Happily Hooked Magazine Issue 20 is all about Vintage-Inspired Designs with Contemporary Flair. And both my Paris Pillbox Hat & Cowl are an exclusive feature!
The hat in this set is in the pillbox shape reminiscent of the Forties and Fifties of the previous century. A most stylish way of keeping your head warm! To complete the set there is also a matching cowl.
These designs are now also available directly through La Visch Designs.
paris pillbox hat & cowl Read More »
In the December 2015 issue of I Like Crochet the magic of the winter season is captured in sparkly new patterns to crochet your dream Christmas. For the “baby it’s warm inside” section in this issue, I have designed the Asymmetrical Wedge Shawl. Pictures courtesy of I like Crochet Magazine.
This pattern is now also available through La Visch Designs!
This wedge shawl has a distinct asymmetrical shape, setting it apart from more traditional crochet shawls. Make a fast, large and cozy shawl in an aran weight yarn as described here, or make it a scarf in a fingering weight yarn. Because this wedge shawl is worked in a single piece from the tip up, it can easily be made in any size you want.
asymmetrical wedge shawl Read More »
Brocaat is an elegant and fast to knit scarf, designed to use only one ball of super bulky weight yarn with long color runs. Make it nice and long so it can be worn doubled up.
The description of the lace in this pattern is provided both fully charted and written out.
Stitches used include knit, purl, k2tog, skp, yo and a centered double decrease. This pattern is suitable for the beginning lace knitter.
One size – measurements: 18 cm (7 inches) wide and 170 cm (67 inches) long, excluding fringe.
I find spinning to be a very relaxing pastime. Do you think Queen Victoria (pictured below), also spun for relaxation? In my first post on the anatomy of spinning wheels, I told you about the various parts most spinning wheels have in common. Now that you know something about the different parts, I can also tell you about the various types of spinning wheels out there.
Mind you, this is not an exhaustive list, but rather a very rough classification based on the appearance of most common western spinning wheels. Wheels like the Indian Charkha (used to spin cotton) I left out of this overview.
Saxon spinning wheels are characterized by a horizontally oriented table with the wheel on one side and the spin head with the flyer on the other side. The table itself usually is placed a bit on an angle. The spinning wheel shown below is a typical example.
This particular wheel is indeed a very special one. Noortje (yes I have given my spinning wheel a name, a wheel with character deserves a name!) is in fact handmade by the grandfather of an acquaintance: Wim Vogel. He was a carpenter and made in the 70’s two spinning wheels in his spare time, based on plans by the Norske Husflidsforening. Noortje is one of those two wheels.
This type of wheel has a vertical structure with first the table top, then the wheel and above this the flyer assembly. Because of this construction, this type of spinning wheel requires relatively little space. This was the feature that ensured that these spinning wheels were very popular with barge captain’s wives. On ships, room happens to be a scarce commodity. This is also the reason that this type of spinning wheel is in the Netherlands, also known as “schippertje.” This translates roughly to “little skipper”. Some modern castle type wheels can even be folded for compact storage or travel.
My schippertje picture here is Dutch-made: It was made by Jan Lobs from Oostvoorne. Lobs had in the 70’s a spinning wheel atelier where these wheels with their distinctive design were made. Being very robust, I encounter these wheels regularly on the Dutch version of Craigs List (Markplaats). I myself have two wheels of this model.
This type of wheel is very similar to the Saxony spinning wheels. Norwegian spinning wheels have usually also a big wheel, 3 to 4 legs in combination with a horizontal build-up with the flyer next to the wheel. The table is however entirely horizontally and is sometimes combined with a smaller upper table in which the flyer assembly can be found.
Besides the already mentioned types of spinning wheels, there are of course also the modern wheels. In these wheels, modern technology is combined with the traditional principles of spinning. Think for instance of foldable wheels to make them easier to carry and travel with them. Wheels fitted with modern (ball) bearings so they make for light treadling and hardly any noise. Wheels that automatically change the position of where the thread is wound on the bobbin. This is very handy because then you don’t need to stop to pass the thread through the next flight hook.
