So good I made it twice, here is my second Granny Square Jumper!! I’m here to write about it again as, not content with leaving things as they are, I made adjustments which I think you will find useful.
If you haven’t seen my first post about how I made a super colourful version (with lots of fabulous yarn stashbusting), you can find that HERE, on a post imaginatively titled Granny Square Sweater. That’s where you will find the original recipe on how to crochet a jumper of your own. I also created a crochet video tutorialto show how to put everything together.
If you’re a beginner crocheter, you can make this sweater with the resources I have provided. However, it’s not just some granny squares stitched together. There is shaping (at the shoulders and sleeves), nice ribbing, and techniques that will up your skill level.
If you like this granny square sweater, perhaps you’ll like my other crochet ideas. Please peruse my free crochet patterns page. And if you really really like what you see, you can buy me a Ko Fi! Although, it’ll most likely be tea because I’m not a coffee drinker…
My stashbusting original Granny Square Sweater
What’s Changed?
Ok, so, it would be easy for me to say that this is just the same jumper as my original stashbusting sweater but that’s not technically true. Here are the things that I tweaked:
I used different yarn – a merino DK held with mohair lace weight.
I only used two colours.
The main body granny squares are smaller, allowing me to add width later by using a few rows of granny stripes at each side. This also made room for a slightly deeper neckline because….
I changed the shoulder tabs – fronts are longer than the orginal, and different to the back tabs.
The plan for this blog post is to talk you through these changes so they’re not scary. I have drawn up some rudimentary charts, which will help visual learners, and hopefully I won’t bamboozle you with information overload!
Using Mohair Yarn
As I’ve mentioned above, I used different yarn to make this black and blue fluffy jumper. The original is made with aran weight yarn with wool content. Rather fortuitously, my gauge is the same.
Whilst this black and blue sweater/jumper was also intended as a stash buster (using yarn I had leftover from other projects), I wasn’t sure there was enough of the black so ordered more. I vastly overestimated and have ended up with the same amount that I started with. A little bit more, in fact. So much for stash busting!
If you’re daunted by the fluffy stuff, fear not, read my blog post with some top tips for using mohair yarn. Ultimately, please don’t be scared. This is actually a really good project for mohair yarn because the stitches and design are simple. And holding the mohair with a non fluffy yarn, eases any anxiety too.
I used Drops Kid Silk, I had loads of Cobalt blue in stash from a neglected then rejected design idea.
Merino DK Yarn
I chose to use West Yorkshire Spinners Bo Peep Luxury Baby DK (double knit). The black (Incy Wincy) is leftover from a knitted jumper that went into a Vivienne Westwood inspired Sex Pistols jumper that was the husband’s Christmas present (I didn’t knit it, I asked MiL to do it!). There was leftover Drops Kid Silk black mohair from the same project as well.
More blue (Space Hopper) was purchased as I think I only had one ball in stash. This shade went beautifully with the Cobalt mohair.
I sometimes find that merino can be quite heavy, this one is lovely and light (probably because it’s a nylon mix). It doesn’t create a cumbersome jumper, which can be a bit much for an item of clothing.
Two Colours of Yarn
As a stashbuster, the choice of yarn was made for me. I didn’t have to worry about colour because black and blue were what I had and that was that.
The best thing about only using two colours is that for the main squares, you can float the yarn. No snipping, no time spent sewing in loads of ends, huzzah! Obviously, float along what you decide is the wrong side of the granny square.
I’ve worked out that for this jumper (an approximate size 3), I used:
7x50g blue DK
5x50g black DK
4x25g blue mohair
3x25g black mohair
As a general rule, every 100 grams of the DK merino uses a 25 gram ball of mohair. However, meterage is 112m per 50 gram ball of the DK (therefore 224m per 100g) and the meterage for the mohair is 210m per 25g ball. There’s a little bit of an imbalance so an extra ball of mohair is a good idea, to make up the shortfall.
The amount needed will vary depending on the size you make and how much adjusting you do. You will need more than me if you’re making a larger size. I have not done the maths to find out precisely how much for each size.
Float your yarn
Cropped Granny Sweater
Two large granny squares are the basis for the main body panels of both sweaters. For this version, the two main squares are four rounds fewer than the colourful jumper. This is so the final sweater doesn’t have the length of the extra rounds but it has the width because I add granny stripes to each side of the front square.
Front and back granny squares have 19 rounds. The front square then has 5 granny stripes at each side. 19+5 is equivalent to a 24 round square for the width, which is one round more than version 1 (cos, why not?!). I added the shoulder tabs to the top, working into gaps between stripes, and gaps between clusters. See pics and charts below.
The back doesn’t have separate side stripes, instead, I crocheted around three sides of the square five times to get the same amount of extra sides and also add it across the top too. Hopefully this is not gobbeldegook!! It’s difficult to put into words but I think the charts are my saviour.
You can use the maths from the original post to work out gauge and measurements if you’re not keen on eyeballing.
Front panelA pic highlighting how the front panel is put together. Granny Square, side stripes, and shoulder tabs.
Shoulder Tabs
If you make a sweater with the more basic elements, like I did for the original, by the time you’ve added shoulders and a waistband, the sweater is longer than it is wide. For version no.2 I wanted a more cropped style. In order to achieve this there are the additional steps, discussed above. They are arguably more tricky to wrap your head around but I absolutely love the result.
The first jumper has the same number of rows for both front and back shoulder tabs. It’s super easy to do it this way because it means you don’t need to think about maths and stitch placement too much.
However, what would happen if you attached different length tabs (front v back) to main body granny squares? Let’s say 8 rows for the front tabs and 3 rows for the back tabs. Your front body panel would be 5 rows longer than the back panel. This difference needs to be accommodated.
Below I have included the basic charts. I think they are the easiest way to show you all the shaping shenanigans. The charts are truncated so they show you the intention without literally showing every row. The real life jumper has 8 rows of front shoulder tabs (repeat the last two granny stripes rows of the chart to get 8) and 3 rows of back shoulder tabs (samesies as the chart).
Shoulder Tabs Clusters
The important bit is that shoulder tabs should end up the same width across at their last rows. Or thereabouts. I don’t think it matters if there is one stitch difference (mine were!). If there is more of a difference then it might be worth going back to the drawing board.
FYI, My shoulder tabs end measuring approx 16cm.
