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Posted on October 30, 2017October 25, 2018 by Vashti Braha — 4 Comments

On the Hook: New Tunisian Crochet Design

Last week I started a new design that I need to wear soon. I’ll be attending a daytime memorial service in Florida. My plain black sleeveless dress just needs a light covering for my upper arms and chest. That’s why this project is in all black Lotus yarn. (It’s purely a coincidence that I’ll finish in time for Halloween tomorrow.)

Its tentative name is Graven because I first thought of raven’s wings, and it has an engraved-looking texture. I think the last all-black thing I designed was a 2007 mini skirt of single crochet for Caron yarns in their Simply Soft yarn.

Story—its Style and Texture

Early (earliest?) Wicker variation swatched.

The main stitch pattern is similar to one I created for Weightless and Liebling. I’ve planned to design with it for years. I chose short rows to shape it instead of steadily increasing in the round from the neck down, or gathering the neckline. This made it an interesting process.

Sleek black lace crew-neck capelet for daytime urban streetwear (Oct. 2016 Valentino ad for "Glamgloss" sunglasses) — Oct. 2016 Valentino ad for “Glamgloss”

A recent “Glamgloss” ad by Valentino inspired the design idea. Originally I was going to name it “Glaze” or “Lotus Glaze”. It evolved and now will probably be more of a capelet to be worn open in the front or closed in the back.

About the Edging

Last night I tried out the edging you see here. It blocked overnight and today I’m very happy with how it resolved some issues.

Edging priorities:

Prevent flaring or ruffling at the hem
Add a bit of length because I made it too short for me
Give it a restrained but special design detail.

I hope it’s restrained enough! (I struggle with that.)

The stitch choices are very carefully picked to deal with how the hem hangs. This is my top priority because I feel like a little girl if something ruffles even slightly over my upper arms. Some of the stitches recede to create a subtle ribbing effect that pull the hem in just enough. I like the vertical texture they add.

The tiny twisted loops (the shortest I could make them) are actually energy coils that add resilience to the flexy rib, since this yarn has no wool or other stretchy fiber in it. The picots I tried didn’t do this. It’s also dense enough overall to weigh down the hem without the need for beads or a hidden chain.

Close up of the change in stitch pattern for the collar, in progress. These are twisted Tunisian crochet stitches in DesigningVashti Lotus yarn, "Black Gleam" color. (It's inky, glossy, deep black but doesn't look like it in this lightened photo.) — Close up of the change in stitch pattern for the collar, in progress. These are twisted Tunisian crochet stitches.

I first used a twisty loop edging for Aquarienne, my newest published pattern. For that design they’re beaded and a bit longer.

For the neck edge I used a different stitch pattern while crocheting the main piece. You’re looking at twisted Tunisian extended stitches. Interesting texture! I haven’t used them like this before.

As a Crochet Pattern

If/when I write up Graven as a downloadable pattern, it will be for an Experienced skill level and with a video. This is mainly due to what it’s like to do the main Tunisian mesh in short rows. Graven has a project page in Ravelry where I’ll post updates.

Beyond Basic Crochet

"Wrap Map" schematic for the Eilanner Shawl, an Advanced-Intermediate Tunisian crochet pattern.

Above is most of the “Wrap Map” for Eilanner, a Tunisian crochet pattern rated Experienced Skill Level.

This section is for crocheters who are comfortable with the basics. (How do you know if you’re ready? Have a look at Crochet Basics in Depth.)

It feels so natural to progress along a flow of crochet experiences that it’s easy to forget how unique our own crochet skill sets become. When we attend crochet conferences, I see us as walking worlds of art: building one-of-a-kind inner “crazy quilts” of crochet experience, and following our own individualized learning plans.

Beyond the Basics Tips & Tutorials

I wrote the tutorials, tips, and tweaks for this section with an eye toward connecting them to specific basic principles, rather than to a standard skill level. We’re all crochet specialists and beginners simultaneously, in different ways.

