My Tunisian projects

Well, moving mode is in full-swing. However, I just can't stop my new obsession with Tunisian crochet. I just taught myself a couple of weeks ago, and already I've made hats, a beaded knit-stitch pillow for Mother's Day, and a complete outfit for my daughter (using Tunisian short rows, no less!). I don't have time to post much else as I should really be packing right now. 2 weeks to moving day! But, I wanted to at least post some pics of my recent accomplishments.

This red and yellow hat was made by Crochet on the Double (2 ended hook). This is not exactly Tunisian, but it's new to me, super cool and REVERSIBLE! Awesome. :)

This was made with 3 color Tunisian in blue, white and purple. A bit troublesome keeping the yarn from getting tangled, but worth it. One of the best things about Tunisian crochet is that the "wrong" side of the fabric is just as visually interesting as the "right" side.


Here is my precious princess modeling my first foray into Tunisian short rows. The skirt is my favorite! The shirt is cute too, but I made the straps a bit too long.

And here is my beaded pillow. I used Homespun yarn in the Tunisian knit stitch. Normally, I hate Homespun yarn because I find it difficult to crochet with. But in Tunisian it was a piece of cake. Good to know because I have a considerable stash of Homespun and wasn't sure what to do with it. :P This pillow is for my Mom! Oh, and you really can't tell the difference between a knitted swatch and a Tunisian knitted swatch. So cool! I've been wanting to learn to knit, and now I don't have to. :)

My first foray into Tunisian crochet

Ah, such a long absence. This year has been crazy with illness. And, now we are moving! We bought our first house. Yay for us! However, it's about 45 miles away, so house hunting has taken up all my spare time. Boo! I haven't been crocheting much lately untillllll the last two days. All of a sudden, I was inspired to learn Tunisian crochet. Don't know why. Maybe I just needed to try something new? It's best to keep expanding your knowledge and push yourself. Anyway, I made this hat all by myself! No pattern or anything. There are mistakes and definitely things I will fix next time around, but not too bad for a first attempt. I am really excited about Tunisian right now, and I also ordered some Crochet on the Double hooks. Can't wait to try that too! But it will all have to wait, because for now, I really must start packing! My close of escrow date is less than 30 days!

Anyway, here's my hat. Hope you like it! Basically, it's 8 pieces, from bottom up, starting with 12 stitches (but should have started with 10), 15 rows, decreasing by 2 every other row from there, ending with 4 stitches at the top (should have ended with 2 or 1). Single crochet the pieces together on the outside (think it looks neat that way) and around the bottom. Single crochet around the top sc2tog for each two stitches until there are none left. Not the most scientific approach, but it was all I had time for, and it's my first attempt. :)

Here's my hat...

And here's a close up of the stitches. These are called Tunisian simple stitches...

Sorry I've been absent...

I cannot tell you how sick I've been. What started out as a bad case of bronchitis went WAAAAAY downhill. I ended up with sinusitis and a double ear infection. I had a raging fever and I couldn't even care for my children. It's been awful! I haven't picked up a crochet hook in more than a week...and that's really saying something. I mean, I even crocheted a little hat for my baby while I was in labor. So you know this illness knocked me on my arse.

Sorry to all who have posted very nice comments. I am not ignoring you; I've just been too sick to reply. But I am working on it right now! :)

And...I have a kinda kick-ass idea for a new pattern (crochet jewelry!) that I may be sharing soon. My mom's birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I want to make her something different. As soon as I get my ideas and materials set, I will share my triumph (or failure, but I am trying to be positive here). :)

Wish me luck!

Beaded Glass Jar cover

So, I am going to be a vendor in a craft show in mid-April...and you know what that means. Mother's Day! I spent the last couple of days coughing my guts out (I've been battling the worst case of bronchitis for almost 2 weeks now) and brainstorming for crocheted gift ideas I could sell. I came up with several, but I wanted to share this one with you. It would also make a great holiday gift idea. At least I think so. These glass jars could be used for vases, candles, or any odds and ends. The rounded glass jar I used has a 2" diameter base, and so the pattern was written accordingly. However, this concept would work on any vase/jar...round or square. Try it and have fun!

Beaded Glass Jar Cover
Materials: H hook, sport weight yarn, appx. 168 beads (size 6/0), length of coordinating ribbon, stitch marker (if you need one)

Note: If you've never crocheted with beads, be sure to check out my video tutorial on the subject. You have to be signed into Blogger to be able to view it. It's at the bottom of the post.

