#needleworkmonday :: Trying out tapestry crochet

In the past week, I was intrigued with tapestry crochet. I have always been fascinated by the art of weaving and fair isle knitting where different colours of yarn interchanges through the process to create beautifully striking patterns, pictures and words.

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I learnt that tapestry needlework requires some skill to:

1. maneuver the change to different yarn colours
2. change to different yarn colours seamlessly
3. bring the different coloured yarns as you work
4. manage the different balls of yarn to avoid them getting tangled
5. keep the project neat and tidy

I realised that tapestry needlework can be tricky when it comes to managing the yarn, especially when colours interchange and I started to imagine how messy it can get. So, I thought to give it a try with a simple pattern (well, not so much of a pattern... I just went with a primary colour dark blue and insert a lighter yarn every few stitches 😁) to get a feel of how this works.

In my mind, the simplest, usable project would be a coin pouch. I started by chaining around 20 stitches and work a base of an oval before building the pouch with single crochets.

I decided to start simple first, just 2 different balls of yarn colours. The base, dark blue with a variegated light blue yarn.

As I crocheted the dark blue yarn, I carried along the light blue yarn. When it was time to change the yarn colour, we are suppose to change before the next single crochet. So, with 2 dark blue loops on the needle, we yarn over the light blue yarn and pull through the 2 dark blue loops before continuing single crochet with the light blue yarn and do the same thing to change back to the dark blue yarn.

While doing this, I kept the crochet consistent by making sure I carry the yarn the same order each time I change my yarn, e.g. the yarn colour that I am crocheting will always be at the outer side:

The yarn that I am carrying will always be enveloped by the yarn that is being crocheted. By keeping this consistent, the project and pattern becomes neater.

Then, I decided to add a 3rd colour for a little challenge but kept the pattern simple. This is where the yarn balls start to go a wee bit crazy. Imagine you have 3 doggies running around you in leashes and the leashes start to tangle. That is basically how it felt like 😅.

I figured there needs to some kind of a system. So, I put the 3 balls of yarn into a little basket and as I work on each colour, I will bring the ball of yarn over to the right side where it envelopes the other 2 yarns. It takes a bit of maneuvering but hey, it works. The yarns did not get tangled and as I worked on the project, it becomes therapeutically fun, especially when you are watching Game of Thrones catch-up marathon 😄.

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I quite like how this is turning out, even from the inside, it looks kinda nice.

I am still working on this but I feel more confident now to take on bigger and bolder patterns and I have my eyes set on a few 😎...

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Thank you again to @crosheille for starting this wonderful community and to the awesomely supportive #NeedleWorkMonday community!

If you love any craft that uses needles, come and join the fun with us here every Monday! You can also join us every other day at #NeedleWork.