Tapestry Crochet

I grew up seeing people knit and crochet in public; today it’s a rare site. I’m one of the few who continues this tradition. I love crocheting where people can see what I’m doing and it’s certainly a great conversation starter!

Experience has taught me that geometric patterns tapestry crocheted with light, contrasting colors work best for crocheting in distracting places with low light – the usual scenario. I did the first rounds of the bag pictured below at home because they were a bit more complicated – but crocheted the rest of the tote while attending a number of very interesting talks at a honey bee conference and a textile symposium. I was the only crocheter at both events, but did see a few knitters there.

ME Tote tapestry crocheted with Omega Nylon, 2016.

I first crocheted this geometric motif in 2013, but didn’t see the letters back then. But after crocheting a few sections this time, I noticed the conjoined letters, M and E. I like to think it was a subliminal message from my inner self; I didn’t need the affirmation in 2013, but it’s very appropriate now.

First version of the ME motif, crocheted with cotton in 2013.

I usually create both right and left-handed versions of my patterns at Ravelry, but since “ME” only manifests when crocheting right handed, I decided not to create left-handed instructions because the word would appear backwards – not good.

The new ME Tote pattern is based on the larger Leftover Bag seen next to me below. I also crocheted the Leftover Bag in public, but some of the colors were too difficult to see in the low PowerPoint lit venues where I crocheted it; lesson learned.

Beginning the handles during the 2016 Textile Society of America Symposium.

This tote was a joy to crochet. I hope you’ll give it a try – even if you find yourself crocheting in a well-lit, calm location.

A square base, floating motifs, and pull-strap joined forces to create the unique tapestry crocheted tote seen below. The heavy fabric was produced with tight stitches tapestry crocheted with Classic Elite Provence mercerized Egyptian cotton.

My Floating Squares Tote on exhibit in the 2014 Tennessee Technological University Art Faculty Exhibit.

The instructions for this Floating Squares Tote are in the April 2015 issue of QUICK & EASY CROCHET ACCESSORIES, published by Crochet! Magazine. The versatile shoulder strap that keeps the bag closed is easily converted into a pair of short handles (as seen below).

Floating Squares, in QUICK & EASY CROCHET ACCESSORIES.

The magazine includes instructions for more than forty stylish accessories. I think you’ll be inspired by this special issue – so please take a look!

These bags were inspired by my hard working girls, who have been entertaining and teaching me since 2011. As you’ve probably heard, honey bees face a number of challenges today, including parasites, hive beetles, and diseases that were unknown in the US just a few decades ago. Pesticides and herbicides that are not supposed to bother them have weakened and killed many beneficial insects, making it difficult for them to overcome new challenges. Fortunately, my bees are quite resilient, having survived many of my well-intentioned, but stressful interventions. You see, no one agrees about how to keep or help honey bees and a procedure that works with one hive might hurt another.

Honey bee frame showing dark nectar, yellow capped brood, and nurse bees feeding larvae.

My first design challenge was choosing the colors. All three bags in this posting were tapestry crocheted with two carried colors, which produced very sturdy fabrics. Black and yellow were the obvious choices for the bees, but what about the background?

Next, I had to figure out how to draw a honey bee motif on rounds tapestry crochet graph paper. I looked at lots of my own photos and searched online for inspiration, then asked friends and family which graphs they preferred. The top two choices are featured on my first attempt below.

First bee bag, tapestry crocheted with (discontinued) Senso cotton thread, 2012.

The bees look a little better on the next version (below), but I decided that the experimental handle on the oval-based bag was too long to hold, but awkward as a shoulder strap.

Second bag with an oval base and a split handle, (discontinued) Senso cotton, 2013.

The bees were tweaked again on the final bag (below), crocheted with Tahki Cotton Classic. Separate patterns for this bag with photos, tutorials, and graphs are now available on Ravelry for right-handed crocheters and left-handed crocheters.

Bee-U-tiful Bag, Tahki Cotton Classic, 2014.

