Jump to content

This could get ugly


TheKnottyMale

Recommended Posts

I spent the last week fishing around in my patterns to see what I'd like to try out next. I also enjoy the task of switching things up a bit to make something that no one else has. And this latest attempt has been no different. I found an old pattern for a tapestry crocheted fat bottom bag. The pattern creates a large bowl shaped bag with interlocking straps. The pattern can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fat-bottom-bag-with-slimming-vertical-stripes-for-right-handed-crocheters

 

Left handed crocheters:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fat-bottom-bag-with-slimming-vertical-stripes-for-left-handed-crocheters

 

I thought I'd try out a small oval shaped base. And just follow the graph in the pattern for the rest of the pattern except for the handles. I've spent the afternoon hooking up my thoughts and I think I may have made a mess. It's VERY warped! I remember reading in my books that the base will sometimes warp in the beginning (and they have done that to me many times in the past) but this one is really REALLY warping :reyes

 

I'm going to keep going. What I'm hoping is that it's just the fact that it's "fat bottomed." I do know that my base is 80 stitches and once the final round of increases for the bag is made, the count for the round will be 160 stitches. This has definitely turned out to be an interesting project for me. I normally don't show photos of something in progress because they seem pretty boring to me, but here's what my mess looks like at this point. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping it all turns out good in the end.

post-39334-0-06437900-1367111684_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-78061800-1367111692_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WIth Queen playing in my head,  several thoughts occur to me.

 

you did not mention what kind of yarn you choose, if it is mostly cotton, you might be able to block some of the warping 

 

if not, then that warping might mean some seriously energetic blocking when you are done,  

 

Find something substantial to use on the bottom of the inside to help flatten the warping

 

Enjoy The Making

 

Wheat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a third picture that I took. The bottom of the bag has a pretty severe arc in it. The arc is slowly going away as the work progresses, but the only way I'm going to know if it works it's way out is to keep working the pattern until there are no more increases. I still have 2 more increases that will happen over the next 13 rounds. From that point, i'll definitely have to work some more rounds with no increases to see what happens. I'm getting a bit more confident with the thought that it all just might work out - I sure hope so. I'm using acrylic yarn to make this bag with a size 0 hook.

 

Here's the additional photo

post-39334-0-11795200-1367184835_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Acrylic yarn and a size 0?????  No wonder it's warping.

Just about every bag I've made has some warping in the beginning, but they have always worked themselves out. The multi-colored bag that I recently finished was also made using a size 0 hook. That base also warped just a tiny bit, but once all those rounds with no increases were worked, the base just works itself flat. Keep in mind that I'm constantly working with 2 strands so my finished stitches are going to be larger than stitches made with no other strand being carried along. The finished texture is quite stiff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the first to admit that I've never done tapestry.  Are you using 4ply ww?  Just thinking about using that with a 0 hook makes my hands hurt.  How do you do it?

My hook is heavily wrapped with surgical foam tape that is sticky on only one side. It really helps out with reducing stress on the wrist.

The first photo shows the wrapped hook. The second photo shows how I hold the hook while I'm working with it. I use RHSS to make all of my tapestry bags.

post-39334-0-08583500-1367358330_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-63316100-1367358342_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is so cool!  That hook looks like a dream to use to reduce hand fatigue. 

 

Is the 0 hook your personal preference or is that the recommended size for tapestry?

 

I've used an E hook with RH and I had a hard time trying to catch the yarn in the head of the hook.  I guess it takes a little getting used to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The hook size is just my personal preference. When I was a beginner, I started out with a G hook and have just gradually worked my way down over the years. They look the best when they are crocheted tightly. They are so nice and stiff that I don't even have to block them when they are done. I didn't block the mulit-colored bag OR the piggy bag either. I guess you could say that the material is thick and denim-like... I guess.

 

I just finished another increase round on the bag. I will work 6 more rounds and then increase one more time. From that point i'll be working about 20 rounds before I switch over to different colors. And if I remember correctly, the new colors are worked for about 8 or 10 rounds. There is still just a tiny bit of arcing, but I really think it will work it's way out. From looking at what I see, I wish I had worked about 4 more rounds of base before I began working the graph of the tapestry bag pattern.

 

 

post-39334-0-86020500-1367360464_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-56661000-1367360472_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-94788800-1367360480_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the fabric that stiff, there's probably not a lot of stretching, right? That's been my main turn-off for knitted/crocheted bags. Never thought of making tighter fabric!

You're right. There isn't a lot of stretching. Even if you choose to use a hook that's a bit larger. I've made Carol Ventura's Kitty Bag pattern using several different sized hooks. The largest hook that I used was a size G working with Red Heart Super Saver. The finished fabric was'nt as stiff, but there still wasn't any stretching happening. It's because you constantly working with 2 (or more) strands at the same time. If you'd like to take a look at the pattern, you can find it at www.tapestrycrochet.com

 

There is a pattern that Carol published several years ago that is called Right Way Market Bag. It's a large bowl shaped bag with double interlocking straps. I've worked that pattern at least 5 different times. I always used a G hook when I made those. As a matter of fact, the pattern calls for a size G hook to be used. The yarn that is supposed to be used is Red Heart Eco Ways, but I made 4 of them using RHSS and the 5th one was made using Bernat Super Saver. I didn't like using Bernat at all and have never used it again since. That pattern is definitely NOT for a beginner. The design of the straps is quite complicated - nothing I would ever recommend for a beginner. The pattern was published in the April 2009 issue of Crochet World magazine. Hopefully, you have the issue so that you could take a look at the photo and see the difference when a bag is made using a larger sized hook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh wow, look at that bag. Those handles look great! I'm going to have to see if I can hunt down that pattern just for those.

 

I just discovered tapestrycrochet.com recently! I was looking for info on making polyclay handles for hooks, and marked it because the tapestry info just looks so cool (and for the specialty graph paper for charting...). Don't know when i'll get the chance to try any... it's in the mental queue. :lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's suprising me again. It's not fat bottomed. Instead, it's turned out to have a clam shell shape. I wanted to show how the colors are changed and that is why you see the 2 different colored purple strands. The short, light colored strand of purple shows where I began carrying that color. And if you look just a few stitches past the marker, you can see where I began using the new color. And you can also see how far along I carried the darker shade of purple before letting it go so that it can be clipped off. You do not make any kind of knots - you would definitely feel them if you did. In one of the photos, you can see that I'm about to run out of brown. I will have to do the same thing when it gets closer to running out - carry along the new strand for several stitches, then swtich over to the new strand making sure to carry the now unused strand for several stitches before clipping off any left over yarn.

post-39334-0-30159600-1367774812_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-41050500-1367774830_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally got it all finished. I really didn't want to make this style of strap, but it seemed to be the best choice for this particular bag. The reason why I don't particularly like this strap is because of all the work. It gets pretty complicated because the straps are NOT the same length. One has to be smaller than the other because of the of the distance between the left and right side of each strap. One is closer together and the other is not. I had to figure out on my own how much smaller to make the one strap because I didn't follow the exact directions of the original pattern.

 

 

post-39334-0-10590800-1368397144_thumb.jpg

post-39334-0-31613000-1368397168_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...