Crocheted Sun Catchers Tutorial

Materials and Tools used:

Red Heart Super saver yarn, med. weight, (2 different colors: A = pink; B = light blue. Or choose your own colors).
Pony Beads (choose your own colors)
Crochet hook, size 5.5mm
Crochet hook, size 3.5mm
Yarn Needle

Pattern Instructions:

Use Color A yarn and 5.5mm crochet hook.
Leave a one inch tail and make an adjustable ring (magic ring) by making a slip knot.  Insert hook into the center of the knot and tighten or loosen knot depending on how big the ring should be, in this case, the ring is 3/8 inch in diameter.  Coil the beginning tail of yarn around the ring. [Ch4. (Tc 2 tog over ring and tail) 2 times.  Ch4, sc over ring and tail]. Repeat [  ] 4 times.  End with slst at the base of first Ch4.  Fasten off leaving a 10 inch tail.  Cut excess beginning tail.  Hide ending tail as shown on photo 1  to 3 and per instructions below.  Cut off  excess tail.

 Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

How To Hide Ending Tail:

Thread yarn onto a yarn needle.  Turn motif wrong side up.  Insert needle on the immediate stitch below the ending knot (ending knot = the stitch that was pulled tight to close the round and prevent the stitches from unraveling). *  Insert needle on several stitches that are "over" the ring.*  Repeat *  * around the ring as shown on above photo 1 to 3.

 Photo 4

Photo 5 Shows the wrong side of the flower motif

Cut remaining tail so that nothing shows after cutting.  See photo 4 and 5. NOTE:  One flower motif is completed.

Photo 6 Shows right side of the flower motif

How To Make The Border Surrounding The Flower:

Attach yarn color B to left corner stitch of a petal, leaving a 1 inch tail. * Ch1, (dc over sc and tail) 2 times. Ch1, sc on the 3rd chain of next ch4.  Ch3, skip next 2 sts, sc next st.

*Ch1(dc over sc)2 times. Ch1 sk next 2 sts of next ch4, sc next st.*
Repeat * * around, except, after last ch3, slst instead of ch1, on top of ch1 at beginning round.
Slip Stitch on next st up to the 2nd ch of next ch3.  See photo7.


How To Make The Stem (The stem is made up of chains and beads)

Photo 7 Shows the completed border surrounding the flower motif.

*Chain 10.  Load Bead (LB) as per instructions below:


How To Load Bead

Remove big hook from loop.

Insert smaller 3.5mm crochet hook into the hole of a pony bead. See photo 8.

 Photo 8

 Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Insert this smaller hook with bead on it into the loop that was vacated by the bigger hook (see photo9). Draw up this loop through the bead hole (see photo 10). Ch1 (photo11 shows yo to make this ch1).* NOTE:  One bead is loaded on the stem.



Change back into the bigger crochet hook 5.5mm to make the next set of chains, and repeat * *.

How To Make The Curtain Rod Loop ( The loop is where the curtain rod will be threaded if Sun Catchers are to be hung above windows:

Photo12 shows a pink yarn drawn onto 10th loop to serve as marker.

Photo 13 shows ch7 made after the mark.

Photo 14

Photo 15

Photo 16

Photo 17

Photo 18

After making the required number of chains to meet the desired length, mark the 10th chain (see photo 12).  Ch7.  Yo 5 times (total of 6 loops on hook), see photo 14.  Insert hook where mark is placed, see photo 15, yo and draw a loop through the 7th chain where mark is, see photo 16, NOTE that there are total of 7 loops on hook.   *Yo and draw a loop through 2 loops on hook*, see photo 17.  Repeat *  * 6 times.  Photo 18 shows the completed Curtain Rod Loop.  Ch1.  Tighten stitch (fasten off) to close.  Cut yarn leaving a 10 inch tail.  Hide tail by weaving it within the stitches around the loop, see photo 19 and 20.  Tighten (fasten off) to close. Cut remaining tail off.  Remove yarn marker.

 Photo 19

Photo 20

HINTS:  The stem can be made in varying lengths by making more or less chain stitches.  The Curtain Rod loop may be omitted and use a nylon fishing line for hanging Sun Catchers.

Have fun making these Sun Catchers:) !  Please let me know if some part of the instructions need to be clarified.

Copyright 2013 Eva C. Glover

You, as reader of my blog, have my permission to copy and use the written pattern/tutorials/photos to make items for private, charitable or commercial use.   Please DO NOT COPY OR ALTER THE WRITTEN PATTERN AND/OR PHOTOS OR ANY PART OF THE  WRITTEN TUTORIAL/PHOTOS FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELLING OR DISTRIBUTING  TO THE PUBLIC WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.

Hearts and Flowers Afghan #1--Update

The work continues and it is 41 1/2 in diameter at this photo (below).

