Finding and Using Vintage Crochet Shawl Patterns

I wrote this article because I absolutely love creating shawls using crochet shawl patterns! I just really enjoy the feeling of knowing that I am wearing something that I made myself and that it's a piece of clothing that nobody else has! Very few even have the same style of shawl because its vintage!
I have been doing crochet for a few decades now. I've made everything from crochet baby headbands, hats, sweaters, to bathing suits. I absolutely love knitting crochet and actually started doing so as a hobby and way to make clothes for my children without having to spend much money.

I have always felt pride in making things myself and always wanted my children to look good. That's why I've been using crochet shawl patterns, sweater patterns, scarf patterns, and much more to clothe them. I now do the same for my grandchildren.

Nowadays, what started as a hobby to use my creativity and save money has become a way to actually MAKE money. That's right, you read this correctly. I actually make a very nice living making crochet clothing and selling it.

You would be amazed at how many people love crochet clothing but would not have the slightest idea of how to even begin on following crochet or vintage crochet patterns or any pattern for that matter.
There is tons of information available on where to find and how to use crochet shawl patterns, and the best materials to use also.

I am currently a crochet teacher and adore my job. I've been teaching for a few decades now and one of my favorite patterns to wok with are crochet shawl patterns. They are incredibly useful and aside from giving you an opportunity to show off your talent, the shawls that you can create can save you a lot of money!

You can learn more about using Vintage Knit [http://www.vintage-knit.com] crochet shawl patterns and materials.

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Crochet Supplies

Crochet (pronounced kro-sh-A) is a way to make fabric from thread, and is similar to knitting, which requires several needles to pull loops of yarn through other loops.
Crocheting usually requires a single crochet hook, which is a needle with a hook, and is used to draw thread through knotted loops. Whether you are crocheting a blanket, an article of clothing, or an accessory, you will need a few necessary crochet supplies to get you started. Necessary crochet supplies will depend on the complexity of the pattern and article being created.

Basic Crochet Supplies
The basic crochet supplies needed will be a crochet needle and some thread, but the desire to create more complex items may result in the need for various needles, different types of yarn, more complex patterns, instructional books, beads, ribbon, sequins, tape measure, pompon circle and other materials to enhance and beautify the crochet item.

Crochet Hooks
Crochet hooks come in many sizes and generally match the thickness of the thread being used. Crochet supplies, like crochet hooks, can be made of plastic, metal, wood, bone and other materials. Crochet hook sizes vary with the type of material they are made of, and may be in millimeters from 3.5 to 0.4, numbers from 00 to 16, or letters from B to S.
The style of crochet hook you would use varies with the type of crochet and pattern being used. Tunisian crochet hooks are lengthened and have a stopper at the last part of the handle; a variation of the Tunisian hook is the Cro-hook, a double ended hook is used to make double sided crochet, which uses two thread colors at the same time.

Some people with Arthritis or medical issues may need ergonomic crochet hooks, which are designed for this purpose. The bottom line is to always buy the best quality crochet hooks you can afford.

Crochet Materials
Most crochet materials are generally known as yarn or thread, and come in various thicknesses and textures. There are several types of yarn used, and they vary with the article being made and pattern being used. The types are Bulky weight, which is used for heavy and warm garments; Worsted weight is used for scarves, sweaters and mittens; Sport weight is used for sweaters and baby items and Fingering weight is used for light items such as socks, light sweaters and some baby items; these are the main yarn crochet supplies for making most items. Yarn fibers can be made of acrylic, wool, alpaca, cotton, silk, cashmere and many other fibers.

Crochet Supplies and Accessories
Instruction books are a necessity for the beginner, while more advanced patterns are necessary to make more complex clothing and other items. The amount of crochet supplies needed, will depend on whether you are a novice, or advanced at crocheting.
Have a great day.

Paul Mackie

[http://crochetsupplies.org]
[http://handmade-greeting-cards.org]

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Crochet - What Is It? Where Did It Come From and When?

