This is one of the best “tricks” I’ve learned for Crochet. I was making this beautiful “Tea Scarf” by Pixeldiva (such a nice blog). When I was finished and excited to throw it around my neck for a test drive, I noticed that I could feel the chain edge -it was tight. I don’t think anyone else but me could see the tightness of the chain edge, but it bugged me. It felt as if the piece just wasn’t draping properly due to it, and it was not as comfy once I noticed and then of course, obsessed about it. I still have the scarf as is and want to make new ones with my new found secret weapon, Chainless Crochet. I have since used it for new projects and I can tell you that it is very easy to master. Here is how you do it:

Basically you can create a foundation of Crochet for any stitch in theory, without a foundation chain. It requires that you encompass the stitch within the foundation as you go. The most common techniques are Single Crochet Foundations and Double Crochet Foundations. The great thing is that it is EASY and once you use it, you won’t go back! It is the perfect method for scarves. I can’t remember what I searched the internet for to solve this tight edging problem in the first place, but once I found it and learned the terms, I did notice that it was in a few of my own Crochet Books. Didn’t know it’s value until I stumbled onto the real life situation -like many of you.

Here are some great resources to get you creating Chainless Foundations right away with ease:

Some great arguments for using the Chainless Foundation
The Hook and I: Breaking Chains

Chainless Single Crochet Foundation
From Teresa (The Art of Crochet)

Chainless Double Crochet Foundation
From Teresa (The Art of Crochet)
Video on Youtube

Something that I tried about a year ago and have just picked up again. Here is a photo of the scarf I started then. Notice how much my cat Kate loves it!

The stitch is quite thick and warm -creating nice bars of vertical patterns if you use variegated yarn. In the end I pulled out this scarf because it was a bit heavy for me and used this stitch instead. Both look very nice. Now I want to revisit this stitch and make a large blanket with a much larger hook.

A great tutorial for this easy crochet stitch:

Tags: crochet,, Tunisian, Crochet,, tutorial,, how, to, tunisian, crochet,, afgan, stitch

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Dr. Michael Fox’s Homemade ‘Natural’
Dietary Supplement/Meal for Cats

1/2 cup of peas, chick peas or lentils
Pinch of salt
1 T. vegetable oil (flax seed oil* or safflower oil)
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. cider vinegar
1 T. chopped canned clams in juice
1 t. nutritional yeast*
1 t. dried kelp*
1 t. calcium lactate/citrate/ or carbonate supplement*
1 whole chicken cut in pieces,
or 1 lb. hamburger (not too lean), or ground lamb, or turkey.

1 cup chopped chicken hearts and gizzards.

Combine all above ingredients. Add water to cover all ingredients, simmer and stir, and add more water as needed until cooked and thickened. Stew should be thickened enough to be molded into medium-sized or muffin-size patties (add a little oat meal or bran to thicken if needed). Also, add an egg or cup of cottage cheese. Immediately after cooking and cooling, de-bone and discard bones (cats should not be given cooked bones to eat since they can splinter and cause internal damage). This stew can be served as: 1/2 cup full for a cat with the rest of his/her rations. Freeze the rest of the stew as patties, or in muffin trays, and thaw out as needed. Serve one patty to a cat about three times per week with regular rations.

For variation, substitute 1 pound lightly cooked boneless fish, or mix equal parts of ground or chopped pieces of calf heart, kidney and liver. (NOTE: some cats are allergic to fish, corn, and also to beef and dairy products).

· * These items are available in health food stores. Ideally, all ingredients should be Organically Certified.

· NOTE: Add flax seed oil after the cooked food has cooled to room temperature.

**** In addition, give 4-6 DROPS of fish oil once a day.****

A daily multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement is also advisable, and one that also supplies essential amino acids and is recommended by feline vets is called Platinum Performance Feline Wellness. At a pinch, crush up one human a ‘one-a day’ complete multi-vitamin. & mineral supplement and put light sprinkling (about one-tenth or less)

On the cat’s food at one of the daily feedings.

T = Tablespoon
t = teaspoon
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Please have a look at his latest book on cats entitled CAT BODY CAT MIND: EXPLORING FELINE CONSCIOUSNESS AND TOTAL WELL-BEING will shortly be published by The Lyons Press.

Here it is:

Here is a link to full project instructions on Design Sponge.

The yarns they suggest work well and will be easy to crochet with as well. Initially I saw this video on Craftstylish.com.