Tunisian handwarmers, done

Finished my latest Tunisian crochet caper, handwarmers.

Just a rectangle, suggested by Fearless Knitting Group Leader, Meg, cast-on measured against my hand, length likewise, openings for thumbs decided as I stitched.

Mainly using up yarn. The red stripes are from Shepherd Susie, hand dyed, the yellow ones largely my handspun, the mixed colors knitpicks gradient.

I spun some roving in colors like the ones I was using, and added it in right off the spindle. It seems to have worked okay.

The future crowds in on the current work

So, looking for a new project, at the knitting group, and Fearless Leader Meg suggested handwarmers, because I had a small amount of yarn, and a need to do more Tunisian crochet.

Started already, and was looking around for more yarn, found some handspun, then some roving in the same color family.

I've been wanting to spin a bit, so it seems to have inserted itself into the present.

Top of the pic, lying on the yarn is the started handwarmer. Foreground is the roving and a spindle  ready for action.

No pattern, just rectangles with thumb places left open when I do the finishing.

I'm also wanting to weave.  But that has to take its turn.

Neck gaiter almost done

Here's the latest in Ladies' Neckwear. The gaiter is almost done. It has two sides and I think both are fine.

I ended with three loops crocheted onto the body, ready for their Dorset buttons, to be worked in the same yarn.

Here are the rings for the buttons, showing how they'll slip through the loops.

The pattern is random stripes of my repertoire of stitches, seen vertically when worn. I expect we'll get more weather suitable for wearing it.

I think it's all an excuse to make more Dorset buttons, really.

And just when I thought it was safe, I find myself deep in choosing art to enter into an interesting juried show coming up soon. More framing. Oh, goody..

Tunisian crochet design by moi

I've learned several stitches now, purl, knit, simple stitch and a lace pattern, so I'm working all of them into this neck gaiter. It will be long enough to fit round my neck, and I'm planning Dorset buttons for the fastening. Hoping the yarn holds out.

 It's fun to have got to the point where I can design what I want in this type of crochet. The knit and purl stitches are not at all like the same names in knitting. And Tunisian is one sided, so your design has a right and a wrong side, unlike most crochet. I'm using two related shades of the same yarn, and there's a subtle color pattern as well as the stitch pattern. In use, the stitch pattern will run vertically.

Once this is done, I plan to embark on filet crochet. This seems to be the winter of crochet. Filet has always been a mystery to me  but doesn't seem as intimidating as I'd thought. I'll be using small hooks and finer threads.

I'm surprised at how far I've come in a few weeks. Learned to read and to a mild extent, write, patterns, learned granny squares, previously a mystery, several lace designs, then various parts of Tunisian crochet.  Developing a repertoire of crochet skills. A Good Thing.

Clutch finished

Here's the Tunisian crochet simple stitch clutch, now finished with a double Dorset button fastening. A rubber band runs around the buttons, just slip off the top of the band to open.

I like making Dorset buttons. They're tiny artworks.

Purse underway for new cellphone

So now that I have a new phone, for the sad tale of the old one, see https://fieldfen.blogspot.com

So I need  a new purse to wear the new one. For safety I always have the phone literally on me. This has paid off more than once when I took a fall and needed a hand up. Living alone requires precautions like this.

So here's a Tunisian crochet lace pattern, from Creative Grandma, her stitch of the day, #93, if you'd like to track it down on YouTube.

Here's the little sample I made, 17 (4x4,+1) stitches, to learn from her tutorial, next to the the bigger version to fit the new phone.

The stitch is a multiple of four, plus one. So I made a chain of 25 (6 x4, +1) and went from there.  It's a one pattern line, one return line design, nice to work, and I'm learning to read my own crochet, always a Good Thing.

I like that Tunisian has a return line where you can breathe, then easily see if you still have the right number of stitches going. And if it will fit its purpose.  That's three more Good Things right there.

Tunisian crochet clutch

Just finished a clutch in many yarns, and lined it with black satin.

Here, open, closed, and back view. Didn't use a pattern, just filled the hook with stitches and went from there.

Not quite done yet. I plan on a Dorset button in the same yarns to fasten it.

What I did once let loose with a Tunisian crochet hook

This week has been punctuated with forays into Tunisian crochet, discovering you can do all kinds of stitches and patterns.

Quite a few attempts I did on a regular crochet hook, but I finally decided to take advantage of the real reason for the length of the hook, and I converted the earlier start on the mixed yarn crochet experiment over to Tunisian work.

 This way I can count on getting straight edges, unlike regular crochet where my edges tend to wander in and out, try I never so, as the little maidservant always says in the mystery stories. She usually adds that her stomach turned over and she came over all funny, but I didn't go that far.

So I pulled out the earlier piece and I'm happily reworking in it in Simple Stitch. This makes a really firm fabric, great for a pillow cover or maybe a purse. We'll see. It feels better.

And here's the hook loaded and unloaded. You hook across right to left in the pattern, then hook and slip back left to right. That makes a single row.




Here are the presentable results, top a potholder using shortrowing to make this circle, next top honeycomb stitch, next smocking stitch, then a stab at feather and fan, then the reworked stash buster. There are better images of the top two in earlier posts.

If you've never tried Tunisian, give it a try. It's fun.

Tunisian crochet, honeycomb

Wordless admiration for own achievement. Isn't. This. Great. Almost wordless.

Today's adventure, Tunisian crochet

At the knitting group today were new members needing to borrow needles and hooks to get started, Meg, our fearless leader, rummaging around in the supplies in search of right sizes commented that there were some great long hooks, no idea what for.

At which I yelped they're for me! Tunisian crochet hooks, been wanting to learn it for ages. So I borrowed a couple, and this evening started learning Tunisian crochet.

Seen here my first foray, into the Simple Stitch. I like this form because it simplifies one of my issues with crochet, namely knowing how many **%*%*% stitches I've got, or lost. You've got them all, count them, on the hook every second row. The other row you start with one stitch and collect them again as you go. It looks like knitting

Dif you know there's a purl stitch in this crochet? Me neither. Learning that next, so as  to work honeycomb. This is a different way of working aside from collecting stitches on the hook on alternate rows. You can't whip the hook around the way I'm used to, so I have to get the hang of it.

 I appear to be multiplying my WIP collection, but they're all proceeding. So this was today's celebration.