Author: Annette Petavy

Circaetus – the shape

The pattern for the Circaetus shawl is now also available in Spanish!

Circaetus – English version

It’s the perfect time for me to discuss this pattern in detail. Today I want to share my ideas behind the shape chosen for Circaetus.

The triangle is a classic when it comes to shawl shapes. It’s easy to crochet a square, and a triangle is basically half a square.

However, there are many ways to reinvent the classics! When it comes to shawls, I do appreciate the shape of an elongated triangle, where the side tips are longer and the shawl not so deep at the tip. Nine times out of ten, I wear my triangular shawls like a bandana with the center tip at the front. The elongated side tips are just perfect to knot the shawl for comfort and style.

When moving away from the basic half square, you need to create different increases at the beginning and end of the rows, as compared to the increases at the center tip. It’s a nice little challenge for me, as the designer. If you are following the pattern, you need only to be a little bit more careful in these places and follow the instructions – it will work out perfectly.

And there we have it, a beautiful, elongated triangle, like a bird opening its wings. A shape that is both simple and sophisticated.

To celebrate the publication of the pattern in Spanish, I’m putting out a special, time-limited offer:

When you purchase simultaneously the Circaetus pattern (in the language of your choice) and 4 balls of Balayage (the amount needed to make the shawl), the pattern is free. All you need to do is to put the Circaetus pattern and 4 balls of Balayage in your cart on my website – the price for the pattern will be deducted before your payment.

Please note that this is a time-limited offer, applicable only to orders placed before midnight on Sunday February 12, 2023 (Paris time).

Also, please note that shipping may be a bit delayed because of my participation in the Love Yarn Madrid show in Spain, which will require quite a few days away from the office.

Circaetus – the stitch patterns

The pattern for the Circaetus shawl is now also available in Spanish!

Circaetus in English – click here!

It’s the perfect time for me to discuss this pattern in detail. Today I invite you to explore the stitch patterns I chose for Circaetus.

After having fallen in love with the yarn Balayage (see my article about the yarn, published yesterday), I wanted to showcase the yarn in a crochet pattern.

One of the reasons for my fascination with crochet is the ease with which you can obtain more sophisticated versions of basic stitch patterns, using simple variations.

One of these variations is to insert your hook in one loop only in the stitch in the row below (rather than under both loop, which is the standard technique).

The stitch patterns in Circaetus are composed of basic stitches such as chains, single crochets and double crochets. However, by inserting my hook in the front loop only of these stitches, I obtained both subtle but clear texture and beautiful drape.

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To celebrate the publication of the pattern in Spanish, I’m putting out a special, time-limited offer:

When you purchase simultaneously the Circaetus pattern (in the language of your choice) and 4 balls of Balayage (the amount needed to make the shawl), the pattern is free. All you need to do is to put the Circaetus pattern and 4 balls of Balayage in your cart on my website – the price for the pattern will be deducted before your payment.

Please note that this is a time-limited offer, applicable only to orders placed before midnight on Sunday February 12, 2023 (Paris time).

Also, please note that shipping may be a bit delayed because of my participation in the Love Yarn Madrid show in Spain, which will require quite a few days away from the office.

Circaetus – the yarn

The pattern for the Circaetus shawl is now also available in Spanish!

Circaetus in English – click here!

On the occasion of my participation in the Love Yarn Madrid show, I am publishing the spanish version of my Circaetus shawl.

It’s the perfect time for me to discuss this pattern in detail. Today I invite you to discover the yarn Balayage, used in my sample.

Balayage is a yarn from the brand Pascuali. It’s a blend of 80% baby alpaca and 20% organic merino. I fell head over heels in love with this soft yarn and its subtle shades. Part of the alpaca fibers used are grey, giving depth and life to the different colours.

With 175 meters (191 yds) in each 50-g ball, this yarn is a very good option for crochet. I used a 4 mm (US G-6) hook for a soft and light fabric. However, the shawl is still fluffy and cozy thanks to the fiber content and the way the yarn is spun.

Balayage

The Balayage yarn is available in both muted and vivid colours in the shop – the latest addition, Cayesh, is a subtle blend of pale pink and grey.

To celebrate the publication of the pattern in Spanish, I’m putting out a special, time-limited offer:

When you purchase simultaneously the Circaetus pattern (in the language of your choice) and 4 balls of Balayage (the amount needed to make the shawl), the pattern is free. All you need to do is to put the Circaetus pattern and 4 balls of Balayage in your cart on my website – the price for the pattern will be deducted before your payment.

