Work in Progress: Crochet Flower Skirt

For years I have been crocheting with synthetic yarns. Whenever I walked into my local haberdashery, I wouldn't even look at the natural yarns section. My heart couldn't take it, knowing that all of those scrumdiddlyumptuous cotton, bamboo, alpaca and pure wool yarns were there, within my reach but outside of my price range.

Then one fateful day, not so long ago, something extraordinary happened. My boyfriend and I went to the habby shop, where we found ourselves standing next to a shelf of delicious-looking natural yarns. He reached out his hand, picked up a ball of Vinni's Cotton, gave it a squeeze and said, "This is nice. Would you like some?"

Well, I couldn't very well say no to such a sweet offer like that, so he bought me one ball of every color on the shelf. Hubby did good. :)

I love the Vinni's range. They cost pretty much the same per gram as synthetic yarns, but the quality of the natural yarns is exceptional. I'm busy with the Nikkim range, which is hand-dyed here in South Africa as part of a poverty relief program. Not only are these yarns a pleasure to work with, it's nice to know that buying these products helps others in need.

Above: Vinni's Nikkim range is hand-dyed with three similar colors. The resulting effect is lovely.

As you can probably tell from the pictures, the crochet skirt is designed to be worn over another skirt or a pair of little shorts. Now that I have a sewing machine, I might even make a slip to wear under it. With all these new ideas for improving the skirt, hopefully I'll finish it before summer arrives!

"Autumn Morning" Crochet Scarf

A friend of mine just turned 25 (for the 6th year in a row). I don't usually make a big deal of my friends' birthdays, but once in a while I like to do something nice. So, for his birthday this year, I decided to make him one of his favorite fashion accessories - a scarf.

Above: I chose autumn colors because he mostly wears orange, green or blue clothing. The brown has a slight magenta hue to it, complimenting the cooler colors beautifully. I used a bamboo yarn (details below), which has a lovely shimmer to it. It's very soft and smooth, making it a bit tricky to work with, but the finished result has a lot of flexibility and a comforting weight to it. 

Above: The pattern uses stitches that cross over each other, creating extra texture in the crochet. Although I like to use a variety of colors in my crochet projects, I think this stitch might look best if crafted in one color.

Crochet Pattern for "Autumn Morning" Crochet Scarf

Chain a multiple of 6 plus 5

Row 1: Crochet 1 sc (single chain) in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain to the end. Chain 1 and turn.

Row 2: Crochet 1 sc in the first sc, *skip 1 sc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 dcin skipped sc, 1 sc in each of next two sc. Repeat from * to end, ending with 1sc in last sc. Chain 2 and turn.

Row 3: Skip first sc, 1 sc in each of the next 2 dc, *skip 1 sc, 1 dc in the next sc, 1 dc in skipped sc, 1 sc in each of next 2 dc; rep from *, ending 1 dc in last sc. Chain 1 and turn.

Row 4: 1 sc in first dc, skip next sc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 dc in skipped sc, *1 sc in each of the next 2 dc, skip 1 sc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 dc in skipped sc; repeat from * to end, ending with 1 sc in the top of the turning chain. Chain 2 and turn.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 to create the pattern.

Above: The finished crochet scarf. I added tassles (knotting the ends to prevent tangles) as a contrast to the crochet pattern. 

I used Vinni's cottons' 100% bamboo yarn (Serina), and a 5.5 crochet hook. I used a size 7 crochet hook for the starting chain to prevent that edge being tighter than the body of the scarf. (See more on this method here)

I wouldn't recommend such a smooth, soft yarn for a beginner crochet project, as it can be a bit tricky at times. A similar result can be crafted with cotton yarn, which has more 'grip' and is easier to work with.

Interested in the craft of crochet? Check out Guerrilla Yarn Artists combine Graffiti and Craft for inspiration

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Hand Embroidered Cotton Skirt

My cupboard is filled with light, airy cotton skirts and dresses. Though I love to wear these clothes, some of them are a bit plain, and so I've decided to give my wardrobe a makeover The following photos are of the first project, a blue cotton skirt, which I hand embroidered.

Above: For this cotton skirt's makeover, I decided to hand embroider the seam with a floral pattern. I chose soft, feminine colors to match the slightly pastel color of the material.

 Above: I used a chain stitch for the "tree" and a lazy daisy stitch for the little bunches of flowers. 

For the squiggles around the flowers, I used a back stitch. The back stitch is a bit stronger than a running stitch, which is perfect for people like me who can be a bit rough with clothing.

I added in a little butterfly to the left of the design for a tiny bit of contrast and to add interest to the piece.

Above: For the outlines of the butterfly wings, I used a backstitch. For the color inside the wings, I used a combination of a lazy daisy stitch and a single stitch. The lazy daisy stitch is essentially the same as a chain stitch, except that the loop is held in place by a tiny stitch at its end.

Above: The running stitch twirling vines were the most fun to sew. I spent hours embroidering these "squiggles" and enjoyed every minute of it.

Above: I figured out a way to avoid using knots in the embroidery. I would 'work in' the ends of the cotton by securing it to the back of the cloth with each stitch. This way, the embroidery contains no knots and the cotton ends are secure.

Above: This is what the running stitch looks like on the reverse side of the material. To secure the ends of the cotton after I'd finished my design, I ran the needle under several stitches to secure the thread and then cut the end. The cotton is both secure and hidden. This method works well to avoid having loose threads hanging off the back of the embroidery.

So there you have it, my beginner hand embroidery attempt. I found this craft to be very relaxing, if time-consuming. Because all of the equipment and supplies are quite small, I was able to take this sewing project with me on holiday in a small hand basket. It's a lovely way to keep the hands busy while relaxing.

*Beginner Hand Embroidery Tips* 

• Use an embroidery hoop. The material warps under the tension of the stitches without a hoop. I like a bamboo hoop, simply because it has more grip than a plastic hoop.
• I didn't use thimbles or embroidery gloves, and so ended up poking dozens of tiny holes in my fingertips. I suggest the use of protective gear.
• Embroidery cotton can be quite expensive. For beginner embroidery projects, try buying crochet cotton and dividing the threads. For the embroidery above, I used a local product from Vinni's yarns, which I had left over from a crochet project. 
• Use a sharp needle. The finished result is much neater if worked with a sharp needle than a design that has been punched into the cloth with a blunt needle.

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