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Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture

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Stitchboard Admin message #16
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 13, 2014 at 4:33:41 PM

Becky,

No worries on responding late...take care of your health first, of course!

So happy you're getting your crochet mojo back.

It's good that more supplies are coming in...it seems to depend on the area. Larger cities probably have much more selection. We're in a pretty small town, so we have very little selection.

LOL, I must agree with Sherry, though...buying only what you need, as if it's a fixed amount, is a very foreign concept and I can't quite grasp it, either...

I think your partner needs to find somewhere else to store his clothing.

Doesn't yarn take precedence?! Clothing, meh, if you have an old exercise bicycle or other unused equipment, now, that is where you'd store clothing!

And it's all out in the open, not hidden, so you can choose your outfits at a glance! (Are these good enough arguments?

)

Melanie (cat slave and Official Feline Can Opener) =^.^=
~~~~~
I'm a beading, knitting and crochet addict. If that means I'm admitting I have a problem, then I admit to nothing. Please refrain from helping me.

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Stitchboard Admin message #17
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 13, 2014 at 4:38:13 PM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)

Sherry,

Oh, those errant balls of yarn...do they at least behave after you scold them?!

That Pipsqueak yarn sounds wonderful...and I hope you have some cooler, more air conditioned rooms for that hot, hot weather? It's awful to work in extreme heat. And you guys have it so much worse...I don't know how you can take it!

Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #18
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 14, 2014 at 8:59:18 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #2)

Melanie,

Hahahahahaha, of course not.

They just seem to wander back into the living room while my back is turned.

I turn the thermostat way down at night, so that when I get up in the morning the house is very cool. We are lucky enough that our house holds that cool air until late afternoon, so my plan is to work on the blanket in the cooler hours of the day.

I'm loving the way the Pipsqueak works up, too bad it's only available in baby pastels and brown. I'd love to make a throw for myself with it.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #19
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 14, 2014 at 10:41:27 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #3)

Sherry,

LOL, apparently they've found some way to attach themselves to you! Do you hear giggling as you walk away?

Glad you're able to keep the house cool, especially later on in the day! That's a good plan to use that coolness to work on the blanket.

Baby pastels and brown? Oh, no! That's crazy. I don't know why they often don't offer a lot of really nice colors in yarn.

Is there a similar yarn by another manufacturer, perhaps, that's available in a color you'd like?

Member since:
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BetwixtTheStitch message #20
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 16, 2014 at 8:03:54 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #4)

Melanie,

I'll have to get out to Joann and look, I really don't know about that. You can't tell much by looking at the pictures online.

This is also one of those that you just have to feel as well.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #21
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
July 16, 2014 at 6:50:35 PM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #5)

Sherry,

True...the pictures don't say much.

I agree...you do have to feel it. Especially if you're going to put a lot of work into it! If you're not feeling it, it will forever be a WIP, or, more accurately, a UFO.

Member since:
Oct 13, 2014
Posts: 46

astridl message #22
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 13, 2014 at 3:43:14 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)

Hi everyone!

I joined today and am excited to be in such a wonderful support group! My name is Astrid and I live in Vienna, Austria. I have never done tunesian crochet before, but want to make a large picture blanket as my first project.... Think big! Wink

Admittedly, I mainly joined because I found your link to the pattern wizard somewhere on facebook and I really love it! The possibility to choose a limited number of colors is great! I have seen many tools by now, and not a one has had this property. This is especially great if you need your pattern to be a pattern for knitting or crochet, not for embroidering....

I have tried to make my pattern using the option tunisian crochet. But the pattern I get shows very square stitches, I imagined they would be taller... I have seen a tool where you can enter the number of stitches and rows you have for 10cm and the programme adapts the stitches to your gauge. This is just an idea for a possible further development of the tool... (If you want to have a look, check http://www.theknittingsite.com/knitpro/index.php.)

I think you do a great job and I will be able to create my perfect pattern with the tool as it is as soon as I finally get my needles (they should arrive per mail today) and can do my final gauge...

I am excited to start!! And I am excited to explore your wonderful site. What a great surprise it is so much more than a pattern programme!

Greetings from the wonderful city of Vienna,
Astrid

Edit: The needles have not been in the mail today... I will have to wait until tomorrow. This is ALMOST UNBEARABLE!!!

I am a knitaholic living in Vienna, Austria and am starting to explore the world of crochet. I am addicted! Cheesy

Member since:
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Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #23
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 13, 2014 at 9:15:35 AM (in response to astridl message #7)

Welcome Astrid,

I should really defer to Melanie on this, but I think that if you choose the TSS option the stitches are taller, even if they appear square.

We did lots of gauge swatches in order to get the information to have the choices.

Argh! Isn't it just awful waiting on shipping? I do hope they come in soon.

Sherry

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Stitchboard Admin message #24
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 14, 2014 at 12:59:50 AM (in response to astridl message #7)

Astrid,

Welcome!

We're so glad you like the freePatternWizard! Remember, not only can you limit the colors, but we have an option which is still fairly new, called the Stitchboard Basic Palette (as opposed to the Stitchboard Full Palette), which has light, medium and dark versions of the basic colors, plus a few extra "odd" colors. That's specifically for yarns, which will be harder to match to the "full" palette, since manufacturers don't want to make too many colors.

