Crochet – Vintage

Crochet 4 chain stitch, then 1 treble stitch--that is, wind the cotton round the needle, insert the needle downwards into the left side of the 1st of the 4 chain stitches, wind the cotton round the needle, draw it through the stitch, wind the cotton again round the needle, and at the same time draw the cotton through the last loop and through the stitch formed by winding the cotton round the needle. Wind the cotton once more round the needle, and draw it through the 2 remaining loops on the needle. The 4 chain stitches form a kind of scallop or purl. Repeat from *. The following [188] crochet stitches require foundation chains like Nos. 216 and 217; they are all worked in separate rows excepting the two Nos. 222 and 234. Make a loop at the beginning of every row, as has been described (No. 216), and take it on the needle.

http://vintagecrocheting.blogspot.com/

Crochet Instruction

This is just a brief round up of places to visit to find basic information on learning how to crochet, we hope that it’s useful.

Learn How to Crochet - http://www.learn2knit.co.uk/crochet/basic-stitches.php

Basic Crochet Instructions - http://www.bhkc.co.uk/data/crochins.htm

Learn to Crochet Book –

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-Crochet-diagrams-instructions-projects/dp/1904485324

Crochet How To’s - http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Howtos/

Interesting Facts About Crochet

I have been reading up on the history of Crochet and here are some interesting facts that I thought you might enjoy.

Crochet (IPA: krəʊ'ʃeɪ) is a process of creating fabric from yarn or thread. The word is derived from the Middle French word croc or croche, meaning hook. Crocheting, similar to knitting, consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops.

Did You Know? that it is believed that the first form of crocheting was actually done with your fingers instead of a hook?

WWII nearly brought this art to a hault due to shortages in materials needed to produce crocheted items.

Victorian hooks were usually handmade out of brass, ivory and various rare woods; not mass-produced such as the ones today.

Crocheting is believed to be such a popular art and hobbie due to it's inexpensive supplies and it's ease of being able to take it with you.

Crochet is used as a sort of "time out" for overactive children and mentally challenged persons in many schools, hospitals and nursing facilities around the world.

Crochet is proven to improve your logic skills, math skills and overall hand-eye co-ordination.

http://thecolorfulbee.blogspot.com/2008/06/interesting-facts-about-crochet.html

Crochet Therapy

 

The gardens have been consuming all my extra time lately and it seems I haven't been doing any crafting at all. After a busy day in the garden I need something simple to do. I tried reading but that put me to sleep. I tired visiting my favourite sites online, but that was also reading and it made me tired. So when I came across a blog I like to visit and I read about the 'one a day in May' project she had going I figured I had found something I could do. And even though most of May has gone I decided this is a project I can work on over the summer - some crochet therapy.

http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=crochet+therapy&id=787c95bfe862a469036e8f3ac60371eb

Crochet ADHD Therapy

I think I've mentioned before that I have crochet ADHD. I always decide to make small projects. And if I do have to make bigger ones, I try to use the thickest yarn and any shortcut I can do to make the project faster to finish. Small projects = instant gratification, yey!

http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=crochet+therapy&id=9d4911b749b2bbc058b42c6fa30fdcfe

Today Audrey's samples for the Sampler have arrived! Check out her shop for all the hand crochet items she has. This shop helps to fund her efforts to provide therapy dolls and scarves for a group of autistic children. Some of her projects are made solely from recycled plastic bags. Which is a great help in saving our planet...thanks Audrey!!!!

Her samples arrived so nicely bagged & tagged so they will fit just nicely in our Sampler this month! She also was so kind hearted to send me a few of the samples for my own use + a "Bath Buddy" similar to the one featured in the pic above. Thank you Audrey for joining in our Sampler! stop by Audrey's shop at http://summersgabby.etsy.com/ look at all her great creations & read her profile to get toknow her! she is so pleasant to do business with & will make you feel right at home if you have a need to convo her! Tell her "Gabby" sent you !

http://www.blogcatalog.com/search.frame.php?term=crochet+therapy&id=cef2f93e1b01852b8ab7e400f5151c00

Crochet Therapy

A Works for Me Wednesday tip.
I love to crochet. I find it calming, centering, soothing. I taught myself when I was a child, by looking at the pictures in one of those "how to" books. I have crocehted baby blankets and clothes for my own children, neices and nephews, caps, purses, vests, all kinds of things. Recently I read about the Prayer Shawl Ministry, and although I have not formally participated, I have appropriated the idea behind it.
As I crochet, I envision the person for whom I am making the article.

http://lost-strayed-or-stolen.blogspot.com/2007/02/crochet-therapy_21.html

London Fashion Week - Crochet

Using treated hand-knitted crochet and glazed silk georgette in a palette of tobacco, almond, egg blue, rose and pink, Rocha created sculpted silhouettes that contrasted with softer fabrics draped around the body.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jmuTGmUqQbVjBBOYsSE4-tToXBKw

John Rocha shows are always an intriguing cross-fertilisation of cultures. The Hong Kong-born designer has been resident in Dublin for many, many years, and draws inspiration from Celtic art and craft. But there is always just a hint of the Orient mixed in, as delicately as a hint of coriander in a won-ton soup.