I know of a few, forms of crochet, the versatile most often used, called, in the west, Crochet, encompassing a variety of techniques utilising a hook and yarn and loop stitches; stitches with names like slip stitch, chain stitch, double crochet stitch, half treble and treble and a more.

Archaeological finds suggest that Arabia may be the first area where fiber was worked by a needle and, or a hook. Ancient samples from Egypt suggest a skilled application of needles and or hooks, going back to 950BC - 1200BC.

Through its continued history across the ages, crochet, a word from the French word croc, meaning hook; is believed to have been worked by men and women. A technique that can be worked sitting, standing, lying down or when on the move, utilising many varieties of yarns, linen, cotton, silk and wools, including finely beaten and spun precious metals (silver, gold), with or without the addition of beads and spangles, to produce cloth, jewelry, bags, rugs, upholstery trim, to work fabric to cover furniture, to make warm through to light garments, to the finest of laces and also to produce artistic creations; sculptures, miniatures, creations limited only to the artists imagination. Similar crochet patterns found in India and North Africa give credence to the theory that crochet may have been in continuous use in the Middle East for thousands of years.

Tunisian Crochet or is it Afghan or Tricot crochet, worked with what looks like a cross between a hook and a needle, where and when did it first surface? Was it Tunisia? This form of crochet that can look like crochet or knitting or weaving, was it the fore runner of each of these forms of fabric making?

Slip stitch crochet, perhaps the earliest form of crochet and fabric making.
Broom-stick crochet also called peacock lace, when and where did this originate? Was it invented by Europeans traveling across America in covered wagons, they had broomsticks and hooks, they had the acquired knowledge, they brought out from their homelands with them, they needed very warm bedding and clothing, did they start creating this fast and easily put down and picked up form of crochet?

Irish crochet, traditional Irish crochet, luxurious 3 dimensional lace, distinctive with its raised crocheted petals, flowers and leaves stitched to a net of chain stitches with picots (called, the filling), feminine, romantic and beautiful. A subgroup in Irish crochet sometimes called Baby Irish crochet, is worked continuously in squares or circular sections. In the 1870s, crochet became the salvation for many Irish families when 12,000 to 20,000 Irish girls and women were producing crochet lace to earn money to see their families through the potato famine years and beyond.
Bruges Crochet, a lace worked in trebles and chain stitch, the ribbons of crochet are joined together creating an open tape like lace.

Bavarian Crochet, new to me, I need to learn more about this regional crochet.
Aran crochet is similar to Aran knitting, forms a fabric with raised areas coming off a flat background.
Fillet crochet, or net crochet, was very popular in the 1920-1950's, popular due to the simple mesh construction and patterns in the lace are easily worked with the use of charts

Hairpin crochet believed to have been created in Queen Victorian times by ladies utilising their hairpins and hooks to create a new style of crochet that was used in linier and circular fine laces, to stronger trim for upholstery. Today we have replaced the pins with looms that are easily adjusted in size making it easier to work this form of crochet.

Revival in the swinging 60's as individuals wanted to work new style garments, by hand, in non-conforming form and colours, to the norms of the day.

Stripes, jacquards, patchwork, lace, clothing, looped, woven, beaded, squares, circles, today scrumbling, crochet is a living technology, being revived, re-invented and utilised in new ways with new materials in what looks like limitless ways. Ways that are, and have, enabled peoples across history and across the world to satisfy they personal needs, to earn income, to feed their families, to cloth themselves and their families, to create new items, to satisfy their need to do.

Crochet at the beginning of the 21st Century finds it is experiencing a new revival both in manufacturing, producing thousands of fashion and decor items and in the hands of individuals rediscovering designs of old, designing new patterns and applications, hand making decor items, personal garments and art works.

Crochet designs continue to evolve and Crochet lives on.