I crocheted these bee themed bags while attending three different beekeeping conferences and look forward to showing off my Bee-U-tiful bag at the next one! I love that you can tapestry crochet just about anywhere, allowing me to combine two of my passions!

What to do with yarn left over from other projects? How about using them to crochet this useful bag? The carried colors and tight stitches combine to form a sturdy fabric that does not need to be lined. Many types of threads or yarns could be used to make this bag. Although any number of contrasting colors would work, only four were used in this example; Coffee and Grape from the Geometry Tote and Bronze and Bone from the Handy Basket. Do you see where the Coffee ran out, just seven stitches before finishing the rim on the inside of the back handle? Such is life.

Leftover Bag, 12 1/2″ high (without the straps), Omega Espiga #18 nylon, 2014.

The flat oval spiral base is crocheted first, then when the diameter of the base is no longer increased, the edges of the spiral move upwards to form the walls. The motif is eight stitches wide, so the total number of stitches in the base is a multiple of eight. It is possible to make a variety of sizes with the same design motif simply by increasing or decreasing the size of the base.

This large, sturdy bag can be made from leftovers and hold them, too! It’s my newest pattern, with photos, tutorials, and graphs individually prepared for right and left handed crocheters.

My reversible Spiral Coasters pattern is one of more than 30 projects in Interweave’s 2015 Crochet Home! This fabulous special issue includes a variety of crochet techniques, including tapestry crochet, tunisian, fillet, and Bruges lace.

Front and back of Spiral Coasters, 4″ diameter, Nazli Gelin Garden size 3 cotton.

I hope you’ll take a look and give these coasters a try!

The Fall 2014 issue of Interweave Crochet includes my felted Trail Ridge Tote, crocheted with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (50g/110yds) in Dove Heather, Firecracker Heather, and Mist.

Trail Ridge Tote in Interweave Crochet, Fall 2014 (photo by Interweave Crochet 2014).

For those who like to crochet loosely – this project is for you – since it is tapestry crocheted with a large hook and loose stitches.

Detail of the handle before it was felted.

The beauty of felted tapestry crochet is that the pattern is visible on the both the inside and the outside of the project. The two carried colors really bulk up the felted fabric, so no lining is needed. The tote shrinks and felts like magic in a washing machine. It is important to make the stitches loose, though, or it will not felt correctly. The flattened size of the tote before felting was 18” wide x 16” high (without the handles). The flattened size after felting the first time was 15” wide x 16” high, then after felting it again (to shrink it a little more), it was 13” wide x 14 1/2” high flattened and 12” wide x 13” high upright as seen below.

Felted Trail Ridge Tote, 12″ wide x 13″ high (without the handles).

For more felted tapestry crochet projects, please take a look at my Bead & Felted Tapestry Crochet book.

I entered the world of tapestry crochet 34 years ago with the green and red stocking below. The Dad Candy Cane Stocking shows how much my crocheting has improved since then. I wasn’t happy with the toe of the first two stockings and I didn’t like how the stripes got closer together around the heel on Betty’s stocking, so I gave it another try. I’m very happy with the new and improved Candy Cane Stocking because it has a better toe and the same amount of stitches between each stripe.

My first TC project, Betty Stocking, and Candy Cane Stocking for Dad.

The heel was the most difficult part for me to design and crochet. While most of the stocking is worked in rounds, the heel is worked back and forth in rows. My free video shows two ways to do what I call, “flat tapestry crochet”. This technique eliminates the ridges formed from working back and forth and always places the front of the stitches on the face of the fabric.

The heel of the Candy Cane Stocking done with the flat tapestry crochet technique.

The pattern and graphs for the Candy Cane Stocking (for both right handed and left handed crocheters) are in Edie Eckman’s new Christmas Crochet for Hearth, Home, and Tree book. Alphabets for right and left handed crocheters are also included so that you can personalize your own stocking. I hope you’ll take a look at this wonderful book and give one or more of the 18 projects a try!