Knitting & Crocheting

NOTE: Since the original posting of Part 4 - Finishing Your Project, my mom reminded me of an easier way to finish off the project. It totally gets rid of my stage 3... weaving in the ends. Thank you, Mom! The directions found below have been updated and reflect the change. Changes made within the remaining directions will be denoted in red. I left in the stage 3... weaving in the ends. Some people may still want to finish off their project in this manner. In order to eliminate stage 3, your yarn tails must be the same color as the tassels you are adding, otherwise you would have an odd colored yarn in your tassel. So, If you are using tassels that are a different color than the yarn tails, DO NOT incorporate the yarn tails in the tassel, and use stage 3 to weave in ends. (3-8-10) 

You have now finished crocheting and joining all your strips. Time to finish it up. We will do this in 2 or 3 stages: Finishing the outside edges, adding tassels and (optionally... weaving in ends).

Finish Outside Edges:
1] To finish off an edge, work on the right side of your project, and begin at the bottom. Place the first 6 loops on your crochet hook. (6 loops on hook)

2] Slide the 3 loops closest to the end of crochet hook (end loops) over the other 3 loops closest to the hook (front loops), allowing the 3 end loops to come off the hook. (3 loops on hook)

3] Pick up the next 3 loose loops. (6 loops on hook)

4] Continue taking the ends loops off the crochet hook by sliding them over front loops, then picking up the next 3 loops.

5] When you get to the last 3 loops, pull a yarn tail through the 3 loops and loosely tie.

6] Do the other edge in the same manner.

Add Tassels: 

NOTE: If your yarn tail are a different color than the tassels you are adding next to it, DO NOT incorporate the yarn tail in the tassel. Follow the remainder of the tassel instructions leaving the yarn tails alone. After the tassels have been added, proceed to Stage 3... weaving in the ends, and finish your afghan.

1] The yarn tails from each strip can be incorporated into the same colored tassel next to it. To prepare a yarn tail, begin by sliding your crochet hook from the front to the back, sliding the hook between the first three loops of one strip and the first three loops of the other strip.

2] Grab a yarn tail from either strip and pull it through the 6 loops. Let it stay there until you are ready to add your tassel. (Note: You want the yarn tail to be the same color as the tassel. If you have crocheted different colored strips, you may want to add different colored tassels. Do it in a manner that is pleasing to you. You can incorporate a yarn tail from either side for the tassel, you can even incorporate both, as long as they are the same color as the tassel you are adding.)

3] To make a tassel, find a "board" you can wrap yarn around that is approximately 8" long. I used the top of a container. You can also use a book or cut a piece of cardboard to the desired length.

4] Loosely wrap yarn around your board 8 times and cut yarn.

5] Slide the loops off the board, holding the top of the loops in your left hand.

6] When adding tassels on the bottom edge; slide your crochet hook from the back to the front, sliding the hook between the first three loops of one strip and the first three loops of the other strip.

7] Grab the top of the tassel you are holding in your left hand, and pull the tassel through the 2 sets of loops about 3".

8] Slide your yarn tail over and hold it with the other ends of the tassel.

9] Take the bottom of the tassel and feed through the top loop of the tassel.

10] Gently pull on the bottom until the knot formed in step 6 is secure. Do not pull it too tightly. You do not want to misshape the loops on your strips.
11] Cut the bottom loops of your tassel, so there are now 16 individual pieces of yarn. If necessary, even the bottom of the tassel by cutting off long pieces.

12] When adding tassels to the top edge; untie the knot holding two strips together. Repeat steps 6 - 12.

NOTE: You will only need to weave in the ends if you did not incorporate your yarn tail into your tassel as described in Stage 2 - Adding Tassels.

Weave in Ends:
1] Turn project over so back is showing. Each yarn tail will need to be woven into the back.

2] Thread a yarn tail into a yarn needle.

3] Weave the yarn tail through the center crochet of each strip, making sure not to poke through the front of your piece. 

4] Weave each piece in 1" - 1 1/2". Clip the thread close to the piece.

You are now done! Easy, right? BTW... The examples used in this tutorial are for an afghan I'm making. I am not done with it yet so I can't give you the "finished picture". When I am done, I will include the pic, in these instructions.

Part 1 - The Loom

Part 2 - Crocheting the Strips

Part 3 - Joining the Strips

Part 4 - Finishing the Project

 
OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

Joining the strips is as easy as 1, 2, 3... quite literally.

NOTE: There is a front and back AND a top and bottom. ALWAYS join strips on the front of your project starting at the bottom. (The bottom is defined as the edge where you began joining your first 2 strips)

1] Working from the left side of your project, lay 2 completed strips side by side. Unroll just enough of the the strips so you can work with them, being very careful not to twist the strips.

2] Think of your strips as even and odd, with your first strip (1) on the left beginning odd. When joining 2 strips, ALWAYS start with an odd strip.

3] Place the first 3 loops from the odd strip on your crochet hook. (3 loops on hook)

4] Place the first 3 loops from the even strip on your crochet hook. (6 loops on hook)

5] Slide the original 3 loops from the odd strip over the 3 loops from the even strip and take them off the hook. (3 loops on hook)

6] Pick up the next 3 loops from the odd strip. (6 loops on hook)

7] Slide the original 3 loops from the even strip over the 3 loops from the odd strip and take them off the hook. (3 loops on hook)

8] Continue weaving the 2 strips together until you reach the end of the strips. Check the backside of your work about ever 30 loops to make sure you didn't skip a loop. If you did, it will be sticking out in the back.

