Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Ribbonberry Crochet Tutorial ~ A Versatile Stitch Pattern

It seems somehow unfeeling to sit in a warm, dry house and post a cheerful crochet pattern on a day when so many people are suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy. My prayers go out for all who are hurt, without power, stranded, bereaved, or suffering the effects of flooding.
~

What have you been crocheting lately? Here at Micawber Towers, Back Loop Slip Stitch has taken over for the nonce.

It started with an idea for leg warmers (the Micawber ankles get veeery chilly in fall and winter), and morphed into this versatile stitch pattern:

Ribbonberry

Back Loop Slip Stitch yields a very stretchy ribbed fabric. Throw in a few bobbly clusters every other row, and amazing things begin to happen in terms of texture and visual interest:


Ribbonberry is completely customisable. One stitch pattern + different yarns and hook sizes + variations in the amount of the ribbing stitches at either edge = all kinds of fun and warm projects.

It makes a lovely cowl (pattern found below):


Or toasty mitts (click here for the post which explains how to make the mitts):


Or even leg warmers (these are a work in progress - pattern tips can be found here):


The Ribbonberry tutorial also features a special seaming method which produces an almost invisible slip stitch seam.

A few words about slip stitch crochet: this is not the kind of crochet you can do while watching TV instead of your hands. It takes a bit of attention, and some faithful row-counting. Slip stitch projects grow slowly - but the results are well worth it. If you've never tried slip stitch crochet (or have tried and given up in despair), give it a shot. Start with a chunky yarn and a large hook, make a swatch or two, and see how fun and addictive it can be.

And now to the important stuff....

Project Size: As big or small as you like!
Cowl sample is 6-3/4" wide by about 20-1/2" around
Mitt sample is 5-1/2" long
Leg warmer is 12" long, custom width

Yarn Requirements:
Any yarn can be used; quantity needed depends on project size and yarn weight. Here's how much my projects took:
Cowl ~  About 110 yards of chunky yarn. (You could also use a double strand of medium weight yarn to achieve a chunky effect. A cowl made from lighter weight yarn will use more.)
Mitts ~ About 50-60 yards of medium-weight yarn per mitt (very approximate)
Leg warmers ~ 100-150 yards per leg, depending on length and circumference

Yarns I Used:
Cowl ~  Lion Brand Baby's First (Weight Category 5, or Chunky), colour Fairy Tale
Mitts ~ NaturallyCaron Country (Weight Category 4, or Worsted), colour Spruce
Leg warmers ~ Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe (Weight Category 4, or Worsted), colour Grape, from a frogged project

How Did the Yarns Behave?
Lion Brand Baby's First (pink), though soft to the touch, makes a firm fabric. It's a bit stiff for the cowl, but I think it will soften up in time; however, if I make another chunky cowl, I will choose a softer yarn. The yarn tends to split if frogged and re-worked.
NaturallyCaron Country (teal) is a superb yarn for the price, with great stitch definition and a lovely drape.
Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe (purple), a wool/bamboo blend, has a lovely hand but can stretch horribly when wet-blocked. I'm frogging a previous project that stretched out of shape, and using the yarn for the leg warmers, hoping that they'll keep their shape (since the yarn is already relaxed, so to speak).

Hook Size:
Use a hook size that is comfortable for you and gives a relaxed stitch that is easy to get your hook into. Start with a larger hook than recommended for your yarn; swatching will help you to determine the best hook size. If your stitches are loose and sloppy after several rows, go down a hook size. If you struggle to get your hook into the loop while making a stitch, go up a hook size.

Hooks I used:
Cowl ~ Size N/13, 9mm
Mitts ~ Size J/10, 6mm
Leg Warmers ~ Size J/10, 6mm

Notions:
Not applicable.

All crochet terminology is American.



Ribbonberry Chunky Cowl Pattern

(Click here for the post which tells how to make mitts or leg warmers.)

Super Important Tips: Keep your stitches LOOSE! Resist the urge to tug on the yarn. With every slip stitch, insert the hook through the indicated stitch and keep sliding it through until the thickest part of the hook is under the loop - then pull it back and make the slip stitch. If you're a tight crocheter, make a conscious effort to pull up each loop a little taller than usual.

