Another Way To Learn Symbols

Here's another way you might find easier to learn the symbols used in charted patterns for crochet projects.  It's only the basics but the images clearly show the symbols and what they mean to you as you crochet.  This is especially for those brand new to symbols and charted patterns.

I found these images in my files and thought they may be useful to someone just starting out.  If you have any questions feel free to post in the comments below.
Have a blessed day

Crochet Tip: Using Your Machine To Sew Fabric To Your Crochet Project

If you're like me you spend a lot of time trying to figure out an easier, faster way of doing things that bore you.  Don't get me wrong, I love to crochet and I love to sew - on the machine - hand sewing is not my favorite, or fastest thing to do.  It takes me what seems like forever to hand sew a lining in one of my bags.

I had a thought, tried it, and it worked just fine.  The thought came when I was hand sewing lining into a Fat Bottom Bag.  I thought, "There's GOT to be an easier and faster way to do this!  What would Mom do?"  That's when the thought came to me.  Mom would have used Freezer Paper and sew it on the machine!
The problem I had when trying to sew the lining with the machine before this was unfruitful.  It came out horrid because the pressure foot kept tugging and catching on the crochet work I did and the thread would all bunch up making one hundred stitches in the same exact place - the work would not move forward.
All I had to do was put freezer paper between the pressure foot and the crochet work and TA DA!  No more catching, bunching, and each stitch went exactly where it was supposed to, one right after the other in a neat line.  Yea.  Thanks Mom!

You'll need:
Freezer paper, or Parchment paper would work just the same
The fabric lining for your bag (or other crocheted item)
Your crocheted bag
A sewing machine

Several of you have asked about stitch length....

**Set your stitch length to one you would use for everyday, medium weight fabrics.**  I haven't tried a zig zag stitch yet, nor have I tried a top stitch setting (where the machine makes a triple stitch) but I'd like to try and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Just put the paper next to the teeth that push the material along (for which I cannot remember the real name of at this moment!  ack!) , under the presser foot.  The place your work, with the fabric lining pinned into place, on top of the freezer paper, underneath the presser foot as well.

As long as you don't go off the fabric, don't stray onto the crocheted part of your work, this trick should work just fine.

Once the lining is sewed in, just remove the paper, one side at a time, tearing it carefully away from the machine stitching.

(I don't have an example shot just yet of this action because I didn't think to share this with you until I was all done with this bag but next one, if need be, I'll post the photo of actually pulling the paper away from the stitches.  For now, this is what it looks like to pull the paper away from stitches I made in an hand towel. lol)

It's best to do one side and then the other to make sure you don't pull any stitches too hard and pull them out.  Any little bits of paper that may stay stuck in the stitches of your work can easily be pulled out with your fingernails or tweezers, but I don't find that very many little bits are stubborn this way, they mostly come out when you pull the paper away.

That's It!  I hope this made something easier and quicker for you.  I do like the results of hand sewing my linings in my bags but when it comes to being cost effective for a boutique sale or craft fair, machine sewing is the only way to fly.  We spend enough hours on our crocheting - my doctor figured out I get about 12 cents per hour for my crochet work at the prices I sell my items for.  Save time, save money, save your fingers, save yourself.  Use the machine whenever you can!  ;-D
If you found this post to be useful, please indicate by leaving a comment below.  Also, if you found it to be boring or dumb, please feel free to say so.  I like to share my secrets but don't want to if I find out everyone already knows everything!  lol
Do you have a question about crocheting or sewing that we can help answer for you?  Is there something that's been on your mind that you've always wondered about either of the two?  Let me know in the comment section below and I'll see what we can do to find the answer for you.  Maybe it's something you just discovered yourself, put that in the comments too and I'll create a post for and by my readers that shares tips like this one (without the photos and extreme explanations).  It would be nice to help each other by sharing our knowledge, don't you think?  It'll be kind of like Heloise's book of household tips except it'll be this blog and about crocheting.  We'll see.  Maybe we could get together a book like that - I don't believe there is one out there.  We'll see.
Gotta go!
Have a great day, God bless you!