I'll let Terry (support) know about your suggestion - thanks! - though I wanted to say that there are three options for Tunisian...all of them depend on your particular gauge. Thanks to BetwixtTheStitch, we've worked out the different Tunisian stitches to Tunisian Horizontal, Tunisian Vertical and Tunisian Square. When you select any one of those options, you'll see a dialog box pop up and give specifics of the stitch type(s) which use the different shapes.

I'm so sorry your needles didn't arrive! It's so frustrating to wait, only to be disappointed.

Hope they arrive today!

Member since:
Oct 13, 2014
Posts: 46

astridl message #25
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 14, 2014 at 6:47:22 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #1)

Hi all! Thank you so much for the warm welcome!
At least one of my two ordered needles arrived today. So I will be able to make at least one gauge this evening. I so hope this is the right size needle, so that I can finally produce my pattern and order my yarn!

I feel comfortable here and it means a lot to me to know I can ask questions if I am stuck. I will keep you updated about the process of my project!

Thank you and all the best,
Astrid

Edit:
P.S.: Thanks Melanie, I have seen the different options for Tunisian Crochet. I tried the one where in the picture the squares seemed more tall than wide... And the result seemed very square to me. But I will keep trying and I am sure I will eventually find the correct properties!

I am a knitaholic living in Vienna, Austria and am starting to explore the world of crochet. I am addicted! Cheesy

Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)

Member since:
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Posts: 4584

Stitchboard Admin message #26
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 15, 2014 at 1:30:18 AM (in response to astridl message #10)

Astrid,

You're so welcome!

Woo hoo, glad your needles finally arrived!

So happy to know you feel comfortable here...that's our goal.

Ask questions anytime!

Feel free to post pictures of your work in progress or even any work you've finished before, whether or not it was created with the freePatternWizard. We all love to drool!

Re: the options for Tunisian Crochet...definitely do a gauge swatch before choosing which Tunisian option you want for your pattern. The gauge swatch will be your guide. Unfortunately, there's no "one size fits all" in Tunisian crochet, as some stitches are rectangular vertically, some are rectangular horizontally, and some are square! It depends more on the size of your hook, the Tunisian stitch you've chosen and your ultimate finished gauge. I know swatching is a pain, sigh, but it's a necessary evil and will save a lot of trouble in the long run.

Member since:
Oct 13, 2014
Posts: 46

astridl message #27
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 15, 2014 at 3:11:14 AM (in response to Stitchboard Admin message #11)

Dear Melanie!

Thank you! One of my 2 ordered needles arrived yesterday, and I am confident this is the right size. I have managed to do a gauge swatch with the yarn I chose which I am quite pleased with. And it is almost square!

Actually, I read it here for the first time that the size of your stitches is so dependent on the yarn and needle size, and it helped me a lot for understanding!

Actually, when working the tunisian crochet stitch I discovered I have two more questions and would be most grateful if you could help. I always try to understand the things as well as possible,... Wink

First thing is, in German tutorials they almost always do a chain stitch before making the back row. I have tried this, and in my work - indifferent to what needle size I used - the edges became much straighter and neater without the chain. Do you know what the chain is supposed to do and if it is better to do it or not?

Second, my above gauge swatch is 20 stitches and 20 rows. I have realized that when I now count the stitches, I can see 19 little squares per row. Does that mean that I have to chain 1 stitch more than what my grid shows?

I hope you understand my questions... English is not my first language. And although I think I do speak it rather well I sometimes have difficulties with special terms like crochet terms! Wink

Thank you so much for everything!

Greetings, Astrid

I am a knitaholic living in Vienna, Austria and am starting to explore the world of crochet. I am addicted! Cheesy

Member since:
Jul 3, 2013
Posts: 575

BetwixtTheStitch message #28
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 15, 2014 at 9:09:15 AM (in response to astridl message #12)

Astrid,

If you don't do the chain stitch on your return row, the number of stitches will decrease, so it's definitely better to do it.

When working your starting chain, you don't count the loop you start from, so if you chain 20, you'll actually have 21.

Once you have finished your piece, you can slip stitch or single crochet around the edges to make them look neater.

I do think I understood your questions,

and your English is great.

Sherry

Member since:
Oct 13, 2014
Posts: 46

astridl message #29
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 15, 2014 at 10:33:42 AM (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #13)

There, there... I have had no idea my two questions actually relate to each other! Wink

So, if I understand you correctly: If I chain 20 in the beginning (starting chain without the first loop, I knew I could not count that) and do the chain in each return row, I will get 20 little squares. If I decide to not do the chain in each row, I chain 1 more loop in the starting chain than the number of squares the grid shows to make them even?

Most probably I will single crochet around my blanket, because the left edge looks different than the right edge (I am confident this is due to the technique and not due to my crocheting). Also, I will probably sew some fabric at the bottom, so there will be a seam to hide... Wink

I am sure you understood my questions!

You helped me a lot. Thank you so much, Sherry and Melanie!!

I am a knitaholic living in Vienna, Austria and am starting to explore the world of crochet. I am addicted! Cheesy

Look at that smile! (Photo guaranteed unretouched)

Member since:
Jul 1, 2009
Posts: 4584

Stitchboard Admin message #30
Re: Tunisian crocheting a picture
October 16, 2014 at 1:12:03 AM (in response to astridl message #14)

Astrid,

You're very welcome!

Sherry is the perfect person to answer your questions about Tunisian crochet, because she's an expert!

And Sherry is correct...your English is excellent!

Something I do want to say about the gauge swatch photo you've posted. It looks to me like the 20x20 st swatch (even though it's really 19x20) is actually taller than it is wide, so I would say you need to choose a vertical stitch (Tunisian Vertical) if that's the gauge you'll be using for your graphghans.

I have to say, your stitches are very nice and even...great work, particularly for a beginning crocheter!

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