28 Mar 2017

Happiness is.......

Using my favourite yarn by Scheepjes to make something from one of my favourite crochet designers.
I know!!! Doesn't get much better than that does it?
Ok.... throw some decent gin into the mix and I think we have recipe made in heaven 😜
Cotton 8 was the very first Scheepjes yarn I discovered. It was being sold on a market stall in Groningen (which is a stunning Dutch city by the way!). I was blown away by the colour choice and also the price. I loved the feel of it. It didn't look splitty. It had an expensive feel about it but with an affordable price tag. Perfect for the newbie hooker I was back then. I made my first BIG project with it. Oh the anxiety of it all....what if I messed it up? What if it didn't look good? 
Well to be honest, it didn't really matter. Because Cotton 8 is so affordable, if I made mess it was no big deal. But you know what? I didn't! And....that blanket still lives on my bed today. Cotton 8 just gets better and better with use. It goes sooooo very very soft and snuggly. One day I'll get around to making that blanket bigger....one day....
However I digress! 
Where was I? Oh yes! New project!!!
I need a new shawl. Meh......well maybe I don't need a new one....but I sure as hell want one. 
It's the same thing really 😉
I rather thought this one would fit the bill.....


Stunning isn't it? It's called Victoria and you can find the pattern HERE.


I think it will be a beautiful shawl to wrap around my shoulders on chilly summer evenings.

I'm planning on making it a decent size. Nothing worse than a shawl that doesn't wrap all around!
The shawl is designed by the very talented Bernadette Ambergen.....or Berniolie as she is known on Ravelry. Check out her work! I can't even begin to imagine how she dreams up these designs!!!
I've made a few of her designs before....

Stunning aren't they?
Anyways back to the shawl! 

I chose this stunning colour to work with. Its colour 723. 
I've made a start and am working through it quickly.


It's a lovely relaxing project to make so far. Perfect to hook whilst watching TV.
I'm hoping to have it finished in a couple of weeks. 
I'll keep you posted on the progress! 

In the meantime, do pop over to Bernadette's shop. 
I'm sure there's a pattern in there with your name on it screaming to be made 😉

Til next time x
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25 Mar 2017

Dot - free blanket pattern and tutorial

Hello! Today I'm going to talk through the making of Dot step by step. It's a nice and easy pattern for beginners and experienced hookers alike. 
If you don't need step by step help, please feel free to skip to end where there's a written motif pattern for you 😊



It's made from Scheepjes Colour Crafter which is 100% premium acrylic and is available in 100g balls. A blanket designed to be easy care. My blanket is a cot sized blanket (34"x48") but you can easily make more squares to increase the size.
Ok let's get started!

Ingredients

Scheepjes Colour Crafter in the following colours:
Sint Niklaas x 2 balls
Malmedy x 1 ball
Den Helder x 1 ball
Bastogne x 1 ball
Terneuzen x 1 ball
Wilnis x 1 ball
Knokke x 1 ball
Charleroi x 1 ball
4mm crochet hook
Scissors
Darning needle to weave in ends
Blocking board and pins

How To

(We are working in UK English crochet terms)
Please bear in mind that I am left handed when looking at the photos 😉

Begin with your chosen coloured yarn. 


Make a magic circle (I always wrap my yarn around my fingers twice to make a secure circle)
Round 1. Working into the circle, chain 3 to make your first stitch and then work another treble crochet and chain 1. Next work 2 treble crochet stitches and chain 1, repeat this 6 more times so that you end up with 8 sets of 2 treble crochets separated by a chain stitch. 


Join with a slip stitch into the third chain of your first stitch. Now pull the tail of your magic circle tight. 


Round 2. Slip stitch into the next chain space to get you into the starting position for this round. Now we are going to make some treble clusters into the chain spaces made in the previous round. The first cluster is made slightly differently as we need to make the first stitch. Chain 2 to make the first stitch, yarn over hook and insert into the chain space, pull through 2 loops, repeat this twice more (you should have 4 loops on your hook) yarn over hook and pull through all 4 loops and chain 3. Yarn over hook and insert your hook into the next chain space, pull through 2 loops. Repeat this 3 times. You will have 5 loops on your hook (see photo above). Yarn over hook and pull through all 5 loops, chain 3. Repeat this 6 more times.