On The Crochet Menu: Another FBB

What's on the crochet menu today?  Another FBB (Fat Bottom Bag), one I hope to sell very soon.  Many ladies are presenting a great interest in the bags since my friend - who goes to the hospital for treatments for Lupus - brought her FBB I made her to the hospital and the nurses there saw it and wanted to see more of them.  The nurses told my friend they would like to have a FBB like hers, proving my point in my previous post that word of mouth is the best method of advertising.

Here's the latest addition to my FBB inventory (below) and following this post is a quick (and easy) photo tutorial on how I made the handles for it.  Let me know what you think in the comments below, your comments are always welcome!

I made the flowers and leaves using size 3 crochet thread and a size 3 steel crochet hook.  I tend to like the thread flowers better than worsted weight but it really depends on each individual bag that I make.  Each one has a personality of its own.

By luck the lining I chose matches the thread I used for the flowers perfectly.  The purples and blues are really pretty against the black body of the bag.  I found this material at Jo Ann's in the designer area of the fabric section.








I was disappointed in the handles at Jo Ann's that day and was shocked at the prices of them.  They've gone up quite a bit and my little cheapy stand by handle - the unfinished rattan round handles  that were $2.99 are no longer available there.  Only the finished rattan handles were there and priced at $5.99!  I wasn't about to pay that much for a rattan handle so I decided to follow my boyfriend's suggestion, to look for cords or braids in the trims section and make my own handles.  Below is what I did to make a 3/8" cording work as handles for this bag.  If anyone has any better ideas about how to make handles, please do comment below!  Anyway, here's what I did:

 Before cutting your twisted cording wrap scotch tape around the ends and cut in the middle of the tape so both ends of the cut are held in place and will not ravel.  I only purchased one yard of this cording for the handles at a couple bucks a yard.   I cut the cording in half and used half a yard for each handle.

To ensure the cording won't ravel, apply a good amount of glue to all ends and allow to dry well on waxed paper.
This will also make a barrier so when you sew the ends together the stitches won't pull through and come apart.

In a zig-zag pattern, using heavy duty thread and needle, sew the ends together.  Go all the way around the cording with your stitches so it doesn't wiggle with a gap or bend funny.  You won't be able to get the needle through the glue you applied earlier so just stitch on the other side of the glue barrier.  I enlarged the photo so you'd be able to see how I made the stitches for this.  It doesn't look very pretty but it serves a good purpose and it won't be seen when the bag is put altogether.

To make sure the corded handles didn't slip around while being used, exposing the ends stitched together, I tacked the stitched part of the handles to the bag's handle flaps smack dab in the middle of the flap. 

Now all that's left is to secure your handle flaps over the handles and you're done.



Please leave feedback in the comments below.  I appreciate your views and suggestions and conversation more than you know.  Thanks for stopping by, I hope I at least inspired you to make something beautiful today.

God bless you and God bless America - One Nation Under God... United we stand, divided we fall.
Ronald Regan said, "If we forget we are a nation under God, we'll be a nation gone under".

Crochet News: Well, Kinda - Bag Handles Tutorial

This is only "kinda" crochet news because it's not really about crocheting  but it involves something you might need when you crochet something:  Bag Handles!  They are no longer found at Michael's (the one by my home doesn't carry them anymore, does yours?) and I have relatively no other craft store local to me besides Joann's Craft and Fabric Store.  I'm sure you're very familiar with that one, it's a rather large chain.  Even so, I have to travel quite a distance to get to Joann's to purchase handles I use for the FBBs I make (Fat Bottom Bags found in Stitch N Bitch Crochet).

There are many different types of bag handles to choose from that give the bag you're making a character of it's own.  Well, these handles are wonderful but they are also expensive ranging anywhere from a couple of dollars (for the unfinished rattan round handles) to over $8.00 for the fancier handles made of finished wood or leather, or acrylic.

