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tutorial: making t-shirt yarn

You are probably familiar with the cute Zpagetti type yarns that are available in so many colors. Really perfect for making crochet baskets and rugs for example. It is however less known that it is very easy to make this kind of yarn yourself! In this post I am going to show you exactly how you can make T-shirt yarn or “tarn” yourself.

The only things needed are a sharp pair of scissors and a pile of old t-shirts. A good reason to get rid of those piles of old clothing cluttering your closet, that aren’t worn anymore anyway. It is not a problem if your shirts have prints, it gives color and character to your t-shirt yarn.

T-shirts without side seams give the best result, because they can be cut in a continuous smooth yarn. A shirt with seam can of course also be used, it only means that the seams will present themselves as thicker pieces in your tarn. Usually this won’t be a problem.

Making t-shirt yarn step by step

1. Cut any markings and care instructions from the shirt and lay it down flat. Make sure the shirt is relatively wrinkle-free, to make it easier to cut straight.

2. Cut with sharp shears the bottom hem and the top part with the sleeves off the shirt.

3. Turn the shirt sideways and cut it from the side into strips about 1 to 2.5 cm (½ to 1 inch) wide. Do not completely cut of the strips, stop cutting when you are about 5 cm (2 inch) from the end.

4. Continue until the entire shirt has been cut into strips.

5. Lay the shirt down as pictured below, so that the uncut part lies in the middle. Cut this piece diagonally as indicated by the black lines in the picture. This makes sure that the shirt is cut in a large spiral rather than in small loops.

6. This looks like this:

7. The last step is is the magical part: Grab the strip and firmly stretch it out over every centimeter / inch. This stretches out the fabric and makes it roll into the familiar t-shirt yarn.

8. Roll your tarn in a ball and it is ready for use!

I think I will be making a small storage basket with my ball of tarn. A size 12 mm hook is just the right size for my homemade t-shirt yarn!

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tutorial: crochet fringe

Making crochet fringe - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

It can be fun to decorate the edges of a scarf or shawl with fringe. The traditional way to make fringe consists of cutting yarn into equal lengths, bundle these and tie them to the edge of your work. I personally think the result can be very pretty, but rather a hassle to get it that way.

The fact is that I always have trouble to get all the pieces of wool to the same length. And when tying the yarn bundles together, everything shifts, making it very difficult to get an even result. In this post, I will show you an alternative way to attach lovely crochet fringe to a project.

You can directly crochet this fringe onto a scarf or shawl. This can of course also be a store-bought knit or crochet item. Also, you can follow this tutorial to make a fringe attached to a crocheted chain to sew on the item of choice as well. In this example, we will do the latter. These instructions are written in American English crochet terminology.

Crochet fringe step by step

1. As indicated, in this example, I will show you how to make a “loose” fringe attached to a crochet chain. To start, make a chain of the desired length.

2. Insert your hook into that point of the item where you want to make the fringe. If this fringe is based on a loose chain, I think it looks best to insert the hook in the “bump” at the back of the chain stitch. Of course, you can insert the hook in the other parts of the stitch, but it will look slightly different.

3. Next, pull up a loop and pull it through the loop already on your hook. Pull the loop out to the desired length. Here I have used a ruler, to make sure all fringes will be the same length.

4. Then turn the hook around, it does not matter if you do this clockwise or counterclockwise. Just make sure you remain consistent with the direction of your entire project. Continue turning until the loop wants to fold back onto itself. In this example, that happened at about 25 twists. Make sure you make about the same number of twists for every fringe in your project to keep them looking alike.

5. Next, fold back the loop onto itself. I often use my finger to ensure that the loop folds in the right spot.

6. This will look something like this:

7. Finish your first fringe by securing it with a slip stitch in the same stitch you started it in.

8. Repeat steps 2 to 7 until the complete edge or chain is worked. The result will look something like this:

Enjoy embellishing your projects with this lovely crochet fringe!

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cherry blossoms stole

In the April 2016 issue of I Like Crochet it is all about the change of seasons: Melting icicles, green grass, flowers emerging from once-frozen soil—Spring is here! This issue is filled with light and lacy projects for that transition between cool-to-warm weather.

