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CAN YOU CROCHET WITH THIS YARN?????

by

http://www.universalyarn.com

I had the opportunity recently to visit a LYS that I haven’t been to in about two years.  When I walked in and greeted the owner, my eye was immediately drawn to the yarn shown here:

It’s lovely stuff with a nice hand.  It’s about a half inch wide when uncurled.  There was a knitting sample available but the shop owner believed it could be crocheted, so she took a loop off her needles and inserted a hook for me to play with.  The only thing I could get the needle to do was a slip stitch – torture for me!!  The shop owner had even indicated that it was difficult to knit with although the sample was lovely – a sort of flamenco style layered scarf.

So, dear crochet friends, what am I gonna do with this skein I purchased?  Actually, I plan to use it in a different manner.  I’ll use it to edge the front of a sweatshirt cardigan to match a gray shirtshirt with some new ‘strange blue’ colored corduroy slacks.  I’ll use a single strand of superwashed merino wool to attach the yarn to the edge of the sweatshirt.  But, I’d love to see or hear about some crochet uses for this stuff.

It’s called Tango and is manufactured by Universal Yarns.  The yarn pictured here is color #586 which goes from blue to black.  Visit the link above to see this yarn in other colors and the other yarns produced by this company.  I am not familiar with Universal Yarns so I can’t endorse them.  You can see for yourself!

Comments

  1. I imagine that the best bet for that yarn would be to use a larger hook–perhaps an N or P, maybe even larger.

    My instinct, however, is to use a large Tunisian hook. I bet the width of the yarn would provide it’s own kind of texture as it popped out in between the Tunisian stitches.

  2. It might be best worked with another yarn as the base or background – let’s say you make a chain, then for your next row poke a hole through this yarn before you go through the chain to form your next stitch. The wider apart you poke the yarn, the more ripply it’s going to be.

    Just a thought, as I don’t have any to play with. Do you think that would work?

  3. Brianna,
    I think you may be onto something here. Tunisian is not my favorite, but worth a try with this yarn.
    Thanks!
    jd

Have you read?

Free Christmas Worry Worm Crochet Pattern With a Printable Gift Card

There’s something rather lovely about a handmade gift that says, “I was thinking of you,” without needing a large box, expensive supplies or three weeks of frantic crocheting.

Our Christmas worry worm is a sweet little example. It has a curly body, a smiling embroidered face and a pointed Santa hat, plus a decorative printable gift card that turns a small crochet project into a thoughtful festive present.

And yes, those little leftover balls of Christmas yarn finally have a job. Apparently, keeping them all was entirely reasonable.

A Christmas Twist on the Crochet Worry Worm

If you’ve enjoyed our original crochet worry worm project, this Christmas version offers a different construction and a festive finish.

The body is a narrow crochet corkscrew, while the head is a separate, lightly stuffed ball worked in continuous rounds. A small hat with a contrasting brim completes the character.

What I particularly like about this design is that the Christmas detail comes from the colours and that tiny hat. There are no fiddly fingers, miniature boots or elaborate accessories to sew together. The curly body gives it plenty of personality all by itself.

What Skills Will You Need?

This free Christmas worry worm crochet pattern uses chains, single crochet, increases, decreases and slip stitches. You’ll also need to work a magic ring, embroider a simple face and sew the three components together.

I’d describe it as an easy project for someone comfortable with basic crochet stitches and ready to try small amigurumi pieces. The tiny hat rounds may require a little patience, especially if you usually make blankets with a lovely big hook.

The materials are straightforward: DK or 8-ply yarn, a 3 mm hook, a little stuffing, black embroidery thread and a yarn needle.

Choose smooth yarn so you can see your stitches clearly. Fluffy yarn might look festive in the ball, but finding four tiny stitches in a magic ring is quite enough excitement without hiding them under eyelash fibres.

Make Santa, Elf or Snowy Christmas Versions

The same construction works in several Christmas colour combinations:

  • Traditional Santa: A red curly body, cream head and red hat with a white brim.
  • Christmas elf: A green body and green hat with a contrasting red brim.
  • Snowy Christmas friend: A white body and head, finished with a red-and-white Santa hat.

The faces are embroidered, and the hat tip has a few white stitches rather than a separate pompom. Keep those details simple and let the colour combinations do the decorating.

If seasonal variations are your weakness, our Easter bunny worry worm pattern is another idea to save for your next round of small handmade gifts.

The Printable Christmas Gift Card Makes It Feel Special

The accompanying printable card is the detail that brings this project together.

Watercolour-style poinsettias, holly, red bows and gold accents frame a short verse, with To and From lines for your message. A pale green space on the right holds