ÁGUEDA
BELT
If you have been following my blogs, you will know that my family
and I are presently vacationing in Portugal.
Thank you for joining me.
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Right then.. back to Portugal.
Today we decided to visit Águeda,
a small city in Portugal, known for its floating umbrellas (http://www.boredpanda.com/floating-umbrellas-agueda-portugal/).
Isn't this just beautiful? Sadly, this view of floating umbrellas is
up only during summer and here we are, visiting beautiful Águeda in
December.. so we couldn’t see this.
We did however, see a really beautiful yarn bombed bicycle outside a shop and on entering found that this was a lovely little handicraft place where they displayed only hand made articles.
I realised it is not a store per se, but more an exhibition run by
an association – JSA – Juntos Somos Arte Associção, Águeda and the lovely
ladies who ran it.
If interested, these lovely volunteers
are available at jsaagueda@gmail.com. So in the photo below are Luisa, Paula, Maria and oh gosh.. I
forgot the name of the lady facing the camera (in white).. sorry. These
lovely ladies were so interested and fascinated with my belt project - and
despite the language barriers, we connected over craft and crochet !
Superb liqueurs all made locally.
Yet another yarn bombed little bicycle
.. and a lovely yarn bombed chair
and this is the same bench from the picture with the umbrellas.. but close up.. what neat graffiti
.. just can't get enough of this bike
...and what a neat basket (also handmade) as are all the goodies inside.. what a perfect gift.. timeless and tasty
The scenic train ride from Aveiro to Águeda is about half an hour
each way, and that’s what it took to do most of this really easy belt.
You will now understand why I’ve named the belt so. The lady behind me is
also busy working on her crochet shawl .. neat huh?
So a little bit about the lovely trains in Portugal. There are
several train systems to cover the country and the ticket purchases of each is
really simple. You could opt to purchase your ticket at the counter, by
standing in a queue, but you could also go straight up to the easy ticket
vending machines, type in your destination and out pops a ticket. This
credit-card like ticket can be re-used in these same vending machines, by just
topping up for each ride during your stay in Portugal. The trains are all
very well listed and there is no real need to ask anyone any directions – you
have your maps, your trains all neatly marked in and the timings are
perfect. The trains leave exactly to the minute – but they are also
pretty frequent, so no need to rush and worry .. enjoy the vacation at a lovely
touristy pace.
Águeda is a cute little
village-town – quaint, small, homely and welcoming. As I told you, we
went there mainly for this road of floating umbrellas – and we were sure we
were on the right road (despite the lack of umbrellas) due to the lovely
painted light posts and benches.. and of course the lovely cobbled roads.. all
identified from earlier blog posts of other tourists. So I just popped
into the first open door I saw and with a lot of hand gestures, my
abysmal Portuguese, and English .. managed to confirm that we were on that road..
and then the lovely ladies of JSA (Luisa, Maria and Paula) gave me a quick
history of sorts of the area – and a gift !! Ah Portugal.. you’ve stolen our
hearts !
Right then, let’s get on
with this pattern.. This is not my original pattern and it’s
just one of those wonderful free floating freebies over the net. I am, as
usual, writing down my notes, and am sharing them with you.
Materials used : Today
I’ve used our lovely Indian polyester purse yarn (just about one cone), which
is a 4-ply, fingering weight yarn, with a 3.25 mm
General yarn info : This yarn is only available in India.
This yarn is not specific for this pattern. Use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red rose ; Red rose metallic or unbranded knitting cotton as well
International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.
Stitches used :
Using U.S terminology
Starting slip knot :https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw
Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot :
https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs
How to hold your yarn in crochet : https://youtu.be/FwOlCbGdbqY
What is a chain stitch ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY
Triple Crochet : trc : wrap yarn
twice around hook, insert hk into st ; yo (4 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2
lps] three times. One trc made.
Check
out the video at https://youtu.be/A0y4BbgDTbs
Chainless start for Triple / Treble Crochet :
I
dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of trc.
Check
out the video at https://youtu.be/f42MO0cGYC0
How to add beads : https://youtu.be/EcpgMgBox8I
How to work with beads in crochet : https://youtu.be/yanbAnF_pr0
Abbreviations used :
lp(s) : Loop(s) sc : Single
crochet
dc : Double
crochet sp : Space
sl-st : Slip
stitch ch : Chain
st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook
yo : Yarn Over
trc : Triple / Treble crochet
Instructions using U.S terminology
Please note that I start all my rounds with a ch 1 turning chain for ease.
