This post is part of a series of tutorials on how to create your own unique crochet pixie pocket belt – too read more about this series visit the Intro page.
Choosing Materials
These Pixie Belts can use a great variety of materials (great for craft supply hoarders) – here are just a few of the things I like to use:
- Scrap yarns – It’s a great project for using up the really small bits!
- Novelty yarns – it’s also a great project for using up those outrageous novelty yarns you bought before you knew better (or if you’re like me, knew better and didn’t care. Sequin yarns FTW!!)
- Handspun yarn – I may be (slightly) biased as a spinner, but I just don’t think you can beat the look of handspun yarn added to these belts as an accent – it adds a ton of character and texture, and better yet, uses up small amounts of this expensive luxury material but still produces something with a lot of visual impact.
- Beads & bells – must be big enough to string onto your yarn, or you can use crochet thread to string them on and carry them along on a double thread
- Scrap fabrics : silks, gauze, velvets, etc – You’ll be cutting or tearing them into strips for the fringed skirt part of the belt, so you’ll want fairly long pieces
- Buttons for fastening pouches / belt.
You could also incorporate any number of other things including felt shapes, home decor trim, leather scraps, ribbon.. go crazy!
Other Materials & Tools
3.5 or 3.75 hook & 5.0 mm or 5.5 mm hook
Locking stitch markers
Several sizes of tapestry or yarn needle
Scissors
Tape Measure
Color Scheme & Theme
If you have a lot of materials to choose from, you’ll need to pick out what sort of colors you want to use and the materials that will go with it. As I’ve said before, I like doing a theme. You don’t have to. You don’t even really have to choose anything – you can just grab whatever you like in the moment. FrEeFoRm bAbY!
I love using thrift store silks for the skirting of these belts, for several reasons – they are cheap, they look amazing, they tear easily, and they have a light soft swing that makes them a dream to wear. I also utilize lightweight gauze and sometimes light/medium weight muslin or linen/cotton fabrics if I want the give the skirt a fuller look. Whatever material you use, you should be able to rip into strips if you want the really tattered look.
Stretchy, thick or complicated weave material can be used too, like velveteen or jersey knit, but you’ll have to cut them and not rip them.
Here’s a selection of fabrics that I’m choosing from. I’ve been wanting to use this orange for a long time, so that’s what I’ll be working with now. Time to chop!
Separate the biggest pieces from whatever seams happen to be in the garment. Doesn’t have to be pretty, you’ll be tearing this up later anyway. Mine has a jersey underlayer I’ll be separating the silk from -I’ll save that for later or maybe use it for this belt too.
I left a few seams on, which I can cut through when making the strips later.
Now, time to choose a yarn color scheme! This is my favorite part, possibly. First, I know I need oranges since that’s going to be the dominant color in the scheme. I also pick a few greens to match the green in the silk, then purple to set off the other two colors – orange, green, and purple form a split-complementary color scheme. This article has a great overview of color theory if you’re interested in getting technical!
I also want to use some of this awesome handspun yarn that I’ve had forever – it has complex oranges as well as some blues and browns.
So, I pick a few stray balls of blue to match the handspun accent colors, too. Voila! Colors selected. I probably won’t use every yarn that I chose, I rarely do – but it’s helpful to have a good selection prepared.
So now I have a nice pile of little scraps to use, plus at least one larger ball of one of the dominant colors to use for the main belt base, as well as some handspun yarn to feature in a pocket. I’m also going to add in a yarn I frequently use in the belts – a netted ribbon yarn that is great to use for the ties as it is sturdy and already has openings to fasten onto buttons! More on that later.
But wait, there’s more!
Choose some buttons, bells, and beads. Again, it’s unlikely that I’ll use everything I choose, but I like to have my options on hand.
You can choose only beads/bells with holes big enough to string on the yarn itself, or you can grab some crochet or tatting thread to string through and crochet as a second strand along with your yarn.
Once you have everything selected, you are ready to roll! I stash my materials in a spare basket to keep them all in one handy place.
Baskets are bae
Oh, and you’ll want to grab some hooks, of course. I use a 5.0 mm and a 3.5 or 3.75 mm hook for these belts, but you can use whatever you are comfortable with – but do keep a larger one and a smaller one. Here they are, looking demure. But they’re just biding their time..
Ready for the next phase? Check out the Intro page for a list of all the posts in the series so far, and be sure to follow me here on my blog or on Facebook!
-MF