worked the length, there were to many stitches for me to justify ripping it back and starting again.

Book Club Afghan, I like Crochet, February 2017 www.lindadeancrochet.com

Book Club Afghan I Like Crochet, February 2017 Photo courtesy Prime Publishing

I decided to recreate a more modern feel of this classic style with my latest design, found in the February 2017 issue of I Like Crochet, the Book Club Afghan. This blanket is worked the length of the afghan, with “panels” of different texture, different textures of lace. There are three differing types of lace separated by simple stitches, and creating a classic feel. When it is finished it is finished with fringe creating a feel for the classic while being lighter and airier.

This blanket can still dress up any bedroom, but since it does not feel as weighted down with heavy texture it has a more contemporary instead of classic feel allowing for a wider range of uses. This blanket is great for kids, or a throw on the sofa, or even kept in the car for an impromptu picnic.

If you wanted to deviate from the solid colors, consider creating the “traditional” crochet stitches separating the lace in one color, and working the lace stitches in another. This would offer a dramatic appearance as color would embolden this already distinct design.

Book Club Afghan, I Like Crochet, February 2017 www.lindadeancrochet.com

Book Club Afghan I Like Crochet, February 2017

The lace stitches also help correct the problem of tension I had in my classic experience, as the lace is a bit more forgiving, allowing more stretch in the stitches and reducing “accidental growth”.

I hope you enjoy working it as much as I did.

V Stitch- Crochet for a Difference

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ScannedImageCrocheting for a Difference, to me is a way to use my skills to benefit others. One of the drawbacks to being a Freelance Crochet Designer is that I do not get the direct feedback that I use to receive when I worked in the field of Social Work. It can be a bit isolating working from home, and not sure if you are making a positive impact on the world around you. So I crochet to help benefit others.

I have made countless scrap afghans and throws for a multitude of outlets and charities over the years. Even when I was staying at a city for only a short time I found places that could benefit from the hand skills of crochet. I have decided that I want to help encourage others to find a way to make a difference locally, so I am planning to share some stitch patterns and some ideas about places in your local community that might benefit from your crochet skills. I am calling it Crocheting for a Difference.

V Stitch Pattern for Crochet for a Difference

V Stitch

Today, I am sharing a basic V stitch pattern that I enjoy using to create a fast fabric. After establishing the first row, it really becomes pretty mindless, as you work the V stitches in the chain space created in the V stitch the row below. I usually work the entire length of the scrap yarn, and then change to the new color or skein, regardless of where I am in the fabric. This does cause color changes in the middle of a row, but I think it adds a nice rustic feel, but it can easily be a solid color, or stripes.

To begin you create a chain as long as you like (if you want Row 1 to work up without any extra chains, then crochet a chain that has a number of chains that is a multiple of 3, then add one more chain). Please note I am writing this stitch pattern in US standard format.

V stitch: (Double crochet, chain 1, double crochet) in the indicated location

Row 1: V stitch in the 5th chain from the hook, *skip two chains, V stitch in next chain; repeat from * across, double crochet in the last stitch, turn.

Row 2: Chain 3, V stitch in each chain-1 space across, double crochet in top of turning chain the row below, turn,

Repeat Row 2 until it is a desired length.

After creating an afghan in the stitch pattern consider donation to a Crisis Center, in some places known as a Women’s Center. Aiding those leaving domestic violence situations. Often when someone is leaving a volatile situation they leave with almost nothing, or nothing at all. A throw, an afghan, a scarf, a hat…all can help to begin a life anew.

An Afghan First for Me- Hand Dyed

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ScannedImageThis is actually a first for me. Now I have made what seems like a gazillion afghans, I have designed several, but Transmute Square really is a first for me; It was designed specifically with hand dyed yarns.

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Transmute Square Throw

Why does that make it so different, well for starters most people feel like hand dyed yarns are out of the price range, and thus an afghan is really not affordable. So I managed to create Transmute with only 6 skeins of yarn.

The unique thing about this yarn, Lisa Souza Targhee, is that is 100% Targhee wool. Targhee wool is an American breed, please note America is not known as a very large producer of wool, most of the world’s wool comes from New Zealand and Australia. Yet Targhee is a new heritage breed in the United States, so for me, it is local. Granted being 100% wool it may felt, so it care for it I use the delicate setting on the washing machine and I hang it on the clothes line to dry (or you could use the dryer with an “air only” setting, or little or no heat). This yarn will create a throw that is warmer than its acrylic counterpart, even with open work.

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Transmute Square Throw

So aside from the yarn characteristics, the fact that it is hand dyed creates a different effect in designing, the color repeats of this colorway, Deep Sea, is subtle, but as with most of these yarns the color repeats are not exceptionally long. I broke up these little sections of color with open work, to allow the eye to continually find visual interest.

Created with miter squares, this throw is completely join as you go, so you do not have to sew any squares together. This allows for a carefree kind of project, in a design that can easily be used in a masculine or feminine setting. By varying the square size this throw has a dynamic impact on its surroundings while having a very modern flair.

So consider opening your experiences to some yarns that you may not have thought of, you never know what gem you might find, and check out my Transmute Square pattern to put them to use.

Astral Flowers Throw with Humble Beginnings

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ScannedImageI fell in love with the Astral Flowers Square the moment it came from my hook, and still enjoy It as a throw in the October 2016 issue of Crochet World MagazineAs with much of my design style I happened upon this by playing and a little bit of a challenge, however the story of its beginning is not a happy one.

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Astral Flowers Throw Photo courtesy of Annie’s

A friend and fellow designer lost her daughter last year, and as a way of letting her know that she was the hearts and minds of vast community a fellow friend organized a formation of a friendship afghan. She asked for six inch squares in various colors that had significance to members of the suffering family. She selected a certain type of yarn, so that everything would work together nicely, and agreed to sew all the squares together. When all was said and done enough squares were created by various crochet designers, and others in the industry, that in the end there were at least 3 afghans created, the Astral Flower Square is among them.

I originally sat down with the three colors and just began putting them together without thinking of the stitches themselves, but the difficult time my friend was going through. I created a total of 6 squares, no sense in having partially used skeins when more squares could be created. In this methodical challenge of working squares I worked one with post stitches, this grew into this square.

133005_small2I will admit that I was a bit taken aback by the way the color can be so deceptive and making the square appear to have more going on than it really does. At one moment I can see a star in another I can see a flower, there seems to be depth and volume in the work, yet it really is just a couple of rounds. The only magic that happens is that the post stitches create an illusion of the color being worked in other ways.

The other thing that I find striking with this square is that the sides are not actually straight. The corners are slightly higher then than the center of each side, creating a little “key hole” type effect. I really like how this shape works at bringing a little something extra to the throw overall, and seaming the squares in the back loops only of the stitches creates a simple framed edge. The one drawback to the square, used in the fashion that I have, is that it really does need to be hand sewn together, no join as you go…but maybe if I play with a different edging…no, I think I like it the way it is.