These wheels often have a very traditional look. Because of it, they usually fall in one of the aforementioned categories of the various types of spinning wheels. There are also spinning wheels with a totally different appearance. Spinning wheels made of plastic, or for example electrically powered wheels for those individuals who have less use of their legs. An overview of variations can be found in the picture below.
Modern spinning wheels come in so many variations, that there really is no common appearance. And that really makes it so much fun!
In a next post, I will consider the various working principles on which most spinning wheels operate. Stay tuned!
types of spinning wheels Read More »
Earlier, in my blog about the Russian join, I’ve already shown you how my favorite way to attach a new ball of yarn works. But how do you join new yarn just as invisible and strong when you do not have a needle with you?
In that situation, I like to use the braided method where the old and new yarn are braided together. Just as with the Russian method this makes a very strong join, which remains in place even with slick yarns like satin and mercerized cotton. Also, after you have complete your project no ends are to be woven in, as these are already woven in when making the join.
A prerequisite for this method is that your yarn consists of at least two plies. Why is this important, you will see later in this blog. The braided join makes for a locally thicker thread, but this does not need to be a problem, because it is often not very visible.
In this example I have used two different colors of yarn to show you exactly how to work this type of join.
1. The two threads to join, the pink yarn comes from the project, the yellow-green is the new ball of yarn.
2. In the “old” yarn loosen the plies over a length of approx. 10 cm (4 inch) and divide into two. Place the new yarn on top of it as shown in the photograph.
3. Hold the threads together at the top. I like to hold them between my forefinger and middle finger, but you can also use a paperclip or something similar.
4. Braid the three pieces of yarn (two of the “old” and one of the new ball of wool) together to join them.
5. Braid until you reach the end of the three threads, you have a braided portion of about 5 up to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inch).
And now you can continue knitting again. As you see in the picture below, there are three stitches in this sample in which both threads are visible. However, if you join the same color of yarn, the join would be hardly visible in the finished piece.
The back of the work looks like in the photo below. The loose ends I usually leave until after washing and possibly blocking the work. Then it’s just a matter of (carefully!) cutting them off.
making a braided join Read More »
Whether you knit or crochet, we all have to deal with it: Joining new yarn when you have reached the end of a ball of wool. Of course, you can just change balls when you’re at the end of a row, but what if you work in the round? Or when you only have a limited amount of yarn and you really want to use it all? Just switching and tying a knot is something I never do. I think the risks are simply too great, there isn’t much needed for a knot to become undone and make a hole in my carefully-made piece. No, I much prefer using the Russian join instead.
The Russian join makes a very strong join, which also remains in place with very smooth and slippery yarns like cotton. This method also ensures that after completion of your project there are no ends to weave in. These are, after all already woven in when making the join. The only drawback is that this join locally produces a thicker thread. However, this does not need to be a problem, because it’s often not very visible.
In this example, I have used yarn in two different colors to illustrate how this method works.
1. Thread the yarn end from the first ball through the eye of the needle.
2. Zigzag with the needle back through the thread for approximately 5 to 6 centimeters (about 2 inches), in such a way that your yarn forms a loop. Through this loop, the yarn of the new ball will be threaded later on. It helps to put a finger through the loop while pulling your needle through, to make sure it doesn’t close up on you.
3. Thread the yarn end from the second ball through the eye of the needle.
4. Insert the needle through the loop you created in step 2 above.
5. Now zigzag back with the needle through the second thread for about 5 to 6 centimeters (about 2 inches). Again, it may help to put a finger through the loop while pulling your needle through, to make sure it doesn’t close up on you.
6. Pull gently on both ends to reduce the loops and pull the yarn smooth.
And now, you can just continue knitting! As you see in the picture below, the join in the knitting is (apart of course from the difference in color) barely visible.
The back of the work looks like the photo below. The remaining yarn ends I usually leave until after washing and possibly blocking the workpiece. Then it’s just a matter of (carefully!) cutting them off.