To begin, the first row of my front tabs has 7 full clusters, plus the end stitches. After four rows of shaping/decreasing and four rows of even granny striping, the tabs end with 6 full clusters and 1 stitch either side = 20 stitches.
The back tabs start with 6 full clusters plus the ends. These tabs are only three rows but because of a little manipulation/decrease at the neckline, I ended with 5 full clusters and 2 stitches at either end, that’s 19 stitches. I’m happy matching 20 stitches to 19. You can’t tell on the finished garment.
However many clusters you choose to add, make sure the width (no. of clusters per tab) isn’t going to create a massive neck hole.
Front Main Body
The first chart (below) is for the front of the jumper. Make the granny square first, then join as many stripes you want to either side. That’s the black and blue section of the chart. Then work the shoulder tabs. I have only shown one tab here but it gives you the picture of what you need to do for both. Don’t forget that more is explained in the colourful granny square sweater post, go check it out.
Back Main Body
The second chart shows the back. Now, here is where it gets more than just a tweak, we’re making different adjustments to ensure everything is the same size and will fit together. You can see that rather than working some side stripes, the chart shows three worked sides of the square (chart has three rows/rounds, in real life I did five). This is to accommodate the different lengths of the front and back shoulder tabs. So, five additional rows along the top of the back, plus 3 shoulder tab rows = 8, which equals the same as the front tab rows.
Crikey, at this point, I feel like I need to say “Thaaaat’s Numberwang!”
Granny Stripe Sleeves
Sleeves remain the same, thank goodness! But because they are stripes, you still have loads of ends to sew in. I started using the ends to sew the sleeves together but it was a major faff so decided to sew them all in first and then sew together using a length of the DK. There’s no need to use the mohair as well when you’re sewing your pieces together.
Ready to Wear Crochet Sweater
And everything else is the same! When writing out the differences it feels like it’s quite complex but in real life, once you have the hook in your hand and the yarn gliding through your fingers, it’s actually a lot simpler. In no time whatsoever you’ll be wearing your new handmade jumper! And it will look great!!
Please share your makes on Instagram by tagging me @zeensandroger and using #ZeensAndRoger
Also, there’s Ravelry too. Adding your project there is super helpful as it helps others see what designs look like when made by others.
We three met on the cusp of autumn. No thunder, lightning or rain, just glorious September sunshine and lots of crochet goss. It was the perfect weather for a weekend in the Cotswolds for three people obsessed with the same thing. Crochet!
The crochet shawl pattern I’m sharing here was borne from our weekend. Practically whipped up the whole thing whilst we were there, it’s that easy! Crocheting granny stripes is a doddle and just the thing needed to relax the brain.
The free pattern is below. Or, if you’d prefer, you can buy a downloadable PDF that isn’t littered with waffle and ads. The PDF can be found on Ravelry, Etsy and Lovecrafts.
(Btw this post contains one affiliate link for the yarn if you want to directly check out the yarn I used)
One Wayward Sister
Wayward Sisters
We all convened on a Friday afternoon when the sun was at its warmest. I can’t speak for the others but driving through picturesque English towns and country lanes to find an old barn to stay in felt proper exciting. The idea of a weekend away to literally focus on crochet, work on projects, and generally have a good time was much needed.
The last time I met up with Fay (of Fay H Designs and the Provenance Craft Co.) was in the early summer. She was vending at the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend and I was teaching a crochet class. Over the years, we’ve always managed to have quick chats at yarn festivals but I don’t think we’d ever sat down to have a proper chinwag. As we caught up she proposed the idea of a weekend away with crochet and friends. She and Michelle (of Dora Explored) had already been brewing plans for this so it was an easy Yes from me. Hovering over Google Maps, we poked a finger on the map, somewhere equidistant for all three of us, it landed on the Cotswolds. That’ll do nicely, thank you.
I met Michelle (of Dora Does and Dora Explored) for the first time three years ago. Rather fortuitously, she was in Devon for a family holiday and I recognised her IG pics so knew she was literally ten minutes from my house. We met up for tea and cake, with me being v late, dragging two kids who just wouldn’t get dressed that morning. We chatted for ages and I knew I’d found someone just as obsessed with crochet as me!
Yarn Everywhere
The funniest bit upon arriving was discovering that we had all brought a car full of yarn. Bags and bags, stacks of boxes, WIPs and secret projects! Yarn everywhere!
Despite bringing half my yarn stash I didn’t want to work on anything already begun. My new granny stripe crochet shawl has been on the agenda for the longest time but it has never been a priority. Ultimately it was the right balance of fun, relaxing and new. It fit in really well with the chilled atmosphere where there was zero pressure. Sometimes that’s just what everyone needs.
So the weekend went thusly: wake up, do a bit of crochet, wander round the garden picking pears, apples and sloes. Find some walnut trees (good for yarn dyeing), go back inside for a spot more crochet. Have a cup of tea. Go for a walk, go into town, have a pub lunch sat alongside the river Thames. Sniff out any yarn shops (hmm, half a one). Do a bit more crochet. Have some wine, do some crochet at a different tension…
I’ve shared a few photos here. There was a creepy old shed that I loved. It had great angles and light but my photography skills aren’t up for taking advantage of such a backdrop. The town of Lechlade was a great host. Amongst the interesting shops there was an antique place stuffed full of crazy taxidermy. What a fab weekend.
The Chosen WIP
After all that, you will want the pattern for a crochet shawl, right? I’m so happy to share this as I want you to enjoy the fun of relaxing crochet.
I made this crochet shawl because it was repetitive, methodical and I could trust it to do as it was told without me using too much brain power. In my holiday yarn stash were several (already wound) cakes of Cascade 220 Fingering yarn. Quite honestly, there were a few different projects I could have started with it . There’s still plenty left so, no doubt, you’ll see designs with related colour palettes at some point. But because a granny stripe crochet shawl had been on the To Do list for a while, it easily won as the thing to make.
Soothing Granny Stripes
Oky doky, before you begin, please know that this is a very easy single row pattern repeat. Once the first couple of starter rows are out the way, every row is the same. This is Easy Crochet at its finest! Adding stripes of colour in the mix stops too much monotony and really lifts the shawl. But ultimately, we’re just talking stripes of wonderful granny clusters.
