One of my favorite things about fiber festivals and fairs is knowing that I’ll leave not just with armfuls of new yarns, but with ideas for projects I hadn’t even considered before too. Some of them go down in flames again pretty quickly (I’m looking at you, rug hooking), but some are so triumphant I just want to shout about them. This story of how to make a pretty crochet vintage clasp purse is one such example.

I’m sure you’re already familiar kiss clasp purses. They’ve been around since the mid-19th century, but their heyday was in the early 1900s. I’ve never really given them a lot of thought before, until I saw this beauty at a fiber fair last month:

I guess it’s not a true kiss clasp, because the blue acrylic shapes don’t actually hold this frame shut. In fact it winds my husband up a great deal that they don’t even touch! There are small magnets embedded in the frame which hold the two sides closed – they snap together in a very pleasing way.

How to make a pretty crochet vintage clasp purse

This is the epic crafting tale of how I turned my frame and a gorgeous skein of yarn from the same fair into a finished, functional purse. It isn’t a step by step pattern that requires you to go out and buy exactly the same materials as me, so you can produce a clone of my purse. Rather, it’s a description of the steps I went through, and the decisions I had to make along the way. So that you can find any purse frame, and pair it with any yarn that you love, and turn them into a purse which is uniquely and beautifully yours alone!

Finding kiss clasp purse frames

You can find empty kiss clasp purse frames online, on sites like Etsy, eBay and AmazonPaid Link. You can also find them for sale at big retailers like Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Like me, you might get lucky and find one at a fiber fair, or in an independent local craft store. My frame is wooden, but they can also be made from metal or plastic.

Before you commit to a frame, it’s a good idea to check how the purse’s bag will join to it. My frame has a channel for pushing the bag into. There are screw holes and screws for anchoring the bag inside the channel, but others rely on glue. And still other frames have small holes around the opening, for sewing the bag to.

Obviously since the width of the channel in my frame is fixed, it partly dictated what weights of yarn I could choose from to make the bag. Happily, since I was already at a fiber fair, I could buy the frame, then dedicate the rest of my visit to finding the perfect yarn to go with it. If you already have the yarn, you’ll need to pick a frame which fits it instead!

Before you start

Choosing your yarn. Choosing the right weight isn’t the only thing to think about. Hand dyed yarns in dark colors may bleed onto your clothes if the purse gets wet. Unplied or loosely twisted yarns will be more prone to bobbling as they bump or rub against your body. Pale colors may show dirt and marks more quickly. Wool and acrylic will stretch out of shape faster than cotton or bamboo unless you add a lining. And so on. My Adriafil Pascal yarn is pure wool, with a fine twist – it’s not the most durable, but I plan to treat my purse very carefully!

If, like me, you’ve bought a skein of yarn without considering the fact that you don’t own a yarn baller, this video has a super quick explanation of how to unravel your skein and get it ready to use:

Hook size. I’m using a super bulky yarn, and the wrapper recommends a size L (8mm) hook. But I’m going to use a size J (6mm). I recommend going down at least one hook size when crocheting a purse, so that your fabric is dense and robust.

Which stitch? For several days, I was intent on using a fabulously textural 3D stitch for my purse. I experimented with bobble stitch, bobble shapes, and both types of bean stitch, but I realized they were going to gobble up the yarn too quickly, or their texture was obscured by the speckled pattern in my yarn. In the end, I settled for half double crochet. It ain’t fancy, but it’s one of my go-to favorite stitches.

Crocheting your purse

To make the bag of my purse, I’m going to crochet a pretty straightforward crochet basket with a flat base and vertical sides. To fit my frame the rim of the basket needs to be at least as big, or ideally slightly larger than, the inside of the channel in the opening of the frame – represented by the pink line in this photo.

The most important thing is that I can at least tuck the bag in far enough that the screws go through it!

A big advantage of this particular frame is it doesn’t matter if the circumference of my bag isn’t exactly the same as the pink line. As long as it’s bigger, and not smaller. If my bag is a little bigger, I can simply bunch it up slightly when I tuck it in (but if it’s smaller it won’t fit at all). So I’m not going to sweat too much about gauge testing my yarn, or calculating how many stitches the rim of my basket needs to end up with. I’m going to eyeball it.

If you’re using a frame with holes for stitching the bag to, you’ll need your bag to match the size of the frame accurately, or you’ll end up with unsightly gaps. So make a swatch of your chosen yarn and stitch, 10 stitches wide and 3 or four rows deep. Then count how many times the top edge of your swatch fits into the space where your bag joins the frame. If it fits, say, 3.5 times, you know you need your bag must have a circumference of 35 stitches.

Starting the bag

I’ve made a foundation chain about the same length as the inside of the long edge of my frame. I make a lot of crochet projects with strict and detailed patterns, so it’s quite freeing not actually counting the stitches for this!

I’m going to make the bottom of my bag in single crochet, and switch to half double crochet for the sides. So for round 1:

• Add another ch st to the foundation chain.
• Sc 2 into the 2nd ch from the hook, then sc along the remaining chain until there is 1 st left.
• 4 sc into the last ch.
• Sc back along the other side of the chain until there is one st remaining (which has 2 sc in it from earlier).
• Sc 2 into the last st, and sl st into the first sc.

Before going any further, can we just stop to admire how mouthwatering the colors in this yarn are. It is so joyful to work with!

On to round 2

I’m going to turn my long skinny lozenge into a long skinny rectangle now. And literally the only reason is that I’ve realized I can’t be bothered counting stitches to make it bigger. Working in a rectangle is like making a solid granny square – with each expanding round, extra stitches are added in the corner spaces. Working in an oval means counting the gaps between the increases. If you’d like to do it that way (which does have the advantage of not leaving small holes at the corners) you can find the formula for crocheting a perfect oval here. But what I do is:

Chain 1. Starting in the same single crochet you slip stitched into at the end of the previous round: (Sc 2), ch 2, (sc 2), sc until you reach the 4 sc worked into the same chain at the other end. Into those, work (sc 2), ch 2, (sc 2), (sc 2), ch 2, (sc 2). Then work in sc along the final long edge until you have 2 sts remaining. (Sc 2), ch 2, (sc 2) into those, and sl st to join.

Don’t worry if your rectangle is a little bulbous at the ends at this stage – that will sort itself out during the next steps!