As noted, the Russian join gives a place in your work where the yarn is locally thicker. You can avoid this when your yarn is composed of several threads twined together. Cut a small portion of these threads away, then proceed with the join as usual with the locally thinner piece of yarn. In the picture below I have removed one of the totals of three strands.
making a Russian join Read More »
Olivijn is a crescent-shaped shawl worked from the top-down. Its stockinette body will let that special skein of fingering weight yarn shine, the lace edging adds a special touch of luxury.
Start this shawl with a garter stitch tab, then work the lace in the border on both right side and wrong side rows. The instructions for the body and the border of the shawl are provided both fully charted and written out.
Stitches used include knit, purl, k2tog, skp, yo, p3tog and a centered double decrease. This pattern is therefor suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Olivijn has a wingspan of 152 cm (60 inches) and a depth of 47 cm (18 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
Spinning wheels, who doesn’t know them? Even if it is just from fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin. Because of the fairy tales spinning wheels are also the best-known method to make your own yarn for knitting, crochet or weaving. Spinning wheels come in lots of different shapes, sizes and also have many different components. With this post, I want to make you a bit more familiar with the latter.
Due to the large differences between wheels, the various parts are sometimes shaped differently or located in a slightly different spot. The following components can, however, be found in most spinning wheels, in one form or the other. Much of the information on spinning and spinning wheels online, is in English. Being Dutch I found that a lot of information is not available in my own language. Therefore I have I included both Dutch and English in the notes below about the various parts and components.
A. Wheel (aandrijfwiel): The wheel that spins around and doing so puts the other parts of the spinning wheel in motion.
B. Maidens (spilsteunen): The vertical supports that hold the flyer and bobbin.
C. Mother of all (spinhoofd): The horizontal bar on which the maidens, flyer, bobbin and tension screw are attached.
D. Treadle (trapper/voetpedaal): The treadle that lets you bring the drive wheel in motion. Some spinning wheels have one treadle (single treadle wheels), other versions have two to be used with both feet (double treadle).
E. Footman (aandrijfstok): The part that connects the treadle to the drive wheel, causing it to rotate when treadling.
F. Table (tafel): This is the central component of a spinning wheel, where everything is built upon which gives a wheel its structure.
G. Plying rack (twijnrek): Raised pins that are used to place bobbins filled with spun singles on, in order to ply them together in a plied yarn. They can of course also be used to store additional bobbins when not plying.
H. Flyer (vlucht): U-shaped component with hooks at one or both sides of the arm of the U. The hooks are used to divide the yarn neatly over the bobbin. The flyer is rotated by the drive belt, causing rotation (twist) to insert into the wool. The fibers themselves are relatively weak but combined in this manner, they are much stronger.
I. Bobbin (spoel/klos): The bobbin is placed on the flyer spindle and rotates, along with the flyer. Here, the yarn is wound up, when sufficient twist has entered the wool.
J. Whorl (spilschijf): A pulley which is placed on the spindle, is connected with the flyer, and is driven by the drive belt. The different dimensions of the grooves in the whorl determine how fast the wheel is spinning and have an important impact on the ratio of the spinning wheel. With ratio is meant how many times the flyer goes around with one turn of the wheel. The higher the number, the faster the wheel spins.
K. Drive belt (aandrijfsnaar): A cord placed around the wheel and whorl, which thus transfers the rotation of the wheel onto the other parts of the wheel. Modern spinning wheels typically have a flexible plastic drive belt, I use hemp packaging twine on mine.
L. Tension screw (stelschroef): This part is used to put tension on the drive belt by moving the Mother of All.
M. Orifice (spingat): The opening at the end of the flyer spindle, where the wool goes through before it is wound through the flyer hooks onto the bobbin.