When I started working on the shawl I felt almost embarrassed. I felt like I should be working on something impressive and fancy. I was with professionals who take this art very seriously!! But this was when it dawned on me why I like the granny stitch so much. It’s because it is the ultimate in comfort crochet. This shawl is the very definition of comfort crochet! It’s not out to impress, it only wants to make you feel good.
Do you often return to your favourite stitches? This could be why. Our favourite stitches make us feel safe and relaxed. That’s perfectly OK. I don’t always want or need crochet that soothes me but when I do, Hello Granny!
Colourful crochet shawl
Crochet Shawl Pattern
Here we go! Things you will need are: a 4mm hook, 3x50g skeins of Cascade 220 Fingering for the Main Colour, and 6 contrasting colours. I used approximately 20g of each.
Pattern Notes
The pattern is written in UK terms. The main stitch is a UK treble, which is a US double crochet.
Contrast colours (CCs) are used three times each with 18 stripes of colour in total.
In established pattern, the CCs are placed every fourth row.
Rather than sewing in ends, I attached tassels to hide colour changes. Knot the loose ends together first before attaching tassels.
The PDF contains a chart with crochet symbols to follow.
The PDF also has a table charting where the colour chances are and where they are.
Work the first 4 rows in the MC, then change colour to a CC for the first time on the last st of Row 4. Then work a CC every 4th row.
Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch, or make a magic circle. Row 1: ch4 (counts as 1tr and 1ch here & throughout), 3tr, 1ch, 1tr, turn. [1 cluster of 3 tr + 1 st at either side] Row 2: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [2 clusters + 1 st at either side] Row 3: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, 3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [3 clusters + 1 st at either side, increasing by 1 cluster each row] Row 4: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, *3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * to last ch-sp, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. Rows 5 – 76: Rep Row 4.
Comforting Crochet Shawl
To Tassel or Not or Tassel?
Are you a fan of tassels? The jury is still out for me. The tassels are there because I couldn’t be bothered to sew in the ends. That’s all. As much as they add lots of mood lifting colour, I am tempted to undo them and add a less jazzy border. It’ll be simple to do, and if it happens and I shall come and report what I did.
And there you have it. Did you get beyond the tangenty gas-bagging?!
To give you a crochet shawl pattern I have to tell a story behind its construction. I enjoy telling the tale of how a design comes about. I just hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!
Anyway, with that, the Wayward Sisters came together, worked some magic, and then bid each other farewell. Until next time…
The Mixtape Medley Crochet Along has been such an exciting CAL and I cannot tell you how thrilling it is that so many of you have taken part in making this crazy crochet blanket pattern. There have been some brilliant brilliant brilliant versions made and it is such a lovely thing to see. Check out the Instagram hashtag #MixtapeMedleyCAL to see a variety of colour combinations that will make you swoon.
It’s about time I shared the pattern here on the blog (keep scrolling – it’s below!). I thought it would be a good idea to publish my biggest crochet project to date, right here, using US crochet terminology.
As well as scrolling down in this post, to full pattern with the US terms, you can find the UK pattern broken down in its CAL parts on the Hobbycraft website HERE. There are links to the video tutorials there too (I use UK terms in the videos).
You need any DK (or similar) yarn. That’s in the number 3 category. I used Knitcraft Everyday DK 50 gram balls (100% Acrylic, 137m/150yds) in the following colours:
Purple (YA) x 3 balls, Mint (YB) x 4, Hot Pink (YC) x 2 Beige (YD) x 5, Orange (YE) x 2, Teal (YF) x 2 Light Blue (YG) x 4, Brown (YH) x 2, Peach (YI) x 3 Barbie Pink (YJ) x 2, Red (YK) x 2, Blue (YL) x 2
I used a 3.75mm hook as my tension is quite loose. A 4mm (G/6) works great too.
BlanketMeasurements
This blanket measures 125cm x 195cm / 49 x 77 inches
Stitch Tension/ Crochet Gauge
Whilst tension isn’t a major issue it does have an affect on the amount of yarn used. The shade Peach for example, uses nearly every scrap of yarn of the three 50g balls listed. You would run out if your tension is looser.
If you’ve got the energy, make this small swatch to check you gauge. Row 1: Using a Foundation Start (see Special Stitches), work 25fdc sts, turn – 25 sts Row 2: 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Rows 3 – 17: Rep Row 2. 10cm should equal 14 rows /19 sts
Notes for Mixtape Medley
Changing colour: change yarn on the last pull through of the st before the new colour is needed.
For colour block/plaid rows, carry non working yarn along the row, working over the yarn as you go. Remember to regularly untwist your yarn to prevent tangles!
C2C rows can sometimes pull in slightly. You can adjust the tension by going up a hook for these sections. Although, I didn’t bother.
It’s a lovely big blanket and is a generous single bed size.
To adjust the size of your blanket, use multiples of 36. This blanket uses 6 multiples of 36 (plus 1) to get to 217 stitches. Add or subtract 36 stitches to make adjustments to the size.
The Hobbycraft video tutorials use UK terms but provide a really good visual so they’re still valid and helpful.
At the bottom of this page you’ll find a printable PDF to download for free!! ….
If you have enjoyed all the Mixtape Medley delights thus far and appreciate the work that has gone into the project, then I would totally do that happy dance if you bought me a Ko-fi!
Crochet Abbreviations
ch = chain, ch-sp = chain space, dc = double crochet, folls = follows/following, fdc = foundation double crochet, hk = hook, hdc = half double crochet, lp/s = loop(s), rem = remain/ing, rep = repeat, sc = single crochet sl st = slip stitch, st/s = stitches, tr = treble crochet, yrh = yarn around hook, YA/YB etc = yarn A/yarn B etc, JAYG = join as you go, C2C = corner to corner crochet, RS/WS = right side/wrong side
Special Crochet Stitches
Foundation Start (fdc):ch4 (counts as a st), yrh, insert hook in 4th ch from hook, yrh, draw through, yrh, draw through 1 lp (to create 1 ch into which the next st will be worked), yrh, draw through 2 lps, yrh, draw through 2 lps. Work next fdc (foundation double) into the 1ch created and the lp behind it.
Bobble stitch: (made on the wrong side of blanket): [yrh, insert hook into st, yrh, pull through, yrh, pull through 2 lps] five times in same st, yrh, pull through all 6 lps.