Subsequent rounds

For each new round I ch 1, work 1 sc into all the side spaces, and (sc 1, ch 2, sc1) into the corner spaces, then sl st to join at the end. I keep adding rounds until the total distance around the edges of my rectangle match the length of the pink line earlier.

Now the sides

To make the sides of my bag I’m going to switch to half double crochet and start making rounds without any more increases. You’ve got a choice here, to either:

1. Work the first row into the back loops only of the previous row. This helps make the sides of your purse stand up vertically, and produces a really distinct transition between the bottom and sides of your purse. You can see what I mean in these fair isle crochet baskets Lucy made. If you want to put a solid bottom in your purse later, a row of back-loop on stitches will help hold it in place, and give your purse a much more structural vibe overall.
2. Work the first row into both loops of the previous row. The shape of your purse will end up more squashy and organic, and it won’t be so obvious where the base ends and the sides begin. This is the route I’ve decided to go down.

Add rows to the sides of your bag, until you reach the height you want (don’t forget that the top row or two may be tucked inside your frame). Or as in my case, keep going til you run out of yarn. Time for a size check!

Size check

It’s looking promising, but a little on the small size. So I have a rummage in my crafting stash and come back with these bits:

I didn’t have any suitable yarn the same weight as my Adriafil yarn, but I do have some slightly more lightweight yarn from King Cole in the same fiber and shade. And I have these embroidery silks which I bought so long ago I can’t even remember what they were for. I think if I use them together, they will end up about the right weight overall. I actually love it when crochet projects take an unexpected turn, and force me to get creative. The result is almost always better than my original vision, and it’s incredibly satisfying (not to mention vindicating) to finally use up a craft supply that I’ve been holding onto for years!

I end up having to use two strands of the embroidery thread at a time, and I love how it turns out. The introduction of a new texture just elevates the whole thing and makes it a bit more interesting.

Blocking the bag out

But there is one drawback. The thread is silk, and I don’t think the combined weight of the new yarn plus two strands of thread quite matched the weight of the previous yarn. So once my sides reach the height I need, the circumference of the opening is only about 23”. 1” shorter than the channel in my frame. So, I pin out the top as wide as I can, steam it with the iron, tug it a bit wider, re-pin it, steam it again and leave it to cool. Which gains me back another inch – phew!

Adding a lining

Lining your bag is optional, but it does mean you can carry heavier items in it, without worrying about it stretching out of shape. I’ve used one of my husband’s old shirts to make a lining – I think the neat blue stripes contrast with the painterly yarn really effectively. If you haven’t lined a crochet bag or purse before, the template for you lining should look something like this:

Where A and B are the dimensions of the base of your purse, and C is the height of the sides (including any that will be tucked into the frame). The hatched area is your seam allowance, and it can be as wide or narrow as you feel comfortable with. I aim for ¼ to ½ an inch.

Assemble your lining by placing the edges with the corresponding numbers right sides together, and sewing them all the way along. Finally fold the top edge of the lining over by about half an inch, and press it down using an iron. I find it helps to join the pressed edge of the lining to the top of the crochet bag using whip stitch too. Just to keep them aligned while you join them both to the frame.

Joining the bag to the frame

At last, the moment of glory has come! Frame is finally going to meet bag, and make a purse. I use a table knife to carefully tuck the bag into the purse frame. Go slowly and patiently, so that it doesn’t pop out in one place as you poke it in another. It works best if you lie the bag down flat in front of you to find the top two corners, and line these up with the hinges of the frame first.

My bag came with screws to anchor the bag in place, and the vendor who sold it to me at the craft fair recommended filling the channel with hot glue too.

And now my bag is ready to show off!

The frame has anchor points for a strap as well, but I haven’t decided yet exactly what kind to add. A silk scarf? A chain? Or should I crochet a strap too? Let me know what you think I should do in the comments box!

How to make a pretty crochet vintage clasp purse – summary

So there you have it – one way to make a pretty vintage clasp purse with a kiss lock frame and crochet bag. I had lots of fun making this project. I enjoyed the opportunity to take on a new challenge, and I love how the changes I had to improvise along the way turned out. Let us know if you’re also going to try crocheting a kissing clasp purse now, in the comments.

The post How to Make a Pretty Crochet Vintage Clasp Purse appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Like any ardent crochet lover, I have a leftover yarn problem. As well as balls and balls of leftover wool from past projects, I also have stashes of finished granny squares squirreled away. I got as far as turning odd ends of yarn into small squares, but ran out of momentum before turning the squares into something more. Recently I decided to do something about that, and recycled a large quantity of yarn scraps and some loose granny squares into two gorgeous throw pillow covers. I didn’t use a pattern, and let them take shape as I went. Here are my notes on that process, and tips I’ve learned for successfully turning yarn scraps into crochet throw pillows.

• Pillow 1: Waffle stitch and mini solid squares
• Pillow 2: Mini circle squares
• Tips for using up yarn scraps to make pillows

To my mind, turning yarn scraps into granny square pillow cases is one of the best ways to use them up.

• They’re just the right size project – not too big, and not too small.
• The size is easily adapted to use up the quantity of yarn you have. Just keep adding squares or a border until you run out of yarn.
• Making granny squares only uses small amounts of yarn at a time. So you never get to the end of a big section and realize you don’t have enough yarn to finish it.
• The techniques and stitches involved are very beginner friendly.

(You might also like to use them to make your own scrappy yarn toy!)

Waffle stitch and mini solid square throw pillow

This pillow cover started with the pink and green example of a waffle stitch granny square I made for this article. The yarn scraps all came from the same blanket I finished last year, and I loved seeing the colors together again. So it seemed the obvious thing to do was use up more of the leftover yarn and make a waffle stitch granny square pillow! Here I am making up more squares. As you can tell by the artificial light and bedroom carpet backdrop, this surprisingly urgent idea occurred to me quite late at night…

Once I had 9 waffle stitch granny squares, I joined them with mattress stitch,. Then added a border of light blue double crochet, and blocked the whole panel to admire my progress so far.

By this point, the compulsion to make waffle stitch squares was less intense. So I decided to make the back of the pillow using dinky 3-round solid granny squares instead. Since I was getting low on some colors, I thought I would be less likely to run out of one at an inconvenient time doing it this way.

