A different way to combine knitting and crochet

Several years ago, I was playing around with combining knitting and crochet, and I hit upon a way of doing so that made me really happy. I was going to write more about it “later”, but then my wrist stopped allowing me to do crochet, and “later” never came. (No, really, I tried a bunch of things. Please don’t offer me advice.)

Anyway, I recently came across some old swatch photos I took with a cell phone, and thought I’d write about it in hopes that it would spark someone’s interest. I’d love it if someone else were to play around with this!

Scalloped cast on, merged with a foundation base chain.

I found this in my list of blog post drafts. I started writing it three years ago, when I could still do crochet and when I was playing with foundation base chains and a lot of knitting cast-ons. (Stupid wrists. No, please don’t make any suggestions.)

Anyway, I’m going to post it as an extra post this week for crocheters. I can’t stand to either leave it in my draft posts or to delete it, because I think it’s beautiful. Be warned: I have a sneaking feeling there’s something wrong, or at least highly cryptic, about the instructions, but I can’t crochet to double check. It might be enough to get a skilled crocheter started?

Notes that I wrote just before posting this are written in italic.

A sad farewell to crochet

I tried resting my hands. I tried finding different ways to move my hands. I tried different kinds of hooks. But there’s no help for it: I’m going to have to give up crochet because it hurts my wrists too much. I’m only 44; the women in my family live a long time and I’d like to be able to do yarny things as long as possible.

I’ll go ahead and finish getting one more crochet pattern published, but after that I’m afraid I’ll be doing no more.

(Knitting seems to be okay; I’ll be going on with my knitting.)

ETA: I’ve had plenty of advice and suggestions. Please, no more. Thank you!

Swatching around

I’ve been playing with an idea. This isn’t it exactly, but it’s a sneak peek of something related.

Fancy Stitch (smocking)

A stitch from S.F.A. Caulfeild’s Dictionary of Needlework, p. 122, figure 221, rewritten.

This one reminds me more strongly of sewn smocking than the other Tunisian smocking stitches I’ve seen. (Though I am still new to this! So who knows what I’ve missed?) I also keep seeing the Greek letter pi in the stitches, which amuses me very much.

Abbreviations:
* * repeat the instructions between these until the end of the row.
YU yarn under; that is, bring the yarn forward under the hook, then wrap it around the hook.
TPS Tunisian purl. This video by Kim Guzman shows the maneuver:

TPS2tog instead of working the purl through one vertical bar, work it through the next two bars as if they were one bar.
TSS Tunisian simple stitch, also known as afghan stitch.

Make the foundation row as usual.

1. Work the first stitch as usual. *YU, TPS2tog* Work the last stitch as usual, and then chain back.
2. Work the first stitch as usual. TSS. *TPS2tog, YU* TPS. Work the last stitch as usual and then chain back.

Repeat these rows as desired.