Gayle Lorraine Designs by Gayle Lorraine,

A contemporary Textile Artisan; working with wonderful materials, Australian Superfine Merino, Merino, Alpaca, Angora plus, Silks, Cashmere, Acrylics, glinting floss and beads, creating Wearable Works.

Old techniques meet contemporary interpretations, East meets West, colour, line, texture & balance, important in fine art and craft, be the work being 1,2 or 3D. Gayle paints on canvas and felt, felts wearable felt, Nuno, Cobweb and Calamari felt, spins yarns, crochets, Tunisian (Tricot, Afghan), Broomstick crochet a little Irish crochet,and lots of basic crochet.

Easily board, Gayle likes to create new ways to make through both felting and crochet, creating easy to wear bright, beautiful, always stylish, feminine, garments and accessories, you will love to own, to wear.

View Gayle's work and where it is available on her website http://www.gaylelorrainedesigns.com

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Adding Fringes to a Shawl

Crochet shawls are wonderful clothing accessories. One can mix and match it with various outfits as each time it will end up looking nothing less than stylish! Adding a beaded fringe to a closed stitch patterned crochet shawl can add that missing dash of glamor to it. Take a look at the step by step procedure under, to know how to add beaded fringe to a crotchet shawl wrap:

Fringe Making Procedure
Step 1
Start with a chain which measures as much as your shawl's length. Generally, the standard size or length of a shawl is around 60 inches. Now, begin with single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in every chain across.

Step 2
In the next step, chain three and turn. Then, twice crochet within the second single crochet and in each and every single crotchet across the row, thereafter. Further, once crochet in every double across the row. Keep repeating the pattern until you get the desired width of the shawl while ending with a single crochet row.

Step 3
Make a slip stitch to fasten off the shawl. Then cut your working yarn and make another tight slip stitch for securing it.

Step 4
Cut 8 inches long yarn lengths as two of these fringe pieces would be needed for every inch of the width of the shawl. Thus, calculate as to how many fringe pieces you would need and make the calculated number of fringes accordingly. For example if the crochet shawl is 20 inches wide, then one would need 40 pieces of fringes on each side of shawl. That together makes a total of 80 fringe pieces to complete the shawl.

Step 5
Rope one fringe length of yarn into a needle. Make sure that you use appropriate eye blunt needle for thick yarn and embroidery needle for thin yarn. Now rope two beads onto the yarn and needle. For obvious reasons, the chosen bead should be big enough to accommodate needle as well as the yarn.

Step 6
Thread two beads onto the needle and yarn. The beads you choose must be large enough to accommodate your yarn and needle in this process. Take off the yarn from the needle, making sure that the beads keep stuck on the yarn. Next tie a knot at the end of each yarn and slide down the beads so as to make each one rest against the knot. Repeat the same step for each fringe length.

Step 7
Lastly, fold the fringe length into half to have a loop in the center with the beads and knotted ends dangling down. Use the crochet hook for pulling the loop through the short edge of the shawl, from front to back. Secure the knotted and beaded ends by pulling it through the loop onto the edge of the shawl. Repeat the same for all the fringes.

Find out more about fringed shawls at: Fringed Shawls [http://www.shawls-scarf-stoles.com/fringe-shawls.html].

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Crochet Sweater Patterns - Some Handy Tips

If we are considering doing some Crochet Sweater Patterns then it is probable that we have some experience of crochet patterns, however we may be still in the early days of our new found hobby but just a little bit more confident and ready for a bigger project. The beauty of Crochet Sweater Patterns is that they come in all shapes and sizes and therefore also in all levels of difficulty. Don't be put off if you see a pattern with a number of stitches which are unfamiliar there are so many to learn over time and we need not try to remember them all just reference them as required.

Now this brings me onto my Handy tips.

