Stitch Swatch Sampler: General Information and Swatch 1 Instructions

I am very excited about our new Stitch Swatch Sampler project!  I have been busily crocheting swatches and writing out instructions.  It is my hope that this project will build crochet skills, not only in beginner crocheters, but in intermediate and advanced ones, as well.  I intend to include some "Pro Tips" in the instructions that even advanced crocheters may find interesting.

A friend was asking if I thought she could use the swatches to teach her grandchildren to crochet.  I think this would work well for teaching someone who has never crocheted before.  To that end, I will try to include instructions for the basic stitches from a booklet I wrote years ago, entitled Crochet Basics.

  I would recommend spending additional time on the first swatch that utilizes each of the basic stitches (sc, dc, hdc, tr) to make sure the beginner can work them evenly and achieve gauge, before moving on to the more advanced swatches.  It would probably be a good idea to make several swatches of each basic stitch, to become comfortable with working that stitch.

Here is the information you need to do this project.

GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION

**Please note that we will be using American terminology and American hook sizes for this project!

Materials:  Worsted Weight Yarn, Size 4,  6 oz. for a 12 by 12-inch pillow

30 oz. for size 3 ft by 4 ft throw

50 oz. for size 4 ft by 5 ft throw

Size I hook (but you may need to use a larger or smaller hook to achieve gauge for some                     of the swatches)

I have had such fun playing around with stitch patterns for the swatches, and I have been learning new things, too.  The "Pro Tips" for the Single Crochet Swatch are things I have discovered recently...I hope you will find them useful.  So now, without further ado, here are the instructions for the first swatch!

SWATCH 1:  SINGLE CROCHET

Single Crochet Swatch

See information below on how to do the chain and the single crochet stitch, if you are new to crochet.

Ch 14.  (Multiple of 1 + 2 turning chains)

Row 1:  Sc in 3^rd ch from hook and in each ch across.  Turn work.  12 sts.

Row 2:  Ch 1, sc in each st across.  Turn work.  Rep Row 2 until you have 15 rows or 4 inches.

Abbreviations:  Ch  Chain     sc  single crochet     st  stitch     Rep  repeat

Single Crochet Pro Tips:

• ·         Always use a starting chain that is 2 stitches more than the number of stitches you need for your project, and work your first sc into the 3^rd stitch from the hook, for the neatest corner.  This is different than the way I was taught, and the way I describe in Crochet Basics, but it works better.
• ·         When you reach the last stitch of the row, instead of working into this stitch, work into the starting chain of the previous row, for a nice, straight edge.
• ·         When turning your work at the end of a row, try turning the piece to the back, then to the left, rather than forward as if you were turning the page in a book…I have found that this produces a nicer edge (note that the instructions below say differently...I have learned some new tricks since I wrote those instructions!).

Note:  Be sure to check your gauge when you complete this piece.  It should measure 4 inches by  4 inches.  If your piece is bigger, try using a smaller hook.  If it is smaller, switch to a larger one.  Gauge is very important in crochet…it will help you make the finished product the size you want it to be.  I have designed each square to be 4 inches, but only if you get the same gauge I do, and that may not happen on your first try.

If you cannot get the same gauge by using a different hook, you could try working a little tighter or looser.  Or you could alter the number of stitches and rows in your square.  This gets more complicated with taller or more intricate stitch patterns, but it may be possible.  I will try to post the stitch multiples for each stitch, to make it easier to figure out how many starting chains you need.  For sc, you can chain any number to start, plus two turning chains.

Feel free to make as many of each swatch as you want!  If you want to stop with single crochet, you could make all the squares for your blanket using just that one stitch.  But I really hope you will be inspired to try more of the stitches, and develop your skills while having fun with us.

The first dozen or so of these stitches were adapted from the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework, which has a section of stitch patterns.  But we will be drawing from other sources, too.

Excerpted from Crochet Basics by Rebecca Harmon

Crochet is a method of making fabric from yarn, which is made into a series of interlocking loops using a hook.  Here are the most common crochet stitches. 

Chain 

With the tail of the yarn hanging down from the little finger, wrap the yarn around the fingers of the left hand as shown in Fig. C-1.

