Tag Archives: Flower

Flower Trellis Afghan, Where You Place the Stitches Makes the Difference

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ScannedImageThe unique thing about crochet is that it all depends upon where you place your hook. Basically there are only a couple of stitches, but a very look happens when the stitches are placed in different places.0001830918_small2

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One side of Flower Trellis Afghan “Flowers” Photo courtesy of Annie’s

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Opposite side of Flower Trellis Afghan, “Snowflake” Photo courtesy of Annie’s

My Flower Trellis Afghan, on the cover of the current special issue of Crochet! Magazine From Scraps to Sensational, really shows how stitch placement can create a completely different effect, allowing this afghan to have two different but equally beautiful sides.

This afghan is comprised of motifs, which are only 3 round each. The first 2 rounds are the pops of color! Only a little yarn is needed for these rounds, so it really puts the scraps in your stash to work, the more interesting the color, or variegation, or hue of the yarn, the more interest to the overall effect.

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Flower Trellis Afghan Photo courtesy of Annie’s

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Flower Trellis Afghan Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The really magic occurs in the third round. The stitch placement of working in round 1 behind round 2, allows for the petals of the “flowers” to become distinguished, while creating the “snowflake” appearances on the opposite side. Or at least that is what I envision when I see them.

The other great feature about this afghan is that it is joining as you go; all is worked in the third round. So working the color of the motifs can be completely portable, and then join them all together when working the last round. This is a rewarding project, as it really helps clean up the left over bits of yarn you have been holding onto for the “special” project, and by placing your stitches in a different location you find that you have a project that has a personality, and differing effect on either side

Blossom Spins and Flowers on the Beach Thoughts

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ScannedImageThis is a busy time of year. All the work that filled my days at the end of summer is now making its way onto the newsstands to be enjoyed!

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Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The special issue of Crochet! Magazine, Quick & Easy Crochet Accessories features two of my new designs (one if actually featured on the issue cover!), and I thought that I would share some of what went into creating them.

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Blossom Spins Wrap Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The first one, the Blossom Spins Wrap, grew out of some playing I was doing with the picot stitch. The picot is usually noticed in edges and is created from a set of chains that are slip stitched back to the same base stitch. This creates a little nub, or dot, along the stitch pattern. I was attempting to see what other secrets this little decorative stitch might hold. In doing so I made the chains a little longer and now created a loop that could become the foundation for other stitches! In the case of the wrap these picots hold a shell stitch that allows for a subtle wave, making these square motifs appear more like diamonds.

The other real charm of this design, the color work, is all done by the yarn. Both of these designs I am discussing are created with Deborah Norville Serenity Garden Yarn, it is a light weight yarn that is silky and soft. It comes in a wide array of color ways and creates lovely striping, and in the result of the motifs, creates a beautiful speckling of color highlights.

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Flowers on the Beach Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The other design, the Flowers on the Beach Bag, came into being from the flowers. The flowers are a design that I have played with, creating the petals large and wide in just a single row, and then basically outlining the edge of the flower by working a round of single crochet directly on top. I have found that I really enjoy these flowers, and they, like the motifs in the wrap, offer a great way for the color of the yarn to create a fun dimension. The mesh bag that the flowers are worked onto is quite simple and easily collapses, not taking up much room when being stored, but then can readily carry all the necessities for a day at the farmer’s market or a picnic at the beach.

In retrospect these designs really sing due to the color of the yarn, the structure of the designs themselves hold a good positive and negative space, but the color is what catches your eye and draws you in more. I might have to play with some more color changes and see how that can affect the outcomes of designs that I feel are missing something….you’ll never know when the right combination will come together.

A Month of Crochet- A Focus on Color

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ScannedImageWow, a whole month focused on crochet! It has been fun following all the blogs featured on the Crochetville blog tour, and thank you Amy & Donna for all your hard work in pulling this together.National Crochet Month 2014

 

This year the blog tour is featuring the charitable organization of Halos of Hope. Please consider making a hat for the cause or make a financial contribution to this organization that helps many with cancer. Find more information at Halos of Hope. Halos of Hope

 

So spring is in the air, it always brings about the thoughts of color for me, which is always an inspiration. Granted I have not been living in a world of winter white, but seeing all the flowers open up and the trees beginning to bloom looks like a painters palette to me. So I grab some yarn and begin to play, but not all yarns are created equal.

 

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Notice the difference between the lines of color in the bottom of the swatch, double crochet clusters, and the band toward the top worked as single crochet. Different stitches, different color pooling.

Lately I have pulled toward variegated yarns, ones that have a mixture and change of color within the skein. However the length of each color run can make a real difference in how my finished fabric looks, so I have to take it into consideration.  I pulled some variegated yarn off the shelf the other day, with the inspiration of spring, but found that my fabric just looked like a bunch of speckled dots, and there was no “color pooling” that happens when colors stack up upon themselves.

 

Why did my work look like little specks? The stitches I was using. Most yarns are not created with crocheters as the primary user in mind, so as a result the color repeats are usually shorter then would best highlight the art of crochet stitches. Often each stitch will include more than one color resulting in speckling. However, with a little playing, stitches can be found that act a little differently. A good example of this is Tunisian crochet, that gives pooling more like that of knitting, but even changing from double crochet to single crochet can create a difference in the appearance of the fabric, and one that might be more what I am looking for.

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Left and Right same yarn, different stitch. Left in Tunisian, Right in single crochet cluster.

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I was playing with some hanks (the twisted up rounds of yarn that need to be unwound into a ball for easier using), that were dyed by an Independent dyer , these are businesses that are usually small in size and create beautifully colored yarns in small batches, some even painted by hand. I found the color runs of each hank to have been about a foot long, and created just a couple of stitches in each color. I asked the dyer about this, and was enlightened to learn about the process she used. She explained that to create longer color runs she would have to have a way to work with the hank either in a much longer format, or have it unwound then rewound into the hanks standard size, to be dyed/painted. Both approaches are more labor intensive and cost prohibitive. Since the yarn is so beautiful though, I think I can find a stitch that will work in complimenting it.

 

Basically, if you find a yarn that you love, be mindful that it may not be the best match for every pattern you find. So do a little of that dreaded word….swatching, and see how the color comes together. It really can help you find some beauty. Your crochet is your therapy, your art, your history, so help your vision come to life, use the yarns you love and work the patterns you enjoy. Do not be limited by want the photo shows or the materials listed, make each crochet moment your own.

 

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Free Garden Flower Head Band

Now if you have any scarps left give my newest free pattern a try! It is a head band, which has an attached flower (worked as you go, no sewing!), so check it out Garden Flower Head Band, and find my self-published designs at Crochetville, Ravelry and Craftsy.