 

I used yarn to mark specific areas e.g. where the flower stems begin.  So far I'm pleased with how it is coming along.  I made a version of this using #10 thread, Red heart.

I made the design a little bit different.  These two are my current active wip.  The Afghan is so bulky at this point to be portable enough to take on trips.  This is one reason I started the Thread crochet version.  Below are photos of the thread version:

 

 These are experimental crochet work and I hope to write the pattern one of these days.   For now, I'm learning a lot, as you can see, all the stitches varies,  I'm learning what works and what doesn't in making a circular design. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a good day/evening.

Hearts And Flowers Afghan # 1--Continued

The Afghan at the time of this photo (below) is 29 inch in diameter.  The crochet rounds making up the hearts is finished as well as the solid bar surrounding the hearts.  I'm getting ready to start the flower pots.  These rounds can be tricky because I did not follow exactly the design in my papercut, so now I have to count stitches to mark where each individual flower pot begins and ends.  We'll see what happens.

 

For more notes on this project, please see my ravelry projects.

Hearts And Flowers Afghan #1

This is a continuation of the crochet "Hearts And Flowers".  I'm writing the pattern as I crochet the
design that I made using papercut technique.  For more info on papercut design please click the highlighted link.  I was thinking that I have to transfer the design on graph paper first, but I find out that I can crochet the design directly from the papercut itself.  The photo below shows my progress in crocheting the design.

Hearts And Flowers Papercut

I made this Papercut design with the hope of translating it into a more lasting durable art form such as quilt, hooked rug or stencil.  I just now thought of translating it into crochet.  So far, so good.  The challenge is, how  can  I duplicate closely the desing into crochet. 

I'm always fascinated with papercut designs but I want the design that I created to be in another media other than paper.   The photos below show my papercut and my crochet (still in progress).

 

To learn about how to do papercut designs please click on this link

Beaded Crochet Suncatchers

Let's catch the Sunshine with our hooks and yarn and crochet some Suncatchers.  We can embelish it with the use of any materials such as beads, fabrics, natural or synthetic fibers, etc.

Here are  photos of  my first Suncatchers:

 

Front or right side of the sun catcher

 

Back or wrong side of the suncatcher

 

I need to add a pink suncatcher to the other side to make the arrangement look more balanced.

 

This arrangement look so much better!!!

Flowers Of Spring Beaded Crochet Jewelry #1

This is my first attempt in making crocheted jewelry.

Thread Crochet Shawl #1

 

Photos of the finished "Thread Crochet" shawl.

It had been in a UFO status for 2 years.  I finally finished it today.  Please read my post titled, "Thread Crochet",  for more info about this project.  It took approximately 13 balls, 120 yds each to make this shawl.  It is made for small size with the width of the shawl covering from neck to waistline.  One important note about this project for future reference is: To attach new ball of yarn at the edge of the project, leaving enough tails to hide under the finishing round (around the edge of the shawl).  This way all the joined ends are securely hidden underneath single crochet stitches and there is no chance of the connecting knots to be undone during use and/or maintenance.

 

Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl/Scarf v1 -- Zoe's Method

This Project is done to test the crochet pattern that I wrote. This is a small scarf. It is funny that I always started with making a cowl but I ended up making a scarf instead. I don't like the idea of seaming the scalloped edge of the scarf because I think the scallop edge is pretty. Also, because the scarf is small or narrow at the neck, it is better to leave the front neck open.

Diagonal Box Stitch Shrug

I'm still making projects in Diagonal Box Stitch.  This time, it's a shrug.  I have a small amount of leftover glitter (metallic) yarn by this yarn company, called Bonbons "party".  I just have enough to trim the neckline and bottom edge of the shrug.  I would have trimmed the sleeves also, but I did not have enough.  The main fabric is made with 1 skein (315 yds, 6 oz) yarn from.  Crochet hook used is size:  5.00mm.  The shrug size is small.

Continues Crochet -- Six-Petaled flower Motif

Whatever happened to this project?  It is finished.  The rectangular scarf measures 14" W by 45" L.

This project is complicated but fun to make.  I still have to write the pattern.

Work Log

I have lots of crochet projects that I want to do for 2013 so I developed a Work Log Calendar that would help me in recording the number of hours each day and month that I spend on any project.  The sample Work Log Calendar is shown below: 

Diagonal Box Stitch In Color

WIP--Making the Diagonal Box Stitch in Color.  In this project I'm using Lion Brand Vanna's glamour which is a fine yarn category (2).  The crochet hook I'm using is 3.75 mm Boye aluminum hook. I change the color of yarn in each row, alternating the two colors.  I do not break the yarn to start the new color.  I simply leave one yarn at one end while I work on the other color at the opposite side.