Fig. C-1

Pick up the crochet hook and hold it as you would a pencil.  Insert the hook through the loop on your thumb with the point of the hook pointing towards the tip of the thumb.  See Fig. C-2.

Fig. C-2

 Rotate the tip of the hook counter-clockwise so the yarn between the thumb and the index finger is caught on the hook (see Fig. C-3).

Fig. C-3

 Carefully pull the tip of the hook back through the thumb loop; slip the thumb from the loop and pull the ends of the yarn until the loop is snugged up just under the hook.  Do not pull the loop too tight, because you will need to insert the hook into it later.  You have just made the first stitch of your chain.

Now, holding the first stitch between the thumb and middle finger of your left hand, catch the yarn on the hook again (Fig. C-4), and draw through the loop on the hook (the old loop will slide off the hook and the new loop will be in its place).

Fig. C-4

Continue catching the yarn and drawing it through the loop on the hook until the chain is the desired length. 

Single Crochet

Now we are ready to start forming the fabric.  We will begin with the single crochet stitch (abbreviated sc).  Pull the chain out so that it stretches away to the left of the loop on the hook.  Insert the tip of the hook into the 2^nd chain from the hook (see Fig. SC-1).

Fig. SC-1

 Catch the yarn on the hook, and draw through the chain stitch; there are now 2 loops on the hook (Fig. SC-2).

Fig. SC-2

Catch the yarn again, and draw through both loops on the hook (one single crochet stitch completed).  Insert the hook into the next chain stitch to the left, catch the yarn, draw through the chain, catch the yarn again, and draw through both loops on the hook.  Continue working a single crochet (sc) into each chain across.

Second Row:

Make 1 chain stitch at end of Row 1, then turn the piece of crochet as if it were a page in a book.  Insert the hook under the top two loops of the first single crochet stitch (the one at the right end of your work).  Catch the yarn and draw through the stitch; catch the yarn again and draw through both loops on the hook.  Continue to work one single crochet into the top two loops of each stitch across the row.  The rest of the rows should be worked in the same manner as Row 2.

At the end of the last row of single crochet, cut the yarn about 8 inches from the last stitch.  Pull the hook up so the tail end pops through the top of the last stitch, and pull snugly to secure it and keep your work from unraveling.  This is called ending off or breaking off, and can be done with any stitch.  

Miss Ellen's Mount Hood Doorstop

When my friend Ellen heard me describe the Sea Stone Paperweights I've been making from special stones I pick up along the beach, she knew she had to commission me to make one for her.  But the thing was, what she really wanted was a doorstop...something larger that would hold a door open or closed.

Ellen has been collecting special stones for many years now, so she had quite a few to choose from.
She had planned to find one on an upcoming trip, but when that trip became impossible because of some health concerns, she decided to find one from her collection.

She called one day, excited to tell me about the stone she had found.  She said she calls it her "Mt. Hood Doorstop" because it is shaped like a mountain, with a point on the top.  She had certain colors she wanted, to match her decor...white, and gray, and mauve.  She was afraid the sharp edge on the rock might be a problem, and we discussed the possibility of covering the point at the top with crochet, so it wouldn't be too sharp.  There were also some sharp edges on the side and bottom of the piece, as well.

As we brainstormed the doorstop design, I began to get an image in my mind of what this creation could look like.  We both began to get excited as we imagined our creation!  I suggested that I could do the white top at the peak resembling snow, and then do some of the gray in an openwork pattern so the rock could show through.  I asked her if she would mind if I used some forest green along the lower flanks of the mountain, and she suggested that maybe I could use the mauve to represent flowers sprinkled through the forest.  Later she called me back and asked if I could make some white parts that would flow down like glaciers...I had already planned to do that.

I was very excited when her husband dropped by soon after with the rock and some color swatches.

The front face of the rock

The back face of the rock

A couple of the colors I had in my stash of crochet thread, but the others proved to be elusive.  Apparently there is not much call for mauve crochet thread these days!  But I managed to collect the  colors I needed.