Please check the top of this blog for video tutorials of all the stitches used in today’s pattern.
Please note that I take a lot of trouble to give loads of tips through my pattern sheet, so please read through the full sheet before you pick up your hook n yarn.
Quick analysis of what
we’re going to do here today.
I’ve started by
attaching my little belt buckle at one end and then work side to side with the
pattern till you have the belt length needed.
My belt buckle is a
really tiny one, and so I’ve started with a lesser number of stitches, and then
increased to the number needed for pattern.
This blog has a video tutorial for stitch explanation
The stitch count is in
multiples of 10
Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA
Row 1 : Start with
a multiple of 10 fsc for the width you want. Turn.
Note : I
urge you to try the foundation single crochet start.
If you can't do the
stitch, then start with multiples of 10 + 1 and work a sc in the 2nd
ch from hk.
Work an sc all the way to the end and count to see that you
have multiples of 10 when you finish. Continue with Row 2.
Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);
[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo
Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0
Row 2 : 4
dc in the 1st 4 fsc ;
ch 2, sk next 2 fsc ;
dc in the last 4 fsc.
Turn.
Row 3 : dc
in the 1st dc ; ch 2, sk next 2 dc ;
(dc in the next dc ; 2
dc in the next ch-2 sp ;
dc in the next dc) ;
ch 2, sk next 2 dc, dc
in the last dc. Turn.
Row 4 : dc
in the 1st dc ;
(2 dc in the next ch-2
sp ; dc in the next dc) ;
ch 2, sk next 2 dc ; dc
in the next dc ;
(2 dc in the next ch-2
sp ; dc in the next dc). Turn.
Rep Rows 3 & 4 till
you have a length desired for your belt, ending with Row 4 (or an uneven number
of rows from start)
Note : IF
you have started (as I have) with a no-pattern section at the start of your
belt, remember to account for that bit towards the end as well.
Now here’s what I’ve
done – I stopped the pattern bit (after all calculations as above) and then did
the side pattern bit before I completed the end ‘no-pattern’ bit. This
means that you end with Pattern Row 4, then do the side shell finish row, come
back to the end row and do the other side shell finish and then finally finish
with the no-pattern end.
So off we go with the
repeats and we’ll meet back here in a few inches of work
Finishing :
Right .. so you’ve finished your pattern and still have a little bit to
complete before you are done with the belt (for the length portion I
mean). The two rows we do now will add to the width of our belt.
Now for the 1st foundation
row, we’re going to turn our work at 90°, and work along the edge of the
belt. So now look at the belt edge – we have worked dc’s along the edge
.. so we will just be using these dc’s to make an row of chains that we will
work our shells off. The designer has done a row of sc, but I preferred
my method.. but you could do what she has as well.. choices.. choices.. and
decisions.. decisions… as usual
Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k
First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M
Row 1 : sc
in the 1st (corner) st,
ch 2, and sc into the end of the 1st dc
;
*ch 2, sc into the next
dc end* ;
rep *to* all the way to
the end. Turn.
In the following row,
the designer has made her shells with trc + 3 ch picot
(Treble or Triple
crochet), and then there’s a ch-2 as she’s used a foundation row of
sc.
I’ve used 5 dc’s to make
my shells and no ch-2 between the shells …more choices
So if using the chart
below , Shell = trc , (picot, trc) 4 times ; and Picot =
3 ch, sl-st into the 1st ch
Row 2 : sl-st
into the 1st ch-2 sp, sc in the same ch-2 sp
;
*shell in
the next ch-2 sp ; sc in the next ch-2 sp* ;
rep *to* till end.
You are now back at the
end (non-buckle end).
Sl-st in each st and
ch-sp on this end and go across to the other side of the belt.
Repeat the finishing on
that edge as well.
Once you’ve done both
finishing rows, finish the flat edge of your belt (non-pattern edge) to match
that at the start. Fasten off and weave in ends.
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Have a great day and see you soon.
and here are a few skirt patterns that you can use your belt for..
Here are some of my tops
Here are some of my bolero / jacket / vest creations. Have fun with these free patterns too
Here is a list of my earlier miscellaneous home use projects. Enjoy
