Monthly Archives: April 2011

Chopsuey

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In “The Gift of Crochet III – Use of Multi-Color Threads for Crocheted Jewelry”, I designed a necklace called “The Litmus Test.” From that particular piece, I decided to make several more designs that explored the idea of the small crocheted motif and simple hand sewing.


The 5 necklaces Mountain Gold, Forest Candy, Seaside Butterfly, Dinosaur Eggs, and Chopsuey, represent my love for hand-sewing, for the sublime combination of crocheting and sewing. Somehow, I yearn for the repetitive, meditative act of sewing and I know that there are many crocheters out there who feel similarly.

Sewn seams have functions other than just making joins. I find that sewn joins have useful rigidity and can be adjusted to desired flatness or curvature of the crocheted fabric. While there are specific sewing techniques for seaming such as whip stitch and mattress stitch, I often improvise, taking into account the direction and tension of sewing and the effect on the fabric.

Join the motifs with pins, then turn over and sew at the back.

Hence, these necklaces explore the Crochetology problem of shape and sewing at a very simple level: covering/adornment to go around the neck. From these 5 examples, larger pieces may be created especially once the act of motif arrangement has been confidently performed.

The term “Crochetology” expresses my fondness for “the study of crochet”, the playful marriage between the lowly craft and the prosaic science, and the problem-solving approach that life teaches me each day. If you would like to see some explorations I have made and continue to make on the patterns in this book, just visit my website at http://www.crochetology.net/.

I hope that you enjoy The Gift of Crochet and that you continue to make and share.

Fatima Lasay
Crochetology.net

Chopsuey is made up of motifs leftover from other crocheted necklaces.

Chopsuey

I made “Chopsuey” using left-over motifs from these patterns: Seaside Butterfly, Forest Candy, Dinosaur Eggs, and Mountain Gold. All these patterns explore the idea of the small crocheted motif and simple hand sewing.

If you’ve tried any of the above-mentioned patterns, this time try making your own chopsuey mix!

 

Experiment with your own designs of enclosures!

Seaside Butterfly

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Seaside Butterfly by Fatima Lasay

Skill Level: Intermediate
Finished Measurements: Butterfly motif measures approximately 4” wide x 2” high
Yarn: Multi-color crochet cotton thread size 8
Hook: Steel crochet hook size Japan 3 or US 10 Steel (1.3mm)
Gauge: Exact gauge is not crucial for this pattern.
Notions: Needle and matching-color thread
Dark purple cotton woven or synthetic leather string
Lobster claw clasp set
Silver craft wire
2 medium size crimpers
4 pearl beads (2.5mm)
5 pearl beads (5mm)


Instructions:

Special Stitches:
3-Treble Bobble: (3-tr Bobble): In same base st, [yo twice and draw up a loop 3 times, yo and draw through all loops on hook.

Motifs:

6-Petal Flower with Picot Tips: (Make 2)

With multi-color thread, ch 5. Sl st in 1st ch to form ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, 12 sc in ring. Sl st in 1st sc to join.
Rnd 2: *Ch 4, 3-tr bobble in next sc, ch 3, sl st in base of 3-ch (picot made); ch 4, sl st in next sc, rep fr * 5 times. Fasten off.

Arrange the motifs face up, pin them together then turn over and sew at the back,

Rings: (Make 6)

With multi-color thread, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, 10 sc in ring. Fasten off.

3-Petal Flower: (Make 4)

With multi-color thread, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1: *Ch 2, 2 dc in ring, ch 2, sl st in ring, rep fr * 2 times. Fasten off.

Assembly/Finishing:

Follow the arrangement here or madke your own.

Using the photograph above as guide, arrange the motifs and pin together. Turn over and sew at the back with matching color thread. Sew small pearl beads in center of 3-petal flowers. Sew larger pearl beads in center of 3 rings and center of large 6-petal flowers. Weave in tail ends and block flat.

Attaching the ties and clasp.

To make the ties: Cut two strands of purple woven cotton or synthetic leather string 4.5” long. Attach to butterfly rings with silver wire as shown in photograph above. Use needle-nose pliers to attach crimpers to ends of strings. With crimpers, attach clasp set to the strings.