Tapestry crochet is among others known to originate from Guatemala, Cameroon, Turkey and Finland. Norway has a tradition of making crochet rose tapestry gloves in Flesberg in Numedal, and patterned works have also been found in Morgedal and Setesdal. In the last few years we’ve also seen this technique used for making hats. It is not that commonly used even though it gives great possibilities to create patterns that are difficult to make without the large yarn leaps of other techniques.
To obtain a smooth and uniform appearance, you should not crochet back and forth. Instead, you should crochet in a circle. To make a pillow, you can create it from one large crochet piece and either fold it in half or crochet a few extra stitches then cut the work apart at the end. The edges are then sewn with a machine before cutting. Alternatively you can start in the centre of the circle and work your way out, ring by ring.
1. Begin with chain stitches and turn these into a circle with a slip stitch.
2. Single crochet around both loops and thread(s) that are not a part of the pattern. It is also possible to crochet only around the back loop – as was done traditionally in Flesberg – but then the work will have horizontal stripes.
3. The colour is easily switched by changing position of the threads; the one that was lying passively inside the stitch is now active, and vice versa.
4. The last single crochet before the colour change will lie over the new stitch so it will appear like you did something wrong. This will even out in the next row.
5. If you want a cleaner appearance, you can switch colours in the middle of a stitch. Then you stick the needle through the stitch loop, pull the yarn through and pick up the new colour to complete the stitch. This method is not traditional in Norway and is not used in this book.
6. The work will stretch and become crinkled when you crochet but this will disappear when you block the work after you are finished.
7. All the yarn follows the stitches all the way around and the threads that are not used in a single crochet remain hidden inside the stitches. Make sure you don’t tighten these threads; this will make the work uneven. Large works can be a challenge and it can be wise to measure the width along the way.
8. If you are crocheting from a diagram, read it from right to left and bottom to top, in the same way as in knitting diagrams. It might be a good idea to colour the rows you have completed as you work your way up the pattern. This will make it easier to know where you are at all times.
On www.youtube.com you can find several videos of how to single crochet with multiple colours.
Many works stretch in one direction or another while you make them. Others contract so you can have difficulties seeing the pattern. Ironing, pressing and steaming rarely helps: you simply have to block out the work.
You will need stainless steel pins and a porous board, e.g. polystyrene, styrofoam or cork. I’ve invested in two 40 × 60cm (16 × 24in) corkboards from Ikea. If I can’t fit the work on one, I can simply put them together. I’ve kept the plastic on, but alternatively you can place a clean piece of paper on top of the boards when needed so you don’t get colour from wet cork and other materials on your fabrics.
It can be of great help to draw some orthogonal help lines onto the board or paper.
Place the work onto the board and start to attach one long side with a few pins. Stretch and pull the work until it forms your desired shape. Pin onto the opposite side and do the same on the two remaining sides. Use a tape measure and square ruler while working. Don’t stop until you are satisfied with the shape. Gradually add the pins closer and closer together. You should have about 1 pin per cm when the work is blocked.
Spray the work with lukewarm, clean water until it is completely wet. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can clean out an old window washing spray bottle, or similar. The work should stay blocked while it dries for at least one day. Don’t remove the pins until you are absolutely sure that the work is dry.
Place the bottom of the front and back pieces against each other with the right side up, and sew carefully together using a help thread in a contrasting colour. Place the zip underneath the joint. Make sure it lies in the middle and secure with a couple pins at each end.
Turn the work and secure the lock with pins. Make sure it lies exactly above the joint. Tack (baste) if you find it necessary.
Turn the work back and sew in the zip with small backstitches from the right side. Use double sewing thread or if the yarn you’ve knitted with is not too thick, you might also be able to use this. Follow the stitch rows.
When the zip is well attached, remove the help thread. Now you can sew together the sides and the top.
Overstitch around all loose edges. Place the front and back pieces right sides together, find the middle and mark where you want the zip. Sew each side up to the zip, preferably with a 2cm (3⁄4in) seam allowance.
Reverse the work and place the zip in the split. Secure with pins and sew. Start on the left side just below the lock, continue down to the bottom of the zip, sew right across, and continue on the opposite side. When approaching the lock, leave the needle in the work, lift the foot and help the lock past. Continue to sew all the way up, sew right across and back down to where you started. Use a zip foot.