Puff stitch: [yrh, insert hook into st, yrh and pull up yarn] three times in same st, yrh, draw through all 7 lps on hook.
hdc join: (joining a round with a hdc means you finish in the very centre of a corner): yrh, insert hook into 1st st of round, yrh, pull through, yrh, pull through all 3 lps.
Mixtape Medley is a Hobbycraft collaboration for a 2021 Crochet Along
Mixtape Medley Blanket Pattern
Week 1
Row 1 (ws): With YA and 4mm hook, 217 fdc, turn – 217 sts. Alternatively work 219ch and work 1 dc in 4th ch from hk and 1dc in each ch to end. Row 2: 1ch (does not count as a st here and throughout), dc to end, turn. Change to YB.
BLOCKS
Row 3: 1ch, 9hdc in YB, *9hdc in YC, 9hdc in YB; rep from * to last 10 sts, hdc in YC to end, turn. Row 4: 1ch, 10hdc in YC, 9 hdc in YB, *9hdc in YC, 9hdc in YB; rep from * to end, turn. Row 5: rep Row 3. Row 6: rep Row 4. Row 7: rep Row 3. Row 8: rep Row 4 changing to YC on last st, turn. Row 9 -14: continue in pattern, repeat the last 6 rows but switch colours around to begin with YC followed by YB.
BOBBLE ROWS
Rows 15 & 16: with YD, 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 17 (ws): with YE, 1ch, 4sc, 1bobble, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5sc, turn. Rows 18 & 19: with YD 1ch, hdc to end, turn.
Week 2
JAYG C2C
This C2C section represents the next 6 rows of the blanket: Rows 20-25. Working on the diagonal, each row is anchored with a slip stitch to the main body of the blanket. You may wish to use a 4.5mm hook for this section. Increases Row 1 (rs): with YF, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of rem 2 ch (1 block made), miss 2 sts of main blanket, 1sl st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 1 block Row 2: 3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, 1sl st in ch-sp of first block, 3ch, 3dc in same sp, turn – 2 blocks. Row 3: 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * once, miss 2 sts, 1sl st in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 3 blocks Row 4: 3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, *1sl st in next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc; rep from * to end, turn – 4 blocks. Row 5: with YG, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 5 blocks. Row 6: rep row 4 – 6 blocks.
Work even as folls: Row 7: 3 sl sts across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, *1sl st into next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 6 blocks. Row 8: *3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, 1sl st in next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn – 6 blocks. Row 9: Rep Row 7, changing to YF on fourth sl st into first ch-sp. Rows 10 – 71: rep Rows 8 & 9 to last st, alternating between YF & YG every four rows. Row 72: Rep row 8.
Decreases Row 73: 3sl st across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, *3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, 1sl st into next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn – 5 blocks. Rows 74 – 77: rep row 73. Fasten off and sew in C2C ends (and all other ends so far)!
Row 26: with RS facing, attach YG in corner, work 217sc across main blanket: 1sc in top of the 3 vertical dc sts and 3sc around the bar of horizontal sts, plus an additional 1sc st at the beginning.
HOUNDSTOOTH
Row 27: with YH 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 28: 1ch, 1dc, *1sc, 1dc; rep from * to end, turn. Row 29: with YI, 1ch, 1sc, *1dc, 1sc; rep from * to end, turn. Row 30 – 33: Rep Rows 28 & 29 alternating colours. Row 34: with YH rep Row 28 once more. Row 35: rep Row 27.
BOBBLES x 3
Rows 36- 38: with YB 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 39 (ws): with YJ, 1ch, 4sc, 1bobble, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5sc, turn. Rows 40 – 42: rep row 36. Row 43: with YE, 1ch, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 10 sts, 10sc, turn. Rows 44 – 46: rep row 36. Row 47: with YK, rep row 39. Row 48 – 50: rep row 36.
Week 3
PLAID
Row 51: with YL 1ch, 4hdc, *change to YG, 4hdc, change to YL, 4hdc; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5hdc in YG, turn. Row 52: 1ch, 5hdc, change to YL, 4hdc, *change to YG, 4hdc, change to YL, 4hdc; rep from to end, turn. Row 53: rep row 51. Row 54: With YL 1ch, 5hdc, change to YD, 4hdc, *change to YL, 4hdc, change to YD, 4hdc; rep from to end, turn. Row 55: 1ch, 4hdc, *change to YL, 4hdc, change to YD, 4hdc; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5hdc in YL, turn. Row 56: rep Row 54. Rows 57 – 59: rep rows 51- 53. Rows 60 – 62: rep rows 54 – 56. Rows 63 – 65: rep rows 51 – 53.
CLOSED SHELLS
Row 66: with YJ, 1ch, dc to end, turn. Row 67: with YH, 1ch, 3dc in first st, miss 2 sts, 1sc, miss 2 sts, *5dc in next st, miss 2 sts, 1sc, miss 2 sts; rep from * to last st, 3dc in last st, turn. Row 68: with YE,1ch, 1sc in first st, *miss 2 sts, 5dc in sc, miss 2 sts, 1sc in next st; rep from * to end, turn. Row 69: with YK rep row 67. Row 70: with YA rep row 68. Row 71: with YB rep row 67. Row 72: with YJ, 1ch, dc to end, turn.
Week 4
PUFF WAVES
Row 73: with YF, 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 74: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Rows 75 & 76: with YI, 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 77: 1ch, 4dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc, *2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 4 sts, 4dc, turn. Row 78: 1ch, 4dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc, *miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next ddc, miss 3 sts, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 4 sts, 4dc, turn. Row 79: 1ch, 1sc in each st and 1ch-sp to end, turn. Row 80: 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 81: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Row 82: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next st, miss 3 sts, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next st, miss 3 sts, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Row 83: rep row 79. Row 84: rep row 80. Row 85: rep row 77. Row 86: rep row 78. Row 87: rep row 79. Row 88: rep row 80. Row 89: With YF, rep row 81. Row 90: 1ch, hdc to end, turn.
GRANNY BLOCKS
Row 91: with YD, 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 92: 1ch, 4dc, *miss 1 st, 1ch, 3dc; rep from * to last st, 1dc in last st, turn. Row 93: With YK, 1ch, 1sc, 3ch, miss 3 dc, *1sc in ch-sp, 3ch, miss 3 dc; rep from * to last st, 1sc, turn. Row 94: with YD, 1ch, 1dc in first st, 3dc in ch-sp, *1ch, miss sc, 3dc in ch-sp; rep from * to last st, 1dc in last st, turn. Row 95: with YC, rep row 93. Row 96: with YD, rep row 94. Row 97: with YL, rep row 93. Row 98: with YD, rep row 94. Row 99: 1ch, 1sc in each st and ch-sp to end, turn.