Making the back panel

Here’s my pile of mini granny squares. Laid out, they fill roughly the same area as my 9 waffle squares. My plan is to join them, and add another light blue border to make the back panels the right size to join to the front panel. The border will also help make the seams really discreet later.

And here they are joined together. I’m going to make my pillow cover with an envelope closure, which is why they’re joined in two sections. And as luck would have it, a single row of double crochet around the outside edge is going to make them about the same dimensions as the front panel. I wish I could say I knew it was going to turn out that way all along. But it was more luck than wisdom!

First I added the border to 3 edges of the smaller section. The fourth edge will be covered by the other section when the pillow cover is constructed. So I left it as-is. Then I joined this section to the front of the pillow case using mattress stitch.

I wasn’t sure if they would have exactly the same number of stitches along the corresponding edges, so I placed one panel on top of the other and secured them with stitch markers at regular intervals. I figured this would help me to pick up any extra stitches on one panel at even intervals, instead of all at one corner. Of course the alternative would have been to count the stitches before I started sewing!

Adding the second back panel

Next I added three rows of double crochet to one long edge of the other back panel. This is so that it overlaps the first panel to form an envelope closure. I’m also going to add some buttons to hold the case closed, and the gaps between the stitches will double up as button holes.

Then I joined this section to the front panel too. A little tip I like to use at the corners when making granny square throw pillows is to grab both corner chain stitches in one mattress stitch, like this.

It helps keep the corner tightly closed when you add the filling.

Finally I added some buttons from a cardigan my mother in law made for my daughter when she was a baby. Then I found a throw pillow the right size on our sofa, and put the pad inside this case instead. I’m a big fan of switching the cases on our throw pillows around to keep our space feeling interesting. Obviously I’ll keep the case I took off to use again in future though! And here’s the finish result:

I’m really pleased with how this turned out. Now let’s take a look at that stash of mini squares that never realized their full potential… until now.

Mini circle granny squares throw pillow

Do you have a work in progress which has been in progress for so long you can’t quite remember where you were going with it? Clearly I made these dinky circle granny squares to use up short ends of the navy, burgundy, raspberry, yellow and green yarns. But then they got stashed in a drawer and forgotten for – I think – about 7 years. So I decided to make some of these into a small pillow too.

I didn’t have any matching white yarn left, so I tried joining them using cotton sewing thread instead. Now I can report that it works, but:

• It slides around more, making it trickier to get the tension just right.
• The seams are much less stretchy than if they’d been joined with a wool yarn.
• The difference in texture does catch the eye if you know to look for it. I’m pretty confident no one will notice if I don’t point it out though!

I joined 9 squares in a 3 x 3 pattern using mattress stitch, and compared it to a naked pillow that’s been abandoned at the back of our closet ever since our puppy chewed up its original case 4 years ago.

It came up a bit small, so I raided my yarn stash for some more colors in a similar (I think) fiber, and added two rows of double crochet as a border.

Much better.

Assembling the cushion

This time instead of making another granny square panel for the other side of the pillow, I decided to make a simple envelope pillow cover with a white front and a plaid back. My fabric stash nearly rivals my yarn stash! I’m no expert on sewing, and if you want to learn more about making envelope pillow covers well, I suggest you take advice from Jann instead:

Then I joined the granny square panel to the white side using whipstitch around the edge.

And here’s the result:

I’m still thinking about adding some buttons to the center of the circles as well. Let me know if you think it’s a good idea in the comments down below. I think this pillow turned out pretty cute, and I LOVE that both the granny squares and the unloved pillow are finally looking good on my sofa, instead of cluttering up closet and drawer space.

Tips for turning yarn scraps into crochet throw pillows

Here are my top takeaways from these projects:

1. Electronic scales are your best friend!

If you have electronic kitchen scales, use them to weigh your granny squares before and after adding each color. As you start to run out of yarn in one color, weighing what’s left will give you an idea of whether there’s enough use for the next section of work. Which can save you from some nerve wracking games of yarn chicken, and even worse – a lot of unraveling!

2. Try and match yarns by fiber content

Yarns behave differently in the wash according to their fiber content. Sticking to scraps with the same fiber content reduces the likelihood of your pillow cover getting distorted in the laundry. This can be easier said than done though if, like me, you’re not much good at keeping hold of yarn wrappers!

3. Let your project evolve

I really went into these two projects with only half a plan in my head. The first project was originally going to have waffle squares on both sides, and a zip. But I love seeing those buttons reliving the memories associated with them. The second pillow wasn’t supposed to have a yellow border, but I think it would look a bit blah without it now.

Turning yarn scraps into crochet throw pillows – summary

These were fun projects to make a bit of a dent in my yarn stash. They were fast and satisfying to work on in between bigger projects, and it was very freeing to make something up as I went along rather than sweat over sticking to a pattern. You have nothing to lose by trying it too, so have a go and let us know how you get on in the comments!

The post Turning Yarn Scraps Into Crochet Throw Pillows appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Where do you stand on adding crochet blanket borders to your projects? For me, they’re a deeply satisfying finishing touch. I look forward to adding the border from the moment I start the first row! I love the fact that crochet blanket borders don’t have to be complicated or time consuming too. My absolute favorites are simple rows of linen stitch (a.k.a. moss stitch) and an easy-peasy mini bobble border (pictured above). So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about adding a border to your blanket, or you’re not sure which edging to pick, I’m here to match you with the perfect final flourish for any blanket project.

• Blanket stitch border
• Single crochet blanket borders
• Double crochet blanket borders
• Shell stitch crochet blanket border
• Bobble stitch crochet blanket border
• Mini bobble stitch crochet blanket border

Adding a border to your crochet blanket – yay or nay?

Adding a border to your next crochet blanket isn’t compulsory. Here’s a great example of a blanket which combines super bulky yarn and rich, saturated colors to make a big statement. It doesn’t need a border to feel more ‘finished’. And if the idea of working a border on top of all the effort you’ve already made fills you with dread, then don’t bother. There’s no medal for forcing yourself into it!

But I for one love a blanket border – the types of blanket I like to crochet always look a little bit naked without one. I find the transformative impact they have on a finished project always seems bigger than the effort I put into making them. Plus, my borders can cover a multitude of sins, like when I have lots of color changes at the edges of a stripy blanket!

