Tapestry Crochet

Tapestry crochet has been there for me when I needed it. This video shares some of the ways it helped me work through a difficult part of my life.

Let me introduce you to an articulate and talented artist who celebrates his heritage every day.  Many people know him as Diego Juárez Viveros, but he is Atlachinocolotl Paquiliztli on Facebook and in the dance community.

He moved from Michoacán, México, to the United States when he was 4 years old. As you will see, he has accomplished quite a lot since then!

Atlachinocolotl Paquiliztli, 2005, and his tapestry crocheted Aztec Dancer, Red Heart acrylic yarn, 5′ x 2’6″, 2013.

He explains, “All of my life, I have stood out for being out of the ordinary for many reasons. I stood out in school for my excellence in academic achievement. Despite growing up in a family with low economic means, I have found ways to become successful. After graduating from high school with an outstanding academic record, I pursued a biochemistry degree at University of California, San Diego and graduated in 2008.  I then decided to pursue a career in pharmacy and I was accepted to University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy.  In September 2013, I completed the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program.”

“I put a lot of passion in everything I do.  Aside from crochet, I am interested in astronomy, photography, technology, and learning languages. I speak Spanish and English very fluently. I am currently learning Nahuatl. Nahuatl is an agglutinative language, which means that words are constructed by combining word particles in order to form single ideas.  My name can be broken down as “atl” + “tlachinolli” + “colotl”, which mean “water”+ “burnt” + “scorpion”, respectively. My name means Burnt Water Scorpion.  “Paquiliztli” means happiness.”

Atlachinocolotl Paquiliztli’s unique tapestries are crocheted back and forth, but instead of showing the back of the stitches on every other row, the face of his fabric shows only the front of the stitches. There are a few ways to accomplish this, so I asked him how he did it. He explained, “When I crochet in the opposite direction, I crochet backwards just like it is described in your book. I hold the right side forward and the wrong side toward me. Then I use my right hand to crochet. You can see a little in the photograph of me crocheting that way (below).”

Atlachinocolotl crocheting across the back of his Aztec Dancer with Red Heart acrylic yarn, 2012.

“In 2010, I saw my mother crocheting a piece and I asked her to show me how to crochet. She showed me how to do single crochet and, instantly, I was hooked (hehe). I started experimenting with crocheting that day. I wanted to know more. So I bought some books to learn the basics of crochet. I made some rather simple projects at first. After much experimentation and exploration, a vision of what I wanted started to take hold: I wanted to recreate pictures with crochet. I set off on a quest to find out more information about switching colors but I could only find basic instructions. I started making basic pieces with two colors to experiment at first. I created charts using square graphs. The designs came out okay, but I wasn’t satisfied.”

“The piece below was my first attempt at creating a tapestry crochet piece (at that time, I didn’t know the term). The pattern was modeled on a square graph paper.  The piece was crocheted with double crochet stitches, using blue and white Omega Crys yarn.   While creating this project, I learned the basics of switching colors to create a pattern.

“One day, I came across your videos on YouTube. That is how I realized that pictures could be reproduced using tapestry crochet. I began to experiment. My first major crochet piece (The Aztec Dancer) was modeled on a square graph. With this project I began to understand the intrinsic structure of single crochet and figuring out how to reduce bleeding of colors. I realized a square graph is not an adequate model for tapestry crochet but that the stitches are better Erica the Mexican Folkloric Dancer modeled by a hexagonal graph. I spent an entire day figuring out how to overlay a hexagonal graph over a picture in Photoshop. Once I figured that out, I had a working model.”

Graph, front, and back of Erica the Mexican Folkloric Dancer.

“I then started crocheting. With this most current project, I refined my technique more and created ways to make lines crisper with single crochet.” He describes the Erica the Mexican Folkloric Dancer tapestry in a short YouTube video.

Erica the Mexican Folkloric Dancer, Red Heart acrylic yarn, 3′ x 6′, 2013.

