Thursday, April 05, 2007

Cro-Tatting Anyone?

I bought a while back a Cro-Tat set - a few hooks, instructions booklet. I think its all written in Greek though as I can understand nothing!

Yeah, I know, I really should NOT be starting any more projects, but I was trying to find an awesome pattern to use to make something for my partner (Mimi) in the Fiber Freaks Kitchen swap.

I figured Cro-Tatting would be something unique, and how hard can it be, right? I have instructions, a fairly well functioning brain and a fair to good knowledge of crochet.

Ugh!

I got stuck on the very beginning of the pattern when you start to do the Cro-Tatting special stitches.

I don't have the pattern here, but it went something like this:

Chain 6, form circle, 12 sc in circle, attach with a sl st to first sc. (so far, so good)

So far, so good, I think I can handle it so far. Then the one that is confusing me:

Reverse sl st

Huh? I gotta do what? The instruction on this stitch say: "working left to right, insert hook in next st to the right, yo, pull lp through st and lp on hook." Left to right? I put it in the previous stitch? Perhaps I'm just not thinking, perhaps my hands don't work this way, but every time I try to do it it seems like I am doing something wrong as I just can not coordinate.

I do wish that there were better picture tutorials out there.....the first stitch of a "new technique" for me and I can not get it right.

Back to the drawing board to find a different pattern that does NOT include the Reverse sl st!

8 comments:

Pink said...

I remember the first time I tried rev sc...omg...it felt really awkward! Just take it slowly and, the key for me, work looser than you usually would, then you'll have a longer loop on your hook to "get behind you".

Good luck, you brave girl, can't wait to see the results...and now you blogged about it so is everyone else..lol

Cyndilou :) said...

Yes, exactly like you are working in the previous stitch. If you are ambidextrous, just switch hands and work the opposite direction. For the millions of us who aren't, however, twist your hook down and back into the previous stitch in order to pick up your loop for the reverse sl st. Google shrimp stitch or crab stitch to see what reverse sc (same technique, basically) looks like.

Anonymous said...

Don't give up yet! I had a rev sl st on my very first pattern I attempted and it was definitely strange and a very slow stitch. Did you try googling the stitch? I believe I got the hang of it from watching the old stitch guide. If that fails--Vera Hannaford has a free blanket pattern that uses that stitch. Maybe her directions explain it better. Sometimes I find if I can just get a different explanation of how the stitch is worked then I'm ok.

Mimi said...

Good luck, Kimberly! That sounds cool if you can figure it out :D It will be such a challenge to surprise you, since I have not learned any fancy stitches lately :)

Jenny Moore said...

Yikes! I had a pattern once where I had to do a rev. sc, and it was a pain in the you know what! I think pink's "awkward" was putting it nicely. lol. Good luck with the cro-tatting. Look forward to seeing the final results!

Yasmin said...

Reverse sl st is very alike the reverse sc.Maybe you better check out the stitch at some other source, sometimes it is worded differently and it becomes easier to follow.
Would it be so wierd if I said that I actually like doing the reverse sc? But that's true. I like to finish off items wih that stitch- it gives a nice and strong finish. It's really easy too once you get the hang of it ...just need to practice a little. Hang on, You can do it.

LG said...

That sounds too complicated for my neurons...

Beverly said...

Reverse sl st is very easy. In stead of doing a sl st in next stitch. With the Reverse sl st, you simply do the sl st in the st to the right.