Join with a slip stitch to the first cluster.


Round 3. In this round we are going to make some puff stitches. A little fiddly but effective!
Slip stitch into the next 3 chain space. Yarn over hook, insert into the chain space and pull through, repeat 4 times so you will have 11 loops on your hook (as in photo above),  yarn over hook and pull through all 11 loops....this is the tricky bit!


It should like the photo above!


Now secure this by chaining 2. Work a double crochet into the top of the next cluster and chain 2. Make another puff stitch into the next chain space, chain 2 and double crochet into the top of the next cluster, chain 2. Repeat this for the rest of the round.


Join with a slip stitch.
Fasten off yarn. 
Don't worry if your circle curls up a bit at the edges, that will settle when we work the next round. 


Round 4. With the grey yarn, join in any 2 chain space. Chain 2 (counts as first half treble crochet) and work 2 more half treble crochets into the same chain space. Into the next 2 chain space work 3 half treble crochets. It should look something like the photo above. 


To  make the corner, into the next chain space work 1 half treble, 1 treble and 1 double treble, chain 1 and move onto the next chain space. Into that space work 1 double treble, 1 treble and 1 half treble. Your corner should look like the photo above!


So continue to work 3 half trebles into the next 2 sets of chain spaces and then make a corner as before. 


It should look like this! Fasten off and weave in the ends. 

So that's how you make the squares. 
For a cot sized blanket measuring approximately 34"x48" I made a total of 117 squares which when blocked measured 4" each. 
I made 17 squares in each of 5 colours and then 16 in the last 2 colours. 


Next step is to block your squares. I pinned mine to my blocking board and then gave them a good soaking with the spray gun!

Joining


Lay your squares in the order that want them to be joined. 
(Mine are unblocked for this tutorial!)


Next place right sides together and work a double crochet in the corner chain space. Chain 3 and work a double crochet in the space between the next set of 3 stitches. Repeat this to corner space. Instead of fastening of pick up your next pair of squares and repeat the process.


You should end up with a row of sets of squares joined like this although yours will be longer!
Continue joining your squares like this. So on the next row you will be adding 1 square at a time to the 2 already joined if that makes sense?


You'll end up with rows of horizontal joins. Joining by using this method cuts down on joining and fastening off and ultimately doesn't have so many ends to weave in which is always a bonus!!!


Once you have made all of your horizontal joins you can start on the vertical joins using the same method.


It should end up something like this on the reverse..... 


And this on the right side! I don't weave my ends in at this point as I find it much neater to weave them into the border stitches but it's entirely up to you. 

Border


I have opted for a very simple border of linen stitch. Using the grey yarn, start by joining into a corner chain space, work a double crochet, chain 3, double crochet into the corner space, chain 1 miss 1 stitch and double into the top of the next stitch. Continue along each edge in this pattern and work a double, chain 3 double into each corner space. Join with a slip stitch. You may have to fudge a little for the first round 😉
On the next round you are going to make your double crochets into the chain spaces and a double, chain 3 double crochet into the corner spaces. Work another round in the grey and finish by working the final round in one of the colours. Fasten off and weave in your ends. 

TADA!!! Your blanket is finished!


Motif Pattern

UK English terms.

Using one of the coloured yarns, make a magic circle.
Round 1. Ch3 (counts as first tr) tr into circle, ch1, *2tr, ch1. Rep from * 6 times. Join with slst in 3rd ch of 1st st. 
Round 2. Slst into ch-sp. Ch3, 3trcl, ch3, *4trcl, ch3, rep from * 7 times. Join with slst.
Round 3. Slst into next ch-sp. *Puff st in ch-sp , ch2, dc in top of cluster, ch2. Rep from * 7 times. Join with a slst. Fasten off yarn. 
Round 4.  Using grey yarn join into any ch-sp. Ch2 (counts as htr for this group of htr only) 2htr into ch-sp, 3htr into next ch-sp, (htr, tr, dtr) in next ch-sp, (dtr, tr, htr) in next ch-sp (corner made) Rep around motif. Join with slst. Fasten off yarn. 
Weave in ends and block to 4" square. 

Joining and border made as above. 

Hope you find my instructions useful. 
Enjoy!

Til next time x

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