Crochet blanket border ideas

There are countless types of crochet border you can add to a blanket. They can be wide and highly decorative, or neat and narrow. Here are six timeless possibilities I regularly use, which can be adapted or combined in limitless ways. I’m willing to bet that you could make a lifetime’s worth of crochet blankets using just these techniques!

Single crochet blanket borders

The quickest trim requires nothing more than a continuous row of single crochet stitches, and I use this a lot. Don’t underestimate how much they will elevate your blanket! A single row of single crochet is a smart and unfussy way to make the edges of a granny blanket more solid and robust, like the edge of this crib blanket I made for my friend’s baby:

But my favorite way to use single crochet stitch for a blanket border is by working two rows of linen stitch, also known as moss stitch, in two different colors. The colors can be tonal, complementary, or even contrasting. The way rows of linen stitch overlap each other means that the inner color will appear as a broken line of dots, hemmed in by the outer color.

Linen stitch crochet blanket border method

This looks like a surprising amount written down, but it’s actually so easy you’ll be able to do it in your sleep! Here’s what I do:

• Join your first yarn color in the top right hand corner of your blanket.
• Ch 3. This represents 1 sc, and 1 ch.
• Working the top edge of your blanket, *sc 1, ch 1, skip the next stitch* to the next corner.
• Sc 1, ch 2, sc 1, ch 1 into the corner.
• Repeat the *sc 1, ch 1* pattern down the left hand side of your blanket. Exactly where you place the single crochets will depend on the height of the stitches you used for your blanket. Don’t be afraid to experiment with a couple of possibilities before committing to one!
• When you get back to where you started, sc 1 ch2 into the corner space and join with a slip stitch to the 2nd chain of the starting ch 3. Fasten off and weave in your ends.
• Join your second color at any corner. Ch 3.
• Skip the first sc, then sc 1 ch 1 into the first chain space. Continue working *sc 1 ch 1* into every chain space, and skipping every sc.
• In the corner spaces sc 1, ch 2, sc 1, ch 1.
• Complete the final corner and join your row as before.

Here’s another example of a linen or moss stitch border, from when I made the Attic 24 hydrangea blanket last year:

Blanket stitch border

This border is beautifully simple, and oozes nostalgia. Just like the name suggests, it calls to mind the appearance of its namesake in sewing and embroidery – the blanket stitch used to hem the raw edges of old woollen blankets. It works best on blankets made from relatively solid, non-gappy stitches.

The pattern is as easy as can be – it’s really just another take on a single crochet border. I work a row of single crochet all around the edge of your blanket, and for every second or third stitch insert my hook into a space slightly further in from the edge of the blanket, to create a deeper stitch.

This technique can be adapted to work on all kinds of crochet (in this photo, the blanket itself is repeating rows of half double crochet). Take a little time at the beginning to identify regular intervals for your deeper stitches, and how many regular stitches are needed to fit in between them. You’ll also need to keep an eye on your tension when you pull through the yarn for your deep stitches. This is easy once you get into a bit of a rhythm, and certainly no problem at all if you have any experience of working with puff stitches.

Double crochet blanket borders

Something to have in mind when choosing a border for a crochet blanket is getting the scale right. Adding one row of single crochet in a contrasting color to a large blanket worked entirely double crochet can look a bit odd! But a few rows of double crochet will sit much more comfortably. For this solid granny square blanket, I made four rows of dc stitches using colors I’d already used elsewhere in the blanket, and turned the corners in the same way as the corners in the granny squares.

You can see a more wide-angle photograph of the same blanket in our article about how much yarn to buy for a crochet blanket.

Shell stitch crochet blanket border

Now let’s take a look at something slightly more decorative! I find that this shell stitch border makes a pretty scalloped edge for a blanket. The shells are worked in multiples of 6 stitches, plus one. Don’t worry too much about how many stitch spaces the sides of your blanket actually has though. I’ll come back to that in a moment!

Here’s how it’s done:

• Row 1: Join your yarn in any corner, and ch 3. Sc 1 ch1 along the sides of your blanket. Exactly where you place your single crochets on the sides of your blanket will depend on the height of stitch you used. But for the top and bottom edge, the single crochets should be in every other stitch, and for the sides the spacing should match the top and bottom edges as closely as possible.
• In the corners sc 1, ch 2, sc 1, ch 1. When you get back to the corner where you joined your yarn, sc 1 ch2 in the corner space and join with a slip stitch to the 2nd chain of the starting ch 3.

Before you move on…

Each time you reach a corner, count how check how many stitches you have made on that edge. Ideally each side will have a multiple of 3 single crochets, plus 1. If you’re one or two stitches out, undo a dozen stitches, and rework that section with the extra stitches either squeezed in or taken out by adjusting the spaces between the single crochets. Trust me when I say that no one is going to notice!

• Row 2: Ch 2, *skip 1 ch space and 1 sc, make 6 dc into the following ch space, skip 1 sc and 1ch space, sc into the following sc* repeat along the edges. 2 sc into the corner spaces. 1 sc into the final corner space and sl st to the 2nd ch to join.

If you still reach a corner and discover you still have stitches leftover on that edge, sc around the corner, and cover the empty space with a big pom pom or a crochet tassel at the end. Pom poms and tassels fix literally everything, and no blanket has ever been poorer for having them.

Turning shells into triangles

Did you know that shells can be easily turned into triangles, by adding a 2 or 3 chain picot between the 3rd and 4th double crochet stitches?

After your 3rd dc (indicated by the red arrow), chain 2 or 3 (try both and see which works best), slip stitch into the front loop of the 3rd dc, and continue with the rest of the shell. The picot forms a little point, and the result looks rather jolly, like bunting. Which makes this trim ideal for children and baby blankets!

Bobble stitch crochet blanket border

This next option is all about turning your border into a statement. You don’t make this border to go around a blanket – you make a blanket to go inside this border! Which means you shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you it is a bit fiddly and time consuming. It really will help to think of the journey as the destination here.

It’s helpful, but not essential, to start with evenly sized stitch spaces all round the edge of your blanket. That’s why I made a contrasting row of light green stitches around my purple blanket in the photo above, before working the bobble stitch border in teal. To make the bobble stitch border (the teal part only):

• Row 1: Join the yarn and chain 5. *Skip 2 sts, sc 1, chain 5* all the way round. Finish by making 1 sc into the stitch where you joined your yarn.
• Row 2: *Sl st into the next ch space, dc5tog, sl st around the base of the dc5tog, sl st into the same chain space* all the way around.

