Flower Power

Sometimes I wish that ,when I learned geometry in high school, I had seen the application to crochet. As an adult, I have many times quipped that had they taught us math through our crochet, or kntting, or quilting, or whatever needleart was our penchant, that many girls would have taken a shine to it. We all need to have what we learn be applicable to real life. Yes, I do remember lots (I just happen to have one of those memories), and I have my handy dandy cheat sheets to now remind me how to find the circumference of a circle or the length of the hypotenuese on a triangle. One geometric concept never taught, at least when I took geometry back in the 60's, however, was the hyperbolic plane. Intereestingly, crochet has been used as a wonderful hands on demonstration of this interesting shape which expands exponentially outward on itself (or should that be from itself). Please don't ask me to explain further - it's something I understand more with my intuition than with my cognition. But if you want more solid information, head over to The Institute for Figuring for interviews with crocheting mathematicians and a gallery full of colorful examples.

Now, for my own project-- my Flower Power Bath Puff. Having tried out my own hook and yarn on creating a hyperbolic plane of my own, I decided that it would make a wonderful bath puff, or maybe a kitchen scrubby. This is a very simple pattern, simple enough for a beginner. And it is espcially suited for children learning to crochet. Really, they can't go too far wrong and with a little guidance, can create all sorts of wonderful treastures for themeselves or the friends and family on their holiday gift lists. And yes, adult crocheters can join in the fun, too.

Tip: Use a cotton/acrylic blend yarn for this project. It will hold it's shape better over the long haul than a 100% cotton puff and be softer on the skin than a 100% acrylic puff. Acrylic or nylon might be a good choice, however, for a kitchen scrubby when you want a bit more abrasiveness to remove the stuck on food from the dishes!

For a downloadable copy of the pattern, Click Here.

My Blue Heaven

Despite the thermometer reaching the upper 70's and even into the 80's, despite the incredibly sticky humid weather, I have just finished up a thick, heavy, warm afghan- My Bluse Heaven.

This warm blanket will be sure to keep you warm, even on the coldest of winter's nights -- even those of you whose toes get super-frigid cold!

Skill level: Intermediate
Yarn requirements: approximately 2400 yards of worsted weight, or Aran, yarn

Hook: 5.0 mm

The sample was made using Vanna's Choice Solid in Colonial Blue. It will be gifted to a new high school grad to decorate his dorm room while he reaches for the sky in his new endeavors.

A PDF download can be found at Shepherd's Crook Crochet.

Crocheting an Afterthought Heel

Crocheted socks have become all the rage, and crocheters are looking for varied ways to create the perfect sock that fits well. Many wonderful pattern resources are available to crocheters which teach basic construction techniques and fitting. Because of the nature of the crochet stitch, crocheted socks do not have quite the elasticity and stretch that knitted socks have, so fitting can be a challenge. While many have found that cuff down, heel flap and gusset socks work well for them, I have found that with my anatomy, a toe up sock with an afterthought heel is easiest to fit.

To create an afterthought heel, most patterns have you mark the heel opening on each side, crochet around, decreasing at the marker on each round. I didn't like either the look or fit of that. As with a heel flap/gusset sock, the heel on an afterthought sock needs to cup the heel of the foot. And too many stitches left on the last round to seam together results in a squared off heel – I don’t know about you, but the heel on my foot is rounded, not square, which means that a sock with a squared off heel won’t cup my foot nicely. The heel needs to be constructed in a way that will produce a smooth, rounded off seam.

So, here’s what I do:

Note: most of my socks are worked on 44 stitches, and I always try to ensure that my heels are worked over an even number of stitches. I will adjust my heel opening accordingly, if needed. My heels are also worked over 12 rows. This ‘pattern’ is merely a sample of how an afterthought heel can be shaped to fit the human foot more closely. The individual crocheter will likely need to adjust and adapt to suit their own fitting needs.

Mark the heel opening at each side, marking actually the space between the ankle and heel st. You will be moving this marker on each row to keep your place.

Join yarn with sl st to marked space on one side. Ch 1, sc in that space. Move marker on this and subsequent rounds. (By marking in this space, you avoid a hole as you work between the sc on the sole of the foot and the chain or foundation sc along the back of the ankle).

Round 1: Crochet even, working a sc in each sc along edge of heel, sc in next marked space (move marker), sc in each sc along other edge of heel. Do not join or turn. (46 st)
Round 2: (decrease round) *Sc in marked stitch. Work 2sctog over next 2 sc. Work sc in each sc along edge of heel until 2 st before next marker. Work 2sctog over next 2 sc. Rep from * along other edge of heel. (42 st)
Round 3: Sc in each sc around.
Rounds 4-7: Repeat rounds 2-3
Round 8-10: Repeat round 2
Round 11: *Sc in marked st. Find center 2 st along heel edge and mark. 2sctog over next 2 st. Sc until center st. 2sctog over center 2 st. Sc until last st before next marked st. Rep from * along other edge of heel.
Round 12: Sc in marked st. *2sctog over next 2 st. Sc in next st.* Rep from * to * to next marked st. Sc in marked st. Rep from * to * to end of to last marked st. Join with sl st to last marked st.

Cut yarn and pull through last st. With tapestry needle, whip stitch the heel opening closed. (Note: as an alternative, you can sl st the seam closed).

You may easily make a smaller (or larger) heel, by working fewer (or more) rounds. Just be sure that the next to last round has a decrease in the center of the heel edge and that the on the last round you work (2sctog, sc) around the heel edge.