Hello, hello! Do come in. There’s still space on the sofa. Make y’self comfy – I’ve got something fun to show you today that will, I hope, make you smile.
Is everyone here now? OK.
I’m not afraid to admit, I do enjoy a good scrumble of an evening. It fair warms the cockles of my heart, I tell you. Never heard the word scrumble? Well definitions are divided into those that involve baking apples with blackberries (yum), and those more relevant to this post that involve creating small freeform crochet (or knitting) motifs, to be combined into a larger freeform design.
Tonight, I’ve been a-scrumbling with a purpose. A combination of ultra-cheap jeans and hours spent crawling on the floor playing farms with the Toddler Twinnage leads, inevitably and without deviation, to this dismal state of affairs:-
So I decided to crochet away the problem with a 2.5mm hook, a tapestry needle, and some DMC Natura cotton 4-ply yarn. Now feel free to learn from my mistake, because I unwisely started by using a tapestry needle to chain-stitch a border for my motif.
But I came to regret that, because it’s much easier to freeform outwards than it is to freeform inwards. Ah well, folks. I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.
Nevertheless, a semi-reasonable abstract design began to take shape, created by a combination of working bits of motifs separately to be inserted, and crocheting inwards from the border:-
Or at least it was supposed to be abstract, but it started looking overly like a bird, so I decided to doodle a little with some lilac thread and a tapestry needle:-
What do you think? Not too bad? And have you any idea how difficult it is to take a photo of one’s own knees?? Let’s have another go:-
I’m going to embroider a couple of lilac curls on the other knee too, because I think it will protect the underlying fabric from ripping.
Anyway, should you have jeans of your own that you wish to mend, here’s what I suggest:-
- Use a thin yarn and a crochet hook. *whispers:* When things get difficult, you can abandon your crochet hook and embroider with a tapestry needle. But please don’t tell anyone I said that.
- Place a block or small hard-backed book inside the jeans leg so that you don’t inadvertently sew through both sides. I found a small edition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar very useful.
- As you would with any scrumbled freeform design, start by working two or three little motifs, then join them together to make a shape that more than covers the hole in your jeans. Sew the finished work into place. Of course you can follow my example and chain-stitch around the area first, but I’m really not sure I’d recommend that.
- I then used a tapestry needle to chain-stitch across the design.
And that’s all there is to it, I’m happy to say.
Meanwhile, it’s cold here, but there’s not been even a hint of snow. 🙁 We’ve been on shivering walks and seen old man’s beard, which makes you feel as though you’re in a snowstorm if you screw up your eyes and squint at it:-
…and some richly red bramble leaves…
…and an old hill fort dating from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Look, you can see its
stepped sides on the right:-
But enough of that, my friends. I would like to leave you with two words, on which matter there will be more soon: arctic qiviut. 🙂
Stunning, you’ve done that so well,
Thank you. 🙂
I need to find me some abandoned toddlers and get these old jeans down on the floor and wear a hole in ’em …. just so I too can play and create something just as eye-catching as this. What fabulous ideas you come up with Good to know to leave that pretty embroidery chain til last 🙂 I can see where you got the idea it looked like a bird – but in the long shot it looks more like a handbag to me. Mostly I’m impressed with the off centre flower because you know I would have just done a full flower which isn’t nearly as arty looking – and that would have been had my rusty brain got as far as thinking, ‘ Mmmmm, I can patch this here hole in my jeans with a bit of deft crochet and embroidery work!’ So admiring of another good creative job Twisted, well done!
Well you’re WELCOME to come here and play with the Toddler Twinnage on our rough floors ANY time you like. 🙂 Holey jeans guaranteed within the week.
But yes you’re right, there is a slightly handbaggish look that I wasn’t intending. Sigh.
Clever girl!!
*blushes* 🙂
Wow, that looks lovely. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don’t seem to wear through jeans so I can’t patch them up 🙁 Maybe I could patch them up anyway…
Hmmm, I fear you might need to get some more rubbishy-quality thin jeans. And spend more time crawling around on the floor. Or you could, as you suggest, just patch them anyway. I promise it to tell. 🙂
That looks absolutely fantastic! I think I might try something like this if I ever need to fix holes in my handmade socks – it’s darning with attitude.
Good idea (although it is quite lumpy so might be uncomfortable inside a shoe?)
