HOW TO CROCHET A PORTRAIT

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1 HOW TO CROCHET A PORTRAIT Many here have expressed an interest in learning how to crochet a portrait. I wrote this tutorial hoping it will help. At the end of this tutorial is a list of informative resources and also a picture section which I think will give help give you better idea as what crochet portrait work entails. WHAT YOU NEED 1) A good photograph, the better the clarity, the better the pattern 2) pattern to be rendered from your photograph (purchased on line) 3) F crochet hook (most patterns call for it) 4) 8 shades of gray yarn (yarn type and color list comes with pattern) 5) Scissors for snipping yarn 6) Stitch markers (I use small brass safety pins) PROCEDUE: First, you will need to have a pattern made from your photo. This is done by ing your photo to web sites that sell patterns. I include a few at the end of this tutorial, or you can simply google search crochet portrait patterns for more choices. The fee for this service will range from $15 to $25 depending on options requested, such as the adding of another person in the pattern, or a whole family. The turn-around time to receive your pattern can range from a few days to a week, also depending on options you want, added. THE METHOD Crocheted portraits are worked in SINGLE CROCHET, only. You work with 8 shades of yarn in what is called Grey Scale, meaning that there are 8 various shades of grey that range from black to white (lightest shade of grey to the darkest shade of gray). See photo section on back pages. The colors are assigned numbers. Black is 0 and white is 7. The in-between shades of gray range from number s 1 through 6. There are written patterns and charts, both can be worked from. But you have to ask for a chart as most designers don t provide them. You don t have to work in grey scale you can use any color you like as long as 8 shades (in that one color) progress from light to dark.

2 You may even want to try your hand at multi-colored work but grey scale is lots easier to manage for a beginner and as a beginner I suggest you stick with grey scale for now for your first portrait. Below is a typical list of colors that is included in the pattern. You are offered the choice of working in brown scale or in a grey scale color range. Most prefer grey scale. The numbers listed in the first column (left side) are the numbers assigned to the yarn colors listed on the lines to the right of them. C stands for color. The darkest color black is number 0 while the lightest shade soft white is number 7. It is also suggested that you can simply choose to match the color shown in the little windows with any yarn of your own choice as long as you keep to the progression of light to dark format. I couldn t find 2 of the colors in this list (# 5 and 6, locally) and so I substituted 2 different yarns of a matching color. Works just fine!

3 SIZE Most crochet portraits are about the size of an afghan. But, really you can do a portrait on a scarf if you wanted to. Some pattern designers offer a few selections of sizes for you to choose from. Some do not; then you will have to tell them what size you want. Just keep in mind that the larger the size, the better the results. The size is relative to what you want to be included in your portrait such as background effects or additional people, etc. READING A PATTERN The pattern starts off by telling you how many chains to make. For the sake of this tutorial let s assume the size of the pattern to be 144 x 200 (144 single crochet stitches wide by 200 rows high) which is also the size of the pattern I am currently working with. You will be asked to add an additional chain which means that you will then have 145 chains on your hook instead of 144. The reason for this is because of how the FIRST row of your pattern is worked. For the first row (only), you are told to begin the row by working your first single crochet in the 2nd chain from the hook. All other rows thereafter are worked in the 1 st chain from the hook which then leaves you with the required 144 stitches to work with. You must maintain 144 stitches through out! Count to be sure. The use of stitch markers is strongly recommended to help you keep count. Mark off every 10 th st. CAUTION: ALWAYS START EVERY NEW ROW IN THE FIRST CHAIN FROM THE HOOK FROM THE SECOND ROW ONWARD AND UNTIL COMPLETION. THE ONLY ROW THAT IS WORKED IN THE 2 ND CHAIN FROM THE HOOK IS THE FIRST ROW. OTHERWISE THE PORTRAIT WILL COME OUT LOOKING A BIT WONKY. Since you are working strictly in single crochet it is required that you must chain one then turn at the end of every row. The next page shows an example of what a pattern looks like (also in photo section). A small picture of the finished work is posted above the first row of instructions. I am using a photo of the dog portrait that I am currently working on (and still am) for this purpose as an example. Keep in mind that the first step was to make the required number of chains.

