Well that's the end of my journey with spirals. I figured out how to make the shapes that interested me in a satisfying manner. The only thing still lacking is to figure out how to make the spirals wider without having to attach more balls of yarn.
I just had a thought about that! Why not just make taller stitches? Like instead of dc (2c), use 5c, or for even bigger ones 10c (these numbers are totally arbitrary). The obvious problem is that there will be gaping holes. That can be solved by using linked stitches. The corners would be interesting to figure out, but probably doable.
Anyway, now that that rabbit trail is over, let's summarize what I've explained about spirals.
I've found or written up patterns for the following shapes:
Circles (really 12 sided polygons)
Hexagons
Rectangles
Squares
This is hardly an exhaustive list of shapes. As I write this, I realized that triangular spirals are also possible. Any shape, at least regular polygons, can be made with spirals. Hopefully you can figure out how to make a heptagon spiral if you really want to by looking at the principles for the more normal shapes.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
A Journey through Spirals: Part Three
So, now I've shown how to do round spirals and rectangular spirals. It's time to do square spirals. Squares are basically a combination of circles and rectangles. They have a definite point of origin like a circle, but with corners like a rectangle. The challenge is to take a circle and make it angular, or to take a rectangle and make it start out with a simple ch 2.
This was actually a lot more difficult than I expected it to be, but I did come up with something. The design principles are the same as for rectangles:
1. Corners need 3 sc or 5 dc to be square
2. It's easier to feel a chain 1 than to feel the middle stitch
3. Dc are twice as tall as they are wide
Essentially, this is a rectangle where the initial side consists of only a corner. So, what you have to do is make a corner in each color in the same chain space, then crochet down the opposite color's corner and make another corner.
Here's that concept written out:
Chain 4
Round 1: (dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in 4th ch from hook with color A. Attach color B to same ch, (ch 3, dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in same chain
To make sides: dc in post of opposite color's starting ch 3, work corner (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in top of opposite color's starting ch 3.
Round 2: dc around with (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the ch 1 of corners
Repeat Round 2 until work reaches desired size.
I made this with Bernat Baby Coordinates in Tangerine Dream and Funny Prints with a J hook.
This was actually a lot more difficult than I expected it to be, but I did come up with something. The design principles are the same as for rectangles:
1. Corners need 3 sc or 5 dc to be square
2. It's easier to feel a chain 1 than to feel the middle stitch
3. Dc are twice as tall as they are wide
Essentially, this is a rectangle where the initial side consists of only a corner. So, what you have to do is make a corner in each color in the same chain space, then crochet down the opposite color's corner and make another corner.
Here's that concept written out:
Chain 4
Round 1: (dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in 4th ch from hook with color A. Attach color B to same ch, (ch 3, dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in same chain
To make sides: dc in post of opposite color's starting ch 3, work corner (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in top of opposite color's starting ch 3.
Round 2: dc around with (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the ch 1 of corners
Repeat Round 2 until work reaches desired size.
I made this with Bernat Baby Coordinates in Tangerine Dream and Funny Prints with a J hook.
Monday, December 16, 2013
A Journey through Sprials: Part Two
Last time, I went through my endeavors to make a round spiral blanket. Well, what limits spirals to round or semi-round things. This time I decided to make a rectangle. Again, the issue is beginning.
Here are the design principles I used:
1. Corners need 3 sc or 5 dc to be square
2. It's easier to feel a chain 1 than to feel the middle stitch
3. Dc are twice as tall as they are wide
Here's what I came up with:
With Color A, chain a number of chains such that the length equals the difference you want in the length and width of the finished product. For instance, if you want to make a twin-sized blanket, typically 75"x90", then the difference is 15". Your chain should measure 15". This is only an approximation because work does tend to stretch the starting chain, but it's a starting point.
Round 1: dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across with color A. Attach Color B to back side of chain (at the beginning of the chain, where the little bit of string is hanging off, where you've just crocheted back to with Color A). Ch 3 and dc across.
To make a corner: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in last ch
To make sides: dc in post of first dc of opposite color. Make corner in top of first dc of opposite color. These sides should be 5 dc in length (2 for each corner and 1 for the height of the initial dc)
Round 2: dc around with (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the ch 1 of corners
Repeat Round 2 until work reaches desired size.
Here are the design principles I used:
1. Corners need 3 sc or 5 dc to be square
2. It's easier to feel a chain 1 than to feel the middle stitch
3. Dc are twice as tall as they are wide
With Color A, chain a number of chains such that the length equals the difference you want in the length and width of the finished product. For instance, if you want to make a twin-sized blanket, typically 75"x90", then the difference is 15". Your chain should measure 15". This is only an approximation because work does tend to stretch the starting chain, but it's a starting point.Round 1: dc in 4th ch from hook and in each ch across with color A. Attach Color B to back side of chain (at the beginning of the chain, where the little bit of string is hanging off, where you've just crocheted back to with Color A). Ch 3 and dc across.
To make a corner: (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in last ch
To make sides: dc in post of first dc of opposite color. Make corner in top of first dc of opposite color. These sides should be 5 dc in length (2 for each corner and 1 for the height of the initial dc)
Round 2: dc around with (2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the ch 1 of corners
Repeat Round 2 until work reaches desired size.