The tools and materials for the doorstop

I had asked my husband if we had anything that could smooth the sharp edges on the stone, and he said no.  He suggested emery cloth, but I didn't know where I could get some.  One day, as I was running my finger along the rough edges of the stone, I got an idea.  Would an emery board work?  I had a few around, and tried one.  It smoothed the sharp edges of the stone into a fine dust, without marring the flat surfaces of the rock.  Praise the Lord!  Problem solved.

I was now able to begin crocheting the cover for the rock.  My plan was simple (or so I thought).  I would make the "snowy top" first, then do most of the lacy gray openwork part, then crochet the bottom green and mauve part, and last I would use the gray to connect the top and bottom parts.

I began with the white, making a relatively amorphous cone for the top of the mountain.  I wanted some "glaciers" that would come farther down the mountain than others.

The "snow" for the top of the mountain

When this was completed, I tried it on.  It looked ok.

Next, I worked on the openwork with the gray thread.

At first, I just worked a network around the white edges, but I didn't like the corners that this formed in the white thread.  I ripped it out, and worked a round of sc in gray around all the white edges, then worked the network again.  This looked much better.

Now, I was ready to work the most difficult part of the doorstop...the green bottom part.  This was difficult because the rock was such a complex shape.  I decided to work a flat piece for the bottom that would more or less match the shape of the bottom of the rock.

Comparing the flat bottom to the bottom of the rock

When I had the flat part more or less matching the shape of the rock bottom, I worked a round of crochet all around it and began working upward in rounds.  I had decided to use a shell stitch for the sides of the forest, and intersperse pink bobbles among them for the flowers.  After I had worked several rounds of this, I tried it on the rock.

It was a bit loose...especially at the top, where the rock was rapidly decreasing in size.

I tried the top on, too...just to get an idea of how they would fit together.  I decided I would need to decrease several times on the edge where the stitch marker is, to make it fit better.  I ended up ripping back the gray part, and redoing parts of it, before working the joining round.

 Here is the finished product.  I wish the green part was a little less wonky, but overall I am pleased with the results.  I might just have to look for more mountain-shaped rocks!  I think Miss Ellen will love it.

 The back side of the mountain is not quite so neat and tidy, because of its uneven shape.

Side view

Opposite side view

Looking at the side views shows how wonky the shape really was...this is what made it complicated to fit the crochet to the rock.

Here are a couple more photos of the mountain, because I had so much fun taking them!

When my daughter saw the photos I had taken, she suggested that I do some with blue sky as the background, so it would really look like a mountain.  So here are a couple shots.

P.S.  This doorstop is a Christmas present for Miss Ellen...let's keep the photos to ourselves until Christmas!

Sisters and Sea Stones

Last May, my siblings and I, along with our spouses, spent about a week at the Oregon Coast.  It was somewhat bittersweet, as one of my sisters has cancer, and we wanted to spend some time with the four siblings together, Just in Case.

We talked about all sorts of things, laughed together (enjoying the humor that our family all seems to share), shared our dreams, hopes and fears, and reveled in just being together and in the beauty of creation and the raw power of the crashing waves.  We talked about our parents, and the things that had shaped us into the people that we have grown up to be.  We probed our differences, and came away with a renewed affirmation of our love and commitment to each other in light of (and in spite of) them.

Retaliation for my taking their photo!

One day, as I was walking on the beach with two of my sisters, we found a few stones that I thought might work for my crocheted Sea Stone Paperweights.  We brought them back to our beach house, and set them on the table for the rest of our stay.  We talked a bit about the paperweights I have been making from stones I pick up on the beach.

After our return, I realized that I had been staying at the beach with three sisters (well, technically two sisters and a sister-in-law), and I had picked up three rocks to use for Sea Stone Paperweights.  It seemed meant to be...I would make a paperweight for each of them, as a memento of our time together.

The paperweights are created by crocheting around the stone with a fine crochet thread and a tiny hook.  It can be a bit tricky getting the crochet to fit nicely on the stone.  But I'm finding that making these little gems is a bit like eating potato chips...I keep wanting to make just one more!

Here are the paperweights, each designed with a specific sister in mind.

I suppose I should have made one for my brothers, who were also there...sorry, Ray (and Tim!).  They seemed more like a sisters' thing.

