Tapestry Crochet

How do I design my tapestry crochet pieces? Sometimes editors request specific projects. They choose the fiber and colors, suggest the shape and size, and often provide a picture for inspiration. This is what happened with my Sunburst Bowl pattern in the September/October issue of Crochet Today!

This coiled basket inspired my Sunburst Bowl.

As usual, I didn’t copy, but created a new piece based on the original inspiration. Copying is not only illegal, but also disrespectful to the original designer. The design usually changes anyway when translating from one medium to another.

I usually only carry one or two colors, but the (size 3) J&P Coats Royale Fashion Crochet Thread was too fine to produce a large tapestry crochet bowl using this method, so I decided to carry five threads to reproduce the coiled look of the original basket and to give it some structure. Carrying so many colors allowed me to play with color placement, too!

The Sunburst Bowl before ironing it with a steam iron.

After supplying the thread, the assistant editor asked me to write the instructions following Yarn Standards abbreviations and guidelines. The editor sent a contract that specified the date the project was due, the price, and the publication rights. I titled it “Mandala Basket,” but as editors often do, they changed it to “Sunburst Bowl.”

The blocked 10″ wide by 1.25″ high Sunburst Bowl.

This project is not for beginners – it’s definitely advanced tapestry crochet. A few intrepid tapestry crocheters have met the challenge, though! Lisa started the bowl below, but on Sept 13, she posted, “Okay, so the circle is done in the middle and I am carrying all 6 yarns at once. Now that I have done 8 rows, I am wondering how to keep all the yarn from turning into a nest. Everything was fine until I had to set it down!” I hope she picks it up again! I’ll post the photo with this thread if/when she does! (BTW, if you separate the balls of thread and allow the twist to happen next to the fabric when you change colors, the carried threads will not tangle so much.)

Lisa’s bowl.

Here are Sheri Kelley’s bowls – before blocking – with fabulous color choices!

I’d love to hear from you and see your Sunburst Bowls!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Crochet World included my Bead Felted Awareness Purse pattern in their October issue. The below final version was tapestry crocheted with Petal Pink and Aran Patons Classic Wool and #5 triangular glass beads from Fire Mountain Gems.

The 11” wide Bead Felted Awareness Purse in Crochet World.

The 17 3/8” wide Bead Felted Awareness Purse before felting.

You guessed it! This pattern was perfected little by little. Never having worked with this wool before, I had to learn how it shrunk during felting. Even though I knew it would shrink more in width than height, it still surprised me! Along the way I also experimented with the size, color, beads, and straps. The first and second versions of the purse feature square beads and thinner straps.

The first and second purses before felting.

The first two purses after felting.

All of the bags have a surprise inside. This is the inside of my second attempt.

The beads were slid to the front of the loose stitch in all three versions.

The loose stitch allows the beads to be slid to the front of each stitch.

My mother survived breast cancer, but unfortunately, she didn’t survive her second round of Lymphoma. Hopefully, all types of cancer will find a cure someday soon.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I usually make several versions of a project before the pattern is published. This time I experimented with the size, yarn, color, handle, buttons, and bead placement. A mobius style handle makes it possible to crochet the entire purse without cutting any yarns (until the very end, of course).

Lambs Pride Bulky was used for the first purse on the left, then I tapestry crocheted the one on the right with Lion Wool.

The final version below was also crocheted with Lion Wool, but with a lighter green and #5 Miyuki Triangular beads from Fire Mountain Gems (placed on all the motifs this time).

The published version of the bag before and after felting.

This bag has a surprise, too – it’s reversible! By sewing buttons to both sides of the fabric, it may be worn with the beads on the inside or the outside.

This side of the 7″ wide bag doesn’t have beads.

So where’s the pattern? You can find it in the July / August issue of Quick & Easy Crochet. I hope you’ll give it a try!

One of my felted bag patterns has been published by a new UK magazine! In addition to this project, which they call Aztec Bag, the Spring 2008 issue of Yarn Forward includes reviews, articles, tips, and instructions for eleven other original designs, including a sexy crocheted top and several exquisitely knitted socks and pullovers.

This Aztec Bag Pattern was tapestry crocheted with Yorkshire Tweed Chunky.

The motif is based on a Tukutuku Panel pattern that I saw in a Maori Meeting House from New Zealand at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. After a few adjustments, it has another life!

Detail of a Tukutuku Panel in the Field Museum of Natural History.

I don’t copy patterns from other people or cultures, but they often inspire new motifs. In this case, I reversed the direction of the “steps” and put the horizontals on the same level and chose different colors.

Although the Aztec Bag was tapestry crocheted with Rowan’s Yorkshire Tweed Chunky wool, this fiber is no longer listed on their web page. Don’t worry, though, because Rowan’s Scottish Tweed Chunky is very similar and any other heavy feltable fiber would work, like Lamb’s Pride, for instance.

This is how it looked before being felted in the washing machine.

The bag below was tapestry crocheted with Lion Brand wool. I made the handle a little longer and the felted fabric is thicker because the Purple Lion Wool was doubled to approximate the weight of the Latte Bolero.

Aztec Bag tapestry crochet with Bolero and Lion Wool.

I hope you’ll give this bag a try! If’ you’ve never tapestry crocheted, this project would be a great introduction.