In making my bags I have found it fun (and cheap!  $$$) to make my own handles using the unfinished rattan handles at about $2.99 per pair:

To make the handles special for each bag I either use a single crochet onto the handle as I did for my Toasty FBB found HERE.

OR







I cover the handles with material that matches the lining I'm using for the bag as I did below:

Below is a brief tutorial on how to cover the rattan round handles found at Joann's...
(It's easy-peasy!)







1.  Separate the handle where the joint is.  You'll have to use a flat head screw driver or something similar to loosen it first because it is glued together.  There is also a nail driven into the handle which you'll pull out of ONE side of the handle:

(Be careful not to poke yourself with the nail, it may try to spring back into the hole it came out of.)







2.  Cut a strip of material that matches your lining for each handle (2):   Make the strip 2 1/8" wide and approximately 3 feet long.  (really!)  If you don't like the bunched up look and want it smoother than that you can always cut your strip of material shorter.  I just rolled the handle down the strip of material twice to figure how long to make it bunchy.

3.  Sew the strip lengthwise, right sides together, using the presser foot as a guide for your seam allowance (guide the edge of the material along the edge of the presser foot so your seam will be approximately 1/4" wide) .  If your seam allowance is too big it will be hard to get the material over the handle.

4.  Attach a large safety pin to one end of the sewn strip and push the safety pin inside your strip to turn it right side out.  Just keep pushing and gathering and pushing and gathering until you reach the end.  It's a long tedious process but it's worth the results you get:

This photo shows what it looks like when you've got the strip half way turned out.  It does get easier from here.  Don't try to push too much fabric down at once - it'll get all bunched up and be a real pain to push down.

(If you want me to show photos of this process in more detail please leave your request in comments below. ;-)

5.  Now that you have your strip turned right side out, just slide it over the side of the handle that does not have the nail in it.  (Again, be careful of that nail.)

(Sliding material over side of handle without nail)







6.  Now that the entire strip is bunched up on the handle you want to turn in the ends so there aren't any raw edges showing and take  a few stitches in it just to keep it securely in place.  This is the part of the handle that would go inside the handle flap of the bag.

That's it, no biggie, easy-peasy right?  Makes a great looking handle for your FBB or any other bag you make...

This is a bag I just finished that was ordered from me by a friend on Ravelry.  If you'd like to order a bag like this, please contact me HERE  Each bag is unique and if you'd like to see more like this check out my other posts or Anitalite on Ravelry.com.

Crochet Tutorial: Seed Stitch

In an earlier post I mentioned the Soft Seed Stitch Scarf and Hat pattern and thought I would post a quick photo tutorial for the seed stitch for you.


After working a round of making stitches in the BLO (back loop only) of previous row :


sc in first st, dc in unused loop of next stitch:

 This photo shows how the unused loop of the stitch from the previous row lines up with the stitch above which you leave unworked.  You only work the dc into the bottom loop as shown below (hopefully)

Red arrows indicate where a dc is worked.  An "X" is where you do not work a stitch.  The white arrows show where the sc is worked.  Hopefully this helps.  Here's a few more photos that may help you see how it's supposed to look and one showing the dc pulled forward to skip a stitch and sc in the next..  (You skip the stitch that the dc would have been made in if you were working in  that same row.)

Above the photo shows end of hook pointing to the unused loop of stitch of previous row (between two dcs) - the loop where the dc will be worked. 

Photo above shows the dc just worked pulled forward (at the asterisk), exposing the stitch that you will skip and working the sc in the next stitch.

I hope this helps and does not confuse!

Good luck and have fun!

Crochet Tutorial: Working The Cross Stitch Into Your Granny Square

 Tutorial For Using A Cross Stitch Pattern In Your Granny Square
Before beginning please read instructions all the way through.


For same instructions in a more printer friendly format, go HERE  (free PDF download)

The cross stitch works in sets of three stitches so your rows must be in multiples of three.  The sides of this square are 12 stitches across, counting the middle stitch in the corner group.
That is important for later.