I plan to ship each of these off to a sister over the next couple months.

I hope they like them!

I am getting ready to list some Sea Stone Paperweights in my Etsy shop.  Watch for them!  They would make a wonderful gift for the person who has everything.

Musings on Crochet Techniques: Beginning a Double Crochet Row

Earlier this year, I acquired Lily Chin's video, Crocheter's Toolbox (on sale today at the Interweave store at a fantastic price!) and I have been listening to it in the afternoons as I work on my current pattern project.  Today, I was listening to her describe an innovative technique for starting a row of double crochet without the gap produced by the standard ch-3 beginning.  Her technique involves working a loose single chain instead of the ch-3, and working the first dc into the first st, instead of counting the ch-3 as the first st.  (Not intending to be a spoiler...buy the video or the book, she has lots of great techniques and ideas to help you crochet more efficiently!)  I had done this before in working dc rounds, but had not tried it when working rows before.  I will illustrate the usual technique, then Lily's technique, and finally my adaptation to her technique.

First of all, the normal technique uses a ch-3 to raise the yarn to the level of the dc st:

Chain 3 to begin row

Skip the first st and dc into the second one.

See the holes created by the starting chain?

I was curious to see how the beginning of the row would look with just the single, loose chain at the front, so I put down my work and picked up a hook and yarn.  I tried a swatch, and liked the no-gap look.  Here is how you do it:

Pull up on the loop till it is about the same height as the dc

Yo hook and draw through loop to form a very loose chain

Turn work; dc in very first st.

At end of row, dc into top of last dc but ignore the loose chain.

This creates much less of a gap between the stitches!

The edge is a bit wavy, and the chain looks a bit sloppy.

No gap...I loved it!  One little thing bothered me, though.  That first stitch with its accompanying loose chain looked pretty bulky, and the chain stuck out to one side of the fabric a bit; and because the chain was loose, it looked as if it might catch on things.  I wondered if I could make that edge a bit smoother?  I tried a few different ideas, and here is what worked best.

Work a loose chain about the same height as a dc, as above.  When it is completed, before wrapping the yarn around the hook to start your dc, swivel the tip of the hook counterclockwise two full turns (see arrow in photo below).  This puts two twists into the loop on the hook, and seems to give the yarn in the chain a little elasticity, so that it pulls together a little bit more than the chain without the extra twists (or at least that's my theory).  Then work your dc in the very first stitch, as usual.  Here are the illustrated instructions for my adaptation:

Rotate the hook twice counterclockwise after making the loose chain.

Dc in the very first stitch as before.

The completed row...it seems just a tiny bit less bulky to me.

 Here is a photo of my swatch.  I placed a yarn marker where I started my revised version of Lily's technique.  It's not a huge difference, but I like the more compact, less wavy edge.  And the chain at the edge is less likely to catch on something, because it is pulled a little tighter.

Lily's method below the blue marker...mine above.

I hope you will enjoy this technique.  I love "hanging out" with great crocheters, because their innovative ideas spark my own explorations.  Thank you, Lily! 

Inspiration: Novelty Yarn

 

I was recently given a couple of skeins of Ice Yarns Frilly, a new novelty yarn that creates a ruffle when you knit or crochet with it.  This is a very popular type of yarn these days, and I had been meaning to try it but hadn’t gotten around to it.  Thanks to my daughter, Katie, I now had some to play around with.

I had the idea that I’d like to try something a little different with this yarn than the typical scarf pattern one usually sees it used for.  Katie had made a beautiful headband with some of hers, but I didn’t want to duplicate what she had done.

As I looked at the yarn (which in its un-knitted state looks like a thick, ½ inch wide braid), I thought that I would like to try using it in tandem with another yarn.  I searched my stash and found just the thing…Cascade Eden, a lovely bamboo yarn, in a shade of hot pink that was very close to the darker edge of the Frilly.  I reasoned that if I used another yarn for the base of the scarf, the novelty yarn would go farther. 

