Winter Project link party

I am joining in with Jennifer over at Thistlebear like many others to share my winter crochet project.

My cabin blanket has been going really well. I have only been making squares when I am there so it has been on the go since April 2014. That is fine but I ran out of wool up there two weeks ago so I brought it home for a bit of a re-think.

I have made 38 lacy squares but no plan - as usual!

I ordered some more Stylecraft DK this week to mix in with the colours and have enough for a border. I love this soft blue and was really pleased with the colour. The colours were inspired by the nature and blue/grey skies up at our farm hang out.

It is still going to take a while. All those ends, blocking the squares, choosing where to put them and then of course making a sturdy border. The blanket is quite lacy so it needs something to hold it altogether.

There are some lovely blankets on the links, not least Jennifer's hensfoot blanket which looks so cosy. Go and take a look.

Here's to some progress on this project. 

Jo x

Hooray! Elise Shawl

Linking up with Chrissie and Marianne to show you my second Elise shawl in crochet today.

It is made from...I don't know what? It was yarn on a cone, possibly from a machine knitter but it was all in a mixed up bag given to me a good while ago. It looks like pearlised cotton but I think it is probably synthetic.

I did the same border as last time but without the beads because the scarf is quite heavy on it's own.

I did some serious blocking which always makes a shawl I think, I blocked the main triangle and then did the border. Next I blocked out the points. See Kristen's shawl at Cozy things for a full photographic persuasion to block here!

Here is a rough tutorial for the shawl edge if you ever need one:

ROW 1: 1 round of dc into every stitch along the shawl edge.

ROW 2: Chain 5, miss 2dc, 1 tr, *ch2, miss 2dc, 1tr* all along each edge (It looks like a fence)

ROW 3:*Chain 7, 6dc in the second chain from the hook, ss to close the bobble, chain 6, 1dc in the top of the treble* Repeat along the edge. (It should make a triangle with a bobble)

You can thread 100 beads on before you start the border and bring up each one in the bobble. That is how I did the one here.

I simply love this pattern - it is going to be a birthday present for a very special friend of mine.

The colour is so evocative of my Spring garden at the moment.

Happy Crochet. Jo xx

Hooray! Blanket

Hooray indeed, this blanket is finished, fini, terminado, fertig. F I N I S H E D!!!! and OK it didn't fit my original brief as a Handmade tonal picnic blanket for a newly married couple to smooch on but .....

...it did use up all my green/blue/brown/grey/black stash and I learnt 14 new stitches from Crochetopedia by Julia Oparka. The book is great for the stitch section and learning to crochet but the projects are more for a beginner and are not too up to date, but it was only a fiver so well worth it to me. Anyway, Drum roll please!

1. Basketweave stitch
2. Sedge stitch
3. Crunch stitch
4. Puff in various patterns
5. Popcorns in various patterns
6. Leaf stitch
7. Cobble stitch
8. Slit stitch
9. Ripple stitch
10. Offset clusters
11. V stitch
12. Shell or fan stitch
13. Spike stitch using colours
14. Open chevrons

  

As I finished it with a picot border the girls asked, "Is that blanket for dad because it looks like it is for a man!" So he has been given the blanket and he said he will take it to the cabin to put over his knees when he is doing the crossword in the evening, drinking beer and watching the sun go down. Ahh! that's kind isn't it?

There is a sort of pattern to it. Can you see it? It is worked in diagonals (ish) It is a good way to make it look random without over thinking the situation. The busy mixed colour ones are in opposing corners. 7x7 49 squares, it is a good size too.

Nevertheless, it still begs the question, what am I going to give my lovely London couple for their wedding present in August?

Happy crafting and I hope the weather gets better. Jo x

Seriously now... Hehehe!

Seriously, I need to get a grip of my Works In Progress. (WIP's) I have some projects which I started and then the cabin came along and now I have started thinking about that all the time and I have stuff all over the place.

A doily which my neighbour had trouble with. I have eventually after four pineapples, worked out how to do the point at the end.

Nice book, not mine, but I really must not choose any more things to put on my wish list. Although, saying that, I like the blanket border for another WIP.

A sedge stitch crochet infinity scarf - nice stitch pattern which I learnt doing my sampler blanket. It is to go with ...

 ...a half made purple velvet swing coat on the sewing table and 'Clara'

Unfinished curtains, just need the ribbons putting on the hems.

£5 charity shop bargain - full length cream curtains, they are for the cabin so no rush for those yet.

 Oh yes and don't forget the picnic blanket because I am a fighter not a quitter! OK so it no longer has wedding present potential but to use up old stash and learn new stitches, it has been the perfect project to do with Chrissie and Marianne's CAL.

Finally, a by-product of the picnic blanket. Every time I ran to the end of each ball I made the bits into granny squares so that the ends did not go back into the yarn basket. All used up and tidy then you see....

9 squares? enough for a cushion cover do you think?

Knuckle down Jo and stop thinking about girl's cabin quilts, crochet covered jam jars with candles, painted wooden trunks, an old directors chair in the shed and other such fripperies. STOP!