Walking Down Memory Lane

Every now and then I glimpse into my past to see what I have accomplished.  It is not a bad thing to do this, as long as the act itself encourages me to move forward and accomplish other new things.  I was glad and happy when I made the pattern from scratch and sewed every single wedding gown and bride's maid dress at that point in time.  One of my favorite among these is shown above and below:

If someone asks me today, would I  make a wedding gown again?  The answer would be,  no.  Simply because I no longer have the desire to do so.  I have to put my heart in everything that I do and if my heart is not in something I'm doing, then there is no creativity or energy to do so.

Now, I'm more interested in yarn and fibers, so let me see if I can revive that creative energy that enables one to create something beautiful despite all kinds of hindrances and limitations.

Back to the original thought that lead me to write this post-- I was searching for a dressmaker's form to help me in designing crocheted garments, when I saw this blog.  I thought, it is very interesting.  I actually cloned myself back in my dressmaking days, but I constructed the clone from flat pattern of my body measurements and I stuffed it with fabric remnants and pillow stuffings.

Increased Pageviews!!!

Wow!!! 276 pageviews by 4:08pm today is the highest that this blog recieved since it was started.  It coincides with my effort in learning how to increase traffic on this blog.  Thanks to google analytics, it is possible for me to know which topic attracts the most views and other interesting info. such as the traffic source.  If you are interested in doing the same, try this  link

Now I need to learn how to attract followers and keep them interested in my blog so that they would come back often.  I have to think about what they need and want.  What do crocheting women like myself look for in a blog?  Good helpful information related to their interests? Yes.  Entertaining?  Yes.  Interesting?  Yes.
Beauty? Yes.  I feel, that I failed on most of these most of the times.

I want to be a serious blogger that consistently meet the above criteria of meeting the needs of viewers and this is the hard part because it would take time and dedication.  For my blog to be interesting,  I have to become an interesting person myself.

How can I become that person?  I need to have a positive outlook, be interested in learning new and different things, especially things related to my interests. I have to learn and master the communication tools that is available in this high-tech world.

FO--Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl or Scarf

I just finished another Diagonal Box Stitch Cowl.  This can be worn as a short scarf or a cowl.  My intention was to make it as a cowl but decided to leave the sides open so it can be worn in different ways.  Please note the scalloped edge which I  prefer over the straight edge.  Hair accessories made of plastic with no sharp metal components can be used instead of  buttons to close the front and wear it as a cowl.

Wear it like this:

or like this:

or like this:

I like it worn like this last photo.

Jokes -- Funny Crochet Riddles, Jokes and Terminology

Clean Jokes only (no lye soap necessary).

1. What is a yoyo?  A yoyo is when the hook and the yarn dance the tangle!

Seriously:   Yo is a crochet term which means yarn over.  The yarn is NOT coiled over the hook for single crochet (sc), coiled once for double crochet (dc) and twice for triple crochet (tr), before inserting the hook on specific stitch.  Please click link below to see video tutorials:
click here

2. How did the hook sing to the  yarn?  Strand by me......

Seriously:  I like this song,  "Stand By Me".  This is one of my favorites.  Please click the link below and listen:

http://stlyrics.com/lyrics/standbyme/standbyme.htm

Seriously:  Please find the definition of the word "strand" here:   The yarn itself can also be called a strand.

3.  A man and his wife had a big fight over her ever-growing stash of yarn and the man wants to get rid of all  the yarn.  If the stash of yarn can talk, what would they say to the wife?  I would like the readers to figure this out.

Seriously:  Please learn more about yarn weights and its many different varieties here

Light Hearted Humor  About Crochet Instructions and Crochet Designers:  These puns are directed towards me and not to the professional Crochet Designers out there--it is a good form of release for me in my attempts to write  readable crochet pattern instructions.

4.  Why do crochet instructions always have asterisks * * in them?  Because if it's not asterisk, the designer could have used some other symbols that stand for unprintable words!!!

Seriously:  * * (asterisk) in crochet, means that any instructions between two asterisks  is to be repeated so many times as specified by the instructions.

5.  Crochet designers can't spell and do proper grammar.  Why?  because they are too busy ripping and repeating the same stitch over and over again!!!

6.  What are the three favorite words of Crochet Designers?   Repeat (rep), skip (sk), next (nx).

Seriously:  Read something about one of my favorite designers here

Do you have any good original crochet related jokes to tell?  Please share and let us laugh together!!! 

Crochet -- Changing Colors Without Breaking The Yarn

This is a photo of the scarf that I've done in Continues Technique with color changed between rows and motifs joined row by row without breaking the yarn.  The apearance of the scarf edge can be further improved by adding another round of edging using one of the colors only all around the scarf.

This photo shows another example of the same Technique as mentioned above.