Instructions for cross stitch: 
Skip two stitches, tr in next stitch, ch 1, tr in first skipped sc (skip 1 sc going to the right and tr in next stitch to the right)

Start by attaching the contrast yarn at any corner with a sl st. and ch 4 (counts as a dc + ch 1)
Work the cross stitch across the side to the end.
**Ch 1, dc in corner st (last worked st), ch 1, dc in same st, ch 1, work cross stitches across side of square to end, repeating from ** around until you reach last corner.  After making last cross stitch on last side of square, dc, ch 1, sl st into third ch of beg ch.  If using contrast yarn, fasten off, weave in ends.

Attach contrast with a sc in ch 1 of cross stitch. (If not using contrast, ch 1, sc in next st)  Sc in each tr , dc, and ch 1 spaces across all sides in all corners as well.  Fasten off, weave in ends.










The photo below shows what the corner group looks like when finished.

You can make a more defined corner, of course, if you add two sc to the corner st of the square, which I did not do because I didn't think of it till I saw this photo and noticed how round the corners were.  I would put the two extra sc in the first dc of that corner.

The cross stitch makes a great border for a granny square or a wash cloth or dish rag.  If you're more talented than I you can probably add granny square rows following the cross stitch rows.

Crochet News: Free Pattern; Toddler Ballet Beret

When I missed my great-niece's third birthday party I felt so sad I had to do something constructive and creative to make myself feel better and to give my little niece a handmade gift by Great Aunt Cyndi.  (Emphasize the GREAT!  j/k)

Since Emma wants to be a ballerina (along with my grand daughter Madison and about every other  toddler out there!) I decided to make her a pair of ballet leg warmers (pattern coming soon!) and this little beret to match the leg warmers.  Winter IS coming, it's just around the corner and that means CHRISTMAS! (Let me be the  first to be so mean as to remind you how close Christmas really is, especially if you hand make all your gifts.)

Here's the pattern for the beret, as I said a leg warmer pattern to match is on it's way.

Make It In A Day:
Crochet Toddler Ballet Beret
copyright 2011
by Cynthia J Luciene

PDF download for this pattern is here
*Note:  You don't have to download the file, it is possible to just open it to view using Adobe Acrobat Reader.   (Choose the "view" option when the download  window pops up)
The file is hosted by Mediafire which has turned out to be a very reliable and stable file host for me...  And it's free, you don't have to register to download my files.

Have fun, send photos of your completed Ballet Beret projects to me HERE 

I can't wait to see my little great-niece wearing her beret and leg warmers with the ballet dress and tutu my mother got her for her birthday this year!

Crochet News: The Find Of A Lifetime! Crochetology.net!

I had the pleasure today of stumbling across a site I've never seen before and I'm sorry to say I have no idea how I got there, just that it was what I like to call a "God shot".   (A God shot being something that happens only due to divine intervention.)  I know God knows my heart and my desires and what makes me happy in my little world.  He knows I've been trying to put ideas together that lay in my heart and my mind's eye but I do not have the crochet intellect and experience to put my ideas and longings to hook and thread.  I've tried, believe me, and I've got a dozen or so projects that I started and then had to stop because I hit a hitch in the road and could not progress to complete the projects.   Crochetotology.net put an end to the end of my projects.  Fatima opened my eyes, taught me things I thought I knew.  Now I have guides to the following (and a lot more!)

•  More About The Square  details how to use a square motif to make a long sleeved top.  Includes a motif pattern in diagram.  (You'll have to follow the previous link to see the top Fatina constructed and how to do it yourself.)

• From Doily To Dress An excellent post explaining her procedure for turning any crochet doily pattern (new, vintage or antique) into a wearable dress or other garmet.  This is something I've had in my mind to do but couldn't quite "get it".  Thanks to Fatima I'm going to be able to use some very old (possibly antique) doily patterns to make beautiful wearables!