Special Stitch Abbreviations:
Yo-sc (Yarn over-single crochet): yarn over, and make single crochet as usual, leaving 2 loops on hook.
Yo-wsc (Yarn over-Wide single crochet): used when there is an extra loop on the hook. Yarn over, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 3 loops, leaving 2 loops on hook. (This is pretty much the same as a half-double crochet, except that you're starting and ending with an extra loop on the hook.)
Wsc (Wide single crochet): used when there is an extra loop on the hook. Insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

Pattern Notes:
~Ribbonberry is made using an easy 4-row repeat. Rows 1 and 3 are "berry" rows, made up of berry bumps and slip stitch "valleys"; rows 2 and 4 are slip stitch only "ribbon" rows.
~Berries will look very puffy when you make them, but will flatten out as more rows are added.
~The ch-1 in the berry tends to tighten up; be careful not to skip over it when stitching the following plain slip stitch rows.
~Berry rows will always be worked towards your starting yarn tail; plain slip stitch rows will always be worked in the other direction.

Pattern Stitch:

A test swatch is strongly recommended. (Knotless ch 15 for a test swatch and make at least 8 rows of pattern stitch, changing hook size if necessary to find the best fit.)

To make a knotless chain, wrap yarn from left to right (or right to left if you're a left-handed crocheter), across front of hook and around back, bringing tail back over working yarn and towards you. Grasp the place where the strands cross, and gently start chaining.

For project, knotless chain (number of ribbing stitches x 2) + (multiple of 4 for berries/vallies) + 1 for turning. Turn.

My cowl's top and bottom ribbing is 3 stitches wide, with 4 berry/valley motifs between the ribbing, so I chained 23: (3 x 2 for ribbing) + (4 x 4 for motifs) + 1 for turning.

All stitches are made in the back loop unless otherwise indicated.

Row 1 (RS): Sl st 3. *Make berry: sc in next st, ch 1; yo-sc in front leg of sc just made; yo-wsc in same space (3 lps left on hook). Sk 1 st, wsc in next st, sc in next st. Berry made. Sl st 4. Valley made.* Repeat from * to * across until 3 st remain in row. (If you chained for an odd number of berry/valley motifs, finish with berry, leaving 3 st remaining in row.) Sl st 3, ch 1, turn. (A video demonstration of the berry stitch can be found in the tutorial below.)
Row 2 (WS): Sl st across.
Row 3: Sl st 3. *Sl st 4. Make berry as above over next 4 st.* Repeat from * to * across until 3 st remain in row. (If you chained for an odd number of berry/valley motifs, finish with sl st 4, leaving 3 st remaining in row.) Sl st 3, ch 1, turn.
Row 4: Same as Row 2.

Repeat Rows 1-4 until cowl is desired length, ending with Row 3. Ch 1, but do not turn.

Mrs. Micawber's Nearly Invisible Slip Stitch Seam: Butt edges together. Remove hook from working lp. With RS facing, insert hook from front to back, under 2 strands of starting ch st edge lp. Place working lp back on hook; pull lp through. *Sl st in next st of final row, remove hook from working lp, insert front to back through single strand of next starting ch st, replace working lp on hook, pull through.* Repeat from * to * until seam complete, being careful not to miss the last stitch on each edge. (A very short video demonstration of this seaming method can be found in the tutorial below.) Cut yarn and tie off; weave in ends. Block if desired.

How easy was that? :)

Ribbonberry Cowl Photo Tutorial with Instructions in Plain English

Be sure to read through the Super Important Tips, the Special Stitch Abbreviations, and the Pattern Notes above. There will be a test at the end of this post. (Just kidding!)

I'm going to assume you're using the same number of stitches I did; however, feel free to make your cowl wider or narrower. (If you do, the math is up to you.)

Don't Forget: All stitches are made in the back loop unless otherwise indicated!

Starting Chain
Knotless chain (number of ribbing stitches x 2) + (desired multiple of 4 for berries/vallies) + 1 for turning. TURN.

To make a knotless chain, wrap yarn from left to right (or right to left if you're a left-handed crocheter), across front of hook and around back, bringing tail back over working yarn and towards you. Grasp the place where the strands cross, and gently start chaining. (Don't tug on the yarn end or you'll turn your first chain into a knot.)


