Washing red yarns and threads

I love the color red and so many of my thread crochet and even my yarn knitting includes red.  When I was young, (many, many years ago) red thread was color fast.  In the past 15 years I would not say that is true.  Nothing is more discouraging then getting a red and white piece done, washing it and having it bleed all over the white.

Here is another example of the red and white I love to use.

I always hand wash my crochet so that I can pin the shapes and just take the 'rumple' out of a piece I have been working on.

I have finally come up with a recipe for laundering reds that has not gone wrong on me yet.  I start with a bowl of cool filtered water.  I have a filter on my faucet.  Most city water has chlorine in it to kill the germs.  Unfortunately, it can also cause problems with letting reds bleed.  If I didn't have a filter I would set the water out on the counter over-night.  That would take care of the chlorine which will evaporate.

Next I add a small amount of laundry soap.  Now here is the magic ingredient:  white vinegar.  I add about a half cup or cup (depending on how big my bowl is) and stir it into the water.  Vinegar acts as a dye fixing agent.  It will help keep the red from bleeding.  I put the newly finished item into the water and let it soak overnight.  When I get up in the morning, everything is clean and the white is still white and not pink.  I allow it to dry in shape using pins if necessary or it can be ironed with a cloth over it to keep it from scourging.

This recipe has worked for me in the past.  If you know of another way to keep reds from bleeding, please let me know.  Since I love and use it so much I am always interested in other ideas.

Special Long Half Double Crochet Tutorial

One of my designs calls for a long half double crochet stitch and someone who was doing my pattern let me know that she couldn’t find a tutorial on line on how to do this stitch. So I am going to try to show how to do this stitch.


I use half double crochets a lot in my designs as they make an excellent transition from single crochet (sc) to double crochet (dc) without an apparent jump in size. They also make an extra thick sc in designs that need the bulk.

The half double crochet (hdc) is a cross between a sc and a dc. It has two wraps like the dc.

The hook is then put through the next stitch; the thread is caught from behind the working fabric and pulled through, resulting in 3 loops on the hook. Then the working thread is pulled through all three loops on the hook.

The hook is then put through the next stitch; the thread is caught from behind the working fabric and pulled through, resulting in 3 loops on the hook. Then the working thread is pulled through all three loops on the hook.

In my design of the Rose Budding Hearts Doily I use this stitch with a variation. I have named it a Special Long hdc stitch. Two buds have been made by folding a working fabric in thirds and secured by a row of sc, connected by a chain. The thread is then changed to a stem color with a sc to start the row

                                                                                               

The next stitch is the Special Long hdc. Instead of inserting the hook in the next sc it is inserted in the first burgundy row (skipping the pink row). There are no Back Loops to work in the previous row because the stitch is poked through all three layers of fabric and worked.

This helps further secure the folded fabric in place and makes a small leaf on the front side. A second Special Long hdc stitch is then worked in the same hole as the first one.

The sc behind the special long hdc is skipped on the working row and a sc is worked in the last sc on the working row. Then a chain is made and the first sc is worked on the second bud. The next stitches are again 2 Special Long hdc.

The row is completed with a sc in the last sc on the working row. The buds are turned for the next row and you can see how the pretty little leaf looks on the buds.

I hope this tutorial has explained the Long hdc stitch and especially the difference of my Special Long hdc required to make these cute little rose buds.