When I asked about his yarn and hook preferences, he said, “It depends on the type of project I will be making.  In general, I prefer bright colors so I pick yarn brands that provide those colors. For projects that require fine detail, I like to use Omega Crys, which is a fine yarn (size 10) made of 68% acrylic and 32% polyester. It is imported from Mexico and is available in a wide variety of bright colors.  For fine projects I use a 2.00 mm hook.  For bigger projects, such as the colorful blankets I have made, I use Red Heart yarn (size 4) with a Size E hook.”

For his newest piece, Atlachinocolotl Paquiliztli digitized his own scorpion drawing with a pen tool, then layered a hexagonal graph over it in Photoshop.

Atachinocolotl’s scorpion graph.

Colotl Scorpion in progress, Omega Crys acrylic and polyester yarn, 2013.

“This is my most recent piece.  I crocheted it with a 2.00mm hook and tapestry single crochet techniques.  This project is different from my previous projects for two reasons. This is the first time in which I have incorporated beads in a project. It is also the first time in which I joined another fabric in the back in order hide the yarn that I carry in the back.”

Atlachinocolotl Paquiliztli and Colotl Scorpion, OmegaCrys acrylic and polyester yarn and glass beads, 7′ 3″ x 8 3/4″, 2013.

“After seeing the huge online response to my work, I intend to teach about my technique.  After comparing my results with those of others, I realized that my techniques allow for crisper edges with single crochet.  I plan on writing an ebook in iBooks format. This book will include pictures, text and video explaining my technique.  It will have designs inspired by my Mexican background.  It will include the patterns for the Aztec Dancer and the Mexican Folkloric Dancer as well as some more of my ideas.  I am currently undergoing a huge life transition since I have just graduated from pharmacy school.  You should expect to see my book within 1-2 years.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Atalachinocolotl Paquiliztli’s future work – both his tapestry crochet and his publications!

I’m proud to say that Gwen Blakley Kinsler included my tapestry crochet and me in her wonderful new  book!

The Fine Art of Crochet doesn’t have crochet patterns, but instead focuses on the individual stories of twenty artists who use crochet as their medium. Gwen included several photos of my work, but could not include everything she mentioned.  No problem, though, because my Self Portrait, Mothers Advice Pearls, Mothers Advice Harvest, and our house can be seen online. Unfortunately, the Hidden in Plain Sight book she mentioned has still not been published – someday soon, I hope!

Gwen had a difficult time getting this book printed because publishers assumed it would not be a hot seller. Please prove them wrong and show your support by either purchasing a copy or by requesting that your library do so.  Currently, Amazon.com has both the paperback and kindle editions for the lowest prices.

Congratulations, Gwen, for making your dream come true (and thanks for including me, too)!

Jocelynn Brown is a very talented and creative journalist. Her column in The Detroit News includes a variety of media, but my favorite articles showcase some of her own tapestry crochet designs!

Jocelynn was nine years old when her mother taught her to crochet. She reminisced, “We’d spend hours together crocheting in front of the TV and sometimes on the back porch. I continued through my adulthood, designing and making hats, afghans and baby clothes.”

Hat designed by Jocelynn, 2012 (photo: The Detroit News).

Jocelynn tried to teach herself tapestry crochet in 2008, but didn’t really grasp it until last year. Since then, she’s been designing colorful hats and other accessories. Her goal now is to learn how to use graph paper so that she can add more shapes and motifs.

The instructions for the golf club cover below were included in Jocelynn’s A golf club cover for old times’ sake column in the February 3, 2012 Lifestyle section of The Detroit News. The golf club cover is also featured in her Crafting Blog.

Jocelynn’s Golf Club Cover, 2012 (photo: The Detroit News).