My cowl's top and bottom ribbing is 3 stitches wide, with 4 berry/valley motifs between the ribbed edges, so I chained 23: (3 x 2 for ribbing) + (4 x 4 for motifs) + 1 for turning.

(For a wider cowl, you could chain 26, which would give you 5 motifs between the ribbed edges.)

Remember: The last stitch is your turning stitch, and the first stitch of Row 1 will be made in the back loop of the NEXT stitch.

If you're wondering how to recognise the back loops, take a look at your chain. It should look like a row of little Vs. The front loop is the one closest to you; the back loop is the farther one. I've marked the first several back loops in my chain with dots in the photo below:


Let's make some ribbing and berries!

Row 1 (Right Side):
Starting in the second stitch from the hook, slip stitch 3:


Now it's time to make a berry. Each berry stretches across 4 stitches of the row below.

Berry
In the next stitch, single crochet, then chain 1. Find the front "leg" of your single crochet:


Yarn over-single crochet in front leg of single crochet...
(What? You didn't read the Special Stitch section? Here's a short review: yarn over, then make a single crochet as usual. You will have 2 loops left on your hook.)



...Now yarn over-wide single crochet in same space (insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 3 loops, leaving 2 loops on hook:


Skip 1 stitch, then wide single crochet in the NEXT stitch (insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through all 3 loops on hook):


And finally, single crochet in the next stitch:


Your berry is done!

By special request, here is a (slightly fuzzy) video demonstration of the Berry stitch:


After making your berry, slip stitch 4:


And congratulations - you've pretty much conquered the pattern. Each berry makes a bump or hill that stretches over 4 stitches, and is followed by a "valley" of 4 slip stitches.

Berry hills and slip stitch valleys

Keep making berries and valleys across until you have just 3 stitches left in the row. (My cowl has an even number of berry motifs, so each berry row has 2 berries and 2 valleys. If you're making a wider cowl with an odd number of motifs, your first berry row will have 3 berries and 2 valleys, ending with a berry, and leaving 3 stitches remaining in the row.)

Here we are with just 3 stitches left (and no knot! I do like a knotless starting chain):


Slip stitch 3, chain 1, TURN. 22 stitches in row.

First row done! The rest will just fly.

Troubleshooting Row 1: If you have 1 stitch too many left at the end of the row, you probably forgot to skip a stitch while making one of the berries. Go back and look at each one - you should be able to lift the berry away from the row below and make sure there's a skipped stitch beneath. Frog if necessary to fix the berry. If you are short 1 stitch at the end of the row, go back and count your stitches. There should be 3 for the ribbing, and 4 for each berry and valley. You may have accidentally added an extra stitch somewhere.

Row 2 (Wrong side):
Slip stitch across. That's it for Row 2!

Tips for Row 2:
Remember to skip the turning chain. When you turn at the end of the row, don't let the yarn wrap all the way around; turn in such a way that the yarn stays behind the work.


~Watch out for the chain-1s in the berries from the previous row. They can tighten up and are easy to miss.
~Holding the work vertically while you stitch can make it easier to see the back loops. (If you hold your work vertically, you can insert your hook sideways, rather than front to back.)


When you get to the end of Row 2, be careful not to miss the last stitch. (You've been counting your stitches, right? There should be 22, if you're making the same size cowl I did.)


Troubleshooting Row 2: If you're short a stitch, that means you skipped one. Slowly frog the row back until you find the one you missed. If you don't see it, frog the entire row and count the stitches to make sure there really are 22 stitches to begin with. If not, the mistake is in the previous row and you'll have to frog back and fix it.

On to Row 3! (Which is pretty much the same as Row 1, except that after the ribbing stitches a valley will come first.)

Row 3:
Slip stitch 3 for the starting ribbing,
then slip stitch 4 more to make the first valley.
(As you can see, the valley of Row 3 goes over the top of the berry in Row 1. This is how the nice wavy pattern is made.)


Make a berry over the next 4 stitches:


Keep making valleys and berries across until you have 3 stitches left in the row. (If you chained for an odd number of berry/valley motifs, you will finish with a valley, leaving 3 stitches remaining in row.)

Slip stitch 3 for end ribbing, chain 1, and TURN.

Row 4: Same as Row 2. (Slip stitch across.)

Repeat Rows 1-4 until cowl is desired length, ending with Row 3.

