This unseasonal Strawberry was a little diversion for me. A change of pace to use big, coloured threads and play about with beads. The challenge came in finding the right size crochet hook to first the right size to catch one pair of threads to draw through the seed bead, and secondly to go through the center of the seed beads. My seed beads were from a random bag so I don't know what size they counted as but the were on the larger size for seed beads. The thread was a magenta crochet thread, the nearest I could get to a proper red but it paired up nicely with the soft peridot green I had.
The 'pin under four' or 'two pair edge' makes it easier to sew the green leaves to the top but a standard two pairs twisted about the pin is still acceptable.
I started at the top left corner, this allowed me to see where the threads went before adding more. The ones which were happy to 'bounce' off the opposite edge went back into the ground. Sometimes I had to look at both edges to see which was the most appropriate pair to use for this purpose. Because this is not a true geometric shape, some artistic licence has to be used and the lacemaker has the final decision to make on pieces like this.
This piece is worked from the back.
The seed beads were added at alternate pinholes, with one Torchon stitch being pinned between each. I used single Torchon (ct,pin,ct) but in hindsight, I think a double Torchon would have given me a stronger and thicker ground between the beads.
If you choose to use sequins, only use alternate pinholes to leave room for a small sequin.
Tension on the beads is important. Make sure that there is no slack thread on either side of the bead before working the next pin.
I ran the pairs in with the passives along a straight side to finish, easier to throw out a lot of pairs along a straight edge than all at once at the point. I sewed in the last few threads at the end.
Reuse 2 pairs of the bobbins rewound with green thread for the leaves at the top. Two versions are available, either the plaited zigzag, or the leaf tallies. The leaf tallies are worked continuously. Work the leaf upwards, pin and turn to make a plait back down to the strawberry where a sewing is made, and onto the next tally and plait until the last one is made when you tie off the last plait into the strawberry.
Techniques:- Torchon Ground (single or double). Add plait or leaf tallies. Add seed beads. Take in and throw out pairs into the edge. Add beads to darker dots. 20 pairs for ‘pin under 4’ edge, 18 pairs for single pair around pin edge. Shown is the 5cm Strawberry using Coates crochet thread no 20. using a 0.5cm crochet hook to add large seed beads.