Please note that this is a time-limited offer, applicable only to orders placed before midnight on Sunday February 12, 2023 (Paris time).

Also, please note that shipping may be a bit delayed because of my participation in the Love Yarn Madrid show in Spain, which will require quite a few days away from the office.

North Star

Many people start their year with resolutions, goals, intentions, a word of the year … or a North Star to guide their path.

This is a small star to crochet at the beginning of a new year, or at any other time.

Techniques and abbreviations:
MC: main colour
CC: contrast colour
sl st: slip stitch
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
dc: double crochet

dc2tog: double crochet 2 stitches togeter – * yo, insert hook in indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook), yo, pull through 2 loops *, repeat from * to * once more, yo, pull through the 3 remaining loops on the hook.

picot: Ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook

invisible needle join: https://www.gathered.how/knitting-and-crochet/crochet/how-to-do-the-invisible-crochet-join/

The star in the photos was worked in my Wool and Linen yarn with a 5 mm (US H-8) hook.

Pattern

With MC, ch 6, close to a ring with a sl st in the 6th ch from the hook.

Round 1: Ch 2 + 1 dc in ring (count as dc2tog), ch 3, repeat [dc2tog in ring, ch 3] 5 times, fasten off and close the round with an invisible needle join. There are six 3-ch spaces separated by dc2tog clusters.

Change to CC

Round 2 (with CC): (1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc) in a 3-ch space, ch 1, * (1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc) in next ch space, ch 1 *, repeat from * to * to end of round, close the round with a sl st in first hdc. Fasten off.

Change to MC.

Round 3 (with MC): 1 sc in a dc2tog in round 1, working around (enclosing) the ch-1 in round 2, ch 5 going behind the stitches in round 2, * 1 sc in next dc2tog in round 1 working around (enclosing) the ch-1 in round 2, ch 5 going behind the stitches in round 2, * repeat from * to * to end of round, close the round with a sl st in first sc. There are six 5-ch spaces placed behind the stitches in round 2.

Round 4: (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in each ch space in round 3, close the round with a sl st in first sc.

Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

Selvedge stiches – what are they all about?

What are selvedge stitches?

Selvedge stitches are simply the first and last stitches in any crocheted or knitted row. There can be 1, 2 or 3 selvedge stitches at the beginning and end of a row. In the following, I’m going to assume that the selvedge is a single stitch (just for ease of writing).

Why are these stitches special?

  • If you work a project in pieces that need to be assembled, the selvedge stitch will be your seam allowance. This means that this is an extra stitch that is not part of the stitches needed to, say, work a specific width.
    Check your pattern to see if the selvedge stitches are included in the stitch count – normally they are.
  • A stitch at the very beginning or very end of a row often behaves differently from other stitches.
    • In knitting, this stitch, which has a companion on only one side, is often looser than the other stitches, or simply a bit wonky.
    • In crochet, the first few stitches in a row are very, very often tighter than those that follow.

So, do you need to treat selvedge stitches differently?

In knitting, it depends.

I know knitters who work their selvedge stitches in the main stitch pattern and still get straight edges.

However, most knitters need to give the selvedge stitches a special treatment to avoid their being too loose.

You can decide always to work this stitch as a knit stitch, to make a garter selvedge.

You can systematically slip the first or last stitch in the row, to make a chain selvedge that is a bit tighter.

There are many methods, and often the pattern will suggest how to work the selvedge stitches. Try the suggested method and see what you think! Everyone knits in a very personal way – perhaps the recommendation in the pattern is not what works best for you.

Also, think about how this selvedge will be used: are you going to seam pieces together, pick up stitches or simply leave the edge as it is?

In crochet, you must decide on a selvedge treatment.

When you start a crochet row, the hook needs to be at the height of the first stitch – and you must find a way to get it there!

There are many ways to do this, classic or innovative, simple or complex.

I’ll be back to show you some, of course!

And how do you like to work your selvedges?

The Creative Gamble

It all starts with an idea. You don’t really know where it comes from, and sometimes it’s very vague. It can be a kind of vision, but it might also be a memory, a scent, a feeling… and sometimes it’s a full-blown concept that shows up from nowhere, presenting itself to you when you brush your teeth on a Tuesday morning.

In all cases this idea begs to be translated and transformed using yarn.

