Impala

		When @bokkyhome called for testers for her #bokkybag I knew that I had to make a card weaving strap based on the antler. In this blog you get an idea of how to do this yourself. It is not a complete instruction to card weaving, if you want to dive in this technique start with Elewys' channel.
		You can buy a loom and cards, or make them yourself. The one in the front is just a simple, but working loom. That's how I started. In my Dutch blog I wrote about my 'low budget looms'.
		You can use (fishing) swivels, rubbers band, elastic cords etc. to adjust the tension of your threads. I also use knitting items, zpagetti yarn and what ever I can find in my house.
		Threading of the yarn / starting position. I have a difficulty to understand the ABCD threading, so I use Up/Down, Back/Front. This is how you see it from above. The diagonal lines are the way the cards are placed (S / Z). There are two border cards on both sides and 8 pattern cards (P1 - 8).
		Border cards, two on each side. One with grey yarn, one with white yarn (background color of the pattern). The white yarn is threaded the opposite of the grey yarn. You will get a V on both sides of your strap. Make sure the ends are (almost) even. You need 4x grey and 4x white (or other colors).
		Pattern threading. I cut pieces of 1.5 meter and ended up with straps of 52 and 55 cm. For the pattern you need 4x red and 12x white (or other contrasting colors). Thread them as you see in the images and put them on the knitting needle. This way you get a flat start, which makes it easier to attach the strap(s) to the bag.
		The acturally weaving. There are 5 steps: 1. Thread the yarn (between the upper and lower part, images 1 and 4), leave a loop on the side 2. Flip cards (depending on where you are in the pattern) - images after the pattern chart 3. Turn the cards, top side away from you (second image), until the next side is up 4. Beat the yarn (images 3 and 5) 5. Pull the yarn to make the loop dissapear (6th image) I used two pieces of yarn to create a longer image
		Pattern for the impala, or 'bokkie'. You can use the forward / backward turning, but I prefer to flip. This way the cards are in line with the pattern and there is less chance on mistakes. The "F" indicates that you have to flip a card. I have added red and green labels on my cards to be able to track a pattern. With this pattern you will always have all the red labels up together. Same for the green labels. The "R" is where the pattern repeats itself. The first four turnings are easy, no flipping yet. When you have done four turns, the red labels will be up again ("R" line) and you have to flip all the pattern cards. Then after two turns the green labels will be up and you have to flip P2 - 6. Again two turns, red up, flip P1 and P8. Two turns, green up, flip P3 - 7. Two turns, red up, flip P3 - 7. Now you are back in the starting position => four turns without flipping
		Flipping the cards means to rotate them clockwise or anti clockwise. The same side stays up as you can see in the middle image. This is the "R" line. All pattern cards changed direction in the image on the right.
		I finished my straps with single crochet stitches on both sides - with a small hook. Since they weren't the same size and not long enough for backpack straps I improvised with my regular magic wand.
		Reel of the finished backpackbokkybag
		Have fun weaving

Pip, the reversible hat

	These hats are made in carreaux crochet. Since crochet is not quit flexible it contains two tubes for elastic.
	The basic is a border in the size of your head, getting larger as soon as it is the right height. Plus an open circle that you attach to the border. The black and white version in this example is made with Azurite (Distrifil) - 50 gr ~ 140 m, I have used around 70 gram of each color. With 80 stitches I got a circumference of about 57 cm.
	You start with chain stitches, in this case 80 + one to turn. Then 3x a row of single crochet. Put a marker or a clothpin in the loop. Start with the other color in the first chainstitch (see end of the white yarn in the picture) and make 3 rows of single crochet stitches.
	Fold together. Use stitch markers through both colors, in this case every 8 sts. In between I made 3 sc back on black / chs / 2 sc front on white / chs / 3 sc back on black. In my blog you can find a basic explanation of this new crochet technique. Finish the last cs with the loop of the other color - see images. And make the same row with this color.
	A second row made 'color-on-color'.
	After these dots follows the second tube. 3 rows sc with white, 3 rows sc with black. Then again some dots with black, last stitch finished with the white loop. And this row repeated with white.
	When the border has the height of the front you start increasing stitches. 6 per row when you make single crochet stitches, 12 when you make double crochet stitches.

The upper circle is started with two open circles. Start with a magic loop or 3 chain stitches and then 6, 12, 18 sc and if you wish one more of 24 sc. Attach them with stitch markers to mark where you will increase in the next round. Make a front/back row with one color (black in the picture) and finish the last stitch with the loop of the other color. Continue your open circle with single or double crochet. In case of sc increase 6 per row, in case of dc increase 12 per row. You can work in rounds, but it's more challenging with the color changes. Another possibility is to continue with the border piece when you feel it is wide enough and decrease towards the top.

	Be sure to end with the same number of stitches on the border and the circle. You might want to use dots with the same distance to make it easier to attach both parts later.
	Close both sides of the circle with a tapestry needle. Be sure not to go to both layers.
	Close the border the same way, but be sure NOT to close the two tubes. You might want to put a pencil in to remember ...
	Attach the border to the circle. You can either use yarn and a tapestry needle or work them together with croceht stitches, like sc in the border, ch, sc in the circle, ch etc. Again, avoid working through both layers.

