Mother's Day gift ideas in thread crochet, modified clones knot tutorial

I was asked to make my columbine barrettes available at AndersonsCreations on Etsy into a bookmark for a Mother's Day gift.  Of course, I thought that is a pattern that would work up quickly and other people who crochet with thread would love to make for themselves and their mothers.  My pattern testers said that it only took them about 4 or 5 hours to crochet.  This pattern is set for a skill level of intermediate to advanced.

This is mainly because of the modified clones knot I used for the stamen.  I called it 3hdcCL stitch and I thought I would do a tutorial on how the make this stitch.  It is worked a little differently from most stitches in that it is worked around a chain and not in the chain. The pattern calls for a chain of a certain number and then a half double crochet (U.S. crochet term) in the 2nd chain from the hook.  This anchors the clones knot.

To make the modified clones knot, (simply wrap the thread around your hook once and around the chain) 3 times, yarn over and pull the thread through all wraps at once.

 Slip stitch to close 3hdcCL (modified clones knot). These stitches will stay at the top of the chain.

After that is made, the pattern says to make a number of  single crochet stitches around (not in) the chain left down to the center of the flower. This packs all the stitches on the chain which makes it really stiff so that it will stand up.

I really love how this pattern came out.  If you don't enjoy thread crochet I have two different versions of this bookmark in my shop already made for you to buy.

 a blue and white columbine bookmark

a dark columbine bookmark



I am also happy to make a bookmark in any columbine combination of colors that you love.  Just push the "ask a question" button on the side of my Etsy page and I will make it for you in the colors you want. However, I can't promise they will be done by Mother's Day of this year as I am already working on a number of orders to get out.

The pattern to make your own columbine bookmark in the colors you chose is can be found using the "buy now" button at the right of this post or at LoisLeigh's Ravelry store.  This pattern will be available by tomorrow at AndersonsCreations. Etsy.

I have also designed a choker using this glorious flower. A blue and white columbine choker already made for you.

It has a crochet tie closer at the back so that it will fit most neck sizes.  dark columbine choker

If you would like to make your own with the colors you chose the pattern can be found using the "buy now" button on the right or at LoisLeigh Ravelry shop, AndersonsCreations on Etsy or Lois Leigh's Creations on Craftsy

I have always found flowers to be a great source of inspiration.  The biggest issue is how to translate that into crochet.  I hope this tutorial helps in making this amazing flower for your own columbine creations.

newest bookmark thread crochet design - daffodil Fairy

I often get asked where my ideas come from for my various bookmarks.  This one came from my garden.  I was looking through my spring garden of daffodils.  I realized that the trumpet for the flower would make a fantastic shirt and the petals would work naturally into a skirt.  I had wanted to design a fairy bookmark for a while now and I saw exactly how I could do it.

She is available pre-made at my AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  Her head and flower can hang outside the book to remind the reader there is more story to come.  What a fantastic achievement award for anyone who loves to read.

 

One of the trickier parts of the pattern is how to make the flower petals.  Flower petals are usually worked down one side of a chain and then down the second side of the same chain.  When you start at the waist with the chain the end of the petal ends up at the opposite end of the chain then the waist.  I also needed a way for all the separate petals to be joined to each other.  I decided to use the front loop of the petal to slip stitch back to the waist.  I then worked another chain for a second petal and joined the two petals with a slip stitch in the unused back loop behind the slip stitches going down to the waist. 

 

I also needed to come up with wings.  There are so many possibilities.  I could have bought pre made wings but I wanted to make something in crochet.  I love how her wings came out using a variation of a rose leaf.

Of course I had a to design a daffodil cap to go with the curly hair underneath.  (I used Caron Simply yarn for the hair which is cropped close to the cap and unraveled which gives the hair its curl)

My pattern testers really enjoyed making this pattern which works up quickly.  One tester had never used thread to crochet with and she really loved making this.  I use a larger hook than is normally used to get the bookmarks to a "good" size and to encourage others not to be afraid to work with thread which I love working with.  My pattern for this bookmark can be found at LoisLeigh's Ravelry shop.  It is also available at AndersonsCreations.etsy.com.  If you are from Canada or the European Union I now have the pattern available at Loveknitting shop (Lovecrochet shop)  Or you can use the buy now link at the left of this post.  This button will take you to your PayPal account.

 

I really love how she came out and I am going to be designing more fairy items.  There are so many ideas running through my head with out enough time to design them all.  I add them to a list and work on my present design.  I often get requests for characters to make into bookmarks.  So many good ideas but they need to be generic so that I don't run into copyright or trademark disputes.  Nature seems to be one of my primary design inspiration.

 

What do you think of my new design?

 

 



Bride bookmark and Solomon's Knot tutorial

It has been a while but with vacations and some home repairs, I haven't been able to work on the computer much.  Luckily, it doesn't mean I haven't been designing.  I love knit or crochet because I can take with me.

I am currently designing a bride bookmark.  This is part of a commission wall hanging.  I love how she came out.

 

I decided to give her an overskirt on her dress of Solomon's knot or Love knot lace because of its fantastically lacey look.  So I thought I would do a picture tuturial of this particular stitch.

 

To start,  pull up a loop.  My pattern calls for a loop that is 1/4 inch long.  (Most patterns will tell you how long a loop is required for their pattern.)  

 

Yarn over and pull a loop through.

 

  Now comes the "tricky" part.  Sc in back strand of the long lp created by pulling a loop through above.

 

Below is a completed Solomon's knot or Love knot.

 







 Generally, a pattern has you make several on top of  each other as shown below. 

Future rows are generally worked in the sc stitch on top of the knot.  The stitch is not a hard one just a little confusing if you have not run into it before.

Here is a back view of the overskirt to show how neat this stitch works up.

I love how it came out. 

I think crochet and knitting are wonderful.  They are so mobile that they can be taken on 16 hour drives to see the children and the work isn't put on hold until we return.  What do you like about these arts?

 





changing colors in crochet

With all the joyous activity that surrounds Christmas, I have not blogged as often.  I am currently designing a nativity wall hanging which will be ready next year as there is not way it will be finished this year yet.

I am using a striped pattern for baby Jesus and I realize that a tuturial on different methods of changing colors might be helpful.  Here is a picture of the baby Jesus.

 

As the picture shows, every other row on the body is a different color.  I will show the way to change colors in the round without cutting the thread and adding knots to the work.

Using the last stitch of the row, in this case a slip stitch, pull the new color up from behind the work to make the first loop of the new row.

 

Pull the loop through and start the next round using your new color.  (In this case you go from gold to white)

 

 

This can be done also if you are working on an item that is worked in rows.  In this case, at the end of the row, make a ch of 1, 2, 3 or 4 if the next row is sc, hdc, dc or tr.  Drop the old color.  (I usually pull up a large loop so that it won't unravel as I work on the next row.) 



Insert you hook in the next row's color loop, turning work to work across the row in a new color.  Again, when done with that color, add a chain stitch long enough to get past the next row and switch to the new color.

 

Here is another switch, using the next color.



 

To break off the color, the best way I have found to hide the ends and not have a lot of knots is to lay the broken off color along the top of the row and crochet around it as you work the next row.  This way you don't have loose ends at the end of your piece that has to be woven in.

 

 

I love color work.  It helps to bring out the design of a piece and just add that something extra.  Learning some of these little tricks has made the process so much easier. 

 

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas Season.  Do you know of any other other nifty tricks for working with color on crochet?