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Project Tests for New Crochet Classes

Love knot hexagonal mesh is beaded in such a way that a cluster of them looks like a sea urchin.
View project page for this “Bead Urchins Cuff” in Ravelry.

I’m still testing new crochet designs…

…for the five classes I teach next month! This started months ago. It never stops, actually.

I have other new crochet ideas in progress for this year’s classes too. For Tunisian Eyelet Meshes I have a draping collapsible “Leanin’ Loopholes” wrap to finally start when the new Lotus colors arrive. Another project in motion for the Stitch Games class is an argyle (only a few rows done, no photos yet).

When CGOA puts out a call for class topic proposals in the fall, I send more than enough: all the topics that I’ve enjoyed teaching in the past, plus interesting variations on them, plus new ones. Designing new crochet examples starts the moment I find out which ones I’ll be teaching. (Not on purpose, it just happens.)

Meanwhile

Meanwhile I stand ready (with camera) to receive a giant new lot of Lotus yarn. Can’t wait to get my hands on the new colors. Doris has her designing cones already so I know UPS will be here any day. Once the yarn arrives–on giant cones–I get some of it turned into Z-Bombes (1-pounders). A lot of it will be “pull cakes” ASAP.

I also stand ready to design with it. I’ll need some new crochet for the road trip up to the conference, right? Doris got started immediately with a new design in emerald green. This reminds me that I also need to lock in the new color names for the ball bands and snip cards.

I’m on Day 35 of my 50 blogging days of crochet conference prep and I’m feeling behind! I still need to get some crochet patterns reformatted into print versions (for some of my classes and for kits in the market booth).

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Tunisian Crochet Books for Research

At first glance, the materials I use when researching Tunisian crochet (a.k.a. afghan crochet, & including double-ended types) seem the same as for other crochet topics. Besides Tunisian crochet books and online sources that I find by Googling and searching Ravelry, I use sections of other books, notable designs, and antique sources. (Click on on of the thumbnail photos to enlarge.)

Tunisian Crochet Books are Keepers!

Over the years I’ve noticed distinctive differences in the information I can depend on for Tunisian crochet research, compared to other kinds of crochet. The most intensive research I do is for classes, but I also need to for some newsletter topics and when I’m writing a pattern for an unusual design.

100% Tunisian crochet books are special and really pretty rare. Many of them are slim, booklet-like volumes. They tend to be hard to find and to get. Some go out of print quickly, are self-published, or are only in Japanese, for example. I treasure each one. That first book stack you see is my go-to stack.

I’ve found a lot of useful information buried in general books about crochet.”TC” (Tunisian crochet) has long been presented in crochet books as a specialization. This means the TC topic sometimes gets its own thick chapter, and that’s a beautiful thing. Other times, the chapter or section is lean, but can make an important contribution somehow. It may have fresh and original material, or offer well designed instructions, stitch symbols, and other valuable publishing standards.

From my TC perspective, it makes a big, big difference when the book’s production staff, especially the technical editors and illustrators, also understand TC (not just regular crochet). It also matters what is used as a standard, because basic Tunisian crochet publishing standards are still being forged.

The book stack in the second photo shows general crochet books I own that contain TC sections I refer to often. Missing from the photo is A Treasury of Crochet Patterns by Liz Blackwell.

I’ve been thinking about this post topic ever since I did one about the very different kind of book stack I devoured for the Stitch Games class topic. (That stack was mostly written about yarn by and for knitters.) I’m also considering a post about what it has been like to unearth and use every resource I could for classes on love knots (Solomon’s knots) and star stitches over the years.

 

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Tunisian Crochet Love Knots: Thoughts

Tunisian Crochet Love Knots, New Swatches

It’s been on my mind to incorporate love knots into Tunisian crochet since teaching the first Love Knots Adventures class in 2012. I don’t mean a few rows of love knot mesh alternated with a few rows of Tunisian simple stitch (Tss), which could also be interesting and pretty. I mean love knots thoroughly integrated—where the experience of crocheting the love knots feels seamlessly like other Tunisian crochet.

In the Forward Pass or the Return Pass?

For some reason, at first I thought only of making love knots during the Tunisian forward pass (while adding loops onto the hook). A few weeks ago I added love knots to the return pass (while working the loops off of the hook) and the possibilities are inspiring. Also, the experience of doing it feels like true Tunisian crochet love knots.

These are preliminary, so I haven’t tried turning them into actual stitch patterns yet. I think these are promising rough swatches though. I don’t recall ever seeing eyelets or buttonholes created within and by the return pass.

For these two swatches I used Tunisian extended stitches because they’re featured in a new class for July, Steeked Tunisian Lace. It’s just my go-to stitch right now. It has fascinating, sometimes unpredictable properties, so I make a point of using it whenever.

At first I got excited and thought, “Wow, a different kind of steek! OK no, a faux steek!” But actually I think its real promise is as a type of eyelet with the power to change the look of the return pass.

I just sent out a newsletter on steeking Tunisian crochet vs regular crochet stitches. If you haven’t seen it, have a look and compare it with the look of these “faux steeks”.

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Two-Color Tunisian Crochet Swatches

One Color or Two?

Want to see some stitch patterns change when the yarn color changes?

The two-color Tunisian crochet swatches are for my class handout (yes, still working on them!). I needed to clearly distinguish the forward row from the return row, so I color-coded them. I didn’t expect to like them so much! The one-yarn versions are below their two-color swatches.

Extended Tunisian stitch patterns in 2-color swatches compared with a one-yarn (softly variegated) version
Top row: two-color swatches. Bottom row: their one-yarn versions.

(Note that the one on the bottom left is a slightly different stitch pattern from the one above it. I was thinking they were the same until after I created this graphic and I don’t have a better substitute. The difference is, in the top left photo, there is an extra chain stitch in the red return row after every blue stitch. That spaces the blue stitches apart more than the stitches are in the one below it.)

Isn’t it fun to see how just alternating colors in a simple stitch pattern can give it a fresh look?

Sometimes a swatch needs to convey more than words when space is a premium (such as in a class handout). Color-coding really helps.

Progress Update

on my crochet conference readiness: only ONE class handout left to send to the tech editor! That’s FOUR down, one to go. My goal is the end of this week. Then you’ll start seeing blog posts of other topics like new Lotus yarn colors, or Charleston.

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Beaded Tunisian Crochet Test

Same Tunisian Extended Net used for Smokestack and Mesmer patterns but in Lotus yarn with beads!

I love preparing to teach crochet classes for the big CGOA conferences every year because I try things I’ve been meaning to for months. Like yesterday. Today I’m testing instructions in my class handout for Steeked Tunisian Lace. I figured while I’m at it, I might as well throw in some beads.

I haven’t used this swatch for a project because the beads would shift around a bit with use. A larger project could also get heavy. I would need to use tighter stitches, or larger beads, or a different yarn (or all of the above) to make the beads stay where they are.

Beads aren’t part of the class, but I’ll have the swatch handy if someone asks.