4 144 x 200 Rows 1 25 Sc:144 (sc stands for single crochet, here you are told to single crochet 144 sts for 25 rows, this is because you are just working the background for these first 25 rows as this pattern is being worked from the bottom up - see foto). Row 26 C5 Sc:141 (C5 stands for color #5, and Sc 147 means to single crochet 141) C2 Sc:1 (means use color 2 and single crochet 1) C5 Sc:2 (means use color 5 and single crochet 2) Row 27 C7 Sc:3 (C7 means use color 7 and singe crochet 3) C4 Sc:8 (C4 means use color 4 and single crochet 8) C5 Sc:133 (C5 means use color 5 and single crochet 139) and that is all there is to understanding how to follow a crochet portrait pattern. Of course there will be directions for all 144 rows but I am sure the explanations for the above few that I have shown here are enough to help you understand how to interpret the pattern. You simply work row by row changing to the colors called for all along the row as you go. This means the cutting off of one color yarn as you switch to another color. Leave a 3 to 4 tail when cutting off the yarn.

5 ABOUT CHANGING COLORS and KNOTS KNOTS: Crochet portraits involve a lot of color changes which also means a lot of knotting to be done, because as said before, the yarn is cut when a color change is made. This creates a lot of cut strands just dangling in the back of the work. They must be knotted together to secure the stitch and kept to the back of the work. I do a whole row first then turn the work over and do all my knotting, then. Your choice. To knot-off, grab one leg from the old color and one leg from the new color and tie them into a knot. Don t pull too hard on the strands or you risk making the stitch in the next row too tight for the hook to penetrate, even worse, hard to SEE. This could cause you to miss the stitch, entirely, not to mention mess up your stitch count of 144 stitches per row. Again, all knots are kept to the back of the portrait. But as you work you will see that every other row, when worked, results in knots winding up on the RIGHT side of the work - the portrait side. This is normal. But it also means that these knots have to be pulled through to the back of the work ( WRONG side) at some point in time. You can do this after a row is done or you can ignore the knots for several rows again, your choice. To pull knots through: simply use your hook to grab the knot or both legs of the knot and pull them through to the WRONG side of the work. CHANGING COLOR To change colors the stitch preceding the new color must always be left unfinished in order to join the new color. Normally, when you complete a single crochet the last step requires that you pull the yarn through the remaining 2 loops left on the hook. But NOT now! Here, when you know the next stitch is going to be a different color, you must complete the stitch with the new color. Snip off the old color, pick up the new color and pull it through the two loops that were left on the hook from the old color. Doing this completes the stitch for the old color. Now move on to the next stitch and begin working the required number of stitches from that stitch on as per directions. Just remember that the LAST stitch worked prior to a color change is always completed by the new color and

6 that there will always be 2 loops left on the hook just before a color change, is made. Simply tie off the two different color yarns dangling at the back of the work, together, or hold off till later. BORDERS I like borders and so I decided to add a black border. But you don t have to. Borders are not provided with your pattern. If you want one, you can add it in, yourself. It is easy to do. What I did, was I added 5 stitches to both sides of the portrait. Instead of chaining 145 stitches I chained 155. I began the work by crocheting 5 rows for the bottom border of the portrait in black. Next row, I then worked 5 stitches in black for the right side of the border: then worked in pattern, ending with 5 stitches in black for the left side border. I worked this way as I worked to the top of the portrait. Once at the top, the border here is worked the same way that the bottom border was worked which is to end with 5 rows of black. Easy peasy! There are many ways, tips, tricks and techniques out there, but you will develop your own style and discover what works for you. View some of the videos I list at the end of this tutorial just to see what others came up, with. But take your time as you work. Stay on track: do a stitch count across the row regularly and you will be sure to produce a wonderful tapestry that will be enjoyed for many, many years to come. Just think of what a great gift it will make for any occasion! VIDEO RESOURCES Google the 6 following titles: Crochet a portrait LindasYarnArt.com (does multi-colored work) Crocheting a graphghan Crochet Portrait Tutorial (1/3) Neville Longbottom How to Crochet Portraits 1 with Derrian Did it HOOKAGRAPH 101 CHANGING COLORS CUT AND TIE FREE PATTERNS OF FAMOUS PERSONALITIES ARE OFFERED HERE:

7 PHOTO SECTION The photos here are of little snippets I took from the various videos I listed. A page from a simple 3 color pattern for a butterfly

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