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Sunday, September 4, 2011

Wiggly Tutorial (1)

 
Tutorial: Wiggly Crochet K-Town-Style
(Part 1 - The Basics)


Please note: If you'd like to share this tutorial (or parts of it, like the pictures or graphic patterns), please link back to made-in-k-town. Thank you!

Thanks for all your lovely comments about my wiggly cushion! Your enthusiasm really made me wanna write a damn good tutorial - at least I've tried my best :) This post turned out a little bit longer than I had usually planned, so today we start with Part 1 and I'll post Part 2 in a few days.

Let’s start with some basics. Usually you start with a foundation mesh that should look like this, just bigger (this is just a little patch):

For the mesh you keep repeating *1dc, ch2* in every row, just like in filet crochet with empty squares only. Here’s the graphic pattern for my little patch:



 Then you usually need a pattern that could look like this:

or this


The thin black lines symbolize your mesh, the thick colored lines indicate the bars/posts where you have to place your stitches. The stitches are usually groups of double crochet stitches: I like to work with 4dc-groups, but I’ve also seen patterns with 2dc-groups.

Basically you could use the same yarn for the dc’s as you used for your mesh, but I prefer making my mesh with a thinner yarn (or even thread) and then work the dc’s with a thicker yarn. This makes the whole structure look denser and the ruffles more pronounced.
There are actually two alternative ways to work your dc-groups into your mesh and your pattern will look a little bit different depending on which method you use (an amazing fact that I’ve just discovered when I started making this tutorial)!

Let’s start with Method A (clockwise):


Attach your yarn at the indicated starting point with a slip stitch (slst), work ch3 (they replace the first dc) and 3 dc around the same bar.

(it’s easier when you fold the mesh while working your stitches!)


Next, make a right turn and work 4dc around the next bar “just around the corner” (the second green bar in the pattern above). Please note: In both methods there are no chain stitches between the dc-groups! Follow the pattern (the pink lines) clockwise until you’ve reached your starting point and join with a slst. Your pattern should look like this, the right side of your dc’s should face outwards and the ruffles should fold a little towards the outside:


Method B (counter-clockwise) is my preferred way of working:

Notice the difference? Again, attach your yarn at the indicated starting point with a slst, and work your ch3 + 3dc around the first green bar. This time, make a left turn and work 4dc around the next green bar. Now follow the pink lines counter-clockwise until you’ve reached your starting point and join with a slst. This time, your pattern should look like this, the right side of your dc’s should face the center of the mesh, and the ruffles should stand up a little bit more:
 

The difference between the two methods might not be clearly visible on the pictures. Maybe you should just grab your hook and try both alternatives on two different meshes and then decide which look you like better.

These were the basics of wiggly crochet. In the next part of the tutorial I'll show you an alternative way of working your mesh (i.e. starting the mesh in the middle and working in rounds). This helps you to control the size of your work and makes it easier to follow (or adjust) a pattern. We'll combine this method with the pattern I used for my cushion, and you can decide if you want to make a cushion also, or leave it with a hotpad - I think I'll stay with the hotpad this time :)

Hope to see you back for the second part! :)

26 comments:

  1. Oooh this is fantastic! Can't wait for part2. Thank you so much. xxx

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  2. This technique has always fascinated me, and thanks to you I finally tried it a few days ago. Thanks for taking the time to create a tutorial for everyone. :)

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  3. Barbara, Deine Grafiken sehen einfach tausendmal besser aus, als meine :-) Ich hab' einfach null Ahnung von Bildbearbeitung und Grafikprogrammen... :-(
    Ist wirklich toll Deine Anleitung!
    Liebe Grüße, Bianca ♥

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  4. Oh! So happy that you posted this! It's a bright spot to my day. Thank you. :)

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  5. Danke, Danke, Danke!;O))
    Wundervoll.
    LG,*Manja*

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  6. I have an award for you on my blog. :)

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  7. Great tutorial! I'm looking forward to part 2!

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  8. Спасибо, давно ищу такой мастеркласс)))

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  9. salut!

    merci beaucoup pour ce tuto splendide!!
    j'adore! il est superbe, et ne semble pas trop dur! juste long!!
    thank you very much for this wonderful tutorial!
    I love it! it is superb, and does not seem too hard! just long!
    sorry for my english, I'm French!

    bisous, priscilia

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  10. Tu fais de magnifiques choses, bravo
    A+

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  11. Finally!!!
    I understand now....Thank you soooo much!!

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  12. thanks so much, i think i was re-directed to this page from facebook on Lucy's group II.
    I gotta try this soon!

    Hugs and hooks,
    Laurel

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  13. Muchas gracias por el tutorial!!!!
    Thanks for the tutorial!!!!!!!
    kisses for you from Argentina ♥♥♥

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  14. Where can I get a copy of the wiggle crochet pillow pattern?? Lost my copy and have been looking everywhere. Thanks for any help you can be.

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    1. Hi Susan! I'm not quite sure which copy you mean, but there's a second part to this tutorial where I explain how to make a wiggly pillow like mine: http://made-in-k-town.blogspot.de/2011/09/wiggly-tutorial-2.html

      I hope that is what you were looking for :)

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  15. Barbara, what a CUTE, CUTE pillow! I'm sure there are a million stitches, but I'm up for it! Trying to find an equivalent cotton yarn here in the USA. Can you tell me what cotton yarn you used, weight, amounts? Very nice, can't wait to get started. I love the choice of colors on both, but most especially the pastel one. Just scrumptious!

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  16. I am so happy with this great tutorial! Always loved it but thought it would be way too difficult! It isn't! Thank you for sharing!

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  17. Fantastic! Gotta go get my hook....I am inspired, Gonna make a hotpad! Thank You so very much for sharing :D

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  18. Nice pattern! I think I'm going to try for a granny square assembly with this. I've got an out if control yarn stash to pare down.

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  20. Thank you so much for sharing! Im a new chrocheter and It's the fist time I come to this technic! it's revealing of the countess possibilities of crocheting.....

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  21. Paylaşım için teşekkürler..https://www.facebook.com/turkanaozgu beklerim..

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  22. I love this, I'm wondering if I could use a UK half treble (half double for US) so it won't be so thick on top. I want to couple a tea cozy with and a hot pad for the teapot to stand on (teapot stand like mat - that's able to take the teapot without damaging the table underneath). My teapot has a small round base, and I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't stand flat and would fall over, if the stitches were too tall. The hot pad idea appealled to me, coz it was a small item to try a new stitch. Also, I'm making an afghan for my 2nd adult granddaughter, and if that stitch works for me, I could incooperate a square with that stitch into the afghan.Thanks for both tutorials, they're amazing.

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  23. I am wondering if this could this be made into a circle?

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    1. I guess so, although I've never tried it. You'll probably just need a basic pattern for a round mesh and then you can add the ruffles!

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