How to Crochet a Circular Expansion (Crochet in the Round)

As promised, today I will have a quick interlude and do a simple rundown of the directions for a crochet circular expansion.  This is literally just crocheting in a circle.  It has a thousand uses, from hats to amigurumi animals and such, to catnip toys and purses.  And, best of all, it is an incredibly easy skill to master.  It does involve some basic math skills, but can be done with multiples of any number.  I like to use 6 because it is a nice, even number, but you can switch it around once you've mastered it!

So, to begin, pick any sort of yarn and any crochet hook.  This is just practice, so it doesn't really matter.  Honestly, I would use a heavier yarn at first, so that you can easily see and count your stitches.  You can also use a stitch marker if that is easier for you!

Round 1: Chain one and single crochet (sc) into it. (6 stitches)
R2: SC twice in each stitch. (12 stitches)
R3: SC twice, SC in next stitch, repeat 6 times (18 stitches)
R4: SC twice, SC in next two stitches, repeat 6 times (24 stitches)
R5: SC twice, SC in next three stitches, repeat 6 times (30 stitches)

Etc, etc, etc, until the circle is desired size.  A word of caution: as the circle gets bigger, the spots where you SC twice, causing corners to be established.  This can be lessened by changing up where in the order of stitches you place the doubled stitch.  It takes a bit of extra counting and practice, but if you are doing a large circle, it is worth it.

This same pattern can also be applied to any other stitch.  It can be done in double crochet, half double crochet, whatever.  It will work just as well for all of them.  You can also experiment and change up the number of starting stitches.  You can do multiples of fives, tens, fourteens, etc.  Play around with it and have fun!  I'll post some projects using this expansion over the next few weeks, so stop back and try them out!  I would love to see some of your designs!

Renaissance Snood...forty-seventh attempt...

Well, maybe not forty-seventh, but it sure feels like it sometimes.  I have scoured the web for directions on making my own fancy snood, and have never turned up anything with merit.  For those who are not as big a geek as I am, a snood is a sort of medieval or renaissance hair net thingy, but without the negative lunch lady qualities.

The first time I tried, I didn't know how to crochet in the round, so I made a great big triangle, and sewed it up the side.  It came out as a far-too0tight cone.  Hideous.

The next few tries ended up in the trash as I used either difficult yarn or a bad technique and got them hopelessly tangled.

Finally, I gave up on the full-head look, and just made a fancy bun cover.  It came out nice and all, but wasn't really what I wanted.

So, after seeing the size of the gaps and such when I crocheted the Yarn Bag of Yarn (found here) I thought I might be on to something, and decided to give it ONE more try.

And it came out decent.  Still not amazing, but better then I thought.

I don't actually know what kind of yarn I used for this, as it was just plucked from the scrap bin.  I believe it was some form of Holiday sparkle something or other.  It has a thick strand of white, and a thin strand of a silver metallic thread.  The bulk of the snood was done on a US size Q hook.  It ended up being a fairly simple pattern.

I started with a chain of three, single crocheted two in each of those, so I had six, then started the double crochets that made up the body.  I did a simple circular expansion (I know, I keep using this and never explaining it!  I will do a simple tutorial for it tomorrow!)  The expansion went on for 7 rounds, adding 6 onto each round, so at the end, there were 42 double crochets.  I did a round of single crochet, then switched to a US size K hook and single crocheted two more rounds.

Confession time:  I have been crocheting for about ten years now, and it has only just occurred to me to try switching between hook sizes in a single project.

The finished project is a bit flimsy, but I think that is more from my rushing through it and not bothering to tighten everything up then anything.  Now, to make it really fancy, I want to try to make one following the same idea, but with only single crochet, and add beads onto it.

I'll post it when I actually get around to that one!!

Yarn bag of Yarn

Ever have a ball or two of scrap yarn or practice yarn hanging about taking up space?  How about those weird colors that you just can't figure out what to do with?  My solution: the yarn bag of yarn.  It actually serves multiple purposes.

1. It uses up all those random bits and balls of scrap yarn you have hanging about in a productive way.
2. It lets you practice a skill that you want to perfect for a more meaningful project without worrying over screwing it up too badly.
3. It helps you organize all of those other random balls of yarn you have hanging out under the bed, or in that purse by the stairs, or stuffed in the desk drawer.

Confession time: I compulsively buy yarn.  If I am at the craft store and see some on clearance, I cannot help but buy it, especially if it is some funky specialty kind.  I figure I will find a project to do with it.

However, this habit has led to a craft cabinet full to bursting with mismatched, half-wrapped balls of yarn.  Recently, though, I was completing a project that required seven different colors of yarn (See The Doctor's Scarf).  Since I do most of my knitting at work, it was a pain to shove that much yarn in my purse, or to try to remember which colors I would need for the day.  In order to rectify that problem, I decided to take some yarn left from a few abandoned projects, and make a great big bag to carry my many colors of yarn in.

The bag itself was made using a size N crochet hook, and a strand each of black and green Red Heart Super Saver yarn.  It's a sturdy, if not super soft yarn, which is fine for a bag to lug other stuff around in.  The main issue that I have with it is that it is coarse and dry, and as such, sucks the oils from my hands while I work.  I have to apply lotion fairly often, though that can make my hook slip! 

In any case, I made the center section first, using a basic circular expansion, with the bottom done in single crochet and the sides done in double.  It's about ten inches in diameter and a foot and a half long.

Done with that section, I still had yarn left over, so I switched to a smaller hook, size H, I believe, and made the side pockets the same way, just smaller in proportion.  The pockets were done with a single strand of color.  They are about 5 inches in diameter and maybe 8 long.  I sewed them to the sides of the center section, a few inches from the bottom, using a simple yarn needle.  I did not sew the pockets all the way to their tops.  I left about an inch detached from the body of the bag, to give it a little more style, and so I could add a drawstring more easily.

The hardest part of this was the strap.  I made a basic shoulder strap, about two feet long and two inches wide, with the N Hook, in double crochet.  However, the bag being as long as it is, and the strap stretching easily with the large weave it was done in presented some problems when actually using the bag.  I am not a tall person, and it dragged almost to the floor.  I have had to tuck and tie the strap in creative ways in order to make it work.

The nice part about this project is that it can easily be altered to fit one's needs, tastes, and amount of yarn.  Pockets can be added or removed.  The length or width of the center section can be adjusted with ease.  It can also be done in different stitches.  Try all single crochet to make it hold shape better, or switch between double and half double to give it some texture and pattern.

One finishing detail that I slipped in was a simple drawstring about an inch from the top of the center section as well as the side pockets.  Now I can shove all of my spare balls of yarn and crochet string in the bag, slip it closed, and toss it on a shelf without having to worry about the balls going bouncing all over and being set upon by the cats!  Not bad for a project that took a single evening from conception to completion!