1. Pick a Pattern which has a purpose, this could be a present for someone or for a new baby on the way. A great motivator, is understanding you have a reason to do this not just learning and enjoying crochet.
2. Don't be put off by seeing stitches in the pattern we don't know yet, now's as good a time to learn them. We will have to learn a lot of stitches over time and most we will forget, we just need to take a look at the instructions now and then and re-learn them as we need them.
3. Sweater Patterns are unforgiving, so make sure you have sufficient wool before you begin and make sure it is all the same shade. I like to try to get all the wool from the same batch this will make sure the color is an excellent and consistent match
4. Don't over stretch check the level of difficulty and be comfortable.


The most popular choice for Crochet Sweater Patterns is of course for newborn babies. They can be such a joy to make, don't need a lot of wool and can be done quickly as we get more experienced.
Often it is from this stage of our new found hobby that we are tempted by the compliments from some suggesting we could sell our end result sweaters, and of course the lovingly crafted sweater is a far better product than shop bought. However here is the problem with this. Most people have the price point in their mind from those that are sold in the shop and in my opinion you won't be able to obtain the real value of the sweater back. All the hours you put in will not be of any interest to the buyer only the price. If you are making more than you can use by all means sell them on, many people are ready to buy quality products, however don't think of it as a business more as a small return to invest in more wool and supplies.

Bethany Lees enjoys Crochet and knitting in general and has a wealth of experience in most types and styles. To obtain free patterns and advice and information visit Bethany at http://www.crochethatpatterns.org.

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Do You Want To Learn To Crochet?

Have you been thinking about learning to crochet? Many people have told me that they would just love to be able to crochet, but they feel it would be too hard for them to learn. They know nothing about yarn, hooks or even how to begin.

Actually, crochet is not difficult at all. It's only hard if you think it is, so you have to change your thinking by looking at the basics of crochet.

Have you ever seen children (or perhaps you have done this yourself) playing with a piece of yarn or string? They make a slip knot in the yarn or string using their fingers, then make a loop and pass it through the first loop, then another loop through that loop and so on. This is the same
as the basic starting chain in crochet, except you are using a crochet hook instead of your fingers.
How do you choose your yarn? In selecting your yarn, there are five basic types: baby/fingering, sportweight/baby, worsted weight, chunky and bulky. Worsted weight is a good type for a beginner.

Fingering and baby yarns are very fine, sportweight is usually 3 ply (ply means the number of strands that are twisted together to form the yarn). Worsted weight is a 4 ply yarn. Chunky and bulky are heavier yarns.

Yarns can be made of synthetic or natural fibers. Acrylics are popular and easy to work with and wash. Cotton yarns are very easy to work with and make great crocheted dishcloths, an easy project for beginners. For a beginner, you will want to stay away from using the fuzzy and fur yarns. They are soft and very pretty, but more difficult to work with as it is hard to see your stitches. You can try them later as your crocheting skills improve.

To choose your yarn, just look at the labels. They will tell you what you need to know. Some yarns even have free patterns inside the label. You will want to save those in your pattern collection, even if you are not interested in making the item right now. It's always great to build a pattern collection for later use.

Next you will choose your crochet hook. Hooks
can be made of aluminum, plastic, wood or steel.
Steel hooks are very small and used in fine work
such as doilies and lace.

As a beginner, you will be learning with the worsted
weight yarn so you will want a H (5.00mm), I (5.5mm)
or J (6.00mm) hook. As you learn to crochet, you
will want to build a collection of the many different
hook sizes.

The problem I have found that most beginners have i getting the hook and yarn working together. But as with anything, practice makes perfect. It doesn't take long before you will get the hang of it and be in the flow.

Before you actually make an item you should do some practice pieces. Start out making a chain of about 15 to 20 chains. You do that by making a slip knot by wrapping the yarn around your finger and pulling loop through, then put the slip knot onto your crochet hook. Pull on both ends of the yarn to tighten and adjust the slip knot. Then bring your yarn over your hook from back to front, grab the yarn with your hook and pull through the loop on your hook. Repeat until you have 15 to 20 chain stitches. Now you will use the single crochet (sc) to make your practice piece. In the second chain from your hook (just count two chains away from the hook) and insert your hook into that chain. Put your yarn over the hook and draw that yarn through the chain stitch. There are now 2 loops on hook.