Crochet Patterns by Skill Level

For Beginner- and Easy-level patterns, see the Crochet Basics, in Depth page. Note: if a pattern has more than one skill-level tag, it means the pattern includes options or variations that vary in skill level.

View all patterns tagged with Skill Builder
View all patterns tagged with Easy-Intermediate
View all patterns tagged with Intermediate
View all patterns tagged with Experienced(a.k.a. Advanced Intermediate)

View all blog posts tagged with shaping
View all blog posts tagged with class
View all blog posts tagged with stitch tech

This linked index is self-updating so be sure to bookmark this page.

Hook-Led Gauge

Learning how to let your crochet hook determine your stitch gauge is possibly the most valuable skill a crocheter could develop.

Why is it so Important?

Starwirbel Class: Star Stitch Crochet Lace (downloadable pattern) — A hook-led gauge gave rise to Starwirbel

Crocheters traditionally fall into a habit of making their chains and slip stitches tighter than their other stitches, regardless of their hook size. Some may be taught to do this unintentionally, or because it can improve some thread crochet patterns.

Other crocheters are actually using a”yarn-led gauge”. They use the yarn as a gauge guide. Crocheters accustomed to mostly cotton yarn or thread, which is not stretchy to work with like wool, tend to do this.

Hook-led gauge is necessary for:

Stretchy and buttery-soft slip stitch crochet.
Airy, translucent Tunisian crochet lace.
Love Knots and other intermediate-level stitches that depend on being able to “eyeball” a loop size.
Most polished and fashionable-looking crochet fabrics that also fit.
Crocheting professionally as a teacher, designer or as a valuable pattern tester for other designers.

How Do You Do It?

Every crocheter starts out with a natural gauge, often called the “crocheter’s hand.” One person may crochet more tightly (or loosely) no matter the size of the crochet hook they’re using.

Start by watching the stitch loops as you crochet.

If the loops tighten, notice when and where. It might even be just after you complete the stitch. (I’ve seen crocheters purposely make a loose stitch, then unwittingly yank the yarn just before beginning the next stitch.) If taller stitches are consistently tight, you might be making each stitch on the tapered neck of your hook instead of the shaft, where it stops tapering nearer to the thumb rest. If you have a mixture of tight and loose loops, consider how you are holding the yarn. These are just a few things that could be happening.

How to know you’ve met your goal?

Make stitch loops that accommodate the diameter of the hook. This means use the shaft part of the hook as a guide, where its neck stops tapering before the thumb rest. Compare the girth to the space between the top two loops of your stitches. It’s a very good sign if it looks like there’s enough space for your crochet hook to fit.

Now just practice enough to update the muscle memory in your hands. Your fingers will start to feel the difference and your eyes will develop visual cues.

You’ll be well on your way to creating dramatic effects with fancy, skinny yarns and oversized crochet hooks! Sometimes I think of it as “crocheting with air” — that’s how it might feel to use a very big crochet hook with a fine or very stretchy yarn.

What if You Don’t Like Your Hook-Led Gauge?

I used an H (5 mm) crochet hook with fine sock weight yarn for a luxuriously soft Jempool Scarf.

Say you’re accustomed to being a tight crocheter, but now you can crochet with a hook-led gauge. Congratulations! BUT—you need tighter stitches for a certain project. What do you do?

The answer is the same as if you crocheted too loosely before a hook-led gauge and need looser stitches: you change the hook size, not your crocheting. Change to a smaller hook size for tighter stitches, or a larger hook size for looser stitches. This is why patterns always add “or size needed for gauge” after the stated crochet hook size.

Hook-led gauge is actually an intermediate skill that leads to advanced crocheting, although it’s not listed in any of the standard skill level descriptions.

You might feel a bit outside of your comfort zone at first. If so, just tell yourself that you’re investing in your hobby: a world of exciting new stitches and designs will open up to you.

An earlier version was published March 21, 2010 at Vashti’s Crochet Pattern Companion blog.

Posted on October 28, 2017October 25, 2018 by Vashti Braha — 4 Comments

Mamruana CAL “Wrap Up”

Sleeve cuff test for the Mamruana in progress. — Mamruana (unfinished): sleeve cuff test.

