Learn to Crochet - Woven Stitch video tutorial

Woven Stitch in Crochet is such a versatile stitch, and one of my very favorites. A great stitch for the novice crocheter, it only uses chain stitch and single crochet. I've shown many examples of Crocheted Woven Stitch here, and one of them you see every time you visit Hooked On Needles. It's that scrumptious baby blanket in all those delicious colors on my website header! The afghans I made for my two younger children, shown HERE, were also crocheted in Woven Stitch. I made a crocheted scarf for the Special Olympics using the Woven Stitch, crocheting the length of the scarf instead of the width for a very interesting effect. More recently, the Big Black Scarf was made using Woven Stitch.

Way back when I first started offering tutorials here at Hooked On Needles, I did a picture tutorial on the Woven Stitch. But I thought it was high time I offered a video tutorial for those of us who learn better by actually seeing something done. So here it is...


Before you jump into the video, I thought I would show you a project that my daughter is working on right now. This is a scarf she is making using Red Heart Soft yarn and a size I hook. You can see just how tight her stitches are in this picture. Not a space to be found! This will be one cozy scarf!

Now on to the video...



Here is the video sample after a few more rows have been completed...

You can see the difference between my sample and the scarf my daughter is working on. I used a size K hook and I crochet a lot more loosely than she does.

With this Woven Stitch, you can also substitute any other stitch for the single crochet. For example, you could use half double crochet in this pattern in place of each single crochet. This would give you a softer and looser fabric. You could even substitute double or triple crochet for an even lacier look and feel. Try out different height stitches using the Woven Stitch pattern and see what you like best for the project you want to make.

Here's one more tip: When working your beginning chain for the Woven Stitch, you can count multiples of three if you want and then add the extra two, but it really is not necessary unless you need to repeat exactly the same thing later on. What I do is just work my beginning chain until it is as long as I want the width of my piece to be, then I start crocheting. If there is a chain leftover at the end of the first row, I will either un-do it and turn it into a knot, or I will work it into the border that I work around the piece at the end. I find that much easier than doing all that counting and worrying about one or two chain stitches!

Coming up soon will be a video tutorial on the Crocheted Basketweave Stitch and a handy tip for those who suffer with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Oh yes, and my 500th post giveaway...can't forget that!

Happy Stitching!

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13 Crocheted Floor Duster Covers Complete!

Last month I shared an idea for using up all your scrap cotton yarn by knitting or crocheting floor duster covers to take the place of the disposable name brand cloths. I've been a busy beaver since then and I'm ready to show you what I've made. So here we go...


Altogether 13 covers will be donated to the holiday fair at my son's school this weekend. How much would you pay for one of these?


I love the variety of colors all piled up in a heap...so cheerful! See that red and aqua cover? I made that one in honor of Jane's Red and Aqua D9P quilt block swap. Since getting into that swap, I've been noticing red and aqua everywhere I go!


And so very practical too! Imagine all the money you could save by using one of these and washing it instead of purchasing the brand name cloths and throwing them away!


Speaking of throwing things away, this picture shows the 31 ball bands recovered from all the leftover yarn I used up making these covers, and the little pile of yarn ends snipped off after all the ends were woven in.


And this is what's left in my bag of cotton yarn. Compared to what I started with, it's hardly worth mentioning!

I love finding projects that use up odd bits of yarn, fabric, batting or beads for a useful purpose. Do you have any favorite projects that use up leftovers? I'd love to hear about them.

Happy Stitching!

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Crocheted or Knitted Cotton Floor Dusters

Cotton yarn is wonderful to work with and can be used for so many different things. If you've been following Hooked On Needles for a while, you might remember that I made quite a few cotton dishcloths and washcloths. Some of you have even received them in packages from me or made them yourselves.

After making so many of the cotton cloths, I have accumulated quite a collection of leftover cotton yarn. This is what it looks like at the moment...


What a mess of yummy cotton! But have no fear! I have a way to use it all up in practically no time at all!

If you have wood floors in your home, chances are you have one of those name brand floor dusters which require the matching name brand disposable cloths that you use once and then throw away. Then you have to remember to buy more when you run out.

Here's an inexpensive and reusable solution that works just as well...

These cotton floor duster covers were made using the free pattern from Michael's website with some minor adjustments. The top one is crocheted and the bottom one is knitted. They both fit my name brand floor duster and they do a great job picking up dirt and dust (and lots of other things too!) from my wood floors. And since these also have cotton wrapped around the edges, they do a much better job on edges and in corners than the name brand disposables do.


The crocheted duster is made using single crochet in the back loops only, giving the duster these great little ridges for trapping dust and dirt.


The knitted version is made with small sections of garter stitch alternating on the front and back to produce these bumpy strips which also trap the dust and dirt very well.


