Tapestry Crochet!

I know that most of you have the same dilemma right now. It's gardening time, so the time available for crafting has shrunk a little bit. But what can you do. I have to show you some socks, mainly the Tiit's socks, which I started between last Christmas, and New Year, but ...

I've come across this website , which shows a crochet technique, called "tapestry crochet". Carol Ventura explains where she first found this technique, and how she developed it. She wrote a couple of books, but on this website you can find free patterns to give this a try. I did, and I'm loving it. I love how this looks like woven fabric. It's so easy to do, inexpensive (you only need a hook, and two different colored yarns), but it's slow going.

I was so thrilled with it, that I made this bag within four days. At first I thought I would run out of the orange/yellow yarn, but as it turned out, I ran out of the white cotton first, and had some left over from the other. Go figure.

The pattern calls for Velcro to close the bag, sewn in with invisible thread, which I found both in my sewing boxes, from my days, when I liked to sew. I'm hoping at least a little want to sew will return some day. I have plans.

This little bag is very firm, only the bottom, cast on row is the weak link here. I'm thinking of putting a fabric lining in, but it would need it only at the bottom. Maybe not. It depends on what I'll do with this bag.

I had two balls of the orange yarn (cotton) left over from knitting the Baby Surprise Jacket. I like how it turned out, with the color changes. I have a lot of cotton yarn in my stash, from my days of knitting dishcloth, and also from the Mason Dixon time, ballband dishcloths, remember?

Carol Ventura felts some of her projects, but many are not felted, I like that better. I'm planning on making a bigger bag, bought some more yarn for that. Dishcloth cotton yarn was not right for it. I'm waiting for the books to arrive, to start on the bag. I DO like the free pattern of the horses bag, I might do that as well.

specifics about this Kitty bag: I like this Kitty design.

pattern: Kitty bag free by Carol Ventura
yarn: Bernat cotton ultrasoft 2 balls each 50g, in white
Lang Tissa, cotton, 2 balls, each 50g color # 0204, I used double the amount of yarn specified in the pattern
hook: G 4mm (4.5mm would have been better, it's very tight)
size: 7.5" wide, 11.25" high
handle: I cast on only 60 sts instead of 100, it would have been too long
start-finish: April 13-16


Dog included for scale. Sam's a 96lbs dog, very sleepy because resting under direct sunlight, makes you drowsy with sleepiness, even if you want to or not.


I was so excited about this project, that I felt a little lost after it was finished. Sure, I have a mile long to-do list, but nothing feels right at the moment. I have yarn and the pattern for "Hedgerow socks" by Jane Cochran all ready. Cast on, but don't feel the love. The yarn label says to use 2.5mm-3mm needles. I'm using 2.25mm and it still feels too loose. The stitch pattern is easy, and I like the ribbing, but the yarn, although almost solid, doesn't give me a nice stitch definition. I might rip it out again. I don't want to use 2mm needles for that. I'd rather try another yarn.

So, I picked up my Elses shawl from my desk, and knit a few rows. I'm liking it again. Even though it's garter stitch, the colores are so wonderful. Can't wait to get to the next color change. I'm waiting for some yarn to arrive, because I'd like to do some double knitting with it. I guess, that's the reason why I don't want to start something big right now.

yarn cake I use for Elses shawl, love the colores (Evilla yarn)

Angelika is already test knitting my Mohana shawl. She already gave me some tips to improve the written pattern, as I was hoping she would do.