In this post, I’ll tell you about the various types of spinning wheels.
the anatomy of a spinning wheel Read More »
As you are probably aware, there are lots of different crochet stitches. The basic stitches (in US terminology) being single crochet (sc), half double crochet (hdc), double crochet (dc) and the slip stitch (slst). What is perhaps less known is that there is a very special form of crochet, which only uses slip stitches. This is called Slip Stitch Crochet, abbreviated as SSC.
Depending on how the hook exactly is inserted into the stitch, the result can look very similar to knitting. The stitches can look a lot like stockinette stitch, and the fabric is thinner, more flexible and requires less yarn for a similar surface than with traditional crochet.
Slip stitch based crochet has been around for a very long time. Many believe it is actually the oldest form of crochet. Fact is that it was and is traditionally much practiced in several European countries, including Norway, Sweden, and Bosnia. This particular type of crochet is therefore also known as “Bosnian crochet”. However, traditional Bosnian crochet is mainly done in the round, where the work at the end of a round is not reversed. In modern versions of slip stitch crochet, the work is reversed, if desired.
First, it is important that you use the right type of crochet hook. The kind where the entire head of the needle is cylindrical with a “cut out” to make a hook shape, as with the above-depicted bamboo crochet hook works best. These are also called “in-line” hooks. With the other type, it is more difficult to insert the hook into the correct part of the stitch.
A big difference between regular crochet and SSC is the size of the crochet hook needed. A much larger size than usual is required to ensure that the work does not end up too thick and stiff. Take for example worsted weight yarn where the label recommends needles in size 4-4.5 mm. For that yarn, a crochet hook in a size of approximately 6 mm would be the better size for SSC.
With regular slip stitches, the hook is usually under both loops of the stitch from the previous row. With SSC the hook can also be placed under only one of the loops. The exact orientation and direction determine what the stitch and thus the resulting work will look like. Variables here are front/back loop, inserting from the front to back or from back to front and yarn in front of the work vs yarn at the back of the work.
In the photo below you can see the differences between the six basic stitches in slip stitch crochet:
F (front loop only slip stitch)
Hold the yarn behind the work and the hook. Insert the needle from front to back under the front loop of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook.
B (back loop only slip stitch)
Hold the yarn behind the work and the hook. Insert the needle from front to back under the back loop of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook.
iF (inverse front loop only slip stitch)
Hold the yarn in front of the work and the hook. Insert the needle from back to front under the front loop of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook.
iB (inverse back loop only slip stitch)
Hold the yarn in front of the work and the hook. Insert the needle from back to front under the back loop of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook.
S (slip stitch)
This is a regular slip stitch: Hold the yarn behind the work and the hook. Insert the needle from front to back below both loops of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through the loops on the hook.
iS (inverse slip stitch)
This is a regular slip stitch worked backward: Hold the yarn behind the work and the hook. Insert the needle from back to front under the two loops of the stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn through the loops on the hook.
In this swatch, I’ve tried out three different stitch patterns. These can all be made with combinations of the basic SSC stitches. The pictures show both sides of the work:
A: Looks very much like garter stitch and the resulting fabric does not curl. This is made by working F every row.
B: Looks very much like stockinette stitch in a sideways orientation, the fabric curls up (just like stockinette stitch). It can be made by alternating rows in F and iB.
C: Rib stitch: because of its high elasticity, this pattern is very suitable for cuffs and hems. This can be made by working every row in B.
And that’s how you work slip stitch crochet! Although I still have to work on my edges, looking at the swatch below…
introduction to slip stitch crochet Read More »
Lelie is an airy lace shawl with a beautiful and intricate stitch pattern of flowing leaves blooming into lovely flowers. Evoking feelings of spring and summer this shawl is a perfect choice to dress up that lovely outfit.
This shawl is knitted from the top-down in one piece, starting at the neck edge with a garter tab. The instructions for the body and the border of the shawl are provided both fully charted and written out.
Stitches used include knit, purl, skp, yo, a left-leaning double decrease and a centered double decrease. This pattern is suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.
Lelie has a wingspan of 170 cm (67 inches) and a depth of 70 cm (27 ½ inches), measured after blocking.