The pattern from Michael's calls for stitching both the knitted and crocheted versions of these dusters in three pieces - one large piece measuring about 10 inches by 4 inches, and then two smaller pieces measuring about 2 inches by 4 inches. I decided to save myself some time and stitch both of my samples in one long piece, combining the numbers for the 3 pieces to get my cast on or chain stitch beginning numbers.


Then I just folded over the two ends and stitched the edges together to make my super easy, fabulously functional, and very frugal crocheted or knitted reusable cotton floor duster cover!


Much more colorful than the name brand disposables, don't you think?


It looks nice and clean right now, but after I use it on my floors, it will be ready for a spin through the wash. Just throw it in the wash along with towels or socks or whatever else you want, then hang it over a hook or shower curtain rod or clothes line to dry, and it will be ready to work for you again!

These handy dusters work up so quickly that I am making up as many as I can for my son's upcoming school Holiday Fair. Two other moms have also joined in on the fun and picked up their knitting needles after many years to make some for the fair too. With everyone trying to pinch pennies these days, I am hoping they will be good sellers at the fair and help to bring in a little bit of money for the school.

Happy Stitching!

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Ma Ingalls Half-Granny Crocheted Shawl finally complete!

The half-granny crocheted shawl that I started recently is finally finished! I do believe Ma Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie would be pleased.

This was the perfect project to use up the leftover Bernat yarn from the Sweet Liberty afghan because it is such cozy yarn and I just love the colors.

Take a peek...


I had to get pictures this morning before the sun hit the back deck and all the ladybugs started swarming again! It's that time of year here in New England!


These dining room chairs are high backed so the length of this shawl is very generous.


I worked a little picot edge with the blue which consists of a single crochet in each double crochet, a single crochet in the next space, 3 chains, another single crochet in the same space. Continue that pattern all along the lower edges of the shawl. I actually ran out of blue about 10 inches from the end, so I ended the border right there. I was determined not to have even a scrap of this yarn leftover! It is still a lovely and cozy shawl without those last few inches of border.


I don't think there is a nicer color combination than red, white and blue!











A fun and easy stash busting project! Anyone want a nice shawl?

(Editor's note: Click HERE for a video tutorial on stitching this shawl!)

Happy Stitching!

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Crocheted Scallop Border on Lollipop Oddball Blanket

The Lollipop Oddball Blanket is now complete and on its way back to the person who will deliver it to some lucky little baby in a Connecticut hospital.

After knitting the loose basketweave section in red, I crocheted a pretty scallop in yellow to finish it off. Here it is...


The is the exact same scallop pattern I used on the Tutti Frutti Oddball Blanket back in January, except that I worked a slip stitch between each 5 dc scallop instead of a single crochet. I also only worked 2 rounds of single crochet around the blanket before working the scallop border instead of 3. I find that the worsted weight blankets only require 2 rounds before the decorative border because the yarn is so much bigger than the sport weight used in the preemie blankets.


These bright colors will provide good visual stimulation for some new little baby, along with all the love and warmth that was knit and crocheted into this Lollipop blanket.

Happy Stitching!

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Babette Crocheted Blanket - Finally Finished!

Babette is finally complete! Elizabeth missed her goal by 3 days, but she worked on it faithfully until it was finished. Take a look at this wonderful accomplishment...


The sun came out just as the last stitch was being worked...


...and here it is...the final stitch of a very ambitious crochet project!


The border starts with the two rounds of red in double crochet, then light green, gold, two rounds of navy, a yellow, an orange, then the final round in teal single crochet to finish it off. No wonder it took so long!


But doesn't it look great? It was so big and heavy that Elizabeth needed her little sister Gracie to help hold it on the railing.


What a fabulous combination of colors!


And great perseverance too! Elizabeth is already looking forward to using this blanket at football games this fall. It's big enough to wrap herself up in it from head to toe and all the way around!

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet - Half Granny Shawl Video Tutorial

There has been some discussion recently on the crochet thread of the Knittinghelp.com forum regarding the crocheted shawl worn by Caroline Ingalls in The Little House on the Prairie shows. Some links were provided to patterns resembling that shawl. Two of the patterns looked good, but the other links were broken. The information given about the shawl was that it was crocheted, and most likely a half granny square type of design.

Many years ago, I had made quite a large number of shawls using just such a design, one for my grandmother in cream and lavender, and one for each of the nuns in the convent where my oldest sister is. That was a lot of black crocheting! So I felt confident that I could replicate this half granny shawl design to share with you here at Hooked On Needles.


After a few false starts, this is what I came up with...

This is just a sample that I crocheted while working out the pattern. Of course to make this into a shawl, you would have to continue crocheting until the triangle is as big as you want your shawl to be.


Here's a close-up of the beginning point of the sample where the original chain-4 was made. You can see where the 3-dc groups, also called shells, turn to the left and to the right. This point where they change direction is the tip of the triangle where two shells are worked with ch-2 in between. On a full granny square, this would be one of the 4 corners.