For row 2, you want to have the back of your blanket facing you, if it has one. You can manage this by continuing the second row in the first direction as the first if the reverse is already facing you, or by turning your work over and working back in the opposite direction if you need too. If you’re unfamiliar with the instruction ‘dc5tog’, also known as a bobble stitch or popcorn stitch, there’s a full explanation of how to make one in our guide to bobble stitch granny squares.

Mini bobble stitch crochet blanket border

If you don’t fancy making a whole blanket’s worth of bobbles like the ones above, then this last border is a much quicker alternative. This neat little trim consists of just two alternating stitches, but the result gives the impression of having far more crochet expertise than you actually need. You can use this border along blanket edges with any number of stitches, but if they are very gappy, it’s a good idea to work a row of single crochet before adding your mini bobbles.

With the back of your blanket facing you, join your yarn anywhere along the edge, and slip stitch into the next stitch. Work a double crochet into the next stitch, and slip stitch into the stitch after that. The slip stitches on either side of your double crochet will push it outwards away from you, making a dinky little bobble on the front side of your blanket. Keep working *1dc, 1sl st* all the way around, until you get back to the beginning, and fasten off.

Crochet blanket borders – summary

There you go – six crochet blanket border ideas, and infinite ways to use them! Stitches like single crochet, linen stitch and double crochet can be stacked as many rows deep in as many colors as you like. And more decorative stitches like shell stitch and bobble stitch can be jazzed up by adding a contrasting row of single or double crochet inside them first. Let us know what border your decide to use in the comments box down below!

The post Crochet Blanket Borders – 6 Techniques That Open Up Endless Possibilities appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Shrinking crochet works by matting natural fibers together so that the fabric becomes tighter and more rigid. And I have recently found that knowing how to shrink crochet opens up a whole new world of possibilities for the kind of items I can make.

I decided to go with shrinking my crochet by hand in hot water, but you can do it in a washing machine, and even tumble dry afterwards to condense the project even further.

I have found there are significant pros and cons to each technique, and today I’ll share the factors I took into account before I started. Because whilst I’ve been familiar with the process from reading about it and watching videos online for a while, shrinking crochet isn’t something I had ever done (intentionally) until recently. Here’s what you need to know about the process, and how my first experiments with it went!

• Why shrink crochet?
• How to shrink crochet in the washing machine
• How to shrink crochet by hand
• Can you shrink crochet clothes to make them fit better?

Why shrink crochet?

Shrinking or felting crochet means agitating it in hot (usually soapy) water, so that the fibers become matted together and the fabric starts to contract and become stiff. Changing the properties of your crochet so dramatically opens up the possibility of using it in projects for which it wouldn’t otherwise be suitable. For example:

• Tote bags. Shrunken, felted crochet is less stretchy, so you can use it for bags without a lining, and it won’t get sag under the weight of its contents.
• Slippers. Felted crochet is more durable for walking on than unfelted crochet. Since shrinking crochet into a smaller space also makes it denser, it is warmer too – perfect for cold toes.
• Badges and brooches. Shrinking crochet makes it more rigid, so small shapes will stay flat and not flop.
• Hats. After you shrink it, matted crochet doesn’t have any holes between the stitches, and (because it is pure wool) naturally repels water. Ideal for keeping dry on drizzly days.
• Baskets. Speaking of holding its shape better, shrinking bowls and baskets made from wool makes them more functional, and less likely to slump to one side. Which is what led me to try the project in this article!

Getting started

The obvious way to get started with shrinking crochet is by following a pattern that includes details of which yarn to use, what tension to work at, and how, exactly, to shrink it. But I ended up approaching it from a different angle. I had some small balls of merino yarn leftover from making a pair of bed socks last year, and a granny scarf commission, and I was keen to try something new with them. So, I decided to try shrinking a crochet trinket dish, relying on a wing and a prayer rather than a pattern.

If you’re going to freestyle your first crochet shrinking project, here are some things to consider when you get started:

• Yarn
• Stitch
• Shrinkage
• Risk factor

Yarn

Felting relies on the flat ‘scales’ that cover the surface of natural wool getting lifted up when they’re rubbed, and locking together, so that the fibers become tightly matted. So, you can only shrink crochet if it is made from 100% wool yarn. Single ply yarns work best, because it’s easier to agitate every side of every fiber. Plied yarns will work too, but they may take a little longer to felt, because the interior of the yarn, takes more effort to agitate.

A quick note about cottons: Lots of cotton yarns also shrink by about 5% the first time you wash them, but they don’t felt. Patterns using cotton yarn usually allow for this shrinkage.

Stitch

Shrinking crochet works via the friction of rubbing yarn on yarn. So short, sturdy stitches that already have lots of close yarn-on-yarn contact felt and shrink more readily than long, gappy stitches. Since the felting process eradicates all stitch definition, this isn’t the time for fiddly decorative stitches either. In short, single and half double crochet are ideal! 

Shrinkage

Different yarns shrink differently – both in terms of how readily they start to shrink, and how small they ultimately get. If your project needs to meet certain dimensions after shrinking, you’ll need to felt a swatch of your yarn first. Then use it to calculate the size your project needs to be before felting. Or, make something where the final size doesn’t matter too much (like a trinket dish!)

Risk factor

When you start shrinking your crochet in the washing machine or a bowl of hot soapy water, you put it into the lap of the gods. It’s a bit like putting pottery into a kiln – there’s always a chance the results won’t be what you expected! So it’s probably not something to try for the first time with your most expensive, hand dyed, artisanal yarn, unless you’re following a pattern that someone else has already tested.

How to shrink crochet in the washing machine

The easiest, most hands-off way to shrink crochet is in the washing machine. Skip right past the delicate settings and wool wash options on your machine’s menu, and go straight to a short, hot wash cycle. Pop your crochet into the drum, add a little laundry detergent and a towel or some denim jeans to create friction, then press start. Now cross your fingers and wait!

NOTE: Shrinking crochet in the washing machine also surrenders a lot of control over the process, especially if you have a front-loading machine that can’t be opened mid-cycle. If you have a top-loading machine that can be opened mid-cycle, check on your crochet every 10-15 minutes, and more frequently as it approaches being ‘done’. Bear in mind some projects might need multiple full cycles to become fully felted.