For the “fantastic florals” section in this issue, I have designed the Cherry Blossoms Stole. Pictures courtesy of I like Crochet Magazine.

This lovely stole features a dainty floral lace pattern, perfect to dress up any outfit. Wear it as a shoulder wrap to show off the full stunning flower pattern, or as a simple lacy scarf. Take advantage of a beautiful fingering weight yarn with long color runs, as pictured, for a truly spectacular look.

This pattern is now also available through La Visch Designs!

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tutorial: picot cast-on

Working a picot cast-on - a tutorial by La Visch Designs

Casting on your knitting project using either the thumb or backward loop method, knitting-on, the long-tail cast-on or a similar method is of course perfectly fine. But sometimes using a cast-on that is just a little more decorative can be so much more fun. In this post I want to show you how to work a picot cast-on. There are various ways to do a picot CO, all giving slightly different results, this is just one possible variation.

In this example, I am using needles size 4 mm (US 6) and a generic worsted weight acrylic yarn.

Picot cast-on step by step

1. Cast-on 3 stitches with any preferred method, in this example I have used the cable cast-on. However, the long-tail or thumb method, or another method can also be used.

2. Insert the left needle into the second stitch on the right needle and pass this stitch over the first stitch.

3. Insert the left needle again in the second stitch on the right needle and pass it over the first stitch. From the initial 3 stitches you had CO, there is now only 1 left and 1 picot has been completed.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 as often as desired for your project. The result will look something like this:

5. You can then continue to knit in any pattern desired. In this example, I knitted a few rows in stockinette stitch, this will however not always be the best choice because of rolling of the fabric.

The result with a few more rows in stockinnete picot CO

What you need to consider with this casting-on method, is that you are actually casting-on three times the number of stitches that you will eventually need. This means that also three times the usual amount of yarn is needed. Good to know if you like to use the long-tail cast-on!

Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.

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diva

Like a true Diva, this design is glamorous and truly eye-catching with its exquisite lace border. The stockinette body lets that special skein of fingering weight yarn really shine.

Diva is a semi-circle Pi shawl worked from the top-down, started with a garter stitch tab. The lace in the border is patterned on both right side and wrong side rows. Instructions are provided both charted and written out.

Pay what you want: (minimum €6.50)

€

Size and finished measurements

Finished dimensions of the sample shawl: span width of 142 cm (56 inches) and a depth of 50 cm (19 ½ inches), measured after blocking.

Difficulty

Knit this half-circle shawl from the top down, starting with a garter tab cast-on. The lace border contains patterning on both sides of the fabric. Stitches used include knit, purl, yo, M1, kfb, skp, k2tog, p2tog, p2tog tbl as well as a centered double decrease.

The pattern is therefor suitable for the intermediate to advanced knitter.

Pattern details

Worked flat back and forth
Gauge is not critical in this design. For the sample shawl: 15 sts / 12 rows = 10 cm (4 inches) over stockinette, measured after blocking.
Pattern languages included: English and Dutch (Dit patroon omvat zowel een Nederlandse als een Engelse versie)
Digital PDF has 4 pages (letter size)

Materials

Yarn: 100 g / 400 m (437 yds) Diva Sock Glitter by Dutch Wool Diva [75% Merino wool, 20% nylon, 5% silver stellina]. Substitute any fingering weight yarn for a similar result. Please note that while this pattern can use more variegation in the yarn than most lace, it will be best displayed using a solid or tonal colored yarn.
Size 4 mm (US 6) / 80 cm (32 inches) circular needles.
Yarn needle
31 stitch markers (optional)

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paris pillbox hat & cowl

Originally published as an exclusive design inside Issue #20 of Happily Hooked Magazine, the Paris Pillbox Hat & Cowl is now also available directly from La Visch Designs! 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.

The Paris Pillbox Hat and Cowl are worked from the top down and feature an eye-catching textured stitch pattern.

This pattern is written in American English crochet terminology.