And here's the other end of the center, which is the point. Once you have made your triangle as big as you want it, this would be the outer edge where you could add a decorative border, such as a scallop or fringe, or you could just leave it plain.

Here is a short video showing how I made this half-granny triangle. I have included the written instructions below as well.

Half Granny Triangle Shawl

Yarn of your choice
crochet hook of the appropriate size for yarn chosen

NOTE:
shell = 3 double crochet
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
sp = space

ch 4 and join with sl st to first chain to form ring.

ch 4 (used as 1 dc and 1 ch here and throughout), shell in ring, ch 2, shell in ring, ch 1, 1 dc in ring. ch 4, turn.

shell in ch 1 sp, ch 1, (shell, ch 2, shell) in ch 2 sp (this is the center point), ch 1, (shell, ch 1, 1 dc) in ch 1 sp. ch 4, turn.

* (shell, ch 1) in each ch 1 sp to center point, (shell, ch 2, shell) in ch 2 sp of center point, (ch 1, shell) in each ch 1 sp to end. ch 1. In last ch 1 sp, work shell, ch 1, 1 dc. ch 4, turn. *

Repeat from * to * until shawl is the size you want it.

Work one row of single crochet evenly spaced across the top of the shawl. Add a decorative edge on the other two sides of the triangle with fringe, crocheted scallop, reverse single crochet or any other edge that you like.

Happy Stitching!

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Granny Square Stash Buster Project

Here's a quick peek at how I'm using up leftover yarn from recent projects...


Do you recognize these colors? They are from the afghan I made for my son's bed which I showed HERE. I will also be adding squares made from leftovers from Elizabeth's Babette which is just about finished!

Now I'm off to the doctor to see what's wrong with my knee...such fun!

Happy Stitching!

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Babette Crocheted Blanket - Update #4

Crocheting a large blanket from beginning to end between the last day of high school and the first day of college is a pretty lofty goal for a young lady. But if you've read my previous posts on this adventure, you know that is just what my daughter set out to do this summer.

Her first day of classes will be next Wednesday, September 2. Would you like to see how far she's come towards reaching her goal?


I just had to put this picture first because it is so colorful! Elizabeth worked out the 22 different colors on this blanket so that no color was touching itself from block to block. And the first round of the border will be a color that is not used in the outside row of any border block! Whew, too much to think about!


So here is Elizabeth's Babette with all the blocks crocheted and sewn together, just waiting for the multi-color border she is planning for it. At this point it measures 57 x 62 inches - big and cozy!

I do believe she will reach her goal and I think that is quite an accomplishment!

Happy Stitching!

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Learn to Crochet Jacob's Ladder - Video Tutorial

There are so many wonderful sources for creative inspiration around these days, whether it be magazines, shops, what the person in front of you in the grocery store check-out line is wearing, websites, the paper band on a skein of yarn, you name it! I love poking through KnittingHelp.com to see what other people are doing, or what people are having trouble doing. Just recently, someone was having a problem with a crocheted afghan pattern, so I offered to help.

Here's what I came up with...


Oh no, it's not an afghan!


But I suppose if you are a very long, skinny snake, it could be an afghan!


Nope, I'd have to say, it's definitely not an afghan.


But don't you just love the colors?

I took a look at the link to the afghan pattern that was provided and discovered that it is the pattern called Jacob's Ladder. You can click HERE for the full pattern.

For the small sample I was going to use to make the following video, I decided to just whip up a little section of the pattern with only one ladder in it. I liked working on it so much that I dug up more leftover yarn and kept on crocheting! When I was finished, I had a fabulous and colorful scarf that should be very warm and cozy, not to mention quite eye-catching! It's approximately 6 1/2 by 80 inches and machine wash and dry.

OK, back to business! This pattern could be done using one color of yarn throughout or multiple colors. It lends itself nicely to the using up of scrap yarn - a real stash-buster! It would be nice in yarn weights from baby all the way up to chunky, using the appropriate sized crochet hook for the yarn chosen. Of course the beginning chain length would need to be adjusted depending on the size yarn used and the desired finished size.

The Jacob's Ladder pattern is a very simple combination of double crochet and chain stitch, with an easy single crochet edge at the end. Once the pattern is established in the base row of the piece, it is the type of project that you really don't have to give much thought to as you are working on it. If you are using up leftover yarn, you could just crochet until one color runs out and then add in the next color. This project was a nice break for me in between working on the knitted lace shawl that requires total concentration and no interruptions!

Here is a not-so-little video on how to work the Jacob's Ladder crochet pattern. I guess I was feeling a bit loquacious when I made it!

In the video, I use safety pins at the end as the pattern recommends to keep the ladder from unraveling. In hindsight, however, I would recommend using locking stitch markers such as those you can see on the knitted lace shawl post, or just a scrap of yarn tied in a bow at the top of each ladder. Safety pins can get caught in your yarn and can sometimes be hard to remove as you are crocheting along.




I hope you find this video helpful!

Happy Stitching!

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