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2014 Summer Crochet Classes, Vashti-Style!

I’m teaching six of my favorite crochet topics at the end of this July, in Manchester, New Hampshire. The occasion is the Crochet Guild of America’s annual national conference AND its 20th anniversary

Each of the classes listed below is three hours long, with a break halfway through. That break is a good thing because these classes are more in depth and thorough – even for advanced crocheters – than the usual classes available locally. For class descriptions and images, click the CGOA link above, or go to the Knit and Crochet Show site here.

The first two classes I’ll be teaching focus on two types of Tunisian crochet lace, diagonal meshes and classic filet nets. Both of them are scheduled on Thursday, July 24th:

  • T100C ~ Tunisian Eyelet Meshes: How to Turn Tss Into Lace (9 am – noon)
  • T200C ~ Tunisian Filet Lace: Skill Building Basics (2 pm – 5 pm)

The third and fourth two classes I’ll be teaching each focus on a special stitch type and all that you can do with it: Star Stitches, and Lover’s Knots. Both of them are scheduled on Friday, July 25th:

  • F100C ~ A Star Stitch for Every Purpose  (9 am – noon)
  • F200C ~ 21st Century Love Knot Adventures (2 pm – 5 pm)

My fifth and sixth classes are both about Slip Stitch Crochet: and intro class and then a shaping/special effects class. Both of them are scheduled on Saturday, July 26th:

   S101C ~ Introduction to Slip Stitch Crochet Technique (9 am – noon)

   S200C ~ Slip Stitch Shapes & Shaping Effects (2 pm – 5 pm)

I’ve also done newsletter issues on all of these topics. You can see the most recent ones listed in the Vashti’s Crochet Inspirations Newsletter archive.

 

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Why We’re Excited About Our New Lotus Yarn

Two crochet designers — Doris Chan and Vashti Braha — asked each other,
“What if we could create just one yarn. What would it be?” Lotus is the answer.

Lotus has an inner glow that makes captivating crochet stitches as they come off of the hook. Then, watch what happens when you spritz with water later: simple blocking brings out a full drape, and plumps up the stitches just enough to make them pearly cute!

Why we love it:

– It’s spun in a final “Z-Twist” (counterclockwise) direction for superior compatibility with crochet! For most crocheters this reduces “splitting” (that’s when the crochet hook splits the plies – catches on only some of its strands during crocheting). Crocheting with a z-twisted yarn speeds up crocheting, looks prettier, and the yarn stays new-looking longer. The average plied yarn available in the US today is spun with a final “S-Twist” instead (clockwise direction).

– Almost NO Mill Knots! It’s proudly made in an American mill that also serves the fashion industry.

– The starting yarn end at the center of each ball is HOOK READY: It’s waiting for you because we’ve attached it to the yarn label. No more fishing around for it and ending up with “yarn barf.”

– It blends 52% Cotton with 48% Rayon in a special way. The rayon (a.k.a. viscose, which is derived from plant fibers) contributes a fine-grained shimmer, and the cotton keeps it from feeling too limp and slippery. Then, watch what happens when you spritz with water later: simple blocking brings out the rayon’s silky drape, while the cotton fibers plump and soften a bit to create cute, snug, pearly stitches!

The fiber blending and plying characteristics of Lotus interact so beautifully with crochet stitches.

– It’s a double-size ball. (And 1-pound cones are coming soon!) Each 3.5 oz/100g ball has 256 yds/235 m.

– Lotus is a versatile “sport weight” thickness (equivalent to #2 Fine Weight; “Light DK” or “5-Ply” in the UK). It can be used for many of your favorite patterns; see below.

– It’s available in fourteen colors! Best of all, we never have to worry about someone discontinuing this yarn. In fact, more colors are planned.

– Machine wash and dry Lotus on a gentle setting with like colors, although as with most fashion fabrics, hand washing and air drying will extend its life.

Patterns to Use With Lotus Yarn

We’re designing up a storm with Lotus! To find out about new patterns, subscribe to Crochet Inspirations newsletter.