There's also wonderful, beautiful stitch and motif patterns available such as one of my favorites:

• Georgiana a hexagonish motif that  I think would make a beautiful top or skirt, or scarf.

Crochetology.net : The Art, The Pattern, And The Language Of Crochet.  That it definitely is!

If you want to learn, go there.  If you want to make something beautiful, go there.  If you're curious as to what I'm so excited about, GO THERE! 

Crochet News: I'm Actually Blocking My Project!

Can you believe this?  I am actually blocking and starching (is that being redundant?) my snowflakes.  Well, one snowflake anyway:

I just finished crocheting Snowflake 41 from the Big Book Of Thread Ornaments

I strung tiny red beads onto my crochet thread before I started the snowflake and added them as I went along wherever I felt like.  Midway into crocheting and beading I had the thought that the beads could possibly weight down the ornament, making it droop when hung on the tree.  (I have no experience with this so bear with me).
I added many beads to the middle and less as I went along and actually like how it turned out.

Following the instructions I've read on many a crochet blog or craft web site, I:

• soaked my snowflake in fabric starch (100% strength for maximum stiffness)
• squeezed out the excess starch
• laid the snowflake flat on some paper towels and rolled it up to get a bit more of the extra starch out
• placed waxed paper on top of a sturdy cardboard box lid
• used nickel plated pins to shape and hold the snowflake
• waited
• and waited 
• and waited for the dang thing to dry!  
• ate dinner
• went to bed
• woke up in the morning
• waited for the starch to dry
• decided the old saying "watched water doesn't boil" is TOO true
• started working on a completely different project knowing that if I forgot about this one completely it would magically and suddenly dry when I wasn't looking
• realized I was right about the last bullet-ed step above
• forgot what I was doing and started pattern browsing

When I remember what I was blogging about in this post I'll let you know how it turned out.
Signing off to pattern browse some more and try to remember what the heck I forgot about and to practice being a serious grown-up, a discipline I never mastered, thank goodness.

UPDATE:
Here's the finished, almost dry product of all that waiting and wondering and worrying...

This last photo was taken before the snowflake was dry after starching.  For a follow up on my first block and starch project, see next newer post....

Free Pattern - Face Scrubbie #2; Post DC Stitch Tutorial

Here's the second pattern for face scrubbies that I am making and giving away to anyone that is willing  take them from me, ha ha....
A photo tutorial for the post stitch follows the pattern instructions.

Added 7/27/10 at 9:45 PM:
If you would like photos of your own scrubbies added to this post with your handle name, email them to me HERE, it would be fun to see everyone's different scrubbie ideas!

I take my cotton crochet yarn and size G hook everywhere I go so I can work on these whenever I find a minute or two of idle time.


Face Scrubbie #2  Free Pattern


With size 4 cotton crochet yarn (Lily's or Peaches N Creme, Lion Brand or Royale) and a size G hook,


ch 2,

Round 1:  work 6 sc inside second ch from hook, join with sl st to first sc made


Round 2:  ch 3 (counts as first dc) dc in same st as joining st, 2 dc in each sc around.
Fasten off, weave in ends.


Round 3:  join contrast color (white) with a sc into any dc from round 2.  Make Post DC stitch (tutorial follows pattern), ch 1, sc in very next dc being careful to leave no dc from round 2 un-worked.  There'll be one Post DC and one SC for each dc from round 2.

Post DC stitch:

 YO,  insert hook behind the entire post made by the very next dc,

 yo, draw hook back to front of work,

 YO, draw through 2 loops on hook,
YO, draw through the 2 rem loops on hook.
--- end of tutorial Post DC stitch ------



Make sure to work each dc with a sc, the Post DC stitch goes into each dc from row 2 as well.    Be sure to leave no dc un-worked or your stitch pattern won't be uniform.

Working a sc in the next dc:  (The dc you  are going to work the sc in looks as if it is almost behind the Post DC you just made as shown:)

And showing how the Post DC looks when it's completed: