"i-cord" the crochet way
Let's face it, cords come in handy. Bag straps, amigurumi appendages, fringe, top knots, the random tentacle or twenty...whatever you're making could use one or two.
Of course, this is a relatively recent discovery of mine. In 30 years of crochet, I never much thought about them until I started knitting earlier this year. Maybe I was just crocheting the wrong things, but you can't knit for long without running amok with i-cord. As with many things knit, midway through struggling with my first one, the needles went flying across the room when I lunged for my hooks and I had miles of i-cord in what seemed like seconds. Here's what I did:
Make the ever-present slip-knot and chain two. Plant 3 or 4 or 5 sc into that first chain space. Work 1 sc into each of those, no need to sl rounds together, just spiral around...on and on and on until it's as long as you like or need. If you're going to attach the end to something, just cut your yarn, leaving a nice long, sewing tail and pull it through that last stitch. If you want to close the end of the tube, work 2 or 3 sc together until it is, then cut yarn and pull through to secure.
Voila, i-cord. (edited to add some mediocre pictures that really don't clarify anything. you're basically just working a long tube...a teeny tube. Like a 3 (or 4 or 5 or whatever) sc circle you never work increases on.)
Some ideas:
Braid several together for bag straps (that don't stretch as much as knit cord either...and make a wonderful, thick felted strap too)
Worked a bit bigger, makes a great snake
Make a few inches of cord, then start increasing into a hat, which now has a top-knot....who-ville style.
Work at the corners of pillow covers to make chair ties...or heck, tie down the bottom corners of your comforter and your toes will never be chilly again.
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About Crochet Compulsive
About Me:
Shocked, just shocked to find myself somewhere in my 30s as full time
caretaker of 3 little people, 2 English bulldogs and 1 husband.
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I'm having a little trouble visualizing this--tho' I *LOVE* the idea--do you have a picture??
http://hookandi.blogspot.com
Thanks for the feedback Amy. I've altered the description a bit and added a few photos that hopefully give you some sort of idea. As my camera is on the wonk though, I had trouble getting a very useful shot....and darn it, it's hard to take a picture of only 3 stitches! Let me know if you have other questions.
Dawn
(Let's face it, with 3 kids under 6, 2 bulldogs and one hubbie, crochet... it's a sanity thing.)
http://yoursandi.blogspot.com
Okay, I am now a fan of yours for life. You have solved an ongoing problem for me. Not just in crocheting but also in sewing on the machine...how many times have I tried and failed to make those spaghetti like straps??? Too many times.
And next Halloween I am going to have crocheted snakes galore around here, thanks to your creative genious.
You gave me the inspiration I needed to finish the strap on the purse I was making for my daughter.
Thanks!
Ah yes--makes perfect sense--the pictures are great! Essentially a super-narrow single crocheted tube. A great idea, and more i-cord like than my normal solution, which is a long row of single crochet (which tends to corkscrew and stretch in odd ways)... Now to tackle attached icord!
http://hookandi.blogspot.com
AmyXSmile
I enjoy knitting I-cord for some strange reason, but look forward to trying your crochet technique. Crochet is so much faster than knitting most of the time, but I am just a novice, and hope to get this right.
Amazing, I'm new to crochet and discovering more and more great things to make every day. This adds miles to my creativity when it comes to thinking about crochet, thank you so much!
Thanks for another great tip! Once you explain, it seems so obvious. I like to make drawstring bags, and these are perfect!
Blue Ridge Mountain Girl
http://joinwithaslipstitch.blogspot.com/ - blog for beginners
love this - no more getting my husband to make monk's cord over the doorknob. He uses a drill for speed, which tends to shatter one's concentration! Thank you.