Ch 4 (counts as dc), 11 dc in 4th ch from hook. Do not join. This pattern is worked in a spiral. 12 dc.

2 dc in first st from previous round, and in each st around. 24 dc.

2 dc in first st from previous round, 1 dc in next st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next*. Repeat from * to end of round. 36 dc.

2 dc in first st from previous round, 1 dc in next 2 st, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next 2 st*. Repeat from * to end of round. 48 dc.

*Slide bead down to hook, ch 1, sk st, dc in next st* Repeat from * for 7 rounds. Sl st to next dc. This will end the beaded rounds and level out the circle.

Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1 :ch 1 space made), *sk next st, dc in next st, ch 1, sk st, dc in next st* Repeat from * to end of round. Sl st to ch-1 space made at beginning of round. This will complete the row where the ribbon will go.

Ch 3, *sc in next dc, ch 3* Repeat from * to end of round. End by sl st to first ch 3. Fasten off. Thread ribbon through mesh row. Slide cover onto jar. Tighten and tie ribbon bow.

Voila! You are done!

Beads N Vs Scarf - free pattern

I told you in my last post that I was working on a scarf. Well here it is! It's beaded and beautiful! I used 399 6/0 beads, if you're interested...that's only 133 rows. Not that bad, I suppose, as far as scarves go. This is not the scarf to fend off the arctic chill. It's made with sportweight yarn and has lots of holes. This is meant to be an eye-catcher. I wore it to Las Vegas last weekend and got tons of compliments! I hope you do too! This pattern has NOT been tested, and I am no pro at writing patterns, so forgive me in advance if I messed up. Also, I apologize for the quality of these photos. It was the best I could do at the time.

Ok...enough with the disclaimer language...on to the free pattern!

Beads N Vs Scarf

J hook, DK or sport weight yarn
Beads of your choice…lots of ‘em

Ch 18
Row 1: Dc into 4th ch from hook and in each ch across (15 dc + ch 3 which counts as a dc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts from here forward as a dc),* sk 2 st, (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in next st (V made), slide bead down to hook, ch 1 to secure bead*, repeat from * 2 more times, sk 2 st, V stitch in next st, dc into top of turning ch from row below. (4 V stitches, 3 beads, 2 dc)
Row 3: Ch 3, *V stitch into ch 1 sp from V stitch below, slide bead down to hook, ch 1 to secure bead* repeat from * 2 more times, V stitch in ch 1 space of last V stitch. Dc in top of turning ch.
Repeat Row 3 forever. ;) Just kidding. Actually, you don't need to make it as long as you might think. The weight of the beads will drag it down a bit and make it longer.

Optional last row: dc across, to match first row.

I have a video tutorial in my blog about beads in crochet, so if you are unfamiliar with this technique, check it out here and scroll to the bottom of the post.

10 petal popcorn flower - free pattern!

So, I've been working on this beaded scarf, (it's gonna be gorgeous!) but it's taking awhile and I totally have croch-ADD, so I meandered off and made up this really cute, stash-busting flower. I hope you like it! I think it looks just as good in a solid color as it does multi-color, and you can add a button or other bauble to really make it stand out.

10-Petal Popcorn Flower

ww yarn, J hook (I crochet super tight, so if you don't want a gargantuan flower, you may want to downsize a bit.)

Click here to see how to make a popcorn stitch.

Round 1: Ch 2, 10 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sl st to first sc (10 sc)
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in ea sc around, sl st to first sc (20 sc)
Round 3: Ch 3, 4 dc in same st, complete popcorn, ch 1, sc in next st, *(popcorn, ch 1) next st, sc next st*, repeat from * to end, sl st to first popcorn (10 popcorns, 10 sc)
Round 4: *Sl st behind popcorn, 5 dc in sc from row below (5 dc shell created)*, repeat from * to end (10 sets of shells)

Not the genius I thought I was...

So I'm not as clever or original as I thought. :( Turns out, someone already came up with a stitch almost identical to my trailer stitch. I shoulda known; it was too good to be true. My stitch is still the slightest bit different, and I adapted it to sc, hdc and dc stitches. But I think it only right to let y'all know someone got the same concept looooong before me. Sigh...