That Blue One with Sashiko | Video Tutorials
Support videos for That Blue One with Sashiko bag pattern in overlay mosaic crochet (English version / US terms).
Here, you’ll find videos where I show the special techniques you’ll need to make the bag That Blue One with Sashiko.
The English version for this pattern is still on testing mode. When this is finished, and the pattern is properly edited and ready for publishing, you will find it on my Payhip store and on Ravelry. The pdf that will be for sale will include links to this page, so you can access the videos easily at any time, and also have a page for them that is always updated with the latest version, in case I make any improvements. Which I really hope I do.
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That Blue One with Sashiko: the project and the sample
This bag is made in overlay mosaic crochet using Susan Lowman’s Continuous Overlay Mosaic method, and it includes simplified anchored double crochet stitches (vertical and diagonal). On this page, you can find videos and step-by-step instructions of the special techniques this bag uses. Together with the written pattern, my intention is to provide you with everything you may possibly need to be able to make That Blue One with Sashiko with as little headache as possible, and as much enjoyment as desired, and get you excited about continuing to explore the wonderful world of overlay mosaic crochet.
Now, grab you hook and yarn! But first, a few notes.
Sample for the video tutorials
For the videos, I’m making a small sample of one of the pattern’s motives, the diagonal square, which will allow you and me to go through all the techniques used.
To make the stitches easier to see, I’m using green for colour A (main colour) and yellow for colour B (secondary or accent colour). I’m also using a different yarn from the one I used for the bag, so that the crocheting itself flows more smoothly.
This sample is 9 stitches wide. Using colour A, start by making 10 chains, followed by 9 single crochets.
Tip: Use stitch markers on the front loop of the first and last stitch of each row made in colour A. It will make it easier to catch those front loops when the pattern calls for a double crochet two rows after. From my experience, the hardest front loop to catch is the first of the first row, and the last stitch of every row.
On the written pattern, you have a more detailed explanation on how to read an overlay mosaic crochet chart, but we’ll use this small sample to go over it and put it into practice.
Each square is a stitch: empty squares are single crochets; the X’s are double crochets.
The column to the right, dettached from the chart, is a guide to know which colour you are using on each row: colour A (green here) for the odd-numbered rows; colour B (yellow) for the even-numbered rows. The colours on the chart itself are a representation of how the design will look once it’s finished, and don’t represent the colour of any given stitch. An example: the 3rd stitch on the 3rd row is a double crochet in colour A. The square is yellow because there will be a diagonal double crochet covering the top of that stitch, coming from row 4 to row 2.
The starting chain is not represented on the chart: it’s included or implied, so to speak, on the first row, because the starting chain and the first row are made in tandem using colour A.
X are double crochets; / and \ are diagonal double crochets with a slant to the left and to the right, respectively.
Continuous Overlay Mosaic method by Susan Lowman
This method is used with overlay mosaic crochet in rows, so that we don’t have to cut the yarn at the end of each row.
You can find here the video where Susan Lowman explains and shows her method, which is how I learned about this genious way of solving one if not the biggest drawback of the classic way of doing overlay mosaic crochet (which is also wonderful and has its own merits and purposes). I do it with small differences, but do take a look at her channel. She’s a well of knowledge and deserves all the accolades possible for what she brings and gives to the craft and the community.
Video for step 1:
Video for steps 2-5:
Step-by-step:
At the end of row 1 (and on every row from now on): after making the last stitch, open up the loop on the hook; with the working yarn to your left, put the ball of yarn through that loop going upwards, . Pull and tighten.
To begin row 2 and every row from now on: take the yarn of row 1 over the top of the stitches to the beginning of the work (to your right, if you’re right-handed), leaving some yarn hanging at the end/left of the row.
Attach the new colour with a chain on the backloop of the first stitch of the row, and around the yarn of the previous row (because you will be hiding and carrying that yarn across row 2).
