Learning Tapestry / Crocheting Mochila Bags / Project Thread / Info / Discussions

Dear users, dear designers,
how about a project thread for tapestry and Mochila bags?

Don’t you like the topic, or are you just feeling shy today? ;-)

I think tapestry crochet is great, but I’m a bit daunted by the color tangles…
constantly rearranging the yarn so nothing gets twisted is a bit annoying, but it’s definitely worth the effort for a great project

I’d love to learn it and think the technique is really great.

But like the person who posted before me, I’m a bit intimidated by all the different colors.

Best regards, Heike

Maybe some experienced Tapestry users could share a few tips and tricks?

Please don’t promote patterns in this thread—thanks.

I’m currently working on a motif blanket, which uses a very similar technique.

So I thought I’d be clever and just use half double crochet stitches and a larger hook to finish faster (the blanket will be 1.90 by 1.90 m, so the motif will still be recognizable)...

Carrying the colors along doesn’t really work then... You can always see the threads showing through—it’s awful!
So here’s an important tip (which I got here): use a very small hook, do single crochet, and work relatively tightly!
Then at least you won’t see the carried-over threads as much.

I’ve now decided to do things differently for my motif blanket:
to avoid having to carry everything along, I’ve divided up my yarn.
I used lots of clothespins and wound yarn around them. Whenever a new color starts in a certain spot, I take a new strand (i.e., a new clothespin :)) and when the next color changes, I wind that strand up and clip it to the crochet piece at that spot.
That way, you don’t have to keep sorting through the skeins :) 

My color project includes a tapestry project, among other things.
It’s my first one, by the way.

To start with, I’d only work with two colors. Then the problem of changing colors isn’t so bad.

What are the advantages of the tapestry crochet technique?

With the tapestry technique, you can crochet wonderful multicolored patterns without the floats showing on the back. Since the yarn is always carried along, there aren’t as many ends to weave in. It’s particularly well suited for crochet projects that need to be sturdy and firm, such as bags, pot holders, blankets, etc.

Is tapestry also the technique used to make Mochila bags? Would anyone like to say something about it?

The Mochila bag originates from South America. It’s usually a round shoulder bag that’s tied at the top and woven by the locals. Originally, the Mochila had only one shoulder strap. Nowadays, however, there are also backpack versions with two back straps.
The intricate woven patterns are characteristic of the mochila. They’re usually geometric patterns like triangles and squares.
These patterns can be recreated very well using the tapestry crochet technique. You crochet with the current color while carrying the other colors along and working around them, just as you would when you don’t want to weave in ends.
You should crochet quite tightly so that the carried-along and wrapped-around threads don’t show through. If you’re working with only 2–3 colors, this works quite well. For more colors, however, you’ll need a bit more practice.

Thanks, Ruth :-)

@everyone,
who has a bag like this or would like to crochet one?

I’ve already crocheted a bag like this—the result was great, and I gave it away as a gift.
I’d love to crochet another one like it, but I just don’t have the time right now because the technique is very time-consuming. There are still soooo...... many other things I need to and want to work on.

I crocheted a bag like this for the color challenge—or, to be more precise, a small pouch.

How's it going?

Is this topic not really your thing right now?

Yesterday, I decided to start with some smaller Tapestry projects. I’m planning to make pot holders featuring a VW Bus and a Beetle. We’ll see how it goes... I’ve read that when working with multicolored projects, you always have to re-twist the working threads and skeins correctly right after every color change—that way, the mess stays under control. I’ll give it a try and let you know how it goes...