Week 5
BLOCKS
Row 100: with YB, 1ch, dc to end, turn. Row 101: 1ch, 9hdc in YA, *9hdc in YG, 9hdc in YA; rep from * to last 10 sts, hdc in YG to end, turn. Row 102: 1ch, 10hdc in YG, 9hdc in YA, *9hdc in YG, 9hdc in YA; rep from * to end, turn. Row 103: rep Row 101. Row 104: rep Row 102. Row 105: rep Row 101. Row 106: rep Row 102 changing to YG on last st, turn. Rows 107 – 112: continue in pattern by repeating the last 6 rows but switch colours around to begin with YG followed by YA
BOBBLE
Rows 113 & 114: with YD, 1ch, hdc to end, turn Row 115 (ws): with YH, 1ch, 4sc, 1bobble, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5sc, turn. Rows 116 & 117: with YD 1ch, hdc to end, turn.
JAYG C2C
This C2C section represents the next 6 rows of the blanket: Rows 118-123. Increases Row 1: with YK, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch (1 block made), miss 2 sts of main blanket, 1sl st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 1 block. Row 2: 3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, 1sl st in ch-sp of first block, 3ch, 3dc in same sp, turn – 2 blocks. Row 3: 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * once, miss 2 sts, 1sl st in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 3 blocks Row 4: 3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, *1sl st in next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc; rep from * to end, turn – 4 blocks. Row 5: with YJ, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn. – 5 blocks. Row 6: rep row 4 – 6 blocks.
Work even as folls: Row 7: 3sl sts across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, *1sl st into next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 6 blocks. Row 8: *3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, 1sl st in next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn – 6 blocks. Row 9: rep Row 7, changing to YK on fourth sl st into first ch-sp. Row 10 – 71: rep Rows 8 & 9 to last st, alternating between YJ & YK every four rows. Row 72: rep row 8.
Decreases Row 73: 3sl sts across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, *3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, 1sl st into next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn. – 5 blocks. Rows 74 – 77: rep row 73. Sl st to corner, fasten off and sew in ends! Row 124: With RS facing, attach YJ in corner, 217sc across main blanket: 1sc in top of the 3 vertical dc sts and 3sc around the bar of horizontal sts, plus an additional 1sc st at the beginning.
Week 6
HOUNDSTOOTH
Row 125: with YE 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 126: 1ch, 1dc, *1sc, 1dc; rep from * to end, turn. Row 127: with YB 1ch, 1sc, *1dc, 1sc; rep from * to end, turn. Rows 128 – 131: Rep Rows 126 & 127 alternating colours. Row 132: with YE rep Row 126. Row 133: rep Row 125.
BOBBLES x 3
Rows 134 – 136: with YI, 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 137 (ws): with YF, 1ch, 4sc, 1bobble, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5sc, turn. Rows 138 – 140: rep Row 134. Row 141: with YL, 1ch, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 10 sts, 10sc, turn. Rows 142 – 144: rep Row 134. Row 145: with YG, rep row 137. Row 146 – 148: rep Row 134.
PLAID
Row 149: with YK 1ch, 4hdc, *change to YC, 4hdc, change to YK, 4hdc; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5hdc in YC, turn. Row 150: 1ch, 5hdc, change to YK, 4hdc, *change to YC, 4hdc, change to YK, 4hdc; rep from to end, turn. Row 151: rep row 149. Row 152: with YK 1ch, 5hdc, change to YD, 4hdc, *change to YK, 4hdc, change to YD, 4hdc; rep from to end, turn. Row 153: with YD 1ch, 4hdc, *change to YK, 4hdc, change to YD, 4hdc; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5hdc in YK, turn. Row 154: rep Row 152. Rows 155 – 157: rep rows 149 – 151. Rows 158 – 160: rep rows 152 – 154. Rows 161 – 163: rep rows 149 – 151.
Week 7
CLOSED SHELLS
Row 164: with YH, 1ch, dc to end, turn. Row 165: with YB, 1ch, 3dc in first st, miss 2 sts, 1sc, miss 2 sts, *5dc in next st, miss 2 sts, 1sc, miss 2 sts; rep from * to last st, 3dc in last st, turn. Row 166: with YL, 1ch, 1sc in first st, *miss 2 sts, 5dc in sc, miss 2 sts, 1sc in next st; rep from * to end, turn. Row 167: with YG rep row 165. Row 168: with YE rep row 166. Row 169: with YI rep 165. Row 170: with YH, 1ch, dc to end, turn.
PUFF WAVES
Row 171: with YA, 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 172: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Rows 173 & 174: with YG, 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 175: 1ch, 4dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc, *2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 4 sts, 4dc, turn. Row 176: 1ch, 4dc, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc, *miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next st, miss 3 sts, 3hdc, 5sc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 4 sts, 4dc, turn. Row 177: 1ch, sc in each st and 1ch-sp to end, turn. Row 178: 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 179: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, 2dc, 3ddc, 2dc, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Row 180: 1ch, 3sc, 3hdc, miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next st, miss 3 sts, 3hdc, *5sc, 3hdc, miss 3 sts, 1ch, (1puff, 1ch) three times in next st, miss 3 sts, 3hdc; rep from * to last 3 sts, 3sc, turn. Row 181: rep row 177. Row 182: rep row 178. Row 183: rep row 175. Row 184: rep row 176. Row 185: rep row 177. Row 186: rep row 178. Row 187: With YA, rep row 179. Row 188: 1ch, hdc to end, turn.
GRANNY BLOCKS
Row 189: with YD, 1ch, sc to end, turn. Row 190: 1ch, 4dc, *miss 1st, 1ch, 3dc; rep from * to last st, 1dc in last st, turn. Row 191: With YF, 1ch, 1sc, 3ch, miss 3dc, *1sc in ch-sp, 3ch, miss 3dc; rep from * to last st, 1sc, turn. Row 192: with YD, 1ch, 1dc in first st, 3dc in ch-sp, *1ch, miss sc, 3dc in ch-sp; rep from * to last st, 1dc in last st, turn. Row 193: with YJ, rep row 191. Row 194: with YD, rep row 192. Row 195: with YK, rep row 191. Row 196: with YD, rep row 192. Row 197: 1ch, 1sc in each st and ch-sp to end, turn.