Make the first stitch on the same back loop you just attached the new colour to, and make the rest of the stitches on row 2 also on the back loop only, being careful to always make them around the yarn of the previous row so that it’s hidden.
At the end, we fasten-off with the continuous method (repeating step 1), and then pull the yarn you’ve just hidden from the right side, until it doesn’t show on the left and it’s adjusted to the width of the fabric. Give the fabric a little tug to even everything out, so it all falls into place nicely.
Repeat steps 2-5 on every row, following the pattern, without forgetting to:
take the yarn of the previous row over to the beginning, and hiding it as you make a new row;
and, when you finish a row, pull the yarn you hid from left to right, adjusting it to the width of the fabric.
Anchored double crochet and simplified anchored double crochet
Anchoring the double crochet stitches is what allows the fabric to be reversible, because it makes the mosaic crochet flatter, since the stitches are all attached - anchored - and don’t have the top of the stitch floating on the back, as in the standard way of doing overlay mosaic crochet.
To maybe over-explain it: in the standard way, each double crochet is only made on the previous row of the same colour; in the anchored version, the stitch is attached both to the previous row of the same colour *and* to the row inbetween, which is of a different colour.
For the bag, I used a simplified version of the anchored double crochet (with one yarn over less). I prefer the look of it because it’s less bulky, and it also uses less yarn, which is always a plus.
On the video, I show both ways of doing the anchored double crochet stitches, so you can better see the difference and choose what you prefer. Just keep in mind that, if you choose to make the regular version, you’ll need about 30% more yarn than what I mention on the pattern.
After attaching colour A to the first stitch of row 3, the first anchored double crochet is the standard version, and the rest is the simplified version. Notice I also make 2 single crochets on this row, following the pattern. These sc’s are where the diagonal dc’s will be going when you get to row 4.
Step-by-steps after the video.
Anchored double crochet (standard version)
Put the hook through the back loop and pull up a loop (this is what anchors the stitch).
Yarn over, put the hook through* the front loop of the single or double crochet of the previous row of the same colour, and pull up a loop.
*I do it by turning the hook towards the fabric to grab the loop from below, and putting the hook under the loop bottom-to-top. Some people may prefer to put the hook through the loop top-to-bottom/downwards and it works too (someone did it like this on a workshop because it felt more natural to her; just try it if the way I do it isn’t working for you that well).
Yarn over and pull the yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook.
Yarn over again, and pull the yarn through the remaining 3 loops on the hook to finish the anchored double crochet.
Anchored double crochet (simplified version)
Put the hook through the back loop and pull up a loop. On this case, this is what will anchor the stitch, and will also be the first yarn over of the double crochet.
Put the hook through the front loop of the single or double crochet of the previous row of the same colour, and pull up a loop.
Yarn over and pull the yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook.
Yarn over again, and pull the yarn through the remaining 2 loops on the hook to finish the anchored double crochet.
Notes:
The two big differences between each version are:
in the simplified version, you don’t do a yarn over immediately after anchoring, i.e., it eliminates the first yarn over of a regular double crochet;
and, because of this, you will have 2 loops on the hook before the last pull through, instead of 3.
Simplified anchored diagonal double crochet
This is the trickiest stitch on this project, but anyone can do it! You don’t need any super-power to make diagonal stitches. Just a little bit of patience and persistence, to understand how it works and where to insert the hook.
On these next videos, you can see:
How to do the diagonal stitches.
How to do the next row after one with diagonal stitches, which is as important as the row with the diagonal stitches itself.
After each video, you can find a few written notes on both stages.
Doing the simplified anchored diagonal double crochet stitches (left / and right \)
This bag uses both diagonal stitches slanted to the right (marked as a \ on the chart), and to the left ( / on the chart), with a 2-stitch deviance (these diagonal double crochets slant at 135º and 45º angles respectively).
What does this mean?