Stunningly twisted. Reminds me of the patches my mamma made on our clothes in the fifties. Although I think you totally have the artistic edge. Great share. Love it x
Yikes I wrote fifties when I meant to write seventies!!! Pretending to be older than I am ?!?
I will NEVER have the edge on your mum, craftwise. But I’m fine with that. (I did smile at the idea of you remembering the fifties. 😉 All I can say is, you’ve aged VERY well.)
I do like your newly-mended jeans. I’m thinking I could use that idea to make my joggers look a bit better after Sammie has pulled threads in them by climbing up my leg. Shame I can’t do the same for my legs 😉
We’ve had a bit of snow here, but nothing to get excited about. It’s very frosty out there this morning though. Pretty.
Snow? Snow?! Right, you must send me your address IMMEDIATELY. I’m on my way right now. Bye Toddlers, bye spouse, bye job, I’ll be back in a week: I’m just off to gatecrash the home of someone I’ve never met….
But yes, I fear that the technique will prove less than adequate on actual legs. Unless you have an exceptionally high pain threshold. I suppose you could tattoo a crochet design on your leg, but that won’t help much with the doggy scratches. Sorry.
I did mention it was nothing to get excited about, right? 😀
You don’t understand…. Snow is ALWAYS something to get excited about.
Fair enough 😛
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – such a useful tome! That made me laugh.
It was exactly the right size. 🙂
This takes me back to the 1970s when, as an aspiring hippie-chick, I spent hours embroidering my jeans! Using crochet looks like fun, too!
I think I’m a little bit of a hippy at heart, too. 🙂
Just gorgeous! Makes me want to go and find something to embroider on immediately:)
I’m sure it would work on any plainish fabric, especially a corduroy skirt or summat. Anyway, thanks as usual for your kind comment.
Absolutely beautiful! I tend to stain, rather than rip, my jeans… but it would work to cover that, too!
Absolutely it would work on that too. 🙂
Thats pure genius! What a smart idea! I may have to adapt this to darn some socks!
Thank you! I’m eyeing up lots of other things that need darning now….. (MOST of my clothes need darning…. Sigh.)
Well me too. I think i can modify half my wardrobe. I suspect the foundation chain could be a very handy anchoring tool.
Reblogged this on Green Lizard's Blog and commented:
I need to reblog this post because it’s sheer genius! I never know what to do with stuff with holes cos my sewing ability is zero but I can crochet and I can chain stitch!
Thank you so much for re-blogging. 🙂
It was genius!
That’s a really neat idea! I usually do the old “punk rock” standby…sew on patches (for holey jeans, or for silk-screened music/etc. patches) with dental floss and melt the ends to hold the stitches, but this is an interesting alternative!
Oh wow, I love the dental floss idea! *scurries off to try it*
Very nice!! I should learn to crochet just to patch my knees.
It’s easy, honest……………….
Well now, we have Serendipitous dissension on this blog post. I, personally, am DELIGHTED by this post. As someone who lives in the country in the close proximity of dogs, blackberries and various opportunities to stress clothing beyond the point of no return, I see this most excellent of tutorials as a means to a most colourful end (quite literally as you will see…) Mr Stevie-boy is not so keen. You see the other day when we were hauling a very large rock out of the way so that we could access the rear of Sanctuary, and with all of the heaving and ho-ing he split his favourite shorts. OH the lamentation! Now prior to me discovering the joys of patching clothing with crochet, it would have been a simple matter of darning the crotch of his shorts with boring cotton. Trying to make it look invisible and all over red rover and back to rock hauling BUT now I am “aware”. I am cognisant of the glory of bright coloured yarn being transferred onto the blank canvas of holey clothing, I am pushing towards turning that holey crotch into a work of art. Stevie-boy is less than amused. Especially as I now want to put a little ducky on his holey jeans, a peacock on his holey crotch and a starfish on the hole in his straw hat. I mean, seriously, an “artiste” MUST create! There MUST be an outlet for one’s passionate embracing of one’s new artistic lien or one might frigging well burst! Stevie-boy is just going to have to suck it up and allow me to be creative with his trousers…problem is they appear to have disappeared from my mending basket…can’t quite work out where I must have put them and my mending box of boring cotton appears to have disappeared along with Stevie-boy…hmmm…a mystery is afoot!