Week 8
JAYG C2C
This C2C section represents the next 6 rows of the blanket: Rows 198- 203. Increases Row 1: with YH, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch (1 block made), miss 2 sts, of main blanket, 1sl st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 1 block Row 2: 3ch, 3dc in 3ch sp, 1sl st in ch-sp of first block, 3ch, 3dc in the same sp, turn – 2 blocks. Row 3: 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * once, miss 2sts, 1sl st in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 3 blocks Row 4: 3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, *1sl st in next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc; rep from * to end, turn – 4 blocks. Row 5: with YB, 6ch, 1dc in 4th ch from hk, 1dc in each of next 2 ch, *1sl st in 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 5 blocks. Row 6: rep row 4 – 6 blocks.
Work even as folls: Row 7: 3sl sts across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, *1sl st into next 3ch-sp, 3ch, 3dc in same 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, in next st, 3ch, miss 2 sts, 1sl st, turn – 6 blocks. Row 8: *3ch, 3dc in ch-sp, 1sl st in next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn – 6 blocks. Row 9: rep Row 7, changing to YH on fourth sl st into first ch-sp. Row 10 – 71: rep Rows 8 & 9 to last st, alternating between YB & YH every four rows. Row 72: rep row 8.
Decreases Row 73: 3sl sts across dc sts and into 3ch-sp, *3ch, 3dc in 3ch-sp, 1sl st into next 3ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn – 5 blocks. Rows 74 – 77: rep row 73. Sl st to corner, fasten off and sew in ends now. Row 204: With RS facing, attach YB in corner, 217sc across main blanket: sc in top of 3 vertical dc sts and 3sc around the bar of horizontal sts, plus additional 1sc st at beginning.
BOBBLE ROWS
Rows 205 & 206: with YD, 1ch, hdc to end, turn. Row 207 (ws): with YF, 1ch, 4sc, 1bobble, *8sc, 1 bobble; rep from * to last 5 sts, 5sc, turn. Rows 208 & 209: with YD 1ch, hdc to end, turn.
BLOCKS
Row 210: 1ch, 9hdc in YE, *9hdc in YJ, 9hdc in YE; rep from * to last 10 sts, hdc in YJ to end, turn. Row 211: 1ch, 10hdc in YJ, 9hdc in YE, *9hdc in YJ, 9hdc in YE; rep from * to end, turn. Row 212: rep 210 Row 213: rep 211 Row 214: rep 210 Row 215: rep 211 changing to yarn J on last st, turn. Rows 216 -221: continue in pattern, repeat the last 6 rows but switch colours around to begin with YJ followed by YE Rows 222 & 223: with YA, 1ch, dc to end, turn.
THE MIXTAPE MEDLEYBORDER
Continue around the rest of the blanket and join with a sl st to the first st, do not turn. If you are just a few stitches out on the sides, don’t worry, it won’t have an effect on the overall look.
Rnd 1: With YD, 1ch, sc to end – 217 sts, work along the side of the blanket as folls: 1sc in first dc, 2sc in 2nd dc (& further dc sts), work 3sc for every two rows in hdc, 1sc in each sc row. For C2C sections, work 3dc across vertical dc sts and 2sc in horizontal posts. – 334 sts.
Rnd 2: 1ch, 2dc in first st, dc to next corner st, *(2dc, 1ch, 2dc) in corner st, dc to next corner; rep from * twice more, 2dc, join by working 1hdc into the first st, do not turn.
Rnd 3: 1ch, 2dc in corner sp, dc to next corner, *5dc in corner sp, dc to end; rep from * three more times, 3dc in first corner sp, join with sl st to first st .
Fasten off and sew in the many many ends!
Mixtape Medley lounging at home.
Wahoo, you are done! How does it feel? Honestly, I was so pleased when this one came off the hook. It was many months of planning and swatching. What a relief and a joy to see it finished.
You’re probably down at the botom of this page to find a totally free PDF that you can download and print. Well, you canfind that just below. It’s one document with the pattern fully laid out week by week (obvs you can ignore the weeks and work it up as quickly as you like but they’re useful markers).
Making tassels is like stepping into a fairy ring. You can make hundreds and only mere minutes will have passed. It turns out that making a video tutorial for tassels is pretty much the same. It took no time at all to make! For the video tutorial, please click on the picture above, which will take you to where you want to go. Or Go HERE for all my YouTube videos.
Boldly and confidently, I shall also add links to my Patreon HERE, and KO-Fi HERE. Both help to support my crochet adventures and go towards improving the quality of the content I put out. Cheers! x
Are you a tassel fan? It’s a highly addictive yarn sport!
Only two weeks after the last crochet tutorial (an asymmetric granny stitch cowl), here are two more! I know, bonkers, right?! But sorry, I’m flooding you with grannies at the moment, I swear I do have other ideas that involve other crochet stitches.
My YouTube channel is HERE. Please feel free to visit for podcast watching, as well as helpful crochet tutorials.
To Crochet a Bag, You will Need…
To make your own crochet granny square bag you will need lots of lovely yarn in all your favorite colours. Mine is very much a stashbuster. I used what I had yarn leftovers of rather than going out to buy more. You will also need a hook that matches the yarn weight. You may even think about going down a hook size to ensure that your bag has decent structural integrity.
You will also need some matching fabric (a polycotton will do nicely) and something to sew it (a machine is preferable but there’s nothing stopping you from sewing by hand). Along with, have some pins at the ready too. It’s also a good idea (but not essential) to get some interfacing to add to the sturdiness of the bag.
Bag handles, don’t forget bag handles! I think I found mine by googling “long bag handles” and up they popped. They would have been less than a fiver.
Video Tutorials
This tutorial is based on a granny square bag I made a couple of years ago. The original blog post can be found HERE. There are lots of details in that post that will be super useful here. However, it is a slightly different version. I’ve made this new crochet bag a bit less fussy, which is always a winner for makers.
There are two videos for this project. One is how to put the granny square bag together. The one below is how to work Join As You Go grannies. I start by making one granny square and then at the time stamp of 5.25 I begin to join them together. At first this can seem a little daunting but once you get your head around the construction, joining as you go is really good fun. Not to mention a huge time saver!
