Seasonal Creative Crochet - The Making of "LOVEBIRD IN A HEART"

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Designs Wearable - Internet Shop of Wearable Items



I do various types of crochet because I enjoy doing the craft.

But some of the most fun crochet to do is for the different seasons, including different holidays.

Something I made for Valentine's Day, which is "just around the corner" was a lot of fun and an exercise in creativity.

I call it "LOVEBIRD IN A HEART".

This is based on a pattern by the crochet designer, Elizabeth Hiddleson, but I made a few changes to it.

It is so very lovely with the bird in flight and the butterfly and the curlycues.

The inside and major part of this piece is done in Filet Crochet, which is creating designs or images with solid blocks of crochet and open spaces.

But this design is also shaped - in the shape of a heart - and the bird in flight and the butterfly are arranged with curlycues around them that mirror each other exactly on both sides.

So, all the rows with blocks and open spaces have to be done perfectly for the whole design to come out.

Here is a closeup of the inside design:

And another closeup of the curlycues:

When you are actually crocheting it, you have to figure which size of thread you will use for the project - thicker threads will look thicker and the finished project will come out bigger than if you used thinner threads - and which size of stitch you want to use, because it will all affect the look of the finished project.

Once you have decided that, you can determinehow many chain stitches you need for the foundation chain to start the project.

Mathematics is definitely a part of doing crochet!!

I really liked this pattern - I found it in the back of a 1979 book by Elizabeth Hiddleson of her own crochet designs - it was actually not a pattern in this book, but the picture of it was in the back of the book and it was good enough for me to create my own chart from, so I could do it.

So, I planned it all out, followed the chart precisely - and had a heart shape with all designs in it.

To give the piece texture and to outline and bring out the image of the bird in flight and the butterfly below it, I added an outline of both figures in single crochet in the same thread that I had crocheted it in.

Then I added a border in garnet red thread in the same size as the white thread.

It was an enjoyable project and one that gave me a lot of artistic satisfaction to actually have completed it so that the design was so clear!!

It is for sale in my RSS Designs In Fiber etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19037323.

It is also featured on the Etsy Thread Artists blog, where some Valentine-themed thread crochet is shown: http://etsythreadartists.blogspot.com/ .

Ruth