How to shrink crochet by hand

The alternative to shrinking a crochet project in the washing machine is to felt it by hand in a bowl, sink, or bath tub. The big advantage of this is that you have very close control over the process and when to stop it. On the other hand though, physically agitating a large item like a tote bag or sweater for long enough to felt it can be a tough work out!

I shrunk my crochet bowl in a big tupperware cake box, using water heated to 160°F. I added some hard rubber balls raided from my daughter’s toy stash to help agitate the fibers, and a squirt of dish soap.

Then I put the lid on and started shaking!

Here’s what I learned

• It’s hard work! Shaking it in the box wasn’t enough in the end. Once the water was cool enough to put my hands in I spent many minute scrunching and rubbing the fibers together to complete the process as far as possible.
• There’s a point at the beginning when your work just gets incredibly saggy and stretched out, and the whole idea starts to feel very, very cursed.
• Not all fibers are equal. All the yarns I used were 100% merino, plied, DK weight. But try as I might, I could not get the gray yarn to felt, even long after the black and tan yarns had long felted.

Once you’ve taken the process as far as you want to (or in my case, as far as it will go), rinse your piece in cold water to remove the remaining water, and either dry it in a tumble dryer (which will likely shrink it further) or leave it in the sun to dry.

Before and after

Here you can see how the size of my little dish changed before and after hand felting it. Before shrinking it was about 4.5 inches across, and pretty floppy (which is why I had to rest it upside down to photograph it!)

And after, it is just shy of 4 inches across, and stiff enough that the sides stand up:

After this photo was taken I tried machine washing and tumble drying it to make the gray yarn felt too. But all that happened was the black and tan yarns shrank even further, the gray yarn remained almost unchanged, and the uneven shrinkage of the different yarns caused the bowl shape to get distorted. On the bright side, I have discovered an extremely washable merino wool for other projects! (In case you’re wondering it’s Bloomsbury DK by The Yarn Collective, and the black and tan yarns that felted readily were Rialto DK by Debbie Bliss).

Can you shrink crochet clothes to make them fit better?

We’ve all, on occasion, messed up our tension so badly that a crochet garment like a hat or a sweater is just so big and baggy that it’s not even wearable. It’s a heartbreaking twist at the end of a lot of hard work. But can saggy crochet be saved by shrinking it?

Well, it’s not the craziest idea, but it is a gamble. It’s worth considering first whether you’d be better off frogging the whole thing and recouping the yarn for another project. If you decide to take a chance, bear in mind that:

• All of the dimensions will shrink. A sweater won’t just fit more closely, it will be shorter in the body and sleeves, and the neckline will be tighter too.
• It will move differently. A garment that drapes fluidly before you shrink it will be stiffer and more boxy once you’ve shrunk it.
• There’s no going back. Did I mention it’s gamble?

How to shrink crochet – summary

Shrinking crochet by felting it in hot soapy water completely transforms it. The size, appearance, feel, and movement of your work will all change. It’s a really fun process to experiment with, but the results won’t always be what you expect. This means shrinking oversized crochet clothes is a significant gamble.

Have you ever shrunk a crochet creation by accident? Are you considering intentional shrinking a crochet sweater? Let us know in the comments box down below!

The post How To Shrink Crochet – (Mis)Adventures In Felting appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

Stability is an issue when crocheting upright objects, but can you crochet with macrame cord to give your creations more structure? Definitely, yes! Macramé cord in smaller thicknesses is fairly easy to manipulate and control, making it a viable textile to use while you master the basic crochet techniques for more rigid structures. This is especially true of synthetic cords, which are often more uniformly smooth than other macrame cords, and not so tricky to move on and off the hook.

• How to crochet with macrame cord.
• Macrame crochet tips.
• Choosing your crochet macrame cord.
• Pros and cons of crocheting with macrame cord.

Recently I’ve been experimenting with various materials to crochet more rigid structures and defined shapes.

Crochet with rope

Specialized rope for crochet creations isn’t easy to find. I’ve crocheted with twine before so I was confident I can crochet with macrame cord too. But I think time is a healer in more ways than one, and I’d forgotten what hard work harsher materials are to hook. Lighter weight macrame crochet cord* is leagues easier to work with than the heavier fibers. It’s more like crocheting string than hawser.

Based on my recent experiences, I’ll chat through the pros and cons of crocheting macrame and share the hard-earned tips and blister avoidance techniques I’ve picked up since I started to make my own macrame cord crochet designs!

How to Crochet with Macrame Cord

To crochet with macrame cord you’ll need a large hook. My preference for most household projects is to use 2mm soft cotton rope. At a fundamental level you’ll work the cord in the exact same way that you hook yarn, but there are some things you can do to make stitching this firmer fabric easier.

Tips For Crochet Macrame Cord Success

• Use a larger crochet hook than you would with the equivalent sized yarn.
• For 2mm macrame cord use a 6mm crochet hook minimum.
• Keep the tension looser than usual.
• Take regular breaks and stretch out your finger muscles.
• Use strong scissors, your usual yarn cutter won’t cut it!

What Size Hook For Macrame Cord

Use a 0.5mm to 1mm larger crochet hook if you have one. Most crocheters only have smaller sized crochet hooks, as that’s what is required in most patterns. So if you’ve only got a little bit of macrame cord to play with, it’s simply not worth buying a bigger hook for most people. A fun alternative is to use that cord as a basis for crocheting with yarn. So you’re literally crocheting around cord, instead of with it.

Which Macrame Cord is Best For Crocheting?

You can buy hemp, synthetic and cotton macrame crochet cord. Hemp is scratchy to work with, synthetic is smoother to the touch but I find cotton nicest to manipulate.

I’ve worked with two thicknesses of macrame cord in crocheting projects – 2mm and 3mm. Both sets were 100% cotton. I’ve decided that for me 3mm macrame cord is just too much hassle to crochet with, but 2mm macrame crochet cord is a different story.

The Advantages of Cord Yarn for Crochet

Crocheting with macrame cord is brilliant for any project that requires a rigid structure. Like plant holders, pencil holders or cases, coasters and other household objects that need more stability.

Once you get the hang of the tension needed then it’s reliably easy to hold onto macrame rope. And the stitches you create will be less variable than the usual stretchy nature of yarn.