Pay what you want: (minimum €6.50)

€

Size and finished measurements

Hat: Sizes S (M, L): 48.5 (58, 65) cm (19 (23 ¾, 26 ½) inches) circumference.
Cowl: Sizes S (M, L): 67 (84, 101) cm (26 (33, 40) inches) circumference and 20 cm (8 inches) high.

Difficulty

Techniques used consist of puff stitches, dc, dc increases, sc, bphdc and ch stitches. Because of this, the pattern is suitable for the intermediate crocheter.

Pattern details

Worked in the round
Gauge Hat: 14 sts / 11.4 rounds = 10 cm / 4 inches measured over dc in the crown of the hat.
Gauge Cowl: Gauge is not critical in this cowl design. For the sample cowl: 12.6 sts / 9 rounds = 10 cm (4 inches) in stitch pattern (after blocking).
Pattern language is English
Digital PDF has 4 pages (letter size)

Materials

Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Alaska (100% wool; 69 m (75 yards) / 50 g) in red 01 in the following quantities:
Hat: 94 (114, 135) m (103 (125, 148) yds) or 2 (2, 2) balls of yarn.
Cowl: 175 (220, 265) m (190 (240, 285) yds) or 3 (4, 4) balls of yarn.
Substitute for any aran weight yarn for a similar result.
Crochet hook Hat: 5 mm / US # H-8 (or size to get gauge).
Crochet hook Cowl: 6 mm / US # J-10.
Yarn needle
1 removable stitch marker to indicate the end of rounds (optional)

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tutorial: seed stitch crochet

In this post I will show you how to crochet the “seed stitch”. In this stitch single crochet stitches are alternated with double crochet stitches (US crochet terminology!). This gives a really lovely and dense fabric, very suitable for projects like scarves, blankets and bags. Let me show you step by step how it is done.

Seed stitch step by step

1. Start with a loose chain, when working flat back and forth it doesn’t really matter if you start with an even or odd number of chain stitches. If you will however be working in the round, start with a multiple of 2 + 1 turning chain. In this example, I started with a chain of 12.

2. Turn and make 1 single crochet in the second stitch from the hook. In this example, I made my stitch in the back of the chain, instead it can of course also be made in one of the other parts of the chain.

3. Make 1 double crochet in the next stitch.

4. Make one single crochet in the next stitch.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the end of the row.

6. In this example, I ended the previous row with a single crochet. The new row will therefore start with 2 turning chains, followed by a double crochet in the first . If your previous row ended with a double crochet, the new row would begin with 1 turning chain, followed by a single crochet in the first stitch.

7. Work 1 single crochet in next stitch, or (if your previous stitch was a single crochet) 1 double crochet.

8. Continue the row by alternating double crochet stitches with single crochet stitches. Please note, that you always crochet a double crochet in the single crochet of the previous row. Similarly, if the stitch of the previous row was a double crochet, you are making a single crochet into it.

9. Repeat steps 6 to 8 until your piece has the desired size.

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tutorial: 3-needle bind-off

Binding off with the 3-needle bind off method is a way to bind off and connect two sets of live stitches, each on their own knitting needle. It is often used to close the shoulder seams from sweaters that are knitted bottom-up. It can for example also be used to close a cowl in the round, that has been started with a provisional cast on and knit flat.When connecting the pieces of your work with the right sides against each other, then the seam will be on the inside of your work. When placing wrong sides together, then the seam on the outside. This can be very nice as a design element because this method of binding off / closing the seam yields a very neat seam.

The 3-needle bind off step by step

1. To bind off this way, you will need two sets of stitches, each in their own knitting needle, and a third knitting needle to work with. Please note that both sets should contain the same number of stitches. Otherwise, you will have a problem with remaining stitches that cannot be cast off, because the other needle is already “empty.”

2. Hold in one hand both needles with stitches. In this example I have placed the right sides together, to get the seam on the wrong side of the work.

3. Insert the third knitting needle into the first stitch on the front needle as if to knit as usual, then immediately after that do the same with the first stitch on the needle at the back.

4. Wrap yarn around the needle as usual …

5. … and pull it through both stitches.