I put “Wrap Up” in quotes because this is a soft ending to a crochet along, not a hard one. In fact I remain inspired by some discoveries I made about it along the way. Plus, I can’t resist a pun.

It’s easy to imagine revisiting this CAL with a springtime project with CAL participants who also intend to start or resume their Mamruanas later.

Mamruana Evaluation Day

I’m going to do a behind-the-scenes evaluation of it as a crocheter of it (the process), wearer (the product), yarn provider (yarn brand choice), designer (art and craft of it), and pattern writer (is it patternable?).

Wearing the Ruana

Mine is in fall colors and I’ll be wearing it to parties here in Florida through the winter. It’s bigger and heavier on me than I expected, but not too much. It means I made a size Large to X-Large instead of a Small to Medium.

I will love dancing in it. It drapes beautifully and the colored diamonds flicker as it moves, vaguely like confetti.

As a Crochet Project

I really enjoyed crocheting it for three reasons:

The half double stitches (hdc) are crocheted into spaces, not stitch loops (helps the crocheting pace). See the stitch close up below.
The rhythm of color changes kept me looking forward to the next strip, with no color juggling or managing ends.
Constructing this in MAM (“mile-a-minute”) strips gave me a satisfying feeling of completion and progress.

As a Design Idea

Mamruana crochet strips in other wearable shapes and striping. — Mamruana crochet strips in some other wearable shapes. Compare how the color stripes drape with first photo of the ruana.

Several inspiring discoveries here for the designer in me!

I love that you’re just crocheting little square patches in simple rows—so elementary—but they end up being diamonds on the bias. Changing the color of each strip adds a big visual effect to the drape. A ruana shape magnifies the effect because the sleeve sections also drape on the body at an angle.

Not only is a patch reversible, it’s rotatable! This excites me because it means a series of patches could be linked up while going in different directions and still look coolly consistent. Freeform-bitmappy, chic, powerfully versatile design-wise. A gazillion options are possible for other wearable shapes and kinds of projects. It’s like each patch is a fashionable “bit” for infinite design “pixels”.

Put a Cuff on It

I’m unreasonably inspired by putting sleeve cuffs on a ruana. I like how it feels to wear it, how it updates the look, and how easy it is to do. It’s a trendy effect I’ve wanted to explore since seeing it so much in Pinterest.

The Yarn Choice

Speaking as both a designer and a yarn provider, I’m very pleased with how the design and yarn go together. (I never really know if that will be the case.) YES I always want to have new crochet patterns for DesigningVashti Lotus yarn, and to show off new colors of it. For example, the new Orange Luxe color inspired the Mamruana.

Yarn-me will ask designer-me to tinker with the final pattern because it needn’t use quite this much yarn—approx. 525 grams or 1350 yds.

As a designer I always need a good design reason for choosing one yarn over another. So, of course I fantasize about other yarns too. Besides the sport weight (CYC #2) Lotus, I think thinner yarns (lace wt./CYC #0 and fingering/CYC #1) would be wonderful; I swatched some for the CAL. I keep picturing a wool or alpaca blend as a generous cowl, for example. What about fine crochet thread for a scarf, panels of a skirt, etc. Beads?!

My takeaways from using Lotus for this Mamruana:

Its sheen combined with its drape is key to the whole effect! (That “I want to wear it to holiday parties and dance in it” effect.) Check out the stitch close up at right.
For Lotus designs I tend to vacillate between using a G-6 and G-7 (4mm, 4.5mm) crochet hook size. I used a G-7 for Mamruana. For larger sizes at least, I’m thinking it should be a G-6. Probably not an F-5 (3.75m) but I’ll investigate.
The color range of Lotus is a significant element in its “just one more strip!” crocheting fun and visual impact. I’d need an inspiring color range in any yarn I use for this.

Mamruana as a Downloadable Pattern?

I’ve learned that you never know what it will be like to write up a design until you’re in too deep, but I’m not worried about this one. No red flags. Nothing that would require a video to be understandable. Unlike, say, a Bosnian color-pooled moebius.