Are you finishing WIP's? Jo xxxx

CAL sampler picnic blanket

Maybe, maybe not....

that's all I have to say on the matter!:(

Linking in with Chrissie and Marianne today for the Thursday Crochet-a-long.

xxxx

CAL Stitch directory

This week I have tried two more sample squares for my CAL blanket linking up with Chrissie and Marianne with some new stitches.

Alternate bobbles

I have seen this stitch, or similar on Pinterest in red with green wool in between and it turns into the sweetest strawberry pattern. It is on my pinterest crochet board if you want to pin it.

Treble crochet cluster

I am really enjoying learning some new techniques. Crochet has become interesting again. YAY! I am losing count of which ones I have taken photos of this so you may get a repeat... so just humour me and go with the flow. I'm off to check out everyone's crochet progress projects on the links and finish my last knitted present.

Jo xx

CAL Stitch directory (lost count!)

Here are this weeks squares for my crochet along with Chrissie and Marianne.

 

Double crochet spike stitch

 

Really effective. All you do is 3 rows of dc and then on your colour changing row you do 1dc in the row and 1dc in the stitch 2 or 1 row down depending how big you want your spikes and then repeat.

 

V Stitch

 

V stitch is a bit more lacy, I have used it on a cardigan front many moons ago but this one is going on the blanket.

 

So what does it look like? If I am honest, I really don't know what it is going to look like, it could go either way. It could be a random eclectic mix of patterns and colours or it could be a bit of a jumbled up mess - but I need to go a bit further yet before I decide.

Jo x

 

 

 

 

Crochet along blanket

Glad you enjoying the squares, I thought I would show you how it is progressing from afar! It is really hard to get the samples the same size because some stitches use different multiples of stitches (Yawn!) so I use a test granny square as a guide and it is a bit hit and miss so aggressive blocking is required.

 

I have edged each square with double crochet so that each one stands in it's own frame. Now, I know black would not be everyone's choice of colour but it is a picnic blanket so it needs to be dark if they are going to throw it on the ground on Primrose Hill!

Black worked out well with one of my other blankets and I wish I had framed each one. I also had lots of this black left over.

The current blanket is hues of blue, green, grey, brown and all colours from nature. I think that is what a picnic blanket should be. There are some great projects on the Crochet along. Go and see others at Chrisse crafts or Ladybird diaries. Jo x

 

 

CAL stitch directory

Here we are again back around to Thursday linking up with Chrissie and Marianne and these are my two patterns for this week (in the right size square too. Whoop!)

 

Basket weave stitch

 

Offset clusters

 

This week I tried some really textured stitches that were a breeze to make up and they will give the finished blanket real variety.

I am falling in love with crochet all over again.

 

Jo x

CAL stitch directory

I am afraid to say that when I started making these swatches for a gift blanket last week, after about 6 or 7 I had to rip them back because they were not the same size. Random pattern combos yes but a blanket that looks like it might be for the dog basket NO. When I consulted Bloke about the problem he said "well you can't polish a turd!" So that summed it up in one neat phrase I thought.

 

 

Sedge Stitch

 

 

Seed stitch

 

So I have made up the other swatches the right size and have a size block to work to so I am back on track now. I am rather in love with that sedge stitch, would make a snuggly cowl.

 

Off to check out everyone's CAL inspiration and feeling more positive about crafts that go a bit wrong, gosh, just read yesterdays post - I was a bit miserable wasn't I???!! Jo xx

CAL stitch directory

This week as I link up with Chrissie and Marianne in their crochet-a-long two more squares for my sampler blanket.

 

Woven chain loop stitch

 
Fantastically effective and so very, very easy. chain in multiples of 5 plus 1ch for the foundation row. Ch1, dc in second chain from the hook, dc4, chain 8, dc 5, ch8, dc 5 etc.to the end. On the reverse row Turn chain 1, dc in every stitch to the end.

You repeat these two rows and thread the loops through each other to make this little raised rope. Isn't it fab?

 

Open chevrons

 

These would look better on a larger piece of work as it is worked in multiples of 10. My little swatch doesn't really do it justice but it is going on the blanket pile anyway.

 

I'm off to check out everyone's hexagons and type up the final hat pattern to publish tomorrow. Jo x

Come with me on a long journey

I bought this rather splendid crochet book from The book people this week for £5!!! Dare I say it, but I am getting a bit bored with my own crochet and that would never do. I want to try some new stitches...

 

I am starting to work my way through the stitch directory.

 

 

This is quite time consuming because I want to get started on making a large blanket for a wedding present next year.... Hang on....wait a minute.... I have an idea....

 

A sampler blanket wedding present.

 

Crunch stitch

 

Leaf stitch

 

That way I can learn new things, chip away at a huge project and finally I have a project to join in with the crochet-a-long with Chrissie crafts and Ladybird diaries. I hope you approve of my idea ladies. My blanket may be slightly more industrial than your beautiful flowers but I would love to have the motivation from everyone.

 

So... 2 squares done. How many more?

 

Jo xx