6. Next slip both first stitches from the 2 left-hand needles to complete the stitch.

7. Repeat steps 3 to 6, you now have two stitches on your right-hand needle.

8. Slip the first stitch on your right-hand needle over the second stitch to bind off one stitch.

9. Repeat steps 3 to 8 until all stitches have been worked. You can now break your yarn and pull it through the last live stitch on your right-hand needle to finish.

The result will be as pictured below. On the left, you see how the seam is on the right side of the work looks and on the left how it looks on the wrong side.

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tutorial: crochet provisional cast on

A provisional cast on is a way to make it possible to “release” the initially cast on stitches and knit with them in the other direction of the piece. This can be very useful, for example when knitting a completely symmetrical stole. Most cast ons have a different look than the bind off, but when completely avoiding a visible cast on, both ends will have exactly the same bind off look.

I really like the crochet provisional cast on, because it is also very simple and can be undone quickly. Besides the yarn for your project, you will also need a length of (smooth) waste yarn in a contrasting color and a crochet hook.

Crochet provisional cast-on step by step

1. Make slipknot with the waste yarn (pink in the example) and place it around the hook.

2. Get your knitting needle and put it on the piece of yarn as pictured and pull up a loop through the loop on the hook. This is actually pretty similar to crochet a slip stitch around the knitting needle.

3. Wrap the yarn around the knitting needle again and make another slip stitch around the needle.

4. Repeat this until you have made the desired number of stitches (loops) on the knitting needle.

5. Next, crochet a small chain of about five stitches, break the yarn and pull the yarn tail through the last stitch.

Now you can start your knitting project with the good yarn, using the temporary stitches on the needle. In the example after the temporary set-up I started with a small swatch of green.

Undoing the crochet provisional cast-on

The whole idea of a provisional cast on is of course that this is a temporary cast on. In the next couple of steps I will show you how to undo the cast on and free up the stitches for further knitting.

6. The side where you have created the crocheted chain, is the beginning. Loosen the yarn tail again and gently pull out the stitches of the chain.

7. Once a stitch of the project itself is released, catch it with your knitting needle. Note: In this example, I catch the stitches from the wrong side of the work from bottom to top. This releases the stitches in such a manner that their orientation on the needle will be twisted. If you catch the stitches from top to bottom instead, the orientation of the stitches will be as usual.

8. Pull for each stitch the waste yarn a bit more out of the work.

9. The last stitch might look like a weird half kind of stitch. Count your stitches to be sure that you have the correct number.

Now you can continue knitting on this side of the piece! Take care to see whether the stitches are positioned normal or twisted:

Left in this picture is the regular orientation, on the right, there is a twisted stitch on the needle. This is no problem though: Just knit (or purl) the twisted stitch through the back loop to untwist the stitch mount.

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tutorial: binding off when yarn has run out

Of course, you always make sure that you have enough yarn left to bind off your project. I myself like to weigh the amount of yarn each row or round uses when I’m nearing the end of the project (or yarn!). This way I can make sure I have enough left to bind off. Depending on the type of bind off I plan on using, I know I have to reserve about twice or three times the amount of the last row.

However, it won’t hurt to know more about binding off when yarn has run out, in case of emergency. You know, in that very rare situation that you have lost that game of yarn chicken… Mind you, this is really only an option in special cases, because this bind off tends to be quite tight. This lack of elasticity makes it not really suitable for things like neck openings of sweaters. I wouldn’t use it for projects to be blocked out significantly for best results, like lace, either.

Binding off when yarn has run out – step by step

1. In the picture below you can see that there is very little yarn left: Too little to bind off the normal way.

2. Slip the first stitch knit-wise from the left to the right needle.

3. Slip the next stitch from your left needle knit-wise to the right needle.

4. Pass the first slipped stitch on the right needle over the second stitch.

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 until all stitches have been bound off.

6. As you can see in the picture above, there will be leftover yarn on the right while you have one last loop remaining on the left side. If the work must be joined in the round, you can connect it by pulling the remaining yarn through the last live stitch, securing the end by weaving it in. If the work will remain flat, you need about 10 cm of yarn from the yarn end to secure this last live stitch. Cut this length, pull it through the stitch and weave all the loose ends in.

Not ideal, but a good technique to know in case it is ever needed!

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