Jocelynn Brown (photo: The Detroit News)
Jocelynn says, “I find tapestry crochet to be very relaxing, and I’m always planning my next project. Right now, I’m looking forward to making a summer tote with lots of jewel tones, using a mercerized cotton.” I’m really looking forward to seeing it. Hopefully, she’ll share it with us in another inspirational column!

I discovered Kathryn Kawasaki’s playful tapestry crochet bags and hats on the projects page of the Tapestry Crochet Group on Ravelry, where she goes by mrskawasaki. Her children’s drawings and friend’s requests inspired Kathryn to tapestry crochet several functional works of art! What follows are answers to my questions and descriptions of her projects on Ravelry.

When I asked Kathryn how she found out about tapestry crochet and where she learned how to crochet, she explained that “A few years ago, I saw a picture of one of your pieces with cats, and was very fascinated with the idea of putting a design directly into the fabric.  So, I bought your book, More Tapestry Crochet, to get that pattern, and for the paper to make my own designs.  I originally learned regular crochet from my (late) mom, but that was close to 40 years ago, and I’d forgotten all of it.  I did inherit two sets of her hooks, though.  I had to buy a book to figure out what I used to know – this was about four years ago.  I started with little animals (amigurumi?) and afghans, before branching out into tapestry crochet.”

And when I asked about her inspiration, she said, “Mostly I crochet because my children never seem to finish their activities at the same time, and I need something to do while I wait. I love being able to “draw pictures” on the cloth and to watch them appear as I work.”

“The tapestry crochet graph paper has been very, very helpful to me. I use a copy machine to make bigger sheets of it to make drawings with more pixels.”

“My daughter wanted a lunch bag with ‘a mouse and a long strap’.  She drew the picture on tapestry crochet graph paper, and I added the balloons to give it more height.  She used it for several months, but it was too small, so now the bag holds the clothespins when I go outside to hang wash.”

Mouse Bag, 5″ diameter x 8″ tall, 2009.

Kathryn made the bag below for her sister. “The picture is a Daruma, a Japanese goal-setting doll. The doll starts with both eyes white. One eye is painted in at the beginning of a project, and the other at the end. The base looks a little like a chrysanthemum.”

“My seven-year-old drew the faces on the special paper. I cleaned up her design, cleared out some leftover yarn, and my friend ended up with the “coolest lunch bag ever!” Win-win all around. :)”

Square Faces Bag, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 6″ diameter x 10″ tall, July 2010.

“My friend’s niece is an acrobat in a circus (how cool is that?!), so my friend asked for a bag with circus elephants as a gift. There are six elephants altogether, but only pictures of four. Whoops.”

Circus Elephant Bag, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 7″ diameter x 11″ tall, August 2010.

“My neighbor told me one too many times that my bags look like hats. So I made him a hat. A really, really garish hat. With fake dreads. In the colors of his alma mater, the University of Tennessee. The brown hat was a test. I kept that one. And the children. I kept them too.”

Bo and Jo model Orange and Brown Hats, Lily Sugar’n Cream Cotton, September 2010.

“These projects take fewer than 12 hours, so it’s usually only a few days.  Any longer, and the project becomes not portable.”

Kathryn made most of the Snowmen Bag below on a long car ride.

Snowmen Bag, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, October 2010.

Sea Turtles, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, November 2010.

Rasta Hats, Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool and Paton’s Classic Wool, December 2010 and June 2011.

“The bases of the snowman and fish bags are the same – kelp and snowflakes are different only in color!  Who knew?”

Fishy Bag, Plymouth Yarn Jeannee Worsted Cotton & Acrylic, March 2011.

“My ten-year old drew this for me. I like the fingers and how the alien’s eye moves around on its stalk. He didn’t want fingers on the lower limbs.”

One Eyed Guy Bag, Plymouth Yarn Jeannee Worsted, 5″ diameter x 8″ tall, March 2011.

“Who knew orcas have a gray patch behind their dorsal fins? I sure didn’t. This bag was fun to make, but I had to add kayakers to make it tall enough. I like the high contrast of the colors.”