Crochet or knitting? What kind of stitch pattern? Which fiber? Cotton or wool? Which weight? And the ultimate question: to make what?

You fumble, you think, you try some things. Sometimes you try many, many things before you happen upon something valid.

Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. The idea can’t be transformed into a real-life object, at least not right now.

However, often this is the start of a new project. It can be very close to the original idea – or it can be very far away, so that only you can know its origin.

And now it is time to take a creative gamble.

Whatever the size of the project, you will need to spend many hours to make this thing born from your imagination, this thing that doesn’t exist yet.

You don’t know if you will succeed. You don’t know if the finished item will be appreciated. If you’re making something big, you might spend weeks or months with a disappointing final result. If the creative process is also your job, you can potentially even lose money.

And yet, you must take this gamble, bet on your creativity and skills to give life to this nonexistent thing, create it out of thin air and present it to the world.

It’s an uncomfortable situation, and so many questions race through your head. It would clearly be much easier not to make this thing – but still, you make it.

You make it, because you know it can be a winning bet. There are no guarantees, but there is possibility, and you are far too curious not to try and see what happens.

And when the creative gamble pays off, when this idea becomes a beautiful thing, when you can share it with the world, your satisfaction is so much greater than your uncertainty ever was.

If you are inspired to take a creative gamble, I can help, in a positive and reassuring setting. I have already led several creative coaching programs in French, aimed at people who want to design their own pattern. Perhaps it’s time to start one in English?

If you are interested in creative crochet coaching with the aim of creating your own crochet design, click the button below!

My creative coaching sessions typically run over 8 weeks and include 5 live sessions via Zoom and access to a private discussion group where I connect with the participants several times a week – all for the very reasonable price of 99€.

Click the button to send me an email and let me know if you’re interested!

I’m interested in creative crochet coaching!

When you can skip the swatch

I know, I know, you must always swatch before you start a new project – this is what I tell people all the time. And I also know that very often, this is not at all what you want to do!

To be perfectly honest, there are situations where you can skip the swatch – and where I don’t swatch either.

You just need to know when you can do this, and what can happen.

Narrow projects worked in the round

Fingerless mittens for spring

Do you want to crochet or knit a sock, a glove, a cowl or a hat?

A swatch worked flat will never give you the correct information for a project worked in the round.

When knitting, the smallest difference between your knits and your purls will significantly affect your gauge when working flat or in the round, respectively.

When crocheting, a stitch pattern worked flat will hardly ever look exactly like the same pattern worked in the round.

And if you decide to work your swatch in the round, you will need to work it over twice as many stitches. Solution: Use your project as your gauge swatch!

All you need to do is to try on your sock, mitten or hat after having worked a few inches. (For constructions starting with some kind of rib, work at least an inch past the ribbing).

Is it too small or too big? You will know for sure with this full-sized project.

A sleeve is a gauge swatch

Manon baby jacket

For garments worked bottom up, you generally start with the back (for a garment worked flat in pieces) or the body (for a garment worked in the round).

That’s a lot of stitches to work before you can start comparing the actual measurements with those indicated in the pattern.

I suggest you start with a sleeve, which has many fewer stitches but still is big enough to yield a significant sample. Once you have checked that the width of the sleeve is correct, you can simply leave it to one side while you tackle the main part of the garment.

When size doesn’t matter (that much)

Circaetus crochet shawl

Very often people don’t make swatches for shawls, scarves and other accessories that are to be worn without a precise fit.

As long as you like the fabric you get, you can of course go ahead even if your gauge is tighter or looser than the pattern states – provided that you are a bit adventurous.

It is important to know that your gauge will affect the yardage needed for your project and its finished size.

If all your stitches are a bit (or much) smaller than the ones in the original item, you will obtain, for example, a narrower and shorter scarf.

If all your stitches are a bit (or much) larger than the ones in the original item, you will use more yarn, and you might not be able to finish the pattern as written.

If you are willing to improvise the final steps of your project, or to buy more yarn – no problem! You only need to know that this can happen, and have a plan for how to handle it.

And now, I’m off to knit a few more rows on my hat in progress. My head is larger than average, so I have chosen a larger needle size than the one suggested in the pattern. I have worked a couple of inches past the ribbing, and I’ve just tried it on – it looks good! I know that I will most probably use more yarn than stated in the pattern, but I have more in my stash – and if needed, I can add another colour in a similar yarn.

You have already guessed it – this is a project for which I didn’t make a swatch!