Today is Hump day and I've been "Hookin".  In fact I am combining "Hookin on Hump Day" and the 52 week crochet challenge.  this week's challenge is to take a work(s) in progress and either finish it, work on it or rip it.  Since I am the queen of WIPs I have plenty to choose from.  I have finished a drawstring bag that I have been working on.  You may have seen some of my posts on Interlocking crochet.  This purse is Interlocking crochet in the round.  It is my first one, no pattern yet but I really like it.  I had two small balls of novelty yarn, not enough for anything big but plenty for this design. I started with a standard circle increase with one yarn.  Then, using both the red and the gold I built up the sides.  I finished off the top working the two colors together and then added the casing and shell border in the gold.  The drawstrings are just a chain stitch.

Interlocking Crochet in the round

These are my other WIPs that I am hoping to finish this week.  I have been making amulet bags and these two are my own designs.  The gold one has a clear glass "worry stone" with a spiral sun design on it which is encased in beaded crochet and then the flat background is worked around it, like a beaded cabochon.  The long oval bag will be hung from a small, sort of dumbbell shaped bead that I got at a trunk show in California several years back.  Supposedly it is from Afghanistan.  Both need to be assembled and have straps added.  The back of the gold bag needs to be finished.  The gold bag also will have a fringe.  I promise to post the finished bags when they are done.

Thumb down fingerless mitts

I love fingerless mitts, especially the ones with a thumb gusset.  So when my sister (the knitter) showed me a pattern for knitted mitts that started at the THUMB! I had to figure out a way to crochet them. For you knitters, the original knitter is http://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.com/ but I do not see the original circular mitts, however, her other patterns are glorious.  Anyway, I just jumped in and started on my own. 



Starting at the thumb and increasing the circle

 

I started with a ribbing on the thumb, her pattern called for ribbing all of the way down the thumb, I only did 3 rows (just because) and then increasing evenly to enlarge the circle.  I used a standard circle increase.  Keep going on the circle until it fits around the palm of your hand.  Then I joined the outer edges and used short rows to fill in by the pinky and the wrist.  I finished off with ribbing at the top and the wrist.  They look different because I played around with different methods of short rows and decreasing..

I used sock yarn (Lang Jawoll Magic superwash) and a size G hook.  When I flew to NJ my sister picked me up at the airport and we went to a yarn shop (of course, yeeaaahhh) that she likes, The Stitching Bee in NJ a very nice shop with a wonderful sale bin.  I am working on a pattern for the mitts.

Here it is on my hand, I may make the thumb a little shorter but they are nice and toasty and I love the way they showcase the yarn.

 

 



Interlocking Crochet by pcooper

Another process I have been working with is Interlocking Crochet.  The stitch patterns are in Interlocking Crochet by Tanis Galik.  The book has a lot of stitch patterns and some projects to use those stitches.  There are a few mistakes in the version I have, but the project directions seem to be accurate.  The process provides a dense complex fabric.  I have used the process with several different weights of yarn and thread and I love the results.

A small "spirit bag" using #10 cotton crochet thread.  Some of the stitches display different designs on opposite sides of the fabric.  You can see that above where the flap is open to show the alternate pattern.  The strap is a crocheted beaded strap with size 11 beads

Using #10 light and dark gold metallic crochet thread, again the designs are different on opposite sides of the fabric. 

The project in the book is similar but it uses nylon cording and the finished project is bigger.  These bags are about 3 inches square.  I still need to work on a strap for this one.

This is a cowl crocheted with a combination of dark brown lace weight mohair and camel colored alpaca.  I love the combination it is very light but very warm.  I wore it in NJ this March (we had some 20 degree days) and I was toasty.  This pattern has the same design on both sides.  I plan to do more projects with this technique and I am currently working on a drawstring bag done "in the round" with this technique.  No directions, I am making this up as I go along.  I will post it when it is finished.