How to Substitute Lotus Yarn: Start with the crochet hook size called for in the pattern. If it falls in a range of US-5 (F/3.75 mm) to US-7 (G/4.50 mm), then look next at the type of yarn. If it’s primarily cotton or rayon (a.k.a. viscose, bamboo, tencel) and looks smooth, chances are great that Lotus will give you the results you’re looking for.

This yarn can also work well for some fashion patterns calling for a “DK” or “Light Worsted Weight” (CYC #3 Light) yarn. Doris successfully crocheted her Jolimar Skirt with Lotus and a US-8 (H) hook. It was originally designed with Naturallycaron Spa (a discontinued yarn) and a US-9 (I/6 mm) hook. Even larger crochet hook sizes often work better for Tunisian and slip stitch crochet lace.

Especially with jewelry, bags, belts, and kitchen projects, Lotus Yarn also works great in a tighter gauge, for example, Vashti successfully substituted Lotus colors for her Aran Rozsanas Wristcuff pattern. We recommend crochet hook sizes as small as US-4 (E/3.5 mm) for jewelry, bags, and sturdy home decor, and from US-5 (F/3.75 mm) to as large as US-8 (H/5 mm) for fashion projects, depending on the amount of structure and drape needed, and the specific crochet technique used.

We carefully tailored Lotus Yarn to crochet for exciting crochet results, but of course you will love knitting and weaving with it too!

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New Free Crochet Jewelry Pattern & Guide

My three newest crochet jewelry pattern releases share a theme: all are methods for crocheting beaded strands, without actually using beads. I’ve developed special beady crochet stitches and found jewelry-crocheting ways to make stitches stack up symmetrically and neatly, like beads do.

Not only do I love crocheting beads instead of adding beads to crochet; sometimes it’s better – allows a crochet project to be more portable or faster to begin, for example. For more images, here’s my “Pearly Crochet Stitch Types for Jewelry Crochet” photo set.

My free Puffpearls Jewelry Cord Crochet Guide is really three small patterns in one, because each pattern is a jewelry component that can be used independently with other designs. The three components are the Chain Loop Clasp, the Puffpearl Stitch Cord, and the Mushroom Button. Along the way I explain what makes each of these my “go-to” jewelry components, and suggest some creative ways to vary them and enhance their basic features.

After wearing crochet jewelry for years, and teaching Crochet Jewelry in local yarn shops and at national conferences, I wanted to provide a free guide to some of the simplest basics I find that I’ve relied upon for years. That’s why I came out with the free Puffpearls Jewelry Cord Guide. Together with the Irish Pearl Knot Stitch and the stitch menu in the Sweet Almonds Jewelry Set, I use it myself as a reference guide, so I’ve rounded out the free crochet jewelry pdf with:

  • A chart of standard necklace lengths
  • How to make the best beginning slip knot when starting a crochet jewelry project
  • How to make necessary adjustments for a good match between pendant and crochet cord.

Something else I’m noticing about crocheting ‘beads’ is that they’re amazing in silk and rayon threads. You might like issue #47 of the Crochet Inspirations Newsletter on using rayon threads for crochet jewelry. You also might like issue #46, “Open and Closed Clones Knots.” It was inspired by the Irish Pearl Knots design.

The Puffpearl was one of the first (if not THE first) of the pearly stitches I swatched, back in 2008. Allow me to end by counting the ways that I like it now more than ever! The Puffpearl Cord is…

  1. Strong with a bit of built-in stretch. It has clean good looks from any angle and has many uses, so it’s fun to see how it responds to different fibers and hook sizes.
  2. Fun to experiment with simple changes to the stitch’s basic steps for creating alternate versions of the cord.
  3. Fast! A 20-minute crochet friendship bracelet is pretty instant gratification.
  4. Easy to make this stitch uniform in size and shape for a polished-looking pendant cord.
  5. The most straightforward and structurally familiar of all my favorite bead-like crochet stitches for fancy cords. (I especially appreciate this when using slippery threads like silk and rayon.)