For next spring/summer, his references came from Carrickmacross, a renowned centre for traditional lace-making, and the Irish-American abstract painter, Sean Scully.

Rocha used hand-knitted crochet, in black or cream, dipped in sugar and water to stiffen it, and then molded into shapes around the body, such as an hourglass dress, a spherical skirt, or a bell-shaped mini.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/london-fashion-week/6209186/London-Fashion-Week-John-Rocha-springsummer-2010.html

Tapestry Crochet History

Archive for the ‘Tapestry Crochet History’ Category

Tapestry Crochet in Finland

Sunday, July 29th, 2007

 

I dreamed about researching tapestry crochet in Finland, but thought it would happen “when pigs fly.” So, when I was invited to teach tapestry crochet at the 2005 Crochet Days Conference in Vaasa/ Vasa, I was inspired to bead tapestry crochet a purse with flying pigs. I worked on the square base before the conference and continued onto the sides in Finland. The instructions for this purse were published by Simply Creative Crochet magazine in 2006.

The type of tapestry crochet done in Finland is similar to that of the rest of Europe. The hook is inserted into the back loop, which produces a cloth with wonderful drape and the front loop forms a horizontal line under each row of single crocheted stitches. The colored yarns are worked very efficiently by placing them on either side of the finger.

Tapestry crocheted cuffs are very popular in Finland.

More - http://www.tapestrycrochet.com/blog/?cat=7&paged=2

http://www.tapestrycrochet.com/

Mathematicians Crochet Chaos

Dr Osinga (left) and Prof Krauskopf with their "Lorenz manifold". Click to see the model more clearly.

Mathematicians have made a crochet model of chaos - and are challenging anyone else to repeat the effort.

Dr Hinke Osinga and Professor Bernd Krauskopf, of Bristol University's engineering mathematics department, used 25,511 crochet stitches to represent the Lorenz equations.

The equations describe the nature of chaotic systems - such as the weather or a turbulent river.

The academics are offering a bottle of champagne to anyone who cares to follow the pattern published in the journal Mathematics Intelligencer.

Floating leaves

The idea for the Lorenz manifold model came to the couple during the Christmas break two years ago.

Dr Osinga, who learnt to crochet when she was seven, was relaxing by crocheting some hexagonal lace motifs.

Prof Krauskopf asked her: "Why don't you crochet something useful?"

Eighty-five hours of work and some supporting steel wire later, they had something almost a metre across which looks not unlike a big Christmas decoration - which is what they are using it as.

Entire article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4099615.stm

 

Sustainable Living: Crocheting a Life

From The Sunday Times August 8, 2009

Every item of my clothing has either been made from scratch or significantly modified and repaired, reveals book author

I’m sitting on the Northern Line, in the middle of rush hour, in a carriage crowded with people dressed in smart clothes with expensive accessories. I used to be just like them and wore the same kind of clothes.

Not any more. These days I tend to wear home-made. Today every item of my clothing has either been made from scratch or significantly modified and repaired. If they look normal — well, my wife wouldn’t let me out otherwise.

I can’t begin to count the number of people who influenced my decision to dress like this. But the main one is Gandhi. He predicted that if Indians spun and wove cloth and used it to make their own clothes, they would destroy the British cotton industry and overthrow the empire. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” he said. And he did it, too, wearing homespun clothes and taking his spinning wheel to political meetings.

I don’t have a spinning wheel — yet. But I do have a crochet hook. And some yarn, hidden in my pocket. Do I dare to take them out and “be the change”?

Read more here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article6788643.ece

International Crochet Day 2009 Has Been & Gone!

International Crochet Day 2009

Well, well, well on Saturday past it was International Crochet day and we feel it was grossly under promoted in the UK. This should have been a vocal and enthusiastic promotion of such a wonderful craft but a quick skip around the internet would suggest otherwise for here in the UK.

So what is or was it?

September 12 is International Crochet Day, a day when crocheters everywhere are urged to do something crochet-related in public. You know, so we can hook (ha! I kill me!) others into it.
Some suggestions that have come up are:Crochet in public ,Teach someone to crochet,promote International Crochet Day in your blog, Wear something crocheted – and make sure everybody knows it!.

See more http://yarnkrazy.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/september-12-2008-international-crochet-day/

And here: http://www.stitchlily.blogspot.com/

http://darncatcrochet.blogspot.com/2007/08/international-crochet-day.html

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1849115

So pencil it in to your calendar for next year and make it aim to promote crochet to everyone.