Please see below for some accompanying pictures. Not quite step by step photos; they will help with putting your own crochet bag together, especially for when you get to add the bag lining. I would always advise lining a granny square bag. How else do you stop things falling through the holes!?
I recently got my mitts on a yarn kit from Wool and the Gang for their newly released New Wave yarn. I was sent the Shoreline bag crochet kit as a free gift so I could try it out and tell you what I think… Here’s the story….
Once upon a time there was an email that was sent to my inbox. It was Anna from Wool and the Gang. Would I like to try a new crochet kit using yarn made from cotton and whazzed up plastic bottles? Yeah, alright then, that sounds fun! And so that’s what happened.
The first thing you’ll notice in the top photo is that there are knitting needles rather than a crochet hook. This is because I was sent a knit kit for the I Got You bag by mistake. Oops! Once I got in touch with Anna from the WATG team, I was swiftly sent the pattern for the Shoreline bag, a pretty wooden hook and the extra ball of yarn needed so that I could get started in earnest on some crochet. Whilst I waited for the additional crochet essentials I thought I’d try a few rows of the knitting pattern. I had the tools, so why not? I’m pleased to report that I learned a posh new stitch from following the pattern, which made me ridiculously happy. I just did what I was told and the fancy stitch magically appeared on my needles! I almost wish that I’d kept quiet and made the knitted bag pattern instead because it would have been a fantastic achievement for me as a relatively basic knitter.
Knitting and crochet. Both equally beautiful.
I got to choose the colour I wanted (there are 12 shades in total). I picked Seaweed green, a shade which reminds me of a Kelpie’s mane. A few of the colour names in the collection are named after seasidey things (seashell, oyster) and that’s because there’s a definite sea theme going on. The patterns have been inspired by fisherman’s tales which I think is lovely and harks back to a time when the ocean wasn’t filled with nasty plastic.
I mention plastic because nearly half (47%) of the yarn composition is plastic. In each 100gram ball, there are three plastic bottles (lids and all). The rest is cotton, which forms the outer mesh of the yarn. The plastic inside is a different tone to the outer and together they create a marled effect. You’ll also notice it has a great stitch definition when worked up.
The Shoreline bag works up really quickly, it’s a very easy stitch repeat and one that can be done in front of the telly (the best kind of crochet, yes?). I finished mine in a couple of days. It actually wasn’t until I’d fastened off the last piece that I realized I’d done something a teeny bit wrong. It took me that long to notice that the pattern was written in US terms and not UK terms (I don’t think the pattern tells you which it is). Now here’s the thing, I’m a bit fluid in my use of UK and US terminology. In my head I call a UK double crochet a “single” but I use the UK term “treble” to mean a US double…. It doesn’t make sense at all. Due to this silly, confusing habit of mine, I didn’t even question the use of “single” and “treble” stitches in the pattern. Essentially what I’ve done is use the wrong stitch for my bag, I’ve used US doubles/UK trebles. It should be a US treble instead. Whoopsy! Do you know what though? It doesn’t really matter! There was absolutely no way I was going to frog the whole thing just to make it properly. That would be plain daft. The most important thing is I’ve got a bag I can use and in it right now is yarn for my next project!
Random things that don’t fit elsewhere:
I used 3ch not 4 as my turning chain
The pattern is written for the absolute beginner. So much so, it’s almost unconventional in the style format for a crochet pattern. Super broken down into all the steps.
I should have gone down to a 4.5mm hook. My tension was quite loose.
I want to know what a garment would feel like in this yarn. I’m curious.
It’s mostly knitting patterns in the range. I’d like to see more crochet designs.
Both the needles and the hook came in little plastic wrappers. Not necessary and quite the antithesis of the WATG objective for New Wave yarn. Hmmm.
Free WATG patterns are available HERE. There’s at least one with New Wave yarn.
Anyway, we’re at the end of this fisherwoman’s tale (I’ve been fishing more than once, it’s true). I’m always dead impressed with the WATG yarn and kits, it’s clear that loads of thought goes into each line they produce. I still wear my Foxy Roxy scarf in the dead of winter. When it’s super cold it’s the only scarf that keeps out the biting wind. I’ve tried out their silky eucalyptus in the form of Tina Tape (I still can’t help calling it Tina Tapeworm), and my first try was Take Care Mohair, a mohair yarn that hasn’t been topped by any other I’ve tried. That’s all pretty good if you ask me.
Right, it’s all getting too gushy round here. I’m gonna stop singing praises and go and get my hooks out. See ya! x
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The lighting when taking this pic was not good. The colour of the yarn is much more like the close up shots.
I have been given a newly released book to review! How exciting is that?! The publisher, GMC Distribution sent me Crocheted Birds by Vanessa Mooncie. Have you seen her crochet taxidermy book too? It’s amazing and I knew this one would be just as good. It’s the sort of book where I mostly just enjoy looking at the pictures rather than actually make something from its pages. But do you know what? To write a proper review I felt that I had to make at least one thing from it. That seemed like the right thing to do.
I decided to make one of the smaller garden birds because I thought it’d be a bit quicker than the giant swan or magnificent barn owl. As it’s Christmas, it was the robin that had to get made. He was probably not the best choice for speed; lots of colour changes make it a fiddly project but I gave myself some quiet time to do nothing but crochet this birdy. If I’m going to do amigurumi, I need complete and utter silence. There is a lot of stitch counting!
I kind of messed up the tension; the head is tighter than the body because it’s worked in the round and not in rows (the body is worked in rows). The book has a whole page on tension and says it’s vital check gauge. I should have done was I was told. I didn’t. I never do.
I’m not certain that checking gauge would have made much of a difference anyway because I wasn’t necessarily looking to make a life size bird and definitely wasn’t looking to buy more yarn. Therefore I made it in some dk I had in stash; not the 4ply I was told to use (don’t worry, there are dk patterns in this book as well as 4ply projects).
A couple of times I was confused by what colour went where but this book has charts as well as the written patterns. Whenever I got in a flap I just consulted the chart and it sorted out any confusion. I am deffo a fan of using a written pattern and chart simultaneously.
What I will say is that you do need a lot of extras. You’ll be no good with just your hook and some wool. I seemed to be OK on that front as I’m a massive craft hoarder and thankfully had poly fibrefill to stuff a plump bird, wire for strong legs and black beads for inquisitive eyes. I didn’t reinforce his tail like I was supposed to as I’ve lost my fine wire. It’s somewhere, I’m just not entirely sure where that somewhere is.