To make the scarf, I began crocheting with the Eden for a few rounds, then worked a slip stitch with the Frilly for a round, working into the darker edge of the braid so the lighter shade was at the outer edge of the ruffle.  This worked pretty well, and I believe it used less of the Frilly than working in single crochet would have used.  I worked another round in Eden, and then decided to try a different effect on the edge.  Working into the light edge of the Frilly this time, I used the Eden to slip stitch the Frilly to each stitch of the scarf, inserting the hook closer than I had on the previous Frilly round.  This created a less ruffled look, with the darker shade on the outer edge of the ruffle.

I had enough of the Frilly left that I was able to make a cap with a couple of rounds of Frilly with the remainder of the ball of yarn!

Frugality and Creativity

Frugality seems to be ingrained deep in my nature.  I balk at paying full price, and love to shop at second-hand or thrift stores, to find things I can use at a reduced price.  So I often find myself hesitating at paying full price for yarn, especially since I began occasionally buying yarn wholesale.  But sometimes a yarn is just so special or so beautiful, that I allow myself to splurge a bit. 

Last year, I found myself eyeing some balls of Patons Kroy Socks, a lovely variegated yarn with beautiful colorways.  I think it was even on sale, and I had a pattern to use it for.  But the problem was, that even on sale, I would have to pay twice as much to make this pattern, because the yardage was less per ball.  The yarn I have typically used for my Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves is Red Heart's Heart & Sole, which has 213 yds. per 50g ball; but the Kroy Socks only has 166 yards.  This meant that I would likely need two balls.  I wrestled with the decision, but finally gave in and bought two balls.

Scalloped Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

As I began making the gloves, I enjoyed seeing the interplay of color.  The yarn was enjoyable to work with, and I soon had completed a pair of gloves.  But it seemed like there was still quite a bit of yarn left.  It seemed such a waste not to use it for something!  And this started the creative juices flowing.  I mulled it over, and decided to try making a pair of knitted gloves with the remainder.  I made a gauge swatch, and selected a pattern stitch, then hopefully cast on.  After knitting ribbed cuffs, I switched to the pattern stitch, and shortly thereafter started the thumb shaping. 

When I had completed the glove, I weighed it and the remaining yarn.  It would be close!  The completed gloves used up all but a short length of the yarn.  But what a satisfying feeling to get a second pair of gloves out of the two skeins of yarn! 



The completed knitted gloves

Sometimes frugality forces us to use our creativity.  If I hadn't been so frugal, I never would have created this second design.  Hooray for frugality!

Fruit Cardigans

I decided to make an apple jacket for a friend for Christmas.  I had seen pictures of them before, and they seemed like a cute (but perhaps impractical) idea.  Anna had sent me a link to an apple jacket pattern, and she seemed pretty sure she would actually use one (my main objection to making these was that, though these cute little cozies have a definite “cool factor”, I wasn’t sure that anyone would actually use one.

So, I designed my own version of the Apple Jacket.  To make a distinction between my pattern and everyone else’s, I have decided to call these wraps cardigans.  So much more appropriate, don’t you think?  (Well, ummm...except for the fact that a cardigan opens all the way down the front!!)

The Original Apple Cardigan (I later added another leaf, just because.)

So, as a free service to the apples of the world, here is my pattern for the Apple Cardigan.  If it is in my power, these little guys will not be left shivering in the cold!

Apple Cardigan

Materials:  1 oz. Caron Simply Soft or similar Category 4 worsted-weight yarn (completed cardigan weighs .7 oz., with one leaf and button attached)

                  Size G hook

                  One button, 5/8-7/8 inches in diameter

Gauge:  7 sts and 9 rows = 2 inches in sc

Instructions:

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1:  Ch 1, 6 sc in ring.  Sl st to first sc.

Round 2:  Ch 1, 2 sc in ea st around.  Sl st to first sc.  12 sts.

Round 3:  Ch 1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  18 sts.

Round 4:  Ch 1, (2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  24 sts.

Round 5:  Ch 1, (Sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) 6 times.  Sl st to first sc.  30 sts.

Rounds 6-8:  Ch 1, sc in ea st around.  Sl st to first sc. 

Rows 9-17:  Ch 1, sc in ea st around; do not sl st to first sc.  Turn work.

Row 18 (WS):  Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in 3 sts, sc2tog) 5 times.  Sc in last st.  Turn.  24 sts.