Orka and Kayak Bag, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 11″ high, April 2011.

“This is a (much) bigger version of the earlier circus elephant bag. It came out taller than I anticipated. Clearly, I need to plan ahead . . .  There are three rows of four linked elephants, with stars on half the blankets, and abstract designs on the others. The design on the base is because it’s easier to count to 18 eight times than it is to count to 144!”

Mammoth Elephant Bag, Plymouth Yarn Jeannee Worsted and TLC Cotton Plus Solid Cotton & Acrylic, 6″ diameter x 14″ high, June 2011.

“A co-worker asked me to make ‘a tote bag that looks like Eddie Van Halen’s guitar’ . . . umm, okaayy . . . A tote bag in this fabric would weigh three tons, so I made him a “swatch pouch” about the size of an e-reader so he could see if he wanted to go that big. He’s decided against the tote bag. Now he wants a beanie ‘that looks like Eddie Van Halen’s guitar’. I took the picture before I added the button.”

Eddie V Bag, Plymouth Yarn Jeannee Worsted, 6″ x 8″ tall, June 2011.

“Whew! My hands were able to save me from my big mouth – ‘sure, I think I could make a beanie that looks like Eddie Van Halen’s guitar . . .’ It was tricky making the stripes look random; I had to pay attention to where I put the increases. I made the top of the hat mostly symmetrical to keep the counting easier. I put his initials on the hat – looks kind of Van Halen-esque, no?”

Eddi V Beanie, Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash, July 2011.

“It was a fun project for a camping trip, but I had to keep it away from the campfire lest it get all smoky-smelling. My 10-year-old took the picture of me. Not too many chins. :)”

Kathryn busily tapestry crocheting the Eddie V Beanie.

“What inspires me? The desire not to play with a phone to pass the time, I guess. I just like turning pictures into fabric. Deciding what to “draw” is the hardest part. (I seem to favor stuff with faces.) I am happiest when people give me ideas, for example: “Can you make an elephant?”

I really look forward to seeing what this creative mother and her two talented children from Campbell, California, do next! Don’t you?

Wendy Herdman, of Mesa, Arizona, is new to tapestry crochet. She says, “After several years hiatus from crochet, I stumbled on a reference to tapestry crochet while looking at painted thread techniques and the concept immediately made sense. Typically for me, I jumped into my yarn stash and started experimenting with all of three paragraphs “instruction”. Now that I feel comfortable with the basics, I’m looking forward to refining and expanding my skills.”

“I tend to work very organically with only a general idea of the finished project in mind. I don’t use published patterns or do more than rough sketches beforehand so my work is a constant process of finding solutions to problems I didn’t even know I’d be facing! That process–asking the questions, making mistakes, experimenting–constantly informs the direction of my work. Every piece begins with a single question: “What if?”

When I asked Wendy what she liked about tapestry crochet, she responded, “I love being able to change colors on the fly and even rip back huge sections without having to worry about stopping and starting new threads. It’s incredibly freeing.”

When asked, “What don’t you like about tapestry crochet?” She said,

“Having to stop to untangle the yarns! Working two or three colors at a time isn’t too bad, but when I get up to five or six I start seriously thinking about trading out a few colors to keep the numbers down.”

“My stash is mostly acrylic for economic reasons and for now that translates into a lot of Caron’s Simply Soft. I like the range of colors and the smooth feel, but I’ve been sneaking in more natural fibers and different weights of acrylic as well. In the end, anything that offers a good color or interesting characteristic to exploit is going to be a likely candidate for my work basket.”

None of her pieces are done with graphed images – but are made up as she crochets. To see more of Wendy’s fabulous original creations, take a look at her projects page on Ravelry, where she goes by wherdman.

And when asked, “Do you have any tips?” Wendy replied, “Play! Every now and then, throw away the patterns and the graph paper and just play. It’s good for the soul.”