The cowl will grow quickly, especially if you're using a chunky yarn. Pretty soon you may feel confident enough to try reading while crocheting...


...but take it from me, it doesn't work. With slip stitch crochet, you can look at your project - or you can look at something else. Not both. If you look at something else, mistakes get made. (This concludes today's sermon. All rise for the benediction. Or remain seated for seaming.)

Ready to finish the cowl? Remember, you ended with a Row 3 (which is a berry row). Your next row will be the final ribbon row that ties the two ends together.


At the end of your final Row 3, chain 1, but do not turn work.

Mrs. Micawber's Nearly Invisible Slip Stitch Seam:
Butt edges of cowl together. Remove hook from working loop.


With right side facing you, insert hook from front to back of starting chain stitch. Be sure to insert hook under both strands:


Notice that the starting row is edged with single loops (these are the front loops of the starting chain). In the photo above they are marked with dots.

Here's the hook, inserted into the starting chain stitch.


Now pick up the working loop with the hook...


...and gently pull it through the starting chain.


Now slip stitch in the NEXT stitch of the final berry row,
drop the loop from the hook,
and insert hook from front to back through a single strand of the NEXT stitch of the starting chain.


Hook inserted. (The working loop is up there flapping in the breeze.)


Now follow the instructions in the photos:



Here is how your seam should look after the first few stitches:

Nearly Invisible!

If it all sounds horridly complicated (it's really not), here's a short (and silent) video which may help:


Repeat these steps down the seam (slip stitch in next stitch of final Row 3, drop working loop, insert hook through next stitch of starting chain row, put working loop back on hook, draw through.) Be careful not to miss the last stitch on each edge.

And here it is: a cowl with gorgeous texture and a virtually invisible seam!


Cut yarn and tie off; weave in ends. Block if desired. Try on your cowl and snap a happy photo of yourself. (A note on self-portraiture: for every ONE decent shot, there are about 45 out-of-focus or wrongly lit ones.)


Notice how nicely the ribbed edge stretches and conforms to your shoulders. If your cowl is snug like mine, you can even fold it for a turtleneck effect. (About a mile back in the post, there's a picture of me wearing it like this.)

In my next post I'll give some suggested stitch ratios for a pair of mitts or legwarmers.

You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. If you do sell items made from this pattern, please credit the designer.


If you have any questions, or find any mistakes in the pattern, please let me know using the comment box below. You can also contact me in Ravelry as MrsMicawber.

Thanks for viewing, and happy slip stitch crocheting!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

87 comments:

  1. I love the way this looks! I will have to give this a try. Thanks for such thorough instructions :)

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    1. You're very welcome! I think I've become a bit obsessive about detailed instructions.... :)

      Delete
  2. Wow, that is a pattern and a half Mrs. M, thank you for such a thorough explanation for such a complex looking but reasonably simple stitch. I like step by step guides for new patterns, I need them in fact and my goodness I think I might just have found the perfect pattern for my new chunky yarn I bought on Monday. I hope I can give it a go this weekend. Thanks for all your previous scenic post. I thoroughly enjoyed it over a cuppa tea this morning xox Penelope

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    1. You're welcome, and thank you! If you do make one be sure to post some photos. :)

      Delete
  3. I love the way you explain things! It's always so incredibly clear with excellent photos and little arrows to point the way. Such a pretty stitch in pink too!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. What would we do without text abilities in photo editing? I love drawing little arrows in the pictures. :)

      Thanks, Sandra.

      Delete
  4. Now you've gone and done it! You do realize I'm going to have to make a snowflake based on this stitch, right?!?! :D

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    1. Why of course! And it will be an honour. (Can't wait to see what name you'll choose if you do make the flake.)

      :)

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    2. would love to see the snowflake design!!

      Delete
  5. Oh that cowl would be purrrrrrrrrfect, for my aging neckline!!!!! :-))))))))))))))))))))

    Happy Halloween,

    "Auntie"

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    1. Yes, I like cowls for the same reason. (For some reason the collagen layer in that region just went to heck years ago. I so envy women with firm jawlines.) :)

      Delete
  6. I love this stitch it looks a lot like a knitting, thank you for a lovely clear and detailed explanation, I have bookmarked it for later and will definitely be giving it a try :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Linda! You make such beautiful things, for such good causes.