Friday, December 13, 2013
A Journey through Spirals: Part One
A while ago I decided I wanted to try doing spirals. I of course went to ravelry to find out how to do it.
The first pattern I found was for a hexagonal blanket. I grabbed some I Love this Yarn from my stash and got busy. The initial few rounds are a little awkward, as usual with spirals, but once the work is established it is very quick and particularly mindless.
I had decided that I wanted another round blanket for my bed, so I planned on making it fairly large. I was a little worried about having enough yarn to finish the project when I started. I only had 3 skeins of pink and 2 skeins of coffee. However, this pattern does not eat yarn. The finished blanket only took 1.5 skeins of each color, much less than I had expected.
One problem however, is that a hexagon is not really round. It is in fact angular with 6 well-defined sides. Also, I wanted to make the spirals wider. So, I wasn't really satisfied with this pattern as a round spiral pattern. I again went looking on ravelry. This time I found a pattern for a 12-sided blanket using 4 skeins at a time. This pattern delivered by smoothing out the edges and doubling the width of the spirals. I used Bernat Baby Coordinates in White and Funny Print, where each color started 2 of the spirals.
However, this pattern is not mindless. The beginning 9 rounds are all different, and care must be paid to ensure a good result. Also, throughout the piece, there are 4 skeins of yarn attached at once. Managing these skeins so that they don't end up a colossal mess of tangled yarn is a difficult, frustrating task. The finished baby blanket is beautiful, but, at least to me, not worth the headache.
There had to be a way to make this simpler. I went back to ravelry and found another pattern. This one also was for a 12 sided blanket, but it is much more consistent throughout and only uses 2 skeins at once. The spirals are not as wide as the previous pattern, but it's not a headache either. I studied this pattern, but did not decide to actually make it. Instead, using the knowledge of spirals I had gained from my previous attempts, I came up with my own pattern. The problem with spirals is the beginning. Once you get started it is simple and mindless. So, I redesigned the middle and grew the pattern the same way this pattern did.
Here are the principles I used:
1. To be flat, an initial circle needs 6 sc or 12 dc
2. To have a gradual transition from the first round to the second, the stitches need to get gradually taller in the first round.
3. There will be 12 sides, so there need to be 12 stitches initially.
Here's the result:
Round 1: Ch 2, sc, hdc x2, dc x3 in 2nd chain from hook with color A. Attach color B and sc, hdc x2, dc x3 in same space.
Round 2: (dc, ch 1) in each stitch
Round 3: (2 dc, ch 1) in each stitch
Round 4: dc in each stitch until last dc of the side, (2 dc, ch 1) in last dc of side
Repeat Round 4 for pattern until work reaches desired size.
The first pattern I found was for a hexagonal blanket. I grabbed some I Love this Yarn from my stash and got busy. The initial few rounds are a little awkward, as usual with spirals, but once the work is established it is very quick and particularly mindless.
One problem however, is that a hexagon is not really round. It is in fact angular with 6 well-defined sides. Also, I wanted to make the spirals wider. So, I wasn't really satisfied with this pattern as a round spiral pattern. I again went looking on ravelry. This time I found a pattern for a 12-sided blanket using 4 skeins at a time. This pattern delivered by smoothing out the edges and doubling the width of the spirals. I used Bernat Baby Coordinates in White and Funny Print, where each color started 2 of the spirals.
However, this pattern is not mindless. The beginning 9 rounds are all different, and care must be paid to ensure a good result. Also, throughout the piece, there are 4 skeins of yarn attached at once. Managing these skeins so that they don't end up a colossal mess of tangled yarn is a difficult, frustrating task. The finished baby blanket is beautiful, but, at least to me, not worth the headache.
There had to be a way to make this simpler. I went back to ravelry and found another pattern. This one also was for a 12 sided blanket, but it is much more consistent throughout and only uses 2 skeins at once. The spirals are not as wide as the previous pattern, but it's not a headache either. I studied this pattern, but did not decide to actually make it. Instead, using the knowledge of spirals I had gained from my previous attempts, I came up with my own pattern. The problem with spirals is the beginning. Once you get started it is simple and mindless. So, I redesigned the middle and grew the pattern the same way this pattern did.
Here are the principles I used:
1. To be flat, an initial circle needs 6 sc or 12 dc
2. To have a gradual transition from the first round to the second, the stitches need to get gradually taller in the first round.
3. There will be 12 sides, so there need to be 12 stitches initially.
Here's the result:
Round 1: Ch 2, sc, hdc x2, dc x3 in 2nd chain from hook with color A. Attach color B and sc, hdc x2, dc x3 in same space.
Round 2: (dc, ch 1) in each stitch
Round 3: (2 dc, ch 1) in each stitch
Round 4: dc in each stitch until last dc of the side, (2 dc, ch 1) in last dc of side
Repeat Round 4 for pattern until work reaches desired size.
This pattern makes sense to me, so I think it's easy. Hopefully this makes sense to other people too. I used Bernat Baby Coordinates in Tangerine Dream and Funny Prints to make this baby blanket.
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