We had a heck of a thunderstorm last night, which made it's re-appearance this afternoon.
Everything in the garden is soaked and sludgy. I shudder to think about what is brewing in all this water as of course , it being summer, is is MOZZIE season! The little blighters are everywhere, and with my garden being organic, I can't exactly chuck down a half ton of mozzie chemicals! And if I have to smell one more Citronella candle, I may be forced to take up alcohol as a hobby....
Yesterday was a busy day, filled with admin, kids stuff from school, and the ever present issues with trying to get a builder to come and fix the leaking spot on the patio for the gazillionth time!!!!!!!! I must say, I am sick and tired , sorry...let me re-phrase that...SICK AND TIRED of builders doing a bad job! This area on the patio roof has been fixed by FIVE different builders (each several times) and the darn thing still leaks! I am beginning to feel like the evildoer of the End Times will come from some kind of building background :( What does a girl have to do to get an honest, skilled builder ???? Negotiating Middle East Peace feels like it could be easier :(
Anyway...rant aside...
I was again messing around with a crochet hook and some yarn before going to bed last night, and came up with a pretty little pattern. I have started to photograph it and make the motifs...maybe next week will have a little surprise popping up :)
Happily, I spent a couple of hours at our knitting group yesterday, and it was just divine to be sitting in the sun, crocheting hexagons (remember, I have to finish Nani's blanket, so I am focusing folks!), drinking good capuccino and eating cake. We have decided to come along to my place next week, when we will make some soap (not everyone in our group has made their own soap yet, so we are doing a teaching morning :) ...yes, I believe there will be cake! )
Right , onto the Tutorial...I really like this Magic Ring start to a round motif as you can pull the circle very tightly closed....and it's really easy to do!
Magic Ring Crochet Tutorial
Start by placing the tail yarn across your palm and holding it in place with your thumb. Now wind the working end of the yarn around your palm twice (wind away from you in direction).
Slip the two loops carefully off your palm (see above). The working yarn is on the right hand side...
Carefully pinch the top of the set of loops between your forefinger and thumb (of your right hand), and loop the working yarn around your left little finger (* this is how I hold my yarn and control the tension...if you do it differently, please don't become confused...basically prepare your working yarn/ hand set up as if you were about to start crocheting...)
Be VERY careful not to "undo" the two loops of the circle...
Move the two loops circle across to your left hand, again making sure that you haven't let them slip apart/out of your hand...
Insert your hook under the two loops circle, as shown above, and pull the working yarn through the circle and up in front of the loops...
Your work should look like the photo above...
Next, do a Yarn around Hook....
...and pull through the the stitch on your hook... Keep a tight hold of the loopy circle :)
Cool! you have made a chain stitch :)
Insert your hook into the circle again.
Yarn around hook again...
...pull up to the front of the loopy circle...
Yarn around hook again, and pull through the stitch on your hook...well done! You have made a single crochet stitch :)
Your work should look like the photo above...
Continue in this manner, making the required number of single crochet stitches your pattern indicates. In my photos, I have made 12 sc's for a new Hexagon pattern I am working on :)
Right! Your required number of sc's are made , and now you need to close the ring.
In order to see which of the two loops is the one closest to the Tail Yarn, you need to gently pull on the Tail Yarn, and notice which of the two loops shortens. In the photo above, you can see which of the two has become shorter as the Tail Yarn lengthens...
Remember which one it is :)
OK, now pull the yarn that became shorter , at the other end of where the Tail Yarn emerges, and pull it carefully in the opposite direction (shown by the small red arrow), thus making the Tail Yarn become shorter and shorter...
Above you see the pulling in progress...
Above, we are nearly there...you will pull until the Tail Yarn is pulled out of the Loopy Twosome completely!
You will be left with just one loop yarn, and a Tail.
Now pull the Tail Yarn until you see the circle loop begin to become smaller...and smaller, until is is almost closed and a ring of sc's has formed :)
Above you see how things should look...your crocheted ring is almost closed, and the first chain stitch you made is lying next to the last sc you made...all that is left to do is join the circle in the round.
Insert your hook into the chain stitch you made right at the beginning of the whole process...
Yarn around Hook, and make a slip stitch (by pulling through both stitches on your hook).
Whoo!Hoo! Ring closed! There is still a biggish hole in the middle of the crocheted circle. If you would like it to close completely, just pull hard on the Tail Yarn until it closes completely :)
You can start to crochet Round 2 now...
This is such a great start to a motif in which you want a closed round crocheted centre, it looks especially good on flowers! Please let me know if there are any errors...I am little tired and the 'ol noggin is nodding...
Happy crocheting folks!
♥Heidi
Some news...remember my tutorial on how to do a Magic Ring start for crocheting a round-like motif? Well, I am pleased to present a new pattern for a flower hexagon...I am calling it a "The Happy Hexagon" Pattern and will post a tutorial next week some time...keep a watch out for it folks, if you love hexagons like I do and love flowers (like I do :) )!