The other big bonus is durability. Macrame cord is tough. The strength of the material means it’s hard to break or mis-shape it even once it’s worked up.

The Problems With Crocheting Macrame Cord

There are some problems with crocheting macrame cord that I find quite frustrating. The main one is that you can’t wiggle your way into the yarn like you can with regular materials. So if you drop the ball tension wise and make a stitch too tight you’ll need to undo it before you can move on, you won’t be able to force the hook through.

I also can’t close the magic circle as tightly as I’d like.

The harsh, stiff material creates friction on your fingers as it passes through them. Hook type matters more too, as you’ll really want a soft grip ergonomic in contrast to the roughness of the fibers.

I have found that the necessary hook size varies more than with yarn, especially between the different macrame types. And the macrame cord runs out quicker than looser lighter yarn of the same sized skein.

I also find it harder to hold the crocheted item you are making as it gets bigger. Soft yarn squishes into your hand and is easy to manipulate around as you stitch new rounds. When the item you are holding is firm, crocheting back around it is trickier.

What To Crochet With Macrame Cord

You’ll really enjoy using macrame cord to crochet decorative items like plant pot holders.

Crochet Macrame Plant Pot Holder

Crochet isn’t my only obsession. I’m also crazy about exotic pets and house plants. The houseplant hobby is a fairly recent one, and as a result my ever growing collection of plants that started out in carefully chosen pots have rapidly evolved into living in whatever random containers I have around the house as I propagate them.

One of the cheaper solutions to keeping houseplants happy in their pots is to use plastic, but I’m not a big fan of the aesthetic. So I had the cunning idea to crochet macrame cord plant pots to hide them in. That’s what you’re seeing in the photos I’ve used to illustrate this guide!

To make your own macrame crochet pot holders simply make repeated increases from your magic circle. Pop the pot you want to disguise next to you, and every now and then sit it on the circle you are making. When the circle is the same size as the base of your pot, make the next round one of single stitches into the back loop only of the previous round.

Continue to the height of the pot by making a single crochet in each stitch, and watch your macrame pot grow!

*The products linked in this pattern were carefully selected by Lucy Kate Crochet. If you decide to purchase using the links provided, we may earn a small commission on that sale. This is at no extra cost to you.

The post Can You Crochet With Macramé Cord? appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.

I love buying gifts for crocheters. And to be fair, I also love thinking of crochet gifts to put on my own wish list. When it comes to crochet, there is a huge amount of choice. Oodles of gorgeous accessories, cute kit sets, beautiful yarns and handy hooks. I thought I would share some of my ideas for gifts for crochet lovers with you guys. These are all things you can find online, at the store or in your local craft shops. I own a version of all of them myself so can vouch for their excellent gift status!

Contents

• Storage baskets and crochet hampers
• Crochet hooks as gifts
• Books as gifts for crocheters
• Yarn makes a great gift
• Crochet accessories
• Gifts for beginners to crochet

Crochet Gift Basket

[wp_ad_camp_5]I love gift baskets as presents. Each year I will make up at least a couple, designing them around my friends’ interests. I have put together some lovely foodie ones in the past, but this year I have been thinking why not make a crochet gift basket?

Crochet gift baskets are a great way of putting together lots of fun or useful little items into one big gorgeous package. The best part? You can tailor make it to suit both your friend’s taste and your budget. You can also pick some super cute containers to use as your gift basket. I am currently choosing between the following options.

Simple Seagrass Crochet Basket

Paid Link

A great foundation for a gift basket is to use a simple Seagrass rectangular hamperPaid Link. These are the style of hampers I have put together in the past as presents. They are easy to pack and fill, and you can top them off with clear plastic, all tied off with a lovely ribbon. It’s pretty easy to track down a range of sizes and you can order them quickly and fairly cheaply online. Paid Link

Wicker Handled Crochet Basket

Paid Link

If you want something a little different, then wicker handled basketsPaid Link can be a great presentation piece for a gift. The handles make them practical to carry around and the vintage style cotton liner really finishes it off well. It will make a great foundation for your crochet gift basket, and a handy container for them to make use of around the house afterwards too.

Lidded Crochet Gift Hampers

Paid Link

If you are making up several gift hampers this holiday, then you might like to get this set of three Lidded Seagrass BasketsPaid Link. They have a lovely natural look, and are structured over a sturdy wire frame. Sure to keep your presentation gifts looking lovely. You can also wrap lidded hampers if you prefer, to give the present an even more complete feel.

Crochet Hook Gifts For Crocheters

Everyone who crochets uses hooks. And there are lots of really great quality hooks available. Pretty ones, practical ones, and those which make crocheting more comfortable and working the yarn easier too. Any of these would make a great addition to a crochet lovers’ gift.

Crochet Hook Grip

Paid Link

This genius invention is a great gift for any crocheter, because it attaches to any aluminium crochet hook! The Removable Crochet Hook GripPaid Link. Simply insert any size of aluminium crochet hook into this handle, and find it easier and more comfortable to work. It also gives a consistency to your crocheting, which can be helpful when doing a lot of different projects at the same time. A great gift for beginners to advanced crocheters.

Tulip Etimo Rose Crochet Hook Set

Paid Link

If you are really looking for the wow-factor, and a big main gift, then check out the Tulip Etimo Rose Crochet Hook Set. Paid Link I found crochet hook sets really practical when I was just starting out. These gorgeous, ergonomic crochet hooks really look the part. They are also smooth, easy to hold and work. If your looking for a gift for the keen crocheter, or to make crocheting more comfortable, then they are definitely worth a look.

Individual Crochet Hooks

You can buy crochet hooks individually as well as in sets. Some of my favorites are those with specially designed grips, that make them easier to hold and work.

If you are buying a nice hook as a gift, then don’t worry too much about the size if you want it to be a surprise. I have multiple hooks in the same sizes, and different designs all have different benefits and potential uses.

