only slightly OT: tunisian crochet

May 29, 2008 147 Replies

I have to agree with Ericka. Yes, you can think of it as boring, or you can think of it as soothing repetition. Not any more or less repetitive than cross stitches or needlepoint (although in either one there can be some interesting additional embroidery). And too many knitted and crocheted baby blankets aren't "fit" for a baby - too many holes to trap tiny fingers.

But is it any more boring than a ripple afghan or granny squares? Once you know a pattern, whether it's knitting or crocheting, you pretty much just keep repeating it over and over. :~)

I will admit wholeheartedly that the ground is boring. But it wasn't just meant to be plain. It was meant to be embellished in some manner. Though not always. In which case it was meant to be warm. Remember coal furnaces or simply fireplaces?

It works up fairly quickly. The tedious part is the embroidery on top. The ground is sufficient so that you can do surface embroidery and not be limited to cross stitch.

By the way: did you know you can make it look like knitting? There's a ton of different patterns you can make which I was unaware of until I borrowed an old book from the local library. That book has since disappeared and I would love to have it again.

Dianne

As far as coal furnaces, when I lived where a coal furnace was used it was in a small apartment house and I was a little kid. At the age of 7 or 8, I wasn't ever really cold and ran around with an open coat and no hat in the dead of winter. Again, in a city apartment I had no fireplace so I can't relate to that.

I'm going to look and see if I still have a book that has the specialty stitches for afghan stitch. As I mentioned in my other note, I remember doing bobbles and crossed stitches and lots of cables, but I doubt I can remember any of the instructions now unless I find the pattern.

I remember a Hippie styled vest that I made in the 60's (or was it the 70's) that had strips of afghan stitch with Navaho cross stitch embroidery, open stringy stripes and lots of fringe on the edges. Think Cher when she was young and singing with Sonny.

It's hard to believe that it was considered gorgeous at the time because it certainly doesn't reflect my tastes nowadays.

Lucille

That's fine. You do what works for you. I was taught by a very accomplished woman who did this Tunisian crochet perfectly.

It has nothing to do with "gauging" or using the "matching hook". You can use whatever hook you want on almost any thread you want. I have even used a regular crochet hook with baby fine wool yarn. But I encourage you to continue with the method of your preference.

Dianne

Lucille wrote: > Since you mentioned it, I think ripple stitch and granny squares are boring

Lucille, you really made me laugh out loud. Your story was wonderful! And your comments well received. I never liked the styles of the late

60s and 70s. Was extremely relieved when nice things came back in the 80s. I went to Hallmark headquarters sometime in the mid 80s and it was mind boggling as they showed the art decade to decade from the time they started. Really ugly stuff during those "hippie" years. IMNSHO, I think we're in a half nice half ugly stuff at present. I didn't like some of the fashions of the 40s and early 50s either. Jacqueline Kennedy and a few actresses like Audrey Hepburn brought back some chic for a few seconds. :~) Dianne

I don't know why Jacqueline Kennedy who had huge, narrow feet always wore white/light coloured shoes that accentuated it, fashion blunder. Spare me the pill box hats too !

I never paid attention to her shoes or hats. It was her impeccable clothing and style that added to our American culture.

Dianne

Can you explain to me how you can separate her shoes and hats from her style. As I recall it, her hats were always a major news item, along with her sunglasses and her flip hairdo. They were also an important part of the museum collection I went to see in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

As to her impeccable clothing, I used to see her walking with Caroline along

1st Avenue in Manhattan pushing a baby stroller and dressed in jeans and T-shirts and sneakers, with a hooded sweatshirt over her shoulders. I will grant you her jeans probably cost more then mine, but they still were blue denim jeans.

As far as American culture is concerned, every fashion trend for as long as people documented fashion lent something to the culture of the time. You may not like the style but it still became part of history.

.Lucille

All of that may be true. But *I* looked at her clothes. The kind she wore for affairs of state. Classy lady . . . even in jeans.

Dianne

As they say, if you remember the 60s, you weren't really part of it.

And if you thought the artwork was ugly, you weren't stoned enough! :)

I've heard that turn of phrase before and it makes me laugh every time.

Back in the early 80's, I had an apartment that had nearly psychedelic wallpaper in the "living room". (paisleys in greens and golds). It was picked out by the landlord's mother who was in her 80s. They both thought is was very elegant. But then again, the dining room was Victorian Brothel - dark panel wainscoting and red flocked wallpaper.

C

She should have looked classy with what was spent on her clothes but how 'classy' was she when she married Onassis ? YUCK !

It was the mens 'leisure suits' - mostly polyester - that sent me nuts.

Sputter, sputter, spew!

There is a gentleman of my acquaintance that loved his leisure suits. After all, they were comfortable, washable and lasted 30 years already. What more did could he want???? His wife was unraveling them as she dared. The lime green one was the last to go.

I understand he was haunting vintage shops for more....

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The current fashion that drives me nuts are the cropped cardigans.

Cheryl

About 15 years ago, DH's high school planned a "fachion show" where the alumni wore old, out dated clothes that had been donated from folks just for this purpose. He wore a lovely lime green leisure suit with appropriate white belt and horrid swirly floral patterned Quianna shirt. I wore a cotton ankle length granny dress in a brown, rust, harvest gold calico, a ribbon bedecked ring of "silk" flowers in my hair (looooong hair worn down, of course) and went barefoot. HMMMM -- except for the colors, I'm pretty sure we both had outfits exactly like that in the early 70's, LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Yep - neon DMC 704. It was only beaten out in sheer horror by the mint green one.

Cheryl

I liked the granny dress fashion, very cool in summer lol

I totally agree with you about the cropped cardigans. My mother would ask me if I forgot to tuck my shirt in and yell at me for wearing something tht didn't fit

However as usual the style isn't really new. I remember a purple fingering yarn bolero jacket, complete with dolman sleeves, that my mother knitted for me and was considered hot stuff in the 50's. The only difference was that we didn't wear long, loose blouses underneath and our skirts and pants were skin titght.

Lucille

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