Posts Tagged ‘Tutorial’

Jacob’s Crossing

Firstly, I appologize for the quality of the pictures. The sun has been elusive today – hopefully you can still see what’s going on.

I have figured out a way to cross one Jacob’s Ladder under another one (that is already made) with minimal fuss:

First, ladder right up to (and including) the last rung before the cross-under:
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Insert the hook under both the ladder and the first rung on the other side:
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And pull it through the rung on your hook.

Next, hold on to the rung now on the hook with your hand, remove the hook, and insert it from top to bottom under the ladder and through the loop you’re holding, being careful not to twist it:
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Use the hook to pull the rung under the crossing ladder:
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Take the hook out and insert it in that same loop from the other side and continue laddering on your way.

Pom-Pom Calm

I’ve been on a bit of Pom-Pom yarn kick lately. I’ve walked past this yarn at the store so many times, always wondering how to use it. At work we have a knitted sample, but not a crocheted one (I’m thinking of fixing that soon!).

I finally bought some and started to experiment.

First, the intended use, single crochet:
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(I also tried double crochet, it works, but it looks weird in the tiny swatch I made… I’m going to try it again on a larger scale, and try other stitches, at a later date.)

Then I tried an idea we had at guild: to crochet with a smooth yarn (in this case, Bernat Satin), and carry the Pom-Pom yarn along, crocheting over the thin parts and letting the puffs stick out (front and back) :
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Then I tried using it to join and edge squares. This is by far my favourite use of this yarn so far!
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Here’s how to crochet with this yarn:
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Tunisian Crochet

This tutorial focuses on the Tunisian Simple stitch, but it also serves as an introduction to Tunisian crochet. If you’ve never done Tunisian crochet before, this is a good place to start.

For the best results when doing Tunisian crochet, you need a special hook called an “afghan hook”. You can also use a double ended hook (and ignore one of the ends), or a cabled hook. The important thing is that the hook be the same size and shape after the head – so, no thumb rest, and no fancy handles. It’s also important, if you’re making something large, to have some kind of stopper on the end to keep the loops from sliding off. Afghan hooks and most cabled hooks come with a stopper. When I use a double ended hook for this I usually wrap an elastic band around the unused head.

Also, you need to use a bigger hook than you normally would for the yarn you’re using. I suggest going up two sizes. For this yarn, I normally use a 5mm hook. When using it for Tunisian crochet, I use a 6mm hook. You’ll want to experiment – using an even larger hook can take care of curling problems, but can also result in a lacier fabric.

Let’s get started!

As with a lot of crochet techniques, start with a base chain:
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