In the case of standard double crochets, i.e., vertical, they’re made on the stitch immediately below, at a 90º angle, of the previous row of the same colour.
Example: the first stitch of row 3 is made through the front loop of the first stitch of row 1.
In the case of diagonal double crochet stitches, for this bag, they’re made 2 stitches before (if slanted to the right) or after (if slanted to the left).
Example: the second stitch of row 4 (diagonal to the left / ) is made on the fourth stitch of row 2 (i.e., since the double crochets for this bag are always anchored, this one is anchored on the second stitch of row 4 and made through the front loop of the fourth stitch of row 2; the eighth stitch of row 4 (diagonal to the right \ ) is anchored and then made on the front loop of the sixth stitch of row 2.
Notes:
I use diagonal double crochets with 1-stitch deviance on other projects, just so you know the ones this bag has are not the only diagonals you can make in crochet or overlay mosaic crochet.
For this bag, I put the diagonal stitches only on the rows with colour B, but this is a design option. It’s perfectly possible to insert diagonal stitches on every row.
Doing a row after one with diagonal double crochet stitches
This bag has diagonal stitches placed only on the rows with the secondary colour (even-numbered rows). The row in the main colour after a row with diagonal stitches still has to consider how the diagonal stitches work.
In this case, all the diagonal stitches have a 2-stitch deviance (they are made 2 stitches after or before where they would usually be placed). This means the diagonal stitch takes the width of 3 stitches: one where it’s anchored, one where it’s hooked, and one inbetween, which ends up being covered by the diagonal double crochet. To grab the front loop of the second space, you’ll have to wiggle the fabric a bit to be able to find it and grab it with your hook. Make sure to count your stitches at the end of each row to be sure you didn’t miss or add any stitch.
How to make the transition rows inbetween pannels
Rows 40, 79 and 116 are the only ones where single crochet stitches are made under both loops, and the only ones made with the same colour as the previous row.
I chose to make them this way to mark the transition inbetween pannels and make the whole more balanced, specially after the bag is put together.
Since they’re made in the same colour as the previous row, this means we won’t be able to pull the yarn we’ve hidden when we get to the end of the row, unlike what happens with all the other rows made using the continuous method. To solve this, we’ll have to put the yarn almost to the length of the row: almost, because the yarn is going to shorten as we add stitches along and hide it, and so we’ll have to leave it somewhat loose, but not too much. For this reason, you may need to make more than one try, to make sure the hidden yarn is not too long (so that it doesn’t show), nor too short (so that it doesn’t gather the fabric).
Step-by-step to make starting the row easier (on the video):
Put your hook under both loops of the first stitch;
Now, wrap the yarn around the hook, putting it first under the hook from left to right. This helps to hold the yarn and keep it in place, only with the small slack we want.
We start the row the same way we did with every other row (but under both loops instead of back loop only): first, pull the yarn through both loops of the first stitch and make a chain to attach the yarn to the work; then, make a single crochet at exactly the same place.
Keep making regular single crochets (under both loops) until you reach the end of the row.
Fasten off using the continuous method and keep following the pattern chart.
And that’s a wrap! Or a stitch…
There you have it! With the written instructions and chart together with these videos, I hope you have everything you need to feel confident and ready to tackle this project.
If you have any doubts or suggestions to improve this series of support resources for the pattern, leave a comment or send me an email or a message on my instagram. Believe me when I tell you I really (really-really) want you to succeed in making this bag and enjoy doing it. So don’t be a stranger and reach out.
Anytime I make some changes to this page (especially to the videos, which is where I think there’s more room for improvement and can make more of a difference to you), I’ll let you know through this newsletter. If you haven’t subscribed yet, do so! I promise I won’t fill your inbox with spam. :)
Oh! And before I forget, do share your progress and/or your finished bag with me however you prefer. If you do it on instagram, do tag me or send it my way. I’d love to see it!
Thank you so much for your support and for being present!
Ana