I love preparing to teach crochet classes for the big CGOA conferences every year because I try things I’ve been meaning to for months. Like yesterday. Today I’m testing instructions in my class handout for Steeked Tunisian Lace. I figured while I’m at it, I might as well throw in some beads.
I haven’t used this swatch for a project because the beads would shift around a bit with use. A larger project could also get heavy. I would need to use tighter stitches, or larger beads, or a different yarn (or all of the above) to make the beads stay where they are.
Beads aren’t part of the class, but I’ll have the swatch handy if someone asks.
I taught a small, intimate two-hour crochet class in my favorite Sarasota yarn shop today. It was a test of a few ideas I have for next month’s Stitch Games class in Charleston.
Color-POP-corns
A few days ago I imagined using the popcorn stitch to show one way to group colors of a bold variegated yarn. I’m glad I crocheted a swatch in time for this class. It was perfect. I think I’ll turn it into a summer handbag.
Some of the students were surprised that you could get the look of alternating two or more yarns with just one yarn. I hadn’t thought of this advantage, but it’s true. Sometimes, alternating different strands of yarn in a project interrupts the crochet flow, so that’s why this is an advantage. It’s nice to have this built in option with just one ball of yarn, if you know how to do planned pooling.
Color Stacking 101
Simple rows of double crochets (UK: trebles).
Susie, a student in today’s class, crocheted this swatch. It’s color-stacked double crochet. Susie is actually the resident crochet teacher for the shop! Isn’t it beautiful?
You can use a taller crochet stitch like the double crochet (dc) if each color in a variegated yarn is long enough. In this swatch, the yellow is barely long enough for one full dc, but it looks cool the way it shades into the green, doesn’t it?
For the handbag I used half doubles (hdc or UK: htr) for the aqua, and dc for the peachy popcorns.
The yarn I wanted to use for the Jempool Scarf pattern had shorter colors, so I used (soft, loose, stretchy) slip stitches. You can see another color-stacked slip stitch project at the top of this page.
I’ve tested many CGOA crochet class topics at A Good Yarn over the years, and a subtropical theme always seems to work well 🙂 The handbag looks just like Florida peaches against the Florida sky.
Here’s everything there is to know about Vashti’s crochet classes in 2016. (Who’s Vashti, though? Is she a good teacher? See what others say–scroll down.)
Stitch Games for Multicolored Yarns: Click here for its resource page of links. Click here for the CGOA description.
Steek (Cut) Tunisian Lace for Fun Fast Fashions: Click here for its resource page of links. Click here for the CGOA description.
The Starwirbel Way, How to Shape Spiraling Star Stitch Lace: Click here for its resource page of links. Click here for the CGOA description.
Tunisian Eyelet Meshes 101: Click here for its resource page of links. Click here for the CGOA description.
21st Century Love Knot Meshes: Click here for its resource page of links. Click here for the CGOA description.
Have a look at the new “Vashti’s Crochet Classes”Pinterest board.
What are Vashti’s Crochet Classes Like?
These classes consistently sell out! Read what lots of students have said about them here. For example:
Not only is Vashti very knowledgeable but her very fun and friendly character adds so much to the class and inspiration.
I have learned more than I ever imagined possible in 3 hours. Vashti is an amazing teacher, so generous and very, very talented in the teaching department. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Vashti is very calm and that makes her very easy to listen to. She does an awesome job!
Fabulous! Instructor made me feel as an equal – which was delightful. Super friendly and passionate.
Vashti is a natural teacher – very organized and clear!
About Vashti Braha
I. Love. Teaching. Crochet.
As of 2004, I’m a full-time professional crochet thinker and tinkerer. I produce industry-standard crochet patterns, classes, articles, and other materials to promote crochet as many things: an art, hobby, learning tool, and practical medium. If I were you, I’d sign up for my newsletter because I try to write about what I don’t see others writing about crochet.
A clickable list of resources for my 2016 Tunisian Eyelet Meshes class at CGOA’s Chain Link conference: patterns for designs shown, books mentioned, & articles recommended in class. Also, inspiration for new Tunisian eyelet variations.
Issue #10 Tunisian Crochet: Breaking Out of Ruts (making Tunisian crochet lighter and lacier with the Tyo stitch; a review of a Japanese Tunisian Crochet stitch dictionary)
1997: Basics of Tunisian Crochet for Beginners, N. Seto, Japan. ISBN 978-4-529-029285
2000 (1991), Rebecca Jones: Tricot Crochet The Complete Book, Lacis Pubs., Berkeley CA. ISBN 978-1-891656-28-6
2004, Angela “ARNie” Grabowski: Encyclopedia of Tunisian Crochet, LoneStar Abilene Pubg LLC, TX. ISBN 978-0-974972-55-8
2004, Carolyn Christmas and Dorris Brooks: 101 Easy Tunisian Stitches™, Annies Attic, IN. ISBN 978-1-931171-74-8
2008: Tunisian Crochet Patterns 100, Nihon Amimono Bunka Kyo-kai, Japan ISBN 978-4-529-04484-4
2009, Kim Guzman: Learn to Do Tunisian Lace Stitches, Annie’s Attic, IN. ISBN 978-1-59635-264-3
2009, Sharon Hernes Silverman: Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg PA. ISBN 978-0-811704-84-7
I’ve been creating one crochet class resource page per topic since 2012 when I started teaching three-hour classes at CGOA conferences. Teaching at a conference is not the same as teaching in a yarn shop (in so many ways! That’s a future blog post).
Almost everyone has traveled to attend a national crochet conference like CGOA’s, so we all have on hand only what we thought to pack. Or had room to pack. In a yarn shop I could assemble a stack of the books and magazine issues I refer to, and leave designs on display in the shop for weeks.
Class Headquarters
My solution is to have one link to a web page with all the things I might refer to in class. I print this one link in the class handouts. Saves so much precious space! I’m happy to make the page accessible to crocheters who can’t attend the class because this is all extra, supplemental, overflow info. It might even help some people to decide to take my class when they’re registering for the conference. As a perpetual student myself, I always love it when footnotes, bibliographies, links, etc. (resources) are provided.
It just plain helps me psychologically–I love knowing that I can add anything to a resource page at any time as a way to communicate with students before and after the class.
It’s an outpost. A headquarters. A portal.
On my to-do list is five such crochet class resource pages. I’ve just finished updating the one for 21st Century Love Knot Adventures. I created it in 2012 and overhaul it every year that I teach it again! Didn’t expect it to take so long but it had lots of outdated links and a big gallery to edit. Figured in this blog post I’d be proudly glowing about having completed three of them.
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