Filler
Photo of Shira

 

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Crocheted Zill Mufflers

by Shira

 

---------------

Table of Contents

 

---------------

Introduction

Zill mufflers are fabric coverings that are placed over finger cymbals to muffle the sound while you're playing them. These make it possible for you to practice without disturbing your neighbors, family members, and cats.

Some people muffle their finger cymbals by cutting the toes out of old socks and running a drawstring through them, or buying baby socks and running a drawstring through the tops of them. Others stretch a rubber band across each cymbal. But if you enjoy crochet, you might have fun using your hook to whip up a lacy set such as the Large Six-Petal style shown to the right.

For each of these designs, make 2 if you want just partial muffling, and place them on the cymbals that you wear on your middle fingers, leaving the thumb zills uncovered. If you want total muffling, make 4 and place them on all of your zills.

Below, you'll find instructions for two different designs: The Six-Petal style pictured to the right, and the Spider Web style. Each of these in turn is presented for two different sizes of finger cymbals: the 2-inch diameter usually recommended for beginning dancers, and the 2 1/2-inch diameter often used by more experienced dancers.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Shira.

Large Six-Petal Style

 

---------------

Abbreviations

ch Chain
sc Single Crochet
hdc Half Double Crochet
dc Double Crochet

 

---------------

Supplies for All Four Styles

  • Size 0 steel hook
  • Bedspread cotton crochet thread (size 10)
  • Small amount of elastic that is ¼-inch wide
  • Scissors
  • Yarn needle
  • Thread same color as elastic
  • Normal sewing needle (i.e., a sharp)

 

---------------

Spider Web Design

Small Spider Web

These are designed to fit finger cymbals that are 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter. Click on the photo below to see more detail.

Chain 6. Join with slip stitch to first chain to form a ring.

Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as first dc.) Do 11 more dc in ring. Join to top of opening ch3 with a slip stitch. 12 dc in all.

Round 2: Chain 5 (counts as first dc followed by ch2). (Dc in next dc, ch 2) 11 times. Join in 3rd chain of opening ch5 with slip stitch.

Round 3: Chain 1. (3 sc in ch2 space, sc in next dc) 12 times. Join with slip stitch to opening sc. 48 sc in all.

Round 4: Chain 3 (counts as first hdc followed by ch1). (Skip 1 sc, hdc in next sc, ch 1) 23 times. Join with slip stitch to 2nd chain of opening ch3. 24 hdc in all.

Finishing: Fasten off. Weave in ends. Cut a piece of elastic 4 ¾ inches (12 centimeters) in length. Thread through the hdc's of round 4. Sew ends together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Shira.

Small Spider Web

Large Spider Web

These are designed to fit finger cymbals 2 1/2 inches (6.5 centimeters) in diameter. Click on the photo to see more detail.

Chain 6. Join with slip stitch to first chain to form a ring.

Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as first dc.) Do 11 more dc in ring. Join to top of opening ch3 with a slip stitch. 12 dc in all.

Round 2: Chain 5 (counts as first dc followed by ch2). (Dc in next dc, ch 2) 11 times. Join in 3rd chain of opening ch5 with slip stitch.

Round 3: Chain 6 (counts as first dc followed by ch3). (Dc in next dc, ch 3) 11 times. Join in 3rd chain of opening ch6 with slip stitch.

Round 4: Chain 1. (3 sc in ch3 space, sc in next dc) 12 times. Join with slip stitch to opening sc. 48 sc in all.

Round 5: Chain 3 (counts as first hdc followed by ch1). (Skip 1 sc, hdc in next sc, ch 1) 23 times. Join with slip stitch to 2nd chain of opening ch3. 24 hdc in all.

Finishing: Fasten off. Weave in ends. Cut a piece of elastic 5 1/4 inches (13.5 centimeters) in length. Thread through the hdc's of round 5. Sew ends together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Shira.

Large Spider Web Style

 

---------------

Six-Petal Flower Design

Small Six-Petal

These are designed to fit finger cymbals that are 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter. Click on the photo below to see more detail.

Chain 2.

Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook. Join to first sc with slip stitch.

Round 2: Chain 5 (counts as first dc and ch2). (Dc in next sc, ch 2) 5 times. Join to 3rd chain in opening ch5 with slip stitch.

Round 3: Chain 1. (In next ch2 space, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) 6 times, join to opening sc with slip stitch.

Round 4: Slip stitch in next hdc and dc. Ch 1, then sc in same dc. (Chain 5, sc in next dc) 5 times. End with chain 5 and slip stitch to first sc of this round.

Round 5: Chain 3 (counts as hdc and ch1). (Do (hdc, ch1) twice in ch5 space, hdc in next sc, ch1) 5 times. Join with slip stitch to 2nd chain of opening ch3 group.

Finishing: Fasten off. Weave in ends. Cut a piece of elastic 4 ¾ inches in length. Thread through hdc's of final row. Sew elastic ends together.

PHOtO CREDIT: Photo by Shira.

Small Six-Petal

Large Six-Petal

Chain 2.

Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook. Join to first sc with slip stitch.

Round 2: Chain 5 (counts as first dc and ch2). (Dc in next sc, ch 2) 5 times. Join to 3rd chain in opening ch5 with slip stitch.

Round 3: Chain 1. (In next ch2 space, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc) 6 times, join to opening sc with slip stitch.

Round 4: Slip stitch in next hdc and dc. Ch 1, then sc in same dc. (Chain 5, sc in next dc) 5 times. End with chain 5 and slip stitch to first sc of this round.

Round 5: Chain 4. (Do 3 (dc, ch1) in ch5 space, then dc in next dc, ch 1) 5 times. End with 3 (dc, ch1) in last ch5 space, slip stitch in 3rd chain of opening ch4 group.

Round 6: Chain 1. Sc in same dc. (Ch1, 2 dc in next dc, ch 1, sc in next dc) around.

Finishing: Fasten off. Weave in ends. Cut a piece of elastic 5 ¼ inches in length. Thread through final row so it passes behind each pair of dc's and in front of each sc. Sew elastic ends together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Shira.

Large Six-Petal

 

---------------

Acknowledgements

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2000 issue of Zaghareet! magazine, for which Shira is a staff writer. For more information about the magazine:

Zaghareet!
P.O. Box 1809
Elizabeth City, NC 27906

Web Site: http://www.zaghareet.freeservers.com/

Zaghareet

 

---------------

Related Articles

 

---------------

Copyright Notice

This entire web site is copyrighted. All rights reserved.

All articles, images, forms, scripts, directories, and product reviews on this web site are the property of Shira unless a different author/artist is identified. Material from this web site may not be posted on any other web site unless permission is first obtained from Shira.

Academic papers for school purposes may use information from this site only if the paper properly identifies the original article on Shira.net using appropriate citations (footnotes, end notes, etc.) and bibliography. Consult your instructor for instructions on how to do this.

If you wish to translate articles from Shira.net into a language other than English, Shira will be happy to post your translation here on Shira.net along with a note identifying you as the translator. This could include your photo and biography if you want it to. Contact Shira for more information. You may not post translations of Shira's articles on anybody else's web site, not even your own.

If you are a teacher, performer, or student of Middle Eastern dance, you may link directly to any page on this web site from either your blog or your own web site without first obtaining Shira's permission. Click here for link buttons and other information on how to link.

 

 

Explore more belly dance info:

Top >
Belly Dancing >
Index to Belly Dance Advice Section

 

Share this page!

On Facebook
 

 

 Top > Belly Dancing > Index to Advice Section

| Contact Shira | Links | Search this Site |