      :)

      Delete
  7. Seriously Your crochet skills totally amaze me. I am in awe of crochet so wonderful that I swear it is knitting. And I know that yarn you were using, it splits easily and there you are making it look so easy to work with. Love them and you are so wonderful to help all of us who are less adept(much less)learn about more advanced crochet skills.
    Happy Halloween,
    Meredith

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    1. Gosh, thanks, Meredith. (I'm quite embarrassed.) Yes, that yarn can be pretty splitty, especially at either end of the skein. I spent a lot of time towards the end just twisting it up manually. :)

      Delete
  8. You do create such fantastic tutorials. I really like the looks of that stitch. Thanks!

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  9. I love this, so pretty, I really like the pink! A friend of mine has made a lot of things in slipstitch recently, including two gorgeous jumpers, I must admit, when I tried it I found it hard to loosen up my style, it took some getting used to.

    I must point my friend in your direction on ravelry as I think she'd really like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, your friend must be very diligent to do jumpers in slip stitch. I admit I've had a sweatery vision or two this last week, but the thought of putting that much time in is very daunting.

      I just realized I haven't put this pattern up on Ravelry yet! Thanks for the reminder. :)

      Delete
  10. I LOVE this! I want to make purple leg warmers for my purple boots but I don't know if the NVO will be quiet while I count. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Well, I did manage to do a few rows while talking vigorously on the phone with a niece - can't say I counted, but they seemed to come out okay. (However there has been plenty of frogging as well - mostly because I'm silly enough to work with dark yarn in dim lighting.)

      Thanks, Astri! :)

      P.S. Purple boots? Wow! And watermelon ones too... I think you should do a boot post sometime so that we can all be consumed with friendly envy. :)

      Delete
  11. Mrs. Micawber, this stitch is so new to me :) Thanks for sharing, I might use it in my winter clothing as well.

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    1. Thank you, Anna! Be sure to post a picture if you make something from it. :)

      Delete
    2. i'm sorry, but our winter already finished..if you saw i'm already up for a blanket :) but I'm keeping your great crochet stitch in mind!

      Delete
  12. Oh I love this! Thanks so much for the wonderful pattern and tutorial. Can't wait to give this a try.

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    1. Thanks very much, Bev! If you're on Ravelry, be sure to post some pictures there if you make anything from the pattern. :)

      Delete
  13. FABULOUS blog post and inspiring crochet design!! I'm going to tell everyone about it.

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    1. Thanks so much, Vashti. You (and your helpful posts) deserve a lot of the credit for inspiring me to persevere with slip stitch crochet! :)

      Delete
  14. What a wonderful tutorial! I can't wait to give this a try. I think this will become my new winter project for a nice warm blanket.
    Thanks a million!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jeanne, and thank you also for commenting!

      I hadn't thought of a blanket, but I think it would work pretty well. The reverse is also pretty, but much more subtle.

      P.S. Hope you use a chunky yarn, or it will take forever! :)

      Delete
  15. What a great work you did...wonderful tutorial...thank you so much..cant wait to try :-)

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    Replies
    1. You're welcome, and thank you so much for commenting. If you do make something, be sure to post pics on Ravelry if you can. :)

      Delete
  16. That stitch is so beautiful. I may have to try it out. The tutorial sure makes it seem like I could manage. But I think that is more about your skill than my abilities. LOL

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    1. Of course you could manage! I love doing slip stitch crochet in a chunky yarn - all the stitches are so nice and VISIBLE. :)

      Thanks, Beth.

      Delete
  17. Would it be possible for a video of the Berry stitch? Thank you for posting

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    1. Yes - I will be adding one to this post very soon. (It's a little fuzzy, but I think it demonstrates the stitch pretty well.) Thank you for asking. :)

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    2. The video has been added to the "Berry" section of the phototutorial. :)

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    3. Thank you Mrs. M for the video tutorial. It was so helpful! I can't wait to try it out.

      Lyra

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    4. You're very welcome! I hope it the pattern works out well for you.:)

      Delete
  18. Beautiful. Schade dass die Beschreibung nicht in Deutsch ist. Ich muss es unbedingt nach den Bildern machen. Sie sind wunderschön.
    thank you very much indeed.
    Gerlinde

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Gerlinde.

