Monday, March 28, 2011

What I've been doing

Cowl


Yarn: I used some acrylic yarn in worsted weight I had in my closet, but I'd like something else. Something that doesn't itch ;-) (not that acrylic itches, but...) (I used 1 1/2 skeins. I think there's 50 grams in each.) (And, yes, I know, the color doesn't fit me at all, and I am sick.)
Hook: I used 3 mm, and it was too small. I can't find my #4. You use bigger hook.
stitches used: chain stitch, single crochet and double crochet (US)

You are going to need also 4 buttons and a tapestry needle.

Row 1: ch30 (I think that's a bit too little, but I haven't tried this with a bigger hook, so perhaps 30 is enough)
Row 2-4: ch3 (to replace first dc), and dc to every ch in previous row (30 st)
Row 5-6: ch3 (to replace first dc), 9 dc, *ch1 dc10 in previous dc's* twice (32 st)
Row 7: ch3 (to replace first dc), 9 dc, *ch2 dc10 in previous dc's* twice (34 st)
Row 8: ch3 (to replace first dc), 9 dc, *ch3 dc10 in previous dc's* twice (36 st)
Row 9: ch3 (to replace first dc), 9 dc, *ch5 dc10 in previous dc's* twice (40 st)

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Continue the same way until your cowl is long enough to reach around your head. (I crocheted 41 rows more like this.)
After that repeat rows 8-2 in opposite order.
Last row (button holes): sc1, ch3, *skip 3 ch, 5sc in next dc's, ch3* (repeat 2 times), sc1, finish off.
Weave in ends and sew on buttons.



Long scarf

Yarn: I used some old sock yarn (light, sport weight, DK) I had in my closet, to make the first swatch.
Hook: I used 3 mm.
stitches used: chain stitch, slip stitch and double crochet (US)

Make a long chain of chain stitches, as long as you want your scarf to be.
See that the amount of stitches is dividable by 14 +7
Crochet three ch to replace the first dc, then 5 dc's, then 2 ch and slip stitch to replace the last dc. Then you crochet 7 slip stitches.
Repeat this the whole length of the chain. You should start and end with 7 dc's.
Now copy it to the other side of the chain.

You will be making as many of these strips as you think are needed for your scarf, but fasten them as you crochet, with slip stitch by the corners of the dc parts.

Skirt


Yarn: I only made a mock miniature, and used cotton thread #10 doubled. I'd use some light weight cotton, linen or similar for the normal size version.

Hook: I used 3 mm
stitches used: chain stitch and single crochet.

Measure your waist. Divide that in two.
Measure how long you want your skirt to be.
Now, ch a chain as long as the length of skirt, and start crocheting in sc's. Take only up the back of the stitch on the previous row.
Decide which side is up and which is down. Don't make the beginning ch in the "up" side, and crochet two sc's in the last stitch of the previous row in the "down" side, to get the piece in an angle.
When you have crocheted as long a piece as your waist measurement divided by two, start the decreases. At every row, you'll be decreasing 10 stitches. You do that by turning 10 stitches from the "up" side. This will give you a little sway on the skirt.
Make two identical pieces, and sew them together; the straight edge to the decrease edge. You can also crochet them together, which I recommend. Start the second half from the decrease edge of the first half.

Sc fabric is elastic, so you shouldn't have any problems with getting and keeping the skirt on, but you can add a waistband to be sure, or crochet a couple of rounds sc's from the waistline to make a prettier and more finished edge. You might then need to leave a small opening in the "up" side of the side seam, to be able to wear the skirt.

You can also choose to make the skirt about 10-15 cm shorter than you want, and then add a sc border on the "down" edge of the skirt. It will give a nice structural effect.

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I am aware that I stink when it comes to writing patterns. I'm not even sure if it is possible to crochet something following these, or what the results might be, but how ever stinky, these are patterns I have written for my designs (how ever unoriginal and boring).

P.S.
Generic scarf pattern:

1. find a stitch pattern you like. Make a swatch to see how it acts, and make notes of how many edge stitches you need to add to make the pattern complete.

<< Like here - you will need *6* + 3 + 2
6 is what you need for one pattern, 3 to make the pattern row symmetric, and 2 for edges.

2. you'll need some 200-300 yards/meters of yarn, which ever thickness you use. That's about 1 1/2 balls of normal light/sport/sockyarn thickness most scarves are knit/crocheted and knitting needles/hook in size 3-4mm
3. you start with about 25-35 stitches, depending on how wide you want your scarf. This number depends on the stitch you have chosen. It must be dividable with the number of stitches needed for the stitch pattern, + all the edge stitches if you need/want any.
If knit, you'll cast on the amount of stitches needed, if crocheted, you'll crochet a chain of chain stitches, and then you just follow the stitch pattern until your scarf is long enough.(In the sample stitch, you need to crochet 4 x *6* + 3 + 2 = 29 ch, and you need to finish it on the row 6.)

Finish off, weave in the ends and that's it.

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