The long dry winter was just an intro into a hot summer.
As soon as the exterior temperature starts getting close to my internal one, I start day dreaming of rain and wind. Most homes around here don't come with air conditioning, so this a has given me an excuse to try to get out to the ocean as much as possible. The Northwest beaches may not be great places to go for sun bathing, but they are excellent places to go for beautiful vistas and moderate temperatures. It's just the thing for the summer doldrums.
Escaping to the beach is not a practical long term solution however. So my knitting and large crochet projects had to be put away in favor of crafts that would not be as hampered by my hands sweating and being to warm to let any work rest on my lap.
After careful examination of my craft supplies I came across my beading loom which had been put away after I became frustrated by the quality of the bracelets that I had been making. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the edges of the bracelets to be square and smooth. Not a huge problem, but one that I found irksome and bothersome enough for me to give up for awhile. This fresh bout of weather found me dragging my supplies out and reconsidering the problem that and banished the loom the last time. After much consideration I finally decided, if I can't bead an edge that I can be happy with, then I can just make a different edge that will do just as well. And so I designed and built a new set of bracelets that I liked and wouldn't be embarrassed to give away.
If you're looking for a summer project to help you deal with the heat, here are two of my designs to help you out. Feel free to change the colors, the size, or the layout. Just please don't try to sell the patterns as your own.
If you have any questions about the pattern, please email me at GridMammalCrafts@gmail.com and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Fog
Swirls with Crochet Edging
Shown in Size Medium
Materials:
Beading
Loom
Black Nymo Thread Size B
Beading Needle
Size 11/0
Seed Beads, 101m – Opaque Jet Black
Size 11/0 Seed Beads, 526 – Silver
Grey Ceylon
Size 11/0
Seed Beads, 595 – Dark Copper Supra
Size 80
Crochet Thread – DMC, Noir
Size 11, 1.10mm Crochet Hook
Button
Small Dull Sewing Needle
Fine Scissors
Finished Size:
Small
~8.375”
x 1.325” (with crochet)
~8”
x 1.125 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 6” wrist
Medium
~8.875”
x 1.325” (with crochet)
~8.5”
x 1.125 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx.6.5” wrist
Large
~9.375”
x 1.325” (with crochet)
~9”
x 1.125 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 7” wrist
Extra Larg
~9.875”
x 1.325” (with crochet)
~9.5”
x 1.125 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 7.5” wrist
Notes:
Sizes may
vary slightly depending on the color and type of 11/0 Seed Beads used.
Each
bracelet has eight corners, four to a side.
The single block
in each pattern outlined in a thick line denotes the likely position to attach
the
button.
Choose
button after the bracelet has been woven to make sure that its size is correct.
A button
with a shank will work better than a flat one.
Key:
Chart:
Instructions:
Thread
a beading loom with 20 warp threads
Weave
in beads as shown on chart, being careful to omit beads for the button hole.
Remove bracelet from loom and weave in ends.
Edging:
Starting
on a corner, join the crochet threat between two beads.
Row 1: Loosely
single crochet around the nymo between each bead on the exterior of the
bracelet. Slip stitch to the first
single crochet.
Row 2: Single
crochet into the same stitch that was slip stitched into. #Chain 3.
Single crochet into the same crochet that you just slip stitched into.
*Chain 3. Skip one single crochet and
single crochet into the next.* (Repeat
from * to * till the next corner) # (Repeat from # to # around). Chain 3.
Slip stitch to the first single crochet in the row.
Row 3: Single
crochet 5 over first chain 3. ∆Single
crochet 5 over the next chain 3.∆ (Repeat from ∆ to ∆ around.) Slip stitch to the first single crochet in the
row.
Break thread and
weave in ends.
Using nymo thread and seed beads of choice, sew on the button in the desired position.
Enjoy.
Deco
Pennant with Crochet
Edging
Shown in Size Medium
Materials:
Beading
Loom
Pale Yellow Nymo Thread Size B
Beading Needle
Size 11/0
Seed Beads, F634 – Silver Lined Gold AB
Size 11/0 Seed Beads, F647– Silver
Lined Dark Green AB
Size 80
Crochet Thread – DMC, Ecru
Size 11, 1.10mm Crochet Hook
Button
Small Dull Sewing Needle
Fine Scissors
Finished Size:
Small
~8.75”
x 2.125” (with crochet)
~7.25”
x 1.25 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 6” wrist
Medium
~9.25”
x 2.125” (with crochet)
~8.25”
x 1.25 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx.6.5” wrist
Large
~9.75”
x 2.125” (with crochet)
~8.75”
x 1.25 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 7” wrist
Extra Larg
~10.25”
x 2.125” (with crochet)
~9.25”
x 1.25 (without crochet)
To
fit a approx. 7.5” wrist
Notes:
Sizes may
vary slightly depending on the color and type of 11/0 Seed Beads used.
Each bracelet has eight corners,
four to a side.
The single block
in each pattern outlined in a thick line denotes the likely position to attach
the button.
Choose
button after the bracelet has been woven to make sure that its size is correct.
A button with a shank will work
better than a flat one.
Key:
Chart:
Abbreviations:
ch chain
dc double
crochet
sc single
crochet
sl st slip
stitch
Instructions:
Thread
a beading loom with 20 warp threads
Weave
in beads as shown on chart, being careful to omit beads for the button hole.
Remove bracelet from loom and weave in ends.
Edging:
Starting
on a corner on the opposite end from the button hole, join the crochet threat
between two beads.
Row 1: Loosely sc
around the nymo between each bead on the exterior of the bracelet. Sl st to the first single crochet.
Row 2: Ch 4. *Skip 1 sc of
the previous row and dc into the next sc. Ch 2. * (Repeat from * to
*until the next corner.) #Dc into the
same sc. Ch 2.# (Repeat from * to * for each straight away,
and from # to # for each corner sc.) Sl
st into the first sc in the row.
Row 3: Sc 3 over the next 2 ch in the ch 4 loop. *Sl st into the next dc, ch 5, sl st in to
the next dc, sc 3 over the next ch 2 space*
(Repeat from * to * around the bracelet.) Slip stich to the first single crochet in the
row.
Row 4: Sl st into the next sc. *Dc 5 into the next ch 4 loop, ch 3, dc 5 into the same ch 4 loop.* (Repeat
from * to * around the bracelet.) Sl st
to the top of the first dc in the row.
Break thread and
weave in ends.
Using nymo thread and seed beads of your choice, sew on the button in the desired
position.
Enjoy.