Bring your yarn over the hook from back to front, and draw it through both loops on hook. One loop remains on the hook. You have completed your first single crochet stitch. Keep repeating the single crochet stitch until the end of the chain row. If you started with 20 chains, you will 19 single crochet stitches in this row as you skipped the first chain and began in the second chain from your hook.

To do your next row of single crochet, first you make a chain stitch by wrapping the yarn over your hook and pulling it through the loop on your hook. Now you turn your work so that the last sc you made on the previous row is now at the beginning. Make one single crochet stitch in that stitch and in each remaining stitch of the previous row. Repeat this for every new row.

You will notice that there are two loops on the tops of the completed single crochet stitches. You put your hook through both those loops. I have noticed that a mistake that some beginners make is by only going through one loop of the single crochet. That is a variation that works well in some patterns, but you will learn that later as your skills improve.

Keep working your sample piece for practice until you get the feel for crocheting. This will help you to learn how to hold your hook in a way that makes it easy to grab the yarn and it will also help you to get your tension on. You may find that you are crocheting too loosely or too tightly at first. As you practice, you will learn how to keep your tension uniform throughout the whole project.

Once you have practiced and feel you are ready to try an easy pattern, you can do a search online for a scarf pattern, which is what most beginners start out with. Or, as mentioned before, dishcloths are easy patterns for beginners.

By searching online you will find everything you need to know about crochet. There are free patterns, charts with crochet abbreviations used in patterns, charts for hook sizes, etc.

I am sure that you will enjoy your crochet experience. I find it very relaxing, a great stress reliever. It is also fun to work with the different yarn colors and textures. It is great to be able to make items for yourself and as gifts for family and friends.

You can do it while you are watching TV, or while sitting in a doctor's waiting room, or traveling as a passenger in a vehicle. Just get yourself a crochet tote bag (or crochet one yourself) and you are ready to go.

I hope this information has been helpful to you in making your decision to take up crochet as a hobby.



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What Makes An Easy Crochet Pattern? Learning to Read Crochet Patterns

Crochet patterns can look confusing at first. However, once you understand how a pattern works, and become familiar with the more common crochet stitches, you'll find reading crochet patterns one of the easiest aspects of crochet. Learning to read a crochet pattern will help you feel more confident when learning the basics of crochet.

Patterns can be written in several different ways. Crochet instructions can be written out in abbreviations, presented as symbols, or can be a combination of both. While it may take a while to learn the symbols, they can save space, and after awhile, many experienced crocheters find them easier to read. Another good thing about crochet symbols is that they are international, so no matter where the pattern comes from, the symbols will usually be the same.
If you are trying to read and understand a crochet pattern, the best way is to have both the written instructions and the symbols handy. If a series of stitches doesn't making sense by following the written instructions, often the symbols can clarify what is actually meant. Crochet charts and symbols can help clarify written instructions. Some crocheting, such as lace, is actually much easier to follow using a chart, than reading written instructions.

Here are some of the common abbreviations used in crocheting:

sc single crochet
ch st chain stitch
hdc half-double crochet
dc double crochet
sl st slip stitch
trc triple crochet
yo yarn over
tr treble crochet
sp space
sk skip
pat st pattern stitch

When reading crochet instructions, brackets and parentheses are used to convey related stitches. For example, if you came across this- "(sk 3 ch, 4 trc in next chain) across the row", it would first mean you leave three chains unworked, referring to the sk, which stands for skip. In the fourth chain, you would then do four treble crochet stitches. You would then repeat the whole process across the entire row.

