Tapestry Crochet

The brand new UK magazine, Inside Crochet, includes the pattern for this Handy Basket (tapestry crocheted with Size 18 La Espiga Omega Nylon). Why does it look so lumpy? Well, just about everything I tapestry crochet looks like that - until the last step of the process, “blocking”.

Handy Basket before blocking.

My favorite blocking tool is a steam iron. Since nylon melts at high temperatures, it’s on the lowest setting that will allow steam to form. (Higher temperatures may be used with other fibers.) Steam is not absolutely necessary, but it makes blocking much easier.

Blocking the bottom of the Handy Basket.

The iron may be placed directly onto the project, or a towel may be placed between the two to protect the surface of the fabric.

Blocking the sides of the Handy Basket.

I press down hard - on the inside and outside - all around. Fortunately, this basket is large enough that the iron fits inside without a problem. (I insert a towel-covered can into smaller baskets to help support and shape them during blocking.)

Handy Basket after blocking.

Quite an improvement,  don’t you think?

For those of you who like to crochet loosely – felted tapestry crochet is for you – since it’s done with a large hook and loose stitches. The finished pieces shrink and felt like magic in a washing machine.

What’s so great about felted tapestry crochet? The pattern is incorporated into the fabric as it’s crocheted, the extra yarn adds bulk so that no lining in necessary, and felting the piece in a washing machine is a cinch.

The Felted Amulet Bag project featured in this video is a great introduction to tapestry crochet. The free instructions are linked on my tapestrycrochet.com web page. For more about felted tapestry crochet, please look at my Bead & Felted Tapestry Crochet book. One thing I forgot to mention in the video, though, is that you need to set the washing machine for a cold water rinse (after the soapy, HOT wash). Sorry about that! I hope you’ll give felted tapestry crochet a try!

Tapestry crocheting with a hook that has a handle is SO MUCH BETTER than crocheting with a naked hook. Not only do you look very cool tapestry crocheting with a one-of-a-kind work of art, the handle makes crocheting tightly much easier. Three medium-sized handles like the ones below can be sculpted from each 56 gram package of polymer clay.

These handles were made from two 56g packages of polymer clay.

Polymer clay is sold online and at your local crafts store. It comes in many colors and sizes and instructions are on the wrapper.

To make a handle, just pinch off chunks of polymer clay, mix colors if you like, smoosh it between your fingers to make it more pliable, smooth and roll it into a hotdog shape, texture it (if you like) stick in the hook, squeeze the clay around the hook, mark the hook size on the bottom of the handle, place it on a tinfoil-lined pan, then bake it for 30 minutes at around 110°C / 230°F.

I made my first crochet hook handles (the ones below) with Carolyn Routh. I wanted to do something that was creative and appropriate for a tapestry crochet artist like Carolyn and thought she might enjoy making them when she visited - and I was right!

Handles can take any form and size. I squeezed the bottom one to perfectly fit my grip!

You can see these handles being made in the free video below.

This project is easy and so much fun that it would be a perfect hands-on workshop! Why not invite over a friend (which doubles the fun) or host a crochet handle-making party?

In response to many requests for a flat tapestry crochet tutorial, I recently produced a free video that includes both the Alternate-Rows-Switch-Hands-Crochet and Reverse Crochet techniques - both of which will produce a flat tapestry like the one below right.

Most pieces that are tapestry crocheted back and forth look like the sample on the left. I prefer the look of the sample on the right with the front of the stitches on the same side of the fabric.

The pattern for the flat heart in the video is from my More Tapestry Crochet book.

This video is far from perfect - I could have done and said many things better - but I hope it’s clear enough that you will give this challenging technique a try!