I only learnt to crochet a couple of years ago, and last winter I really wanted to improve my crochet skills to the point where it was an unconscious movement rather than a very concious and laboured effort. The best way to do that (possibly the only way) is repetition, so it made sense to make something large. I decided to make a rug.
As I was intending this for practice, I didn't know how it would turn out and I didn't want to buy new yarn in case I wasted it, so I decided to use some of the yarn I had beenhoarding wisely buying from the markets. As I didn't really known how much yarn I had and how much rug I wanted to make, it was difficult to find a pattern to use.
I didn't want to make multiple granny squares that would have to be joined together later (I can picture a stash of squares waiting to be joined). I also didn't want to make one of the pretty patterns that require you to decide the length of one end of the rug and work backwards and forwards. My solution was to start with one granny square and just keep working outwards.
I was going to make a new granny square, but I couldn't get the centre started properly, so I gave up and grabbed one that I started earlier when I was first practising crochet. From there is was simply a case of working around and around in alternating colours. However it took me a while to figure out the best pattern to use and I ended up with a weird puckered effect. When I showed it to a friend, she pointed out that I had added too many stitches early on. When she showed me I could see the mistake. I wasn't happy about it and unravelled back to that point.
I was still confused about the corners and had to draw out the stitches and count how many I would need to make work so that there would be enough on the next row without causing it to pucker. Trust an engineer to complicate things!
Finally I could see what needed to happen. In each gap I do three treble crochets and then a chain and into the next gap. The chains form the gaps for the next row. At a corner you need two sets of three trebles, I separated these by two chains so there was space on the next round to put the two sets of trebles.
Once I got the hang of it I got quite quick and went around until I ran out of yarn. The rug is the perfect size to go over my knees in winter (which I can hardly imagine at the moment in a heat wave, but I have a vague memory of being cold when I started the rug!).
This is the perfect pattern to try if you just want to practice very basic crochet technique, produce something useful and use up some old yarn without committing to a certain size of rug. Since I made the rug I've also made a little scarf using a different arrangement of the same stitches and I'm pleased to say that my speed and confidence is greatly improved.
Knitting and crochet posts
Eight Acres: Simple winter knits for beginners
Eight Acres: Learning to knit from a pattern
Eight Acres: Learning to knit and "mancrafts"
Eight Acres: Knitting - some people make it look so easy!
Eight Acres: Knitting is a survival skill
Eight Acres: Easy knitted arm warmers (double pointed needles)
Eight Acres: Knitting socks on four double-pointed needles
Eight Acres: Knitting - how to handle a hank of yarn
Eight Acres: I'm hooked! Learning to crochet granny squares
Eight Acres: Finger-crocheted rag rug from old t-shirts
As I was intending this for practice, I didn't know how it would turn out and I didn't want to buy new yarn in case I wasted it, so I decided to use some of the yarn I had been
I was going to make a new granny square, but I couldn't get the centre started properly, so I gave up and grabbed one that I started earlier when I was first practising crochet. From there is was simply a case of working around and around in alternating colours. However it took me a while to figure out the best pattern to use and I ended up with a weird puckered effect. When I showed it to a friend, she pointed out that I had added too many stitches early on. When she showed me I could see the mistake. I wasn't happy about it and unravelled back to that point.
I was still confused about the corners and had to draw out the stitches and count how many I would need to make work so that there would be enough on the next row without causing it to pucker. Trust an engineer to complicate things!
Finally I could see what needed to happen. In each gap I do three treble crochets and then a chain and into the next gap. The chains form the gaps for the next row. At a corner you need two sets of three trebles, I separated these by two chains so there was space on the next round to put the two sets of trebles.
Once I got the hang of it I got quite quick and went around until I ran out of yarn. The rug is the perfect size to go over my knees in winter (which I can hardly imagine at the moment in a heat wave, but I have a vague memory of being cold when I started the rug!).
This is the perfect pattern to try if you just want to practice very basic crochet technique, produce something useful and use up some old yarn without committing to a certain size of rug. Since I made the rug I've also made a little scarf using a different arrangement of the same stitches and I'm pleased to say that my speed and confidence is greatly improved.
Do you crochet? Any easy pattern ideas for beginners?
Knitting and crochet posts
Eight Acres: Simple winter knits for beginners
Eight Acres: Learning to knit from a pattern
Eight Acres: Learning to knit and "mancrafts"
Eight Acres: Knitting - some people make it look so easy!
Eight Acres: Knitting is a survival skill
Eight Acres: Easy knitted arm warmers (double pointed needles)
Eight Acres: Knitting socks on four double-pointed needles
Eight Acres: Knitting - how to handle a hank of yarn
Eight Acres: I'm hooked! Learning to crochet granny squares
Eight Acres: Finger-crocheted rag rug from old t-shirts
Liz, your rug looks great. I made a few of them back in the 1970s/80s. Recently I decided to try and improve my basic skills so have made a few dishcloths. There are lots of easy patterns on Craftsy and Ravelry but I haven't tried any of them so far. I am still trying to get through the basic knitting course I signed up for on Craftsy which is a bit difficult as the presenter does Continental knitting not the English method which I learned back in the day. Who knew there were two different methods? Not me obviously! LOL!
ReplyDeleteNice rug, Liz. My crochet skills are non-existent. I have been working on knitting though and have started to try to sew a bit more. I think I might like to do a granny square or two and see where that leads me.
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely and warm ..... but you can tell us in a couple of months how warm it is.
ReplyDeleteI've done heaps of granny knee rugs over the years and it really is one that doesn't use brain power, I also do the granny rug with what seems like a million squares, and also a few with hexagons.
Looks good Liz. Ravelry is probably the bets place to find patterns for all sorts of things and for all skill levels. It's amazing how much can be done with just a few different stitches. I love crochet, it's much quicker than knitting and more forgiving too.
ReplyDeleteYour persistence in pursuing a skill in crochet is now paying!! You've gone a long way...that will be a nice blankie to hug in the winter:) Crocheting is good for health...the repetitive pattern never fails to calm a nerve too:) A well engineered blankie will even get it's own unique pattern. I'm happy for you:)
ReplyDeleteWow, somehow I never saw you as crocheting. :) This is mighty impressive and such a great idea to just keep going until it was big enough. It still doesn't convince me give it a go though... I have two half finished home-spun alpaca jumpers lurking in the bottom of cupboards. Am definitely going to have a go at sewing up some cushions though, after seeing the prices of some in the shops today. Crikey! Oh, I won the Red Cross raffle last year, first prize a crochet knee rug!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks pretty good to me, and nice Autumn warm too!
ReplyDelete