When you purchase a crochet book, or patterns, you'll find the abbreviations and symbols will be explained at the beginning. Once you've worked with a few patterns, you'll find yourself much more familiar with the instructions, and you won't need to refer to the book any longer. The crochet symbols will become second nature. Similar, but easier than learning a foreign language, after a bit of study, crochet abbreviations and symbols will make perfect sense!

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Free Crochet Patterns: Shawls Crochet Pattern

Here’s a lovely gift idea that doesn’t require an exact fit. Crochet shell stitches are combined with shaded yarn for the perfect shoulder warming capelet. Wear it as shown buttoned in front, or move the button to the shoulder for an alternate look.

Do you want to produce Crochet Shawl Pattern Like this ?

 

Click HERE! to get Free TUTORIAL! 

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Crocheting Shawls - How To - The Basics

Crochet is a skill and art. This art was common among past generations and was normally passed on from mother to daughter.While this skill is no longer common place, mastering this to proficiency needs a good and experienced teacher. You may have purchased shawls making and guide booklets which emblazoned "easy to make" on their covers. However "easy" is a terminology which varies a great deal from you and the guide's author.

Others may take it for granted that you already know the basics of crocheting shawls. However, the important basics are usually left out. Emphasis should be on the fundamentals of making shawls from the beginning in order to accomplish a current project and still have the interest to start another. Shawls are perfect as holiday gifts, and making one for your personal use to keep you warm is a start.
Wearing them on special occasions or when going out on special evenings is a way of showing that you are proud of what your own hands have created. Wearing this kind of wrap around garment while doing your chores on cold days help to keep you warm and ward off the chill.

Most girls learn to crochet at a very young age, so when they hit their teens, they are accomplished makers of handmade shawls. In contrast to most beliefs crocheting can also be done by boys who learn to do the art by doing a basic chain. Adding pieces of fringes to the finished product makes them look elegant.

Leftover yarns can be wound into balls that can be used to do other crocheted items. Be sure to organize the balls of yarn properly and keep them in tin cans with lids to protect them from dust or to prevent them from being scattered around. Choosing a yarn to buy is fun, and with all the attractive colors, you may be purchasing more than what you really need.

The wrappers on the skein of yarn will give information on the ounces and the ply. Usually, skeins are 3, 5, 4 or 8 ounces. It is simply adding up the ounces to get the total quantity you need. Now if the pattern is for twelve ounces that usually makes garments of modest size, and you decide to make a bigger shawl then you will definitely need more yarn.

In buying aluminum crochet hooks, try getting a size H or 8 - which is equivalent to 5mm. Smaller hooks that are of size F makes smaller and tighter stitches. Hooks wish a J or K size produces loopy and large stitches. Depending on the size of your pattern along with some imagination the possible creation are endless.

When reading crochet patterns, the word gauge may always be present. Gauge pertains to the number of stitches per inch to make your work right in size and even on all sides. As this is essential when one is making a piece of clothing that would fit. However, making your stitches conform to the required gauge could be strenuous. It is more advisable to maintain the tension of the yarn.

By keeping the stitches even, the result of your work will have a smooth professional look. It is more practical to hold it where you are comfortable. The standard way to hold it is by putting your thumb and forefinger at eh center of the hook, while your third finger steadies your work. The hook rests on the arch of your hand in between the thumb and the forefinger.

Mainly, every pattern starts with the construction of a basic chain. Tearing or dismantling your work is a natural part of the process and what you may have done so far does not look like a shawl. It is easy to get discouraged, but with patience and perseverance, the lifeless yarn can be transformed into a nice work of art.

FashionScarvesAndShawls.com... your shawl and scarf headquarters! If you have a detailed neckline with fancy trim or stitching, try wearing black evening shawls. A fancy or detailed handbag should be used with simple pashmina or crocheted shawls available at: www.FashionScarvesAndShawls.com. Women's accessories can be fun to pick out and wear, and with hundreds to choose from at this top-rated website you'll have plenty of choices.

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