9] When you get to the last 3 loops left on your hook, pull a strip tail through the loops and loosely tie. ( You will finish the ends better in part 4 of this tutorial, Finishing Your Project.)

10] Continue adding strips in this manner until your project is the desired width. After the first 2 strips, you will be adding additional strips to your "growing" project; in my case an afghan. Remember to ALWAYS start with 3 loops from an ODD strip. EDIT: If you not, your afghan will slant, as each new strip will be higher than the one before.

Later in the week I will share Part 4 of 4: Finishing Your Project.

Part 1 - The Loom

Part 2 - Crocheting the Strips

Part 3 - Joining the Strips

Part 4 - Finishing the Project

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

The basic premise behind hairpin lace is that you make a series of individual strips, the width and length is dependent on the project you make. After the strips are made, they are joined together to make your final project. After you learn the basics, have fun experimenting with different weights of yarn and different loom setting. Within a project, you can even have 2 or 3 different strip widths as long as the type of yarn you use remains the same. In making my afghan, I used worsted yarn, set my loom at 4", and used a size I crochet hook. So, let's get started.

1] Set your loom to the desired width, and set it on the table in front of you.

2] Slide the yarn under the loom with the attached ball of yarn on the right.

3] Cross the yarns over one another making an "x".  The yarn tail should be over the attached yarn. Leave your yarn tail 8" - 10" long.

4] From the bottom, slide the yarn tail behind the attached yarn and the straight piece of yarn that spans from rod to rod.

5] Tie a single knot centered on the loom. The yarn tale should now be at the bottom and the attached yarn at the top.

6] Make sure the knot is tight, but do not make the loops so tight that they pull in the side rods on the loom. The rods should always be parallel to one another, not bowing inward.

7] Drop the yarn tail to the bottom, and holding on to the attached yarn, cross it over the right loom rod.

8] Bring the yarn to the back of the loom and hold it with your left hand. Hint: I found the yarn easiest to control if I hold the yarn in my three bottom fingers, and around my index finger. You will be hooking yarn off your index finger. This feels awkward at first, but it helps to control the tension.

9] Holding the yarn in back with your left hand, slide your crochet hook in the center of the left loop, coming up from the bottom.

10] Grab the yarn off your index finger with the crochet hook.

11] Pull the stitch through holding it close the the middle knot.

12] Wrap the yarn around the back of the hook,

13] then pull it through the stitch on the hook. Note: It is only on this first set of loops that you will be working with one stitch. All additional loops will have 2 stitches on the crochet hook.

14] While holding your work with your left hand, pass the bottom of the crochet hook to the back of the loom.

15] Grab the crochet hook back in your right hand.

16] Turn the loom over clockwise. Continue to hold the yarn in your left hand and the crochet hook in your right hand. This is going to feel awkward at first, but not to worry, before long you will develop your own rhythm and it will be one smooth continuous action.

17] Slide your crochet hook in the center of the left loop, coming up from the bottom.

18] Grab the yarn off your index finger with the crochet hook.

19] Pull the stitch through the loop, holding it close the the middle knot. You will now have 2 stitches on your crochet hook.

20] Wrap the yarn around the back of the hook,

21] then pull it through both stitches on the crochet hook.

22] Continue steps 14 through 21 until you have the desired number of loops on the loom.

Counting Loops:
Because you will undoubtedly wind up with many loops on your loom (the afghan I'm making requires 348 loops, per side, per strip), you will want some short cuts for counting so you don't need to count both sides, and so you're not recounting your loops over and over again.

1] Make several counter loops. You will need 1 for each 50 loops you plan to crochet on the loom. To do this, simply cut a length of scrap yarn about 6" - 8" and knot the 2 ends together.

2] When you've placed about 10 loops on each side of the loom, stop. You should have finished the loop that is facing you. Lay the loom on the table in front of you. Count the loops on each rod. The number should be the same. If you have one more on one side, crochet one more loop, then lay the loom on the table again. The yarn tail, or bottom, should be closest to you.

3] Slide the top of a counter loop that you made in step 1 through a loop on the left side of the loom. Bring the ends up through the counter loop, and pull the ends so the loop hugs the loop. Do not make it tight. You will be removing it when you are done with the strip. From now on, you will only need to count the loops on the left side of the loom, as long as this counter loop is visible on the left, and you have completed the stitch at the top of the loom.

4] Place a marker every 50 loops. Remove the first counter loop you placed on the loom in step 3.

5] When you have crocheted all of your loops, remove the counter loops before proceeding.

Finishing a strip:
1] When you have the desired number of loops on your loom, cut your attached yarn, leaving a 8" - 10" tail. Slide the new yarn tail through your last loop that was on your crochet hook.

2] Pull firmly.

3] Carefully slide the spacer bar off the bottom or top of the loom. Lay the loom on the table with the side with the removed space bar closest to you.

4] Roll up the strip being careful not to twist the strip. Wrap the tail around the strip and set aside until you are ready to start joining the strips. 

In part 3, we will learn how to attach the strips and in part 4, how to finish a project.

Part 1 - The Loom

Part 2 - Crocheting the Strips

Part 3 - Joining the Strips

Part 4 - Finishing the Project

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. DUH, right? But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!