I really like the look of this Knitter’s Pride Gold Tipped Crochet hookPaid Link. It comes in a range of sizes and has the quality look that you want in a gift. This soft grip hook from Clover is also a very tempting choice. Paid Link

Book Gifts For Crocheters

I love crochet books. I have a fairly extensive collection that you can find out all about here.  Flicking through, getting inspiration and admiring other people’s talented ideas is one of my favorite ways to wind down. If you are looking for a book as a gift, you want to know that it’s a good one. I can without hesitation recommend any of the following:

Edward’s Menagerie Crochet Books

Paid Link

Edward’s Menagerie Paid Linkwas the first crochet book I was ever given and is the one I still love the most. It has seen crazy levels of success, and in my opinion this is because it is simply a brilliant book. Easy to follow, adorable patterns and a quirky humour make this an absolute must for any crocheter’s bookshelf. Suitable from beginner to advanced crocheter.

If your crocheting friend doesn’t own it – they probably should

150 Crochet Blocks

Paid Link

150 Crochet BlocksPaid Link is a great gift for the more confident crocheter. Someone who has been crocheting for a while and can follow simple patterns. It gives an absolute wealth of ideas for crochet blocks to use or adapt.

The instructions are clear and well illustrated, and there is a quick tutorial guide in the back if you get stuck. For fans of crocheting blankets, hangings, covers and any other soft furnishings, this book will give a great starting point for your projects.

Vintage Crochet Books

For a more unique gift for the experienced or advanced crocheter, I really recommend trying to track down any vintage crochet books you can get your hands on. These do occasionally come up for sale on Amazon or Ebay, and make amazing gifts. They are also wonderful windows into the past, not just in terms of crocheting but with regards to fashion, toys and even some interesting social commentary.

Find out more about tracking down vintage crochet books in this article, for a unique spin on your gift for crochet lovers.

Yarn Gifts For Crocheters

Crochet yarn varies hugely from brand to type to weight. But this doesn’t mean you should be warned off buying it as gifts. A gorgeous yarn is worth finding a pattern for. Try finding colors that you think your friend will like. For the experienced crocheter’s gift, pick quality over quantity. It’s better to have a single skein of wonderful yarn than a big bag of yarn that you can’t work for fear of it snapping. 

Debbie Bliss Yarn

Paid Link

I love Debbie Bliss yarnsPaid Link. The look and feel of quality, and the gorgeous range of colors is very appealing. I have a few skeins of Debbie Bliss denim yarn at home right now, which I cannot wait to get to work with. I chose the colors for my daughter, and will be making a hanging for her bedroom using this yarn. It is very versatile too, and can be happily used for blankets to toys.

Lion Brand Yarn

Paid Link

Lion Brand yarns are prolific. They have a huge range, and are very reliable in terms of quality. I am a big fan of the Lion Brand Landscapes yarnPaid Link. It is soft to the touch, with a thick, warm finish. It is incredibly easy to work up with your hook and slides through your fingers as you crochet.

Alpaca Yarn

Paid Link

Alpaca yarn is very tactile, soft and warm. This natural fibre can be slightly different to work if you are used to acrylics, but gives some brilliant results. It’s wonderful for baby clothes and winter warming accessories like hats and scarves. It comes in a choice of colors, so you can pick the one you think they will like the most.

Crochet Accessories

Crochet accessories are great additions to a crochet themed gift. There are so many little bits of crochet kit that we all appreciate having to hand, and many of these are not things you would necessarily think to buy for yourself.

Crochet Safety Eyes

Paid Link

I buy my safety eyes in tiny packets from the local craft store, and have never found a better solution. So I must admit to being over-excited to have found this great set of safety eyes.Paid Link Okay, they don’t come in the prettiest box. But you can wrap it in nice paper or add it to your crochet gift basket.

Anyone who makes crochet toys, dolls or animals will find this a handy addition to their crochet kit. They come in a range of sizes and styles, so give plenty of choice when it comes to using them.

Crochet Stitch Markers

Paid Link

Crochet stitch markers are handy little crochet accessories, which most crocheters will use from time to time. There are a few different styles of stitch marker, and some are far better quality than others. Clover Lock Ring Stitch Markers Paid Linkare a good choice.

They tend to be less brittle and more durable than other brands, and Clover is a crochet company with a reputation to maintain. You can be confident that they should hold up to use. The bright colors show up easily against your rows and provide a fun addition as a gift.

Crochet Row Counter

Paid Link

Keeping track of your crochet can be a complicated business. Especially when you are progressing with a detailed pattern or have a lot of distractions going on around you. A row counter is handy little gadget that helps you to keep track of your progress. This clicker style Crochet Row CounterPaid Link helps to keep you on the right track. And makes a great little addition to a crochet lover’s gift!

Crochet Yarn Cutter

I must admit, until I started looking for crochet gifts to add to my friend’s gift basket, I had no idea a Crochet Yarn Cutter Paid Linkexisted. Not a clue. When I am crocheting I cut my yarn with scissors or with a pen knife. But actually this is really quite a clever idea.

Scissors and knives are not ideal objects that go terribly well with children or pets, so I have to keep them high up or jammed in a pocket. So I am constantly getting up and down again because of it. A crochet yarn cutter will stay reliably sharp and be less of a risk or temptation to your kids if left laying around. They also make a cute addition to your crochet Christmas gift.

Crochet Gifts For Beginners

Paid Link

If your friend has expressed an interest in learning to crochet, but it’s still early days, then a nice crochet kit will be a wonderful gift. I really like the look of this Teamoy Ergonomic Crochet Hook SetPaid Link. It’s nicely presented and comes with a great range of kit. Including different sized hooks and plenty of accessories.

I recommend picking some yarn for them based on quantity and range of colors. If they have never crocheted before or are still learning, they are going to get through quite a lot of it to begin with.

Paid Link

This Miragoods pack of 20 skeinsPaid Link is a good choice. You get a great quantity and color choice, which is the best starting point for most crocheters. Giving them the ability to have a go, without worrying about running out.

Great Gifts For Crochet Lovers

As you have probably noticed, the above was a bit of an exercise in vicarious shopping for me. There are so many things that I would love to buy for myself, as well as put into a gift basket for a friend. I am off to order my friend’s crochet gifts now! I hope you have as much fun as I have with your crochet Christmas shop.

More Cool Crochet Products

• Is cheap yarn a good idea?
• How to find the perfect crochet hooks
• The best complete crochet kits
• Can you buy a crochet machine?

(Please note that the links above are affiliate links. It won’t change the price you pay, but it does mean that if you decide to place an order I get a very much appreciated percentage of the sale from Amazon.)

The post Gifts For Crocheters: Fun Presents For Crochet Lovers appeared first on Lucy Kate Crochet.