Tartans and Plaids Group on Ravelry

In the past month or so, I've been inviting ravelers to a group at Ravelry for those interested in the design and creation of Tartans and Plaid items.  I've sent about 800 invitations to folks whose projects were labeled by them with the Plaid or Tartan tag or which had tartan and plaid in the title.   Now there are over 150 members of the group...knitters, crocheters, and weavers.  I hope it will continue to be a place for the sharing of ideas.

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/tartans-and-plaids

Tartan designer page online

Here's a utility to design your own tartan:

http://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartandesign/design

Plaids

I wanted to try an experimental plaid while waiting for my Crocheted Tartans book to arrive. There are several plaids in the ravelry database link to a pattern "no longer available," but I was able to access it on the Wayback Machine and put a copy of it below in case it disappears again. Also I found a good discussion of the technique on the Laughingpurplegoldfish blog here:

http://laughingpurplegoldfish.blogspot.com/2009/03/event-plaid.html

My Plaid and notes:

for 36 inch width, ch 138 for 66 squares, 22 square repeat.

I just picked out some cheerful colors to do an experimental plaid. Although the pattern names says no longer available, I did find these instructions and saved them here in case they disappear again:

From the Internet Wayback Machine

http://web.archive.org/web/20080218030811/http://www.diyn...

Materials:

paper and a pen or marker
yarn (specific yarn is your choice; see steps below for explanation)
crochet hook, US size H
scissors
sewing needle with a large eye and a curved tip

1. If you wish to make a pillow top, a blanket or a rectangular wrap as an Event Plaid, first pick an event date and let the numbers from the event dictate the number of stripes or yarns being used.

Example: 05/11/38 (birthdate)
stripe 1=5 rows
stripe 2=1 row
stripe 3=1 row
stripe 4=3 rows
stripe 5=8 rows

Note: If the event date has a zero in it, then simply ignore it, as seen above. This is also the case if the zero hits in the middle, i.e., 12/20/73. The stripes would be as follows: 1 row, 2 rows, 2 rows, 7 rows and 3 rows.

1. Select a yarn to be used for each of the numbers chosen. Although gauge is not important in this project, you should be sure that if some yarns are much thicker or thinner than the majority, they are used for the smaller number of rows.

Note: If there is a color or texture of yarn that you like the most, use this yarn for the stripe with the larger numbers.

1. Once the yarns have been selected, open up the first yarn and begin. To start, make a chain as wide as desired for the pillow top: ch loosely but evenly the number of stitches necessary to get to this length (don’t pull the chain to get to the length). Make sure to ch 4 extra stitches (they are going to be used to turn).
2. Work 1 dc into the 4th st down, ch 1. Sk 1 and work 1 dc in the next st, ch 1. Repeat across the row, ending with 1 dc at the end of the row.

Note: Lay the piece down and stretch it a bit to see all the boxes that have formed. The row just completed counts as 1 row. If the stripe requires more rows, then proceed to Step 5. Also, note that it may prove helpful to count the number of boxes created, mark this number down and check it every few rows.

1. To turn around, ch 4; then flip the crochet over.

Note: You must ch 4 at the beginning of the row because you are working in the filet crochet method (normally when you work a dc row, you ch 3 as your turning chain).

6) Work 1 dc into the stitch attached to the box. Now ch 1; this creates the first box.

Note: Do not go into the center of the box. Essentially, you work into the top of the post of the stitch below; it’s called the flagpole. At the top of the flagpole is a little triangle — this can be seen easily with a little stretch. This is where the hook needs to go in.

1. Repeat step 6 across the row. Be sure to finish the row and not lose any boxes.
2. Work the pattern for the number of rows needed to create the first stripe.
3. Now continue in this manner with each additional stripe, changing yarns at the end of a row before ch 4 to create the beginning of the next row. (Joining the yarns together does not count as 1 of the ch-4 stitches.) When the last stripe is completed, if the length is not sufficient, then simply take the first yarn, join it and keep going. Repeat the stripes until it reaches the desired length. When the last row is done, cut yarn at the end of the row and pull the tail through.
4. To finish off the piece, weave the yarns in and out of the mesh you created, working vertically (essentially, opposite to the crochet stripes). Start at the bottom and work toward the top, in the same rotation as was done with the crocheting. For example, if the 1st stripe was 5 rows with a beige yarn and the 2nd stripe 1 row with a colorful mohair yarn, weave 5 rows vertically with the beige yarn, 1 row vertically with the colorful mohair, etc.
5. Start by cutting a strand of the yarn that was used for the 1st crochet stripe. Make sure the strand is longer than the entire mesh piece is high; after all, the strand must be long enough to cross all of the different yarns that were crocheted while still providing tails or ends that can be adjusted and used to create fringe. Also, if the yarn is too thin to fill the thickness of the holes, cut two strands (or more, if needed).
6. Now thread the sewing needle with the strand(s) of yarn. Beginning at the bottom right corner, go in and out of the mesh, carefully starting on top of the mesh (in other words, start by pushing the needle down into the first hole). Upon reaching the end, lay the piece flat, pull it to even out the tails and smooth it out.
7. Cut the next piece of yarn (appropriately following the numerology of the chosen event date). Repeat step 12, but work the next row starting from under the mesh so that it is the opposite of the first row.
8. Repeat again and again until done, working each row opposite of the previous row (and continuing to work according to the numerology as well). This creates the plaid.
9. Finish off the ends of one side (completing the fringe too.) To do this, take the tails from the 2 rows in one of the corners and tie them together. Tie them again to make a double-knot. Then tie the next 2 rows together in similar fashion, and then the next two, etc., continuing until done. Now finish off the ends on the opposite side as well.

viewed 0 times

Old School Colors for scarves

Here is the complete list with schematics of all Oxford and Cambridge colors for scarves:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_scarf

Tartans!

After seeing a crocheted tartan, I tracked down a used copy of Australian Women Crochet Tartan Rugs at a reasonable price. Looking further, I see that the authors have issued a CD with the patterns, rather than a new edition of the book. Photos and ordering details can be found at:

http://www.crmtartanrugs.com

This project looks like lots of fun. I may even buy yarn for it!

Just read about and found a wonderful tartan designer online:

http://www.scotweb.co.uk/tartandesign/design

Correct from this day forward

It finally dawned on me that I've been doing my Double Crochets incorrectly all these years, using only the front loop of the previous row's stitches instead of both loops. Actually, this technique adds a lot of texture. But still....not right. I followed directions exactly for my bobble project this week, using both loops when directed and back loop when directed. I think I have enough practice now to do the DCs correctly from now on.

Not Flat

I am happily trying a new pattern today...soft stripes: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/soft-stripes-blanket

With its bobbles and back loop only sc, there's lots of texture and dimensionality. Except for making a shorter first chain (137 instead of 157), I'm following the pattern exactly.