As the name reveals, this bracelet came into being on a Saturday evening in March this year. I went on a hunt to local yarn shops to find some metallic yarns and got inspired to listen to some old hits by Bee Gees and Abba while crocheting the very same evening. And then I just had a dance with the yarns. I wonder if this is the favorite way to party on a Saturday evening for anyone else than me 😉.
When designing this bracelet, I decided to leave some space for both sides to make the project easier to crochet (and the result also gets neater this way). After finishing the bracelets, I added a row of slip stitches to some of the bracelets, like the blue one above.
So, here is one more crochet pattern asking to: “Take A Chance on Me”. And if I as a maker am lucky, a few people will sing together with Abba and me: “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do”. 😉
Hope you enjoy crocheting this pattern with or without some background music!
Some general instructions
In this tapestry crochet technique, you work back and forth normally on both sides and all the stitches are crocheted into both loops.
• This bracelet is crocheted with half double crochets and widening the motif and decreasing the width are made one stitch at a time each row with changing the colour. Stitches are never added or decreased in this technique, because it uses the natural stitch pattern of half double crochet. The only thing changing is the colour. You see a chart for the bracelet below (it is for right-handed crocheter, if you are left-handed and have trouble in interpreting it as a mirror image, just send me an e-mail). I hope the chart also helps you on the way. The chart shows the right side of the work and the half square at the beginning of each row means ch 2.
• When crocheting tapestry crochet, you carry along the resting yarn inside the stitch. When switching color, make the final yarn over with the new color. When working with this technique carry along the resting yarn during each stitch when crocheting the right side of the work. When crocheting the wrong side, don’t carry the resting yarn inside during the first stitch after a color change.
• Remember to keep the yarns on the wrong side of the work.
• When changing color, pull gently the yarn you leave when taking the new color on the hook. It tends to be a bit loose otherwise.
• Stretch the piece sideways every now and then to make sure that the yarn carried inside the stitches is not left too tight.
• I also have the habit of making so that I crochet one hdc into the same stitch as ch 2 at the beginning of each row. At the end of the row I jump over the last hdc of the row and make the last hdc to ch 2 of the previous row (see the pictures below). I think this way the edges become quite even.
Pattern
Materials
I used small amounts of different left-over yarns for this project, for example thin cotton yarn Hjertegarn nr. 8, Permin Scarlet, DMC Natura Linen and Onion DK Hemp + Cotton + Modal combined with metallic yarn (Anchor Artiste). When crocheting tapestry crochet, I always choose a smaller hook than recommended for a specific yarn - and these yarns I managed to crochet well with hook size 2. The finished bracelet became 4 cm wide and 19 cm long. I have mostly used snap fasteners for the closure, but there are many other options of course as well as with the yarn.
If you want to make the bracelet shorter/longer the pattern repeat is 8 rows = 3,2 cm.
Abbreviations (US crochet terms):
sl st slip stitch
ch chain
hdc half double crochet (half treble in UK)
I also use terms background colour/bg color (white in the chart), motif colour (peach in the chart), RS=right side of the project and WS=wrong side of the project in this pattern.
Ch 13 + 2 (counts as ch2 in the beginning of the following row).
1. (Right Side) Start following the chart above. Crochet 1 hdc into the 3rd stitch from the hook. Thereafter crochet 1 hdc into each ch = 13 hdc (so ch2 in the beginning is not counted as a stitch). Ch 2 at the end of the row and do so at the end of each row during the whole project.
2. (Wrong side) Time to join in the other color. Crochet 1 hdc into the same stitch as ch 2 but make the last yarn over with the motif color (picture 1 below). Remember to lift the bg color to the wrong side before taking the motif color on the hook. Crochet 1 hdc with the motif color but make the last yarn over with the bg color (picture 2 below). Crochet 1 hdc with the bg color without carrying the motif color inside the stitch and then crochet 1 hdc more with the bg color and carry the motif color inside the stitch. Make the last yarn over with the motif color. Continue with 4 hdc with the motif color, 2 hdc with the bg color, 1 hdc with the motif color and 2 hdc with the bg color. In picture 3 below you see the whole row finished. Due to all the color changes there is some play with the yarn whenever crocheting the wrong side.
3. (RS) Crochet 1 hdc with the bg color, 2 hdc with the motif color and remember to carry along the bg color inside the work during both stitches as always on the RS. Continue with 2 hdc with the bg color, 3 hdc with the motif color, 2 hdc with the bg color, 2 hdc with the motif color and 1 hdc with the bg color at the end of the row.
4. (WS) Crochet according the chart. See pictures 4.-5. below if needed to see how to place the yarns when changing into motif color at the beginning of the row.
5.-8. Crochet according the chart.
9. (RS) Crochet according the chart. After finishing the last stitch of the row with motif color, carry it along inside the stitches during the 3 next stitches (first picture below). This way the motif color gets to the right place for the next row (second picture below, beginning of the row 10).
10. (WS) From this row you start you second pattern repeat. Crochet 4-5 pattern repeats depending on your materials and how you want to close your bracelet (or perhaps make a belt or a camera strap with the pattern instead). In the chart there are 46 rows = 5 arrows or pattern repeats. When closing the bracelet with snap fasteners this was the right length for my wrist.
Cut the yarn, weave in the ends and sew 2-3 snap fasteners to both ends.
Hope you have enjoyed crocheting this bracelet and perhaps feel the dance floor calling. 😉 Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions or problems. This pattern is for your personal use only. I am honored if you want to hook this little bracelet for yourself, people you love or for charity. Make it your way, make it better! In possible commercial use, please contact me first.
Pirjo
e-mail: pirjonpuuhastelut@gmail.com