Blossoming Slip Stitches
Last minute announcement: If you're reading this before 2 pm. EDT on Wed. Aug. 7, you can still make it to Doris Chan's new webinar. More info over in the lower right column.
 Flowers are turning out to be a great way to mix different slip stitches with shaping methods. More importantly, there's a whole new world of slip stitch flowers out there!
The flowers at left are all shaped differently. The yellow rose (far left) has front-loop slip stitches (Fss) running horizontally across each petal. The dark pink rose in the foreground has inverted Fss running vertically along each petal. Not only is the texture different, it curls more like a real rose petal. Here's a side view:
The big flat yellow buttercup-like flower is the first flower I've ever slip stitched. It's 100% back-loop slip stitch rib, in cotton no less.
 Earlier I'd swatched eight or so short crochet stitches (slip stitch types, single crochet, Tunisian Simple Stitch, etc.). I then tried crocheting a perfect circle of each of them from graphs. Long story, but turns out it works! Now I have flower centers!
Below is a photo of the circle stage. The blue circles are three different kinds of slip stitch. (Behind them are blue swatches of various short stitches.)
When I tried different slip stitches specifically for rosebuds, I noticed that some slip stitches make cuter rosebuds than others. When I also found that no shaping is necessary for a cute rosebud, I knew I had a newsletter topic!
So, how about a quick pattern for slip stitch rosebuds? You can use them for the latest fashion trend: floral headbands.
How to Crochet Cute Slip Strip Roses
Use scrap amounts of any yarn. My favorite rosebuds so far are those made with a very smooth single ply wool, and a single or double strand of cashmere-silk yarn by Filatura di Crosa called Superior. For the hook size, I used only 1 or 2 sizes larger than one normally would for the yarn weight. Most of the rosebuds shown were crocheted with a 3.5 mm hook. For the small single-strand Superior roses I used a 2.5 mm. My Slip Rose project page has more details on yarns and hooks. http://ravel.me/vashtirama/ssr
STEP ONE
See stitch abbreviations in bold below.
Row 1: Ch 16. (For some roses I chained 15, for others 17 or 18.) Fss in the second ch from your crochet hook, Fss in each remaining ch. Ch 1 tightly, turn.
Row 2: Fss in each Fss to the last st, ss in both top loops of the last st, ch 1 tightly, turn.
Rows 3 - 4: Repeat Row 2. At the end of Row 4, ss 2 or 3 times along the edge of rows to the first foundation ch of Row 1. Fasten off leaving a 6" or so (15.5 cm) yarn end.
Big strip is heavy worsted wt wool. Thin bottom strip is fine fingering wt, which will result in rosebuds approx. the size of a penny, like you see here.
STEP TWO
Thread a fine yarn needle onto a yarn end then let it dangle while you start rolling your strip from the other end toward the end with your needle threaded. Roll so that the top two loops of Row 4 face out; and start the rolling pretty tight, and then you can roll looser as you get to the end of the strip. (Roll it however you like. I mention this because I liked the rose look of a tightly coiled center with a relaxed outer rim.)
Take your needle and sew the layers of your rolled strip together at the very base of it. I stick the needle straight through the center of the coil to the opposite side, then repeat at a few different angles. Pull it tight to gather the flower base a bit, knot, and fasten off.
You can use the other yarn end to sew the rose to a headband, barrette, fingerless mitt cuff, etc.
Abbrev's: ch=chain, Fss=slip stitch in the front loop, ss=slip stitch in both top loops of the stitch, st(s)=stitch(es).
That's it for #53! If you know someone who would enjoy this kind of newsletter, please forward this to them so that they can subscribe. (Click here to subscribe: ) If you have any comments or suggestions, please email me. Thanks! --Vashti
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Rose-Flavored Slip Strips
Pattern for these simple roses is at left.
Some Earlier Strip Roses
I learned how to crochet common (i.e. NOT slip stitch!) strip-method roses for my first skirt and top set designed in 2004. Roses at the hem too. Story here: http://bit.ly/12Z0WcB
Same kind of strip roses, only bigger! Two strands of chunky yarns were held together and crocheted with a 15 mm (P/Q) hook. Giant Roses Wrap: http://bit.ly/1baep1j (Ravelry)
DesigningVashti News
URGENT (as in time sensitive) NEWS: If you're reading this before 2pm Wed. Aug. 7, you can still attend Doris Chan's webinar on foundation stitches at the Interweave Press site: http://bit.ly/14x3ik4
 I've seen her handout for it, and you won't be disappointed.
The other big news this week is that, well, Doris and I designed a yarn together! We're waiting for FOURTEEN COLORS of it to arrive from the mill. Designing my own yarn may just be the most exciting thing I've ever done as a crochet designer - and I get to do it with my friend!!  Turns out choosing the colors is really hard. I tried various strategies, like piling promising colors from my stash on the table.
As you can see, I have too many favorite reds and pinks.
Registration for the October CGOA conference is in full force! I've posted a resources list for my Crochet Newsletters presentation. It's part of a Professional Development Day panel on Oct. 2. Anyone is welcome to attend this mini-conference-within-a-conference. More info on PD Day: http://www.crochet.org/?PDDFall
After PD Day, I'm teaching a full schedule of in-depth crochet classes on Slip Stitch Crochet, Tunisian Crochet Laces, and Love Knots. See a clickable list of all six classes here: http://bit.ly/11lP3ux (I'm near the top of the page).
 If you can't attend the Introduction to Slip Stitch Crochet class, then I wrote the Luckyslip Mitts class-in-a-pattern for you. In Ravelry:
http://bit.ly/1c9m97z
Voting on the new Aug. CAL is about to start in Vashti's Crochet Lounge. Stunning Slip Swoops resulted from last month's crochet-along!
RosemaryF's A Swoop for the Gauge Challenged
Greenwoman's Cascading Flames
Link I Enjoyed This Week
My new favorite site for creating custom graph paper that is based on actual stitch and row gauge: http://www.tata-tatao.to/knit/matrix/e-index.html
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