      Klicken Sie auf die Schaltfläche "Übersetzen" an der Spitze des Blogs.

      Ist die Übersetzung ist schlecht, vielleicht mein Freund Regula könnte Ihnen helfen, die Muster. Hier ist ihr Blog:

      http://babajeza.wordpress.com/

      P.S. Ich spreche kein Deutsch. Ich habe "Google Translate" für diese Nachricht. :)

      Delete
  19. Mrs. Micawber you are a wonderful teacher. I have used your patterns before and even had an extra question that you got right back to me on. I would encourage anyone that is learning how to crochet to get help from you! Very clear instructions with great pictures too!

    Tracy Herron

    ReplyDelete
  20. I guess it might be too much work to turn into an afghan? I am always looking for something different out there.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. If you used a chunky yarn, it might not be too bad - the larger the yarn, the quicker it goes. Or you could always make blocks of this stitch to intersperse with blocks of a different stitch.

      It's not a hard stitch pattern, just requires constant attention (and good lighting) because it's very easy to miss a stitch. :)

      Delete
  21. This is amazing-I can't wait to try the technique. I would be great if you would post the pattern for the mitts. They are the first ones I have ever wanted to make.
    Thank you for your great tutorial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome - and the mitt "pattern" is in the next post:

      http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/2012/11/ribbonberry-too-suggestions-for-crochet.html

      I will add this link to this post so people know where to find it. Thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  22. I like very much this tuto !! At this moment, I have just done the ribbing and slip stitch... This model of legs warmers is at ravelry. This stitch is really what I look for, very beautifull. Thanks a lot for sharing !! (sorry for my bad english) Leelou

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    1. Merci du compliment! Bonne chance avec le modèle (le projet?). Votre anglais est meilleur que mon français!

      :)

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    2. My english is only scolary memory and it was for a long long time........ and being doing crochet ;) but I confess that my dictionnary is near me :D
      Your 3 phrases are perfect !! Thank to reply in french.

      I practise sample... and after I will note like a project at (on ?) ravelry : legs warmers request by my granddaughter, Lucie, and.... me (after of course !!). Thanks again Mrs Micawber ; your avatar is delightful :D Leelou (ravelry : Leelou05)

      Delete
  23. I would like to have a pattern to the afgan ribbion that is posted on pinnrest

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I don't know what pattern you mean, as I have not made any afghans with this. Do you have a link to the picture on pinterest?

      Delete
  24. i love this, its looked hard, but i'm excited to try. thanks. its very helpful your blog to crochet lover like me.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You're welcome, and thank you for commenting! It's not hard at all - just remember to stitch loosely. :)

      Delete
  25. i love this, its looked hard, but i'm excited to try. thanks. its very helpful your blog to crochet lover like me.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You're welcome, Nora. It's really not hard at all. Good luck, and thank you for commenting! :)

      Delete
  26. This is gorgeous! Any chance you can diagram the pattern? Your instructions are great, but my attempts at patterns thus far have only been successful when I can "see" the landscape of what I'm supposed to do. Terrible bind as I haven't been able to make anything that isn't a rectangle. Lol! I'm hoping to make a baby blanket for my friend's newborn.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks, Lani. I've been meaning to sketch out a chart for this, but things have been busy. :) I will try to get it done in the next few days.

      Thanks for commenting, and I completely sympathise with your desire to "see" the pattern - I prefer charted patterns myself. A picture is worth a thousand abbreviations.

      Delete
  27. Hey-oh,

    Marigold and the Goatmother's friend here-
    So very intrigued with this post!
    I am really loving how your crochet pattern looks...knit!
    So intricate!
    I do crochet.....but rather basic, though I have managed to figure out some tapestry crochet that is fun. Finally got the hang of switching colors.

    I really must try this as I never knew that crochet could look like this. Brilliant! :)

    Have a snuggly yarn sort of day!

    Mimi
    The Goat Borrower

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Mimi! Tapestry crochet looks like a ton of fun. I haven't tried it ... yet. :)

      Delete
  28. lovely lovely lovely thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a fabulous tutorial! Thank you for sharing this :) Rhondda

    ReplyDelete
  30. This stitch looks awesome! I think I am going to use it for a pillow case and make it with Zpagetti (super bulky textile yarn)!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. That will look super. I've been wanting to make a pillow cover with this stitch but haven't gotten to it yet. Be sure to post a photo on Ravelry so we can all admire it! :)

      Delete
  31. Lovely stitch!! Thanks for showing!!