Oh dear. Forgive me, for I utterly failed to forsee that my little idea would cause marital disharmony. See, I just don’t think these things through, do I? That said, I’ve been unsuccessful in persuading the Stoic Spouse that he needs an ornate little pink design on his old rugby shirt. The man clearly has no style. I think your ideas for Stevie-boy’s workwear are EXCELLENT, and they MUST BE PUT INTO PRACTICE and also PHOTOGRAPHED FOR THE SERENDIPITY BLOG. Please tell him that I will permit no dissension on the matter.
I still haven’t managed to find my sewing box or his shorts…once I do, methinks the peacock might have escalated into a fully fledged zoo! 😉
(I hope musk ox fibres aren’t itchy…)
(I’m thinking not.)
(good…)
Wow just stunning – will you do some of mine?
Well I will if you want. 🙂
Can I bring a pair over on Tuesday ?
If you’re serious, yes. 🙂
Ps Happy new year to you all x
You too. x Was Christmas good?
Your design is gorgeous! I’ve been patching ripped jeans with embroidery thread and embroidered free form designs since the mid-1970s, but never thought to crochet designs to patch them. I love what you’ve done, especially with mixing the embroidered designs with the crocheted patches. Just lovely! I”m sure you could sell embellished jeans on Etsy, without needing to rip the knees first 😉 Happy New Year! WG
Awwww thank you. I bet your embroidered designs are beautiful? And a happy new year to you too. 🙂
😉 I still have those jeans…. just wish they still fit! 😉 Best wishes, WG
I like the motif=patch you made. The embroidery streaming from it, accent it perfectly. Well done. 🙂
Muchly thank you. 🙂
Oh my goodness! I accidently cut into one side of a beautiful cardigan at work with the paper cutter. (I also accidently cut off some of the fringe of my scarf… my students found this to be very entertaining). Now I know how to fix it! Thanks for the great post.
Yikes, you do sound quite violent towards your clothing…. 😉 But yes, this might be the solution.
Very smart! I wonder if the manchild would be OK with me doing this to all of his jeans as he has a wicked habit of ripping the knees out of everything he puts on??? I don’t crochet, but I’m sure I could knit the patch and then sew it on just as easy before he even noticed. P.S. I really do think I need to move to where you are. Your countryside is far lovelier than my backyard will ever be. Oh the inspiration… Plus I could stop by for tea! Not that I’m a stalker! Hahahahahahaha! (Saying I’m not a stalker only makes me sound more like a stalker! Hahahahahahahahaha!)
Hmmm, the Manchild might object to such feminine-looking work on his artfully-ripped clothing. (And yes, someone as witty and creative as you is ALWAYS welcome to drop round for tea. 🙂 ) I do choose my camera angles quite carefully to avoid the less beautiful bits of our landscape, such as the thumping great power station that’s permanently visible from everywhere.
This would have saved the day (and my ‘hole-y’ old jeans that I was ‘pressured’ to dispose of by my otherwise wonderful husband). Great post!
You do come up with such wonderful ideas, dear Twisted. Reminds me of embroidering and embellishing jeans and all sorts of clothes in my yoof, mostly in rainbow colours. Pretty!
Great idea! Can’t wait to give it a shot.
What a neat idea!
Reblogged this on Crafty Projects I Like and commented:
This is so cool, have a look at this post.
cute Idea
What a wonderfully creative and beautifully implemented idea. Nicely done.
Thanks for the smiles, too.
Where does the wine fit in the design? That is wine by your leg? Old Man’s Beard is a very mean plant in New Zealand. He’s the scourge of the countryside. 🙁
I am wearing crochet patched jeans at this very moment. 🙂 I have done “works of art” in the past, but this time just closed the hole because I can tell other bits will soon give way.
This is magic! I wish I could crochet – I’ve been known to wear my dog-walking jeans until they fall apart at the knee.
Very cool idea: there aren’t many items of clothing that can’t be improved with the addition of crochet and/or bright colours!
So true. 🙂
I hope that all of your lovely hand-made Christmas presents were finished stress-free and in time- I finished the pair of gloves I decided to make for my mum (at the last minute) late on Christmas eve, so I felt your pain!
Lovely, beautiful weather there :). And I’m in love with the crochet jeans!
Wow, really awesome I also have hole jeans that do not use it. I am using your idea on my jeans. Your blog is really helpful for me. I will also tell my friends about your blog. Thanks a lot for this beauty Enjoying article with me. I appreciate it very much!