Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Inaugural Project - Crochet Me

If you are familiar at all with my site, you know that my site is about anything related to Crochet, Knitting and Fashion. I try to share with you sites or info I find worth sharing. So, while searching for patterns to add to my pretty big collection of patterns, I came across this "to do" at http://crochetme.com/ which is an awesome site for tutorials, patterns, and just basically an all informative. "The Inaugural Project" is a placer to share a pattern you've created. So, if you are experimenting or want to try to create your own pattern, this is a cool opportunity to not only do it, but share it and get it out there. I think it's a fun idea, and I hope you do too.


Keeping it real, I need to try it myself, just like I need to share pictures of my work and patterns. Considering myself still to be a somewhat newbie still, I don't find my work polished enough yet and instead I keep researching and as you can see I am not an experienced Blogger, so I am trying to polish my blog too, lol....I need to figure out the best way to put out there the patterns and tutorials I've collected. And then of course there's that little detail called copy rights so, I really need to figure it all out.


Any thoughts?

Visit http://www.ehow.com/how_2053915_create-crochet-patterns.html if you want tips on how to create an informative and easy to read pattern.

The Inaugural Project - Crochet Me

by Pam

Introduction

Join us in The Inaugural Project. Consider it almost a call-to-arms for all you crocheters itching for some fresh patterns.

With the permission of designer Pam, The Inaugural Project begins with her very, very simple pattern for a dish/face cloth. (And really, I'm a beginner and I immediately eyeballed this as a piece-of-cake, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble with it.) Without further ado, here's the project:

I've heard from many crocheters who haven't tried their hand at designing yet, whether due to intimidation, humility, or just not having enough time. Well, here's your risk-free, fun-guaranteed opportunity to give designing a whirl, because sometimes we don't even know what we have in us. And if the crochet world ends up with a few more funky designers in it as a result, so be it:

Using this pattern as a start, come up with your own, funky crochet design. You may maintain the goal of creating a dish or face cloth, or you may go wild and make up a whole new item (ear muffs? trivets? a furry friend bearing an uncanny resemblance to your cat? I shudder at the thought of writing it, but perhaps even a funky doily?). Use whatever gauge and/or funky yarn you want. Your imagination is your only constraint. In a world squirming for fresh crochet ideas, here's our chance to have a go at it for ourselves.

I've started a thread on Pam's Crochetville message board so we can keep in touch about our progress and creations (you'll find it under the topic for Crochetalongs). There's no time limit, and you're under no obligation to share your experiences or ask questions or meet new people or even to have fun. But I suggest you do.

Take this if you want it:

The small print: Please note that I will not accept patterns resulting from this project as submissions to crochet me. But, it would be very, very cool if you became inspired to design many more hip patterns after your experience with The Inaugural Project.

Happy tinkering, toiling, and otherwise - *gasp* - designing! Remember, start here, and go where your genius takes you...

Materials List

2 oz. of 4 ply worsted weight cotton yarn

Size J (6mm) crochet hook

(Ed. note: Use whatever yarn and hook size you want, and create whatever you want.)

Gauge

This comes out to be a 9-inch-round dish/wash cloth for me. Everyone's tension is different, so you may want to adjust your hook size larger or smaller.

The Pattern

Chain 5, join with a sl st to form a ring.

Row 1: dc 16 sts in ring.

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around.

Row 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, (dc in next st, 2 dc in next st) around, join.

Row 4: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, (dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st) around, join.

Row 5: Ch 3, dc in each st around, join.

Row 6: Repeat row 5.

Edging: Ch 2, skip st, 5 dc in next st, skip st, (sc in next st, skip st, 5 dc in next st, skip st) around, fasten off.

Abbreviations:

ch = chaindc = double crochetsc = single crochetst(s) = stitch(es)sl st = slip stitch

About Pam:

I've been crocheting for about 33 years. I have three kids ages 19 (Matthew), 22 (Sid), and 25 (Cindy). Cindy just made me a grandmother of a baby girl. I love a good cup of tea (with all the gadgets), chocolate, British comedy, Wallace & Gromit, and the old Dark Shadows series. I collect anything ladybug. I am not really a designer. I'm more of a designer want to be. I design out of necessity when I can't find what I'm looking for, or if what I'm looking for is too expensive. My designs are very few, and very basic, and I don't mind passing them out to anyone who wants to use them.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

slip_stitch_crochet.html



Slip Stitch  is one of the basic stitches used in crochet. It has very little height and is usually used to end a row when crocheting in the round. That was the extent of how I used this stitch until recently when in my search for a cool free hat pattern I found the five spice hat in the above image where the main stitch is slip stitch blo and flo. "blo" a slip stitch in the back loop and "flo" is slip stitch in front loop.  As simple as it is, I always try to find a video preferably or a tutorial so I get it right.  There really is not much information out there.  It is as easy as it sounds but, I find as with all my crocheting it needs polishing....These two sites
Tiny Slip Stitch Has Great Possibilities - Crochet Me Blog - Crochet Me and  slip_stitch_crochet.html has another pattern and describes the Slip Stitch pretty well.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

HOW TO KNIT A HAT USING CIRCULAR NEEDLES FOR BEGINNERS

This video will serve as a pretty good tutorial for knitting your first hat using circular needles.  You should already know how to cast on and knit using circulars prior to starting. Frustrated from the many patterns I've read which required circular needles and double pointed needles. Well, if you are like me, I don't own double pointed knitting needles (dpn) so this is a perfect video for those of us who do not yet have a full reserve of knitting and crocheting supplies.  You will also need markers, which of course you can make your own.  I made my own using yarn and a pretty pearl button.  You can be creartive and make your own too, if you do not have any.  This hat is a basic knitting cap with your choice of brim i.e., roll up brim, double or single ridge edging or no brim like the ones in the picture.  Good luck and have fun.  If you want to share with us  your creation, I would love to see it.  I am not an experienced knitter;  I started knitting and crocheting a little less than a year now.  I will show you my end product when I am done, good or bad, lol. This video was taken from  http://www.knitpicks.com/ at You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hl7HGMDy0&feature=related