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  32. Looks really beautiful and the instructions are great. The video is helpful too as I was a bit off with the wide single crochets and made silly big loops.

    ReplyDelete
  33. So beautiful! Both the photo instructions and the video were helpful. I can't wait to try this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jennifer. This pattern jump-started lots of ideas for me - hope it will for you too. :)

      Delete
  34. Merci beaucoup to you .
    thank you so much for this TUTO of this nice motif;
    it will help me and others.
    Merci ,
    Kind regrads to you from Belgium.
    FleurBelge

    ReplyDelete
  35. WOW! So gorgeous! You are so talented...Thanks so much for this tutorial and free pattern. Mo

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  36. I am thinking my next baby afghan project just may have to be in this beautiful pattern. I just learned to crochet about 4 months ago. THANK YOU for the detailed pattern with pics. I can "read" a diagram (kinda) but I love it when I have words to read even better. All three together would be bombdiggity, but since you went and put up video tutorial - I think bombdiddlyocious describes how I feel about this beautiful pattern! Thanks again for the inspiration =) Gina

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  37. Beautiful! I may make an attempt to try this in the round on a baby hat. I'll let you know how that turns out. Thank you for sharing the pattern!

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    1. Did u finish the pattern in the round? Did it work? I was thinking of trying it.

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  38. Gorgeous I love the pattern. I have been in debate about an afghan pattern and I think I found the inspiration I was looking for. Thanks for sharing.

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  39. Like so many others, I deeply appreciate your obsession with giving very detailed and clear instructions!!! I also really love this stitch pattern with all it's texture and stretchiness!!! I readily admit that I did not read all the comments, and I apologize if I'm being a bit of a pain in pointing this out, but are you aware that your heading/your banner is for MR. Micawber, not Mrs.?

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    1. Thanks very much, Penny - and the Mr. is intentional. You can see the reason in my sidebar, just below the "Translate" button. :)

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  40. I love this pattern! I'm currently using it for a cowl with a beautiful variegated yarn, but I'm in a bind. I want one end of the cowl to "flare" but I can't figure out the best way to increase/decrease with this pattern. That's a normal problem of mine, haha :( can you help me out?

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    1. By flare, I assume you mean one long edge wider than the other? As in flare out over your shoulders? You could try using short rows - it would probably be easiest to keep them within the ribbing so as not to mess up the berry pattern. (Remember you can make the ribbing edge as wide as you like by increasing the initial number of stitches.) Or you could replace slip stitches with single crochets at the beginning of the berry rows (on one edge only) - I think this would add quite a bit of subtle flare.

      I have found that mine flares pretty well - it has relaxed a bit with wearing - but this may not be the case with every yarn.

      Good luck, and please ask again if this answer didn't make sense! :)

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    2. I'm sorry, I should've explained myself a bit better. I mean, to have one of the short ends wider than the other. so more stitches across in the pattern at one end. does that make sense? I know, it sounds weird. But I saw a knit cowl like that somewhere, and I fell in love with it. The asymmetry got to me ;)

      But that was a great answer, and I think it helped me anyway! I may be able to figure it out now.

      Thanks!

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  41. Gracias, me gusto el diseño y la explicación

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  42. Me encanta, pero desgraciadamente no hablo inglés y no he podido entenderlo. Me gusta tú blog. Éxito!!!

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  43. Hi, love this pattern. Are you aware your pattern has been translated on another website? My concern was the use of your photos, no them being marked up as though belonging to that website. http://petelki.com.ua/1384-krasivyy-plotnyy-uzor-spicami-masterklass-na-video-i-foto.html

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    1. Thanks for commenting and also for the information! They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this looks more like theft. It should be pretty clear to the readers of that site that the pictures and video were generated by someone completely different (English captions, anyone?). Presumably the readers know that they're seeing pirated patterns.

      Again, thank you for the information. :)

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  44. Thank you so much for your tutorial ❤ I can't wait to start crocheting this beautiful cowl!

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    1. You're very welcome! I still enjoy mine. Even in cotton yarn it keeps my neck very cozy. :)

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