Saturday 31 October 2015

TEA LIGHT HOLDER 2

Sweet Nothings Crochet free crochet pattern blog, photo of the tea light holderSweet Nothings Crochet free crochet pattern blog, photo of the tea light holder

TEA LIGHT HOLDER 2

Navratri is a festival of nine nights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navratri when we ladies get a chance to show off our craft and decorative skills, have friends and family come home and enjoy some different foods.  This is closely followed by Diwali, our festival of lights https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

During both these festivals, we decorate our homes with lights.  In the old days, we used mud lamps – now with the advent of tea lights and candles, these are the simpler, easier, and cleaner lamps that we use.

In my earlier blog I wrote about how my friend Prabha had tested this tea light candle holder, using a regular tea light candle and reading that my dear (lawful.. well, she married my brother, so ..) sister sent me the link for these lovely battery operated flameless candles, which I thought I should add here, just in case.  
Thanks so much dear Anu for taking the trouble to check this out for me. 
http://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Tealights-Battery-Operated-Flamess-Candles/dp/B001GDXGCO

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While I was working on my varied tea light holders, someone in another crochet group shared a photograph of a tea light candle holder that looked something like this.... and I thought I’d experiment and see what I’d get.

This is my second creation for tea light holders.  

Materials used : Indian Polyester yarn with a 4 mm crochet hook.

Difficulty level : Intermediate  to advanced skill level

Abbreviations used : (Using U.S terminology)
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                 MC : Main Colour
CC : Contrast Colour                    
Sc-blo : Single crochet back loop only


Stitches used :  (Using U.S terminology)
Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot.  https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot.  https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs


Instructions 
Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.
Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.
Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.
In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement.  This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project. 

So before we jump into the pattern, let’s see what we’re going to do here.
This is a pretty straight forward pattern.  We start with a magic circle and the base of our little holder, and work till we get a round base that we’re happy with… i.e the size of the tea light candle holder we’re going to put inside.  Ensure that the round we’re making here is a little larger than the tea light, to prevent the flame from jumping out and creating a fire hazard.

We will then continue to create the top and sides of our little container holder.  
This part is the constant for all our tea light holders.

As we turn to work the sides of our holder, we will be working one round in back loops only. 
Very conveniently, the other loop (i.e un-used front loop) will be the one we will re-attach our yarn onto to work the lower round portion of our tea light decoration.

Easy enough, right? So let’s move on..

Instructions :  (Using U.S terminology)

 Our pattern repeat is 6 
(If you want six spokes, start with 6. If you want eight spokes, start with a magic circle and 8 hdc in that circle)

Magic circle : To refresh your skill, please view this easy video https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Half Double Crochet : Hdc :  yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;
yo, draw through all 3 lps.  One hdc made. 
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8

What is a slip stitch : Here is a neat video tutorial at https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

Start with a magic circle and 6 hdc in that circle.  
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.  
Pull lightly to close.

Base Round 1 : 2 hdc in the 1st hdc and each hdc till end.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Base Round 2 : hdc in the 1st hdc  ; 
2 hdc in the next hdc ; 
* hdc in the next hdc ; 2 hdc in the next hdc * ; 
rep *to* all the way around.  
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

To create a nice rim, and a deciding line where we can attach the rest of our pattern to, let’s work one round in single crochet, using back loops only or sc-blo.

Single crochet back loop only (sc-blo) : Here is an easy video tutorial

Base Round 3 : sc-blo in the 1st hdc and each hdc till end. 
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

We will now work one round without increase that will work the sides of our tea light holder.

Side Round 4 : hdc in the 1st sc and in each sc all the way around. 
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

For regular tea light holders, just Side Round 4 should suffice.

However, depending on how high you want the sides for your lamp holder, continue without any increase till you have the height you are happy with.

Fasten off and weave in ends.
We’ve completed the little ‘basket-like’ portion of our tea light holder.  This is where we’ll place our little tea light.

We will now work on the decorative or floral part of our holder.  So we need to go back to that sc-blo row, and re-attach our yarn. 
We will now be working in the front loops of that sc, and our instruction for that first round, will just read work in sc.

For convenience, I have termed earlier rounds as Base and Side.  
These instructions will just be numbered Round 1.. etc.

What is a chain stitch ? Here is an easy video tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY

Round 1 : sc in the 1st sc ; 
*ch 3, sk next 2 sc, sc in the next sc* ; 
rep *to* in each sc till end.  
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

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

Round 2 : dc in the 1st sc ; 
*(2 dc ; ch 3, 2 dc) in the next ch-3 sp ; 
dc in the next sc* ; 
rep *to* all around till end.  
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

We will use our decorative picot stitch in this round.  
How to work a picot stitch : Traditionally for a ch-3 picot, you work (ch 3, sl-st in 3rd ch from hook).  For a ch-5 picot, you will do (ch 5, sl-st in 5th ch from hook). 
Here’s a great video https://youtu.be/8s3zVaBcn4s

Our picot is a (ch 3, sl-st into the 1st st).

Round 3 : sc + picot in the 1st dc ; 
*{ch 3, sc + picot in the next ch-3 sp ; 
(hdc, dc, trc + picot , dc, hdc, sc + picot) all in the same ch-3 sp} ; 
ch 3, sk next 2 dc , sc + picot in the next dc* ; 
rep *to* all around till end.  
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Using this pattern, I have made two projects, and they are slightly differently sized, due to the thickness of the thread / yarn.  So I’m going to experiment yet again to see if I can increase the diameter in that last round.

All that said, these are still absolutely stunning little tea light candle holders.

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Have a great day and see you soon. 

I have made one other tea light holder that I posted yesterday


and some more interesting home use patterns