It’s so Plus-sizable. Good Plus Size patterns are another thing I always want more of in my shop.

A nice thing about this CAL is that I wrote up the main pattern in sections and created visual aids as we went.

About My Newsletter

Before anyone else, subscribers learned about crocheting lacy star stitches like Starwirbel with issue #60, Star Stitch Lace Pretties.

Vashti’s Crochet Inspirations Newsletter

Since September 2010 I’ve produced an information-rich crochet newsletter once or twice a month. It continues to be unique in the world of crochet, and it’s free. I explain why, below.

New: a chronological and [partially] clickable list of all back issues. The newsletter also has its own Facebook page where you can see additional links, images, and comments for each issue.

Subscribe.
New! Support the newsletter with literally a few dollars.

My Three Goals for the Newsletter

Satisfying these three goals is deeply meaningful for me. This is why the newsletter is free.

1. To say something new about crochet.

I must explore, question, and daydream about crochet stitches and techniques. Not gonna stop. This drives me to produce the newsletters, and they in turn spur me more. They push me to test my “lab swatches” more, and to research deeper into our crochet history.

As an example, the idea for issue 97 (Crocheter’s Life List) came from seeing a book about a “bucket list” for knitters, and wondering about a bucket list for crochet. Crocheters don’t have a book for that and I didn’t find much online. As I made my own, I wanted to offer it to other crocheters. This meant research to attempt the biggest picture possible of crochet and different crocheters’ experiences of it. You can download a Crochet Life List PDF from my blog. It’s designed for you to make it your own.

Not too long, not too short.

The newsletter format has valuable limits. I always turn up too much information for one issue. Often, the process of writing one reveals that the topic (carefully chosen to be neither too long nor short for one issue) is actually like a “zip file”! Often, what seems like one topic is actually a bundle of two or more. My writing about it triggers it to unpack into something much bigger than I expected.

It’s super rewarding when this happens! It’s also frustrating when I’m trying to get the newsletter sent, so I jot down everything and save it. (And, remind myself that this is exactly why I’m doing this: I’m mining for gold and I’ve hit a vein.) My newsletter drafts binder is quite plump.

One result over ten years of this has been that the issues become tight summaries of geeky, fresh, unique crochet topics for me. They often turn out to be seed forms of crochet classes I go on to create. These are classes that regularly fill up to the limit with waiting lists!

The Slip Slope Scarf free slip stitch crochet pattern by Vashti Braha — From issue #29, Short Row Startle

2. To find my fellow crochet explorers!

The typical crochet emails you can subscribe to are not true newsletters. They may be someone’s digest of recent blog posts, or really just advertisements to delete. I want to offer to crocheters like me an exciting alternative to the kind of crochet emails that I delete.

As I choose each issue topic and write about it, I think, if I were a subscriber of Vashti’s Crochet Inspirations, would I look forward to this? Would I be inspired to pick up a crochet hook, and to save a print out of the issue to read again? That’s my goal. I want to find out about a forgotten little pocket of crochet, or see something familiar from a new angle. I want to be inspired to think more about what it is about crochet that I love so much.

3. To have one place to share my different kinds of crochet developments.

I can’t imagine a better way to let everyone know when I:

Create a new stitch video or step by step photo tutorial;
Find important news about crochet that I think we should all know about;
Publish a new downloadable crochet pattern, e-book, etc;
Offer a crochet class in person or online.

Vashti's lacy Star Stitch Foundation in a hand dyed mohair for the "Firewirbel" Starwirbel Cowl. — I created the first-ever star stitch *foundation*. No foundation chains required!

Foundation Star Stitch pattern, and new Lovelace Cowl pattern announcement — I created the first-ever star stitch *foundation*. No foundation chains required!

My strongest motivation while serving on the board of directors for the Crochet Guild of America is CGOA’s mission statement, because it’s also my mission: to further the growth and development of my beloved crochet. Writing this newsletter is part of this mission.

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