Archive for the ‘Tutorial’ Category

Invisible Join

November 28th, 2011 mio

Here I go with another tutorial for something you can’t see. I do enjoy a challenge!

This is one way to make an invisible join when you finish a round of crocheting. Usually the instructions tell you to join with a slip stitch, but that leaves a very different looking area that may not be desirable when working the final round of a border on your project.

One thing to note before going in: this join makes it look like there is an extra stitch (and so, in that way, it’s not actually invisible). This won’t matter at all if it’s the final round of your project. If you’re doing this on a round that isn’t the last one, just keep in mind that this creates an extra V you might accidentally work into.

You need: a darning/tapestry/sewing needle (the same kind you’d use to weave in your ends)

Here is a one-round granny square that I have added a sc border to. I’ve done all of my sc stitches and am ready to join:
IMG_20111128_095208

Start by cutting the yarn and pulling the loop out:
IMG_20111128_095231 IMG_20111128_095242

Thread this end onto a needle:
IMG_20111128_095257

Insert the needle into the first stitch of the round under the two arms of the V in exactly the same way as you would if you were crocheting into it:
IMG_20111128_095324
Pull the yarn all the way through.

Next, go back to last stitch of the round, and insert the needle under the back loop of the last stitch, in exactly the same way you would if you were doing a “back loop only” stitch. This was tricky to take a picture of, so here are two:
IMG_20111128_095402
IMG_20111128_095422
Pull the yarn all the way through.

Now it’s just a matter of pulling on that yarn until the V-shape you just made looks like the others around it:
IMG_20111128_095513
(The needle is pointing at the join)

All that’s left is to weave in the end! Try not to tug too much on the stitch you just made while weaving the end in.

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Invisible Decrease

November 9th, 2011 mio

A common complaint when making amigurumi is that decreases are far too noticeable. The usual sc2tog tends to leave a hole, and adds unwanted texture to the item. A good workaround is the invisible decrease.

Here we have a sc tube and are ready to do a decrease:
IMG_20111109_085235
(I’m using a different colour for the decrease; you would normally just keep going with the same yarn. ^_^)

Start by inserting your hook into the front loop of the next stitch:
IMG_20111109_085256

Do not yarn over! Instead, insert your hook into the front loop of the next stitch:
IMG_20111109_085326
Technically, you’ll have three loops on your hook at this point: the loop you started with, and the front loops of the next two stitches.

Now yarn over:
IMG_20111109_085350

And pull through two loops:
IMG_20111109_085440

Then finish the sc as you normally would by yarning over:
IMG_20111109_085456

And pulling through two loops:
IMG_20111109_085517

Now we’re at the part of the tutorial where I show you what the finished technique looks like… which is a bit of a problem with something with the word “invisible” in its name. So, here is the invisible decrease along with the regular decrease.

The hook is pointing at the invisible decrease:
IMG_20111109_085710

Now it’s pointing at the regular one:
IMG_20111109_085744

Hmm… ok, here’s the back, then.

The invisible decrease leaves the “back loops” visible on the back, so look for those when trying to spot it:
IMG_20111109_085844

The regular decrease doesn’t have such obvious markers (figures…)
IMG_20111109_085918

Perhaps it’ll be easier to spot the differences if I stack them over several rows…
IMG_20111109_090512
Ah, yes. There we go. The invisible decreases are on the right (the hook is pointing at where I think they are), and the regular decreases are on the left (roughly on a line with the tail sticking out of the bottom). What the picture doesn’t truly convey, is that the regular decreases form a bit of a ridge, whereas the invisible decreases don’t. Which, I suppose makes them invisible to the blind, as well. :P

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Crochet Cast-On

November 4th, 2011 mio

This may be my favourite crochet tutorial I’ve made yet!

The Crochet Cast-On is a knitting technique that we’re totally going to steal and use for our own purposes! Specifically, for use in Tunisian crochet and Crochet-on-the-Double. If you are a knitter, you may find this tutorial useful, too! Just substitute in your mind – replace “afghan hook” with “knitting needle” and you’re good to go.

In Tunisian and CotD, you typically start with a base chain, and then go and lift up a loop in each chain. As with regular crochet, though, starting with a base chain can cause problems – sometimes they’re too tight, they aren’t very stretchy, it’s a pain in the butt to work into them – and sometimes you just really want to extend a row out to the left of your work. For regular crochet, you can use Foundation Stitches to address all of these issues.

For Tunisian and CotD, you can use the crochet cast-on!

You need: an afghan hook (or double-ended hook… or knitting needle… depending on what craft you’re doing), a regular crochet hook in the same size (or a bit bigger), and your yarn.

In these pictures, my afghan hook is metal and 9mm, and my regular hook is bamboo and 10mm.

Start with a loose slip knot on the afghan hook. You would benefit by making the slip knot in the opposite way you might usually, and have the short tail be the one that makes the loop smaller when you pull on it.
IMG_20111104_105531

Hold the afghan hook in your left hand, and the regular hook in your right hand. Insert the regular hook into the slip knot behind the afghan hook:
IMG_20111104_105557

Working behind the afghan hook, chain 1:
IMG_20111104_105633

Now move your regular hook to the front of the afghan hook with the yarn still behind it:
IMG_20111104_105648

Yarn over:
IMG_20111104_105702

Pull through the loop on the regular hook:
IMG_20111104_105720

Now move the yarn back behind the afghan hook:
IMG_20111104_105736

Put your regular hook in front of the afghan hook again, and repeat the process (yo, pull through, move yarn to back and hook to front) as many times as needed:
IMG_20111104_105806

Stop one loop shy of what you need. Here is what the row of chains will look like:
IMG_20111104_105940

Take the working loop and put it over the end of the afghan hook to form your last loop:
IMG_20111104_110002

Go ahead and work the loops off as you normally would and now you’re good to go for your next row. One warning: the vertical bars don’t line up *quite* the same way as they do when lifting them up from a base chain (this becomes particularly apparent when doing Tunisian Knit Stitches), however, you can still do any stitch you want to do, you just need to be a little careful with it.

Some extra benefits I’ve discovered so far with this technique are:
- In crochet-on-the-double, it helps make a nearly-invisible seam when making a tube (such as with mio’s hat)

- When working with a fuzzy yarn, one that makes it difficult to see your stitches (such as a boucle), using this technique makes it a LOT easier to be sure you’re starting with the right number of stitches.

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