Place the fabric on the ironing board and press (iron) the seams apart. Press firmly as if the seam was of the entire width.
It is often advisable to place the zip on the back of the pillow, e.g. 10cm (4in) from the top. Then you won’t have a problem with any edges or lace around the work. Cut out two pieces of fabric for the backside. Add 1cm (3⁄8in) seam allowance on each end, and 2cm (3⁄4in) for the zip seam, for example 33 x 52cm (13 × 201⁄2in) and 13 × 52cm (41⁄4 × 201⁄2in) for a pillow that measures 40 × 50cm (16 × 24in).
Place the two pieces right sides together and mark where you want to position the zip. Sew each side up to the zip, preferably with 2cm (3⁄4in) seam allowance.
Press (iron) the seams apart. Press firmly as if there were stitching across the full width.
Reverse the work and place the zip in the split. Secure with pins and sew using a machine foot.
Now you can place the front and back pieces right sides together and sew around all four sides. Press the seams apart and cut off excess fabric at the corners. Open the zip and reverse the work.
If you find it difficult to get the zip smooth and even, you can always hide it underneath a fold. Then you have to add an additional 4cm (11⁄2in) to the front piece. The example above would then have the pieces 33 x 52cm (13 × 201⁄2in) and 17 × 52cm (61⁄2 × 201⁄2in).
Sew the zip as described. Fold the back piece in half so the fabric has wrong sides together with the fold 2cm (3⁄4in) from the top part of the zip. Sew a seam right across the top part of the zip. Fold the fabric back and press (iron) the flap so that it covers the zip.
When sewing together the two pieces, make sure the flap lies in right direction.
You can find elastic specially made with buttonholes. Place the elastic underneath the opening of the pillow and sew with small backstitches from the right side. Use double sewing thread and follow the rows. Sew buttons on the opposite side.
You can also make loops yourself.
Secure the thread and make a loop that fits the button you want to use. Make sure the thread is secure in the other end. Alternatively, sew back so that the loop is double. Then sew buttonhole stitches tightly along the arch. Attach the thread before you make any other loops in the same manner.
Granny squares can be made in countless ways. There are hundreds of different patterns, and this is one of the most common.
Start with 6 ch and make a ring with 1 sl st in the first ch.
Make the first dc from 2 ch.
Do a cn and stick the needle through the ring. Pull the thread so you have 3 sts on the needle.
Finish dc by crocheting through the bottom 2 sts, then the top 2 sts.
Make 1 more dc in the same way. You now have a group of 3 dc. Then make 2 ch.
Continue with 3 new dc through the ch ring.
Then 3 new ch, 3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc, and 3 ch.
Finish with 1 sl st at the top in the first dc. Cut the thread and pull through. You are now done with the first round.
Now you’re ready for round two. Start by securing the new thread: stick the needle through the ch loop and pull through. Then pull both threads through st to form a loop. Continue with only one thread. Crochet the first dc from 2 ch, then 1 normal dc. Crochet 1 ch before continuing with 3 dc, 2 ch and 3 new dc in the corner.
Finish with 3 ch in the corner and 1 dc (so that you have 3 in total in the last group) before you cut the thread and pull it through the top of the first dc in this round.
Continue the same way. 1 ch, then 3 dc, 3 ch and 3 dc. Repeat for the whole round.
Continue this way every round. You decide if you want 2, 3, 4 or 5 rounds.
All the threads have to be secured well. Use a darning needle and sew back and forth through the ch. This will make the threads invisible.
Some choose to steam the patches or block them before putting them together. Other choose to finish the whole work before starting the afterwork.
Place the patches right sides together. Crochet 2 sc loosely in every “hole”, and 1 ch between so you’re able to reach the next hole without tightening the thread.
Crochet the patches together in rows then crochet the rows together. When you fold the patches back out the crochet will be like an invisible seam.
Thread the needle so that you get a loop in the end you begin to sew. Stick the needle down next to the hole and up through the hole and loop.
In this way you secure the thread while sewing the first stitch. When you have sewn buttonhole stitches the whole way around, secure the thread by sewing underneath the stitches on the backside for one and a half rounds while you tighten the thread so that all the buttonholes are about the same size.