Put elastic in both tubes and tight the ends with a knot. Hide the knot in the tube. If you give this to someone show them how to get out the knot if they want to make the elastic more tight.

This Way

	To explain how you can read a CRX* chart in different ways I made these four examples. Basic colors for a CRX patch are A and B, they alternate sides and if you work with only two colors you get the same effect as double knitting. The third color C stays on the same place. 1. C = lines of the signpole 2. Just two colors 3. C = the air 4. C = interior of the signpole
	The basic design as it was used for the first patch with only color A and B. You alternate sides - front and back - whenever there is a blanc square followed by an X and vice versa.
	C = lines of the signpole = X's C = the air = blanc squares C = interior of the signpole = yellow squares

Curious to try this out after you have got the hang of Carreaux Crochet? 

Reading a CRX chart works This Way

                                                                                                                                           

*CRX = Carreaux Crochet

Funny Faces

	Someone in a Facebook group for tablet weaving had a struggle with the Ram's horn and it looked liked funny face. So I wanted to try to do this on purpose and the result is this picture on the left. Short explanation:
	First of all I tried to trace back to the warping. Also for the person to see what went wrong. Then with that information I designed my warp schedule on such a way that when red/yellow is up I have to flip/twist the red cards in the other direction. One could also use forward/backward.
	To change the direction of the funny faces the less disturbing is to change when blue/green is up (= red/yellow is under). Then again turn direction when red/yellow is up. That is: only the red cards!
	Difference between working with two weft threads and only one.

Carreaux Crochet - Double Layer Patch

Many years ago I saw a double-layered potholder, made of two patches locked together with a sort of embroidery. Since then I was wondering if there was another way to make a double layered potholder without having to weave in too much ends of yarn. A possible solution came in a dream. I woke up, thought it was not gonna work, but took my crochet to try and managed. After making about 20 try-outs with different sorts of yarn I found a family member willing to try it out. So I collected my notes and made 4 documents with small test patches in Dutch (my mother language): One for the basic explanation and 3 for variations. While doing the basic explanation her reaction was; “once you get the hang of it, after about 3 rows, it goes very quick and if gives a nice patch”. After the fourth her reaction was; “still great to do, but this one is more like a 4 star sudoku”. The pattern with the four tests - and some additional charts - is available in both Dutch and English on Ravelry. Nederlandse Blog

Both sides of three potholders made with cotton in fantasy patterns.	Both sides of a potholder made with cotton to try out diagonal lines.	Both sides of the four test patches.

The name “Carreaux” is chosen since I wanted an “X” in the name, because of the little crosses in some my first try-outs, but I couldn’t find a word in Dutch or English. It means ‘tiles’ in French and actualy the French floor tiles were an inspiration for later designs.

Châle à coquelicots

Premier châle	Nuances rouges	Deuxième châle

Après quatre semaines de chaleur le temperature était monté ces derniers jours. Cet-à-dire: vers le nord. Pendant que le nord de la France et ma famille aux Payx-Bas ne savaient pas ou se cacher avec le canicule, nous, dans les Corbières, on as eu un peu de l'eau du ciel et du fraîcheur. Des nuits de 17°C au lieu de 22°c et à l'intérieur 22°C au lieu de 28°C (une petite maison de village reste quand même plus fraîche qu'un appartement).

Tôt le matin j'avait mis une veste quand j'ai promenée mon chien, mais plus tard dans la matinée je pouvais mettre ma châle à coquelicots (blog en Anglais). Je l'adore! Fait en cotton ; c'est doux et comfortable. Et les couleurs rouges sont toujours si vivantes. Le châle date de mai 2016. Créé pour utiliser tant de nuances de rouge que j'avais. Après tout ; les coquelicots ont des nuances, eux aussi.

Je l'avais posté dans un groupe de châle sur Facebook et on m'avait démandé de transformer mes notes en motif de crochet. Avec quelques personnes on s'est mis apart et je les ai donné les notes, j'ai fait des 'charts' avec un programme gratuit, j'ai eu des corrections, des questions, des suggestions. Mais enfin, avec leur aide j'ai réussi de le faire! Un de ces personnes as aidé pour corriger une traduction brut en Anglais. Et j'ai tout mit sur le net.

Deux amies ici dans les Corbières voulaient bien m'aider avec une traduction en Français, mais suit à d'autres tâches qui demandaient leur attention et le mien on n'as pas réussi. Alors, la traduction 'brut' que j'avait fait restait tranquille sur mon disque dur. Mais en mettant mon châle ce matin je me suis dit que c'était le moment pour me mettre derrière mon écran pour continuer. Je venait de découvrir un groupe de test sur Ravelry, alors .... il faut plonger parfois.

Mes deux châles & un petit essai. Pour bien pouvoir préciser; 'combien de mettre', 'combien de temps' et d'avoir la façon de faire fraîche dans la tête je me suis mit à refaire quelques fleurs et - peut être plus tard - faire un troisième châle en couleurs.