Row 19:  Ch 1, (sc in 2 sts, sc2tog) 6 times.  Turn.  18 sts.

Row 20:  Ch 1, (sc in 1 st, sc2tog) 6 times.  Turn.  12 sts.

Edging:  Sl st across top (“neck”) edge of cardigan, at left corner ch 13 (or desired length) for button loop, sl st in same corner st, sl st in edge of ea row of front opening to beg of sl st round.  Break off; weave in ends.

Leaf (optional):  Make as many as desired, attaching to neck edge of apple wherever you wish.

Ch 6.

Round 1:  Sc in 2^nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, hdc in next ch, 3 sc in last ch.  Turn; working along opposite side of ch, hdc in next st, dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sc in end of ch, ch 2, sl st around any st of Row 19 of Cardigan (this is like working a post st—insert the hook to the right of the st from front to back, and bring it back to the front on the left side of the st, yo and pull the loop around behind the st to the front of the work, and through the st on the hook) sl st in 2 chs, sl st in ea st around first half of leaf, working into back lps, ch 2, sl st in back lp of east of other side of leaf, sl st in stem chs, sl st into next st of Row 19.  Break off; weave in ends.

As I was contemplating the Apple Jacket idea, it occurred to me that it would be fun to make some other kind of fruit cardigan.  But what…?  Bananas and oranges already have jackets, of sorts.  But what if Anna wanted to bring grapes in her lunch??  Their bare little heads would surely catch a chill on a winter day.  Thus the idea of the Grape Cardigan was born.  I realized that this was a very impractical gift, but I sensed that Anna would appreciate the humor of it, even if she never actually used them.  Perhaps you would like to make some for a friend, too!  So, again, my gift to grapes everywhere…a free pattern for Grape Cardigans!

Anna's Grape Cardigans

Grape Cardigans

Materials:       Small amount Vanna’s Glamour yarn (Three of each size on a stem weigh .2 oz.), or similar-sized (Category 2) sport weight or sock yarn to meet gauge

Size 1 steel crochet hook

Gauge:            12 sts and 7 rows = 2 inches in dc

Instructions:

Large and Small Cardigans

Smaller size (fits small-to-medium grapes and small grape tomatoes):

Ch 3; join with sl st to form ring.

Round 1:  Ch 2, 12 dc in ring.  Sl st to top of first dc.

Round 2:  Ch 2, dc in ea st.  Sl st to top of first dc.

Row 3:  Ch 3, dc in next 11 sts.  Do not join; turn.

Row 4:  Ch 3, dc2tog, (dc in next st, dc2tog) 3 times.  Turn.  8 sts.

Row 5:  Ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 1, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 3 times, sc in last st.

Larger size (fits medium-to-large grapes and medium grape tomatoes):

Work Rounds 1-3 as for smaller cardigan

Rows 4-5:  Rep Row 3..

Row 6:  Ch 1, sc in 2 sts, sc2tog, (sc in next st, sc2tog) 2 times, sc in 2 sts.  Turn.  9 sts.

Row 7:  Ch 1, (sc  in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st) 4 times, sc in last st.  Break off.

“Stem”

Ch 90, or desired length to accommodate the number of grapes you have made.  The grapes can cluster at one end of the stem, but must be able to slide apart on the stem in order to more easily pop the fruit in and out of their cardigans.

Thread the stem chain through the chain lps of the last row of each cardigan.  For extra security (we would hate for the poor defenseless grapes to fall out and be smashed underfoot!), run the stem chain through the first lp of each cardigan a second time before threading through the next cardigan.  When all the cardigans are assembled on the chain, tie the ends of the chain together with an overhand knot.

To fill the cardigans, slide the first cardigan apart from the others and open up the top as much as possible so you can pop a grape inside.  If you include some cardigans of each size on the stem, there will be more options for a good fit.  When the grape is inserted, pull on the chain to draw up the loops as much as possible; then open up the next cardigan and fill it.  Continue until all your grapes are warmly covered.

Filled Grape Cardigans

Apple and Grape Cardigan patterns Copyright © 2012 Rebecca Harmon