One thing I’d quite like to know more about is how to display the birds once they’re done. They look beautiful in the photo set-ups but I wouldn’t be certain about how to recreate that at home. Perhaps a page on that would have been useful. I did spot glass dome wotsits in Ikea the other day though!
I can see that with practice, I could make really amazing ornithology following the patterns here. Vanessa’s birds look so beautiful and mine just looks a bit stressed/mildly anxious.
What do you reckon? Are you up for making a flock of birds? I’m gonna make the budgie next! I can tell you that I’m glad there isn’t a seagull here. I was walking through town yesterday, minding my own business and one of the cheeky sods swooped down and nabbed the croissant I’d been enjoying. I won’t tell you what I shouted at it…
Before we begin, please let me be clear to my family & friends, this isn’t my personal wish list. Don’t literally get me this stuff! Chances are, I have caved and already bought these things for myself…
Right, anyway, this really is very simple. You have a lover of crochet in your life and you need/want to get them something for Christmas. Take a look at this list and I’m sure you will find something that they will LOVE.
You’d think this was a post containing those affiliate links, it’s not. I’m just making things up as I go!
1. Yarn
Goes without saying. Make it good stuff though, yeah? Think along the lines of posh(ish), high end commercial yarn or a gorgeous skein (or two) of indie dyed. Take a look at the sort of thing your friend/family member likes to make and try to match up a bit. If they only like to make baby blankets, the likelihood is they won’t be into a hank of speckled 4ply. Get them quality DK instead. If they’re into making shawls or socks then the indie dyed hank/skein would be brilliant. Find a local yarn shop and chat to the owner to get some help if you need it, or if that’s not possible then you probably won’t go wrong in a John Lewis haberdashery department. Don’t forget that mini skeins make great stocking fillers!
2. Magazine Subscription
There are loads to choose from so this is hard. If I narrow it down to UK subs that makes it easier. Inside Crochet magazine would be my choice, it has contemporary, stylish designs and also embraces the traditional. I also enjoy Mollie Makes as an all round crafty mag. Then there’s Simply Crochet and Crochet Now, both have a good mix of content.
For high-end there’s Pompom Quarterly but I get cross with Pompom. It says there’s crochet on the front cover but there’s rarely any inside of its pages, just a lot of (amazing) knitting patterns. I got a subscription for Christmas a couple of years ago. For the entire year, there was only one crochet pattern. Still, the pictures were pretty…. Fingers crossed some amazing crochet designs get featured soon. Come on Pompom, crochet is awesome!
Toft and Scheepjes both feature crochet in their seasonal magazines too. For the US, I’ve been told that Interweave is a good choice.
3. Clothes!
I got myself an early present in the form of a sweatshirt from Stitchers Tees. You can choose from hoodies and t-shirts as well. I love mine!
A sneak peek of a new cowl that’s coming out later in the week in issue 108 of Inside Crochet!!
4. Pins/Badges/Buttons etc
A fabulous stocking filler idea! Enamel pins are super popular right now. Try Joanne Hawkeror Lanaboufor craft related accessories. Crochet Luna has an impressive array of crochet buttons, many of which adorn my project bags. I also recently bought myself a pretty brooch from Shirley Rainbow. I know that it isn’t crochet but neither is the cross stitch bauble from Stitchsperation!! I don’t care, they’re still crafty and gorgeous!
Love my new cross stitch bauble from Stitchsperation. I went off piste with the design and did a free form Christmas tree.
5. Project bag.
Loads of makers on Etsy sell handmade bags you can store your crochet projects in. One that is most definitely on my Christmas list is a Floofhunta bag from the Yarnistry shop (navy medium or large with rose gold please!). Or, look at the beauty below from Handmade by Yael.
Love this bag from Handmade by Yael.
6. A pattern
You can buy patterns from an independent designer (like me!) all over the internet. These are mostly digital downloads, which you can choose to gift. You just need the email address of your crochet loving pal so it gets sent to them. Try Ravelry, Love Crochet or Etsy, and now there’s the Making Things app, which is a monthly subscription where a maker can get their hands on loooadds of crochet & knitting patterns. I’ll be finding out more about this soon; I’ll be sure to pass on the info.
7. A Fancy Hook
I always see people using Furls hooks, I’ve not tried one before but they’re supposed to be very good to use and ergonomic too, they’re like the designer hook, I guess. Or there are handmade hooks. I’ve seen beautiful hooks whittled from wood (want!). For example, drool over Knitbrooks twig hooks, and squee over Make.E’s hooks which are wrapped in funky Fimo designs.
Hooks by Knitbrooks
8. Tickets to a Yarn Festival
There are yarn festivals all over the country and all over the world. Buy a pair of tickets. Day pass, weekend, whatever. Throw in a fancy hotel too! ;p
9. Stitch Markers/Progress Keepers
Another stocking filler. Lots of people make and sell these in online shops. You can quickly end up with a large collection!
10. Yarn Bowl
I’m not fussed about yarn bowls, I quite like my yarn bopping about all over the place as I work, but I know not everyone feels the same. Keep your woolly bits in check by keeping your balls in a bowl.
Workshops are wonderful things; fab community get-togethers for like minded makers where you learn a new skill. There will be a small business near you running crafty workshops. They’re great fun! Some will only be a couple of hours and cost just a few quid or you could splurge and book a weekend retreat for proper indulgent crochet time.
13. The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater
Books!! A book can be tricky because there are so many to choose from. Too many, even. Not every book will please every crocheter. Unless you know their style then it might be best to avoid a pattern book and go for memoirs instead. A few months ago I got The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater it’s a collection of essays about being a crafter. It’s mostly knitting orientated but crochet gets a look in too. Having just looked on Amazon I can see a whole load of yarn related memoirs! A Stash on One’s Own sounds good…. eh, I don’t know if I want to go down this rabbit hole. Ooh, I remember getting Dead Men Don’t Crochet a while back, a crime/murder mystery that’s also about crochet. I couldn’t finish it, it was too daft but you might think it’s great! 😀
I’ve got to stop there I’m afraid. I know there are loads more ideas out there but I’m going to rein it in before I get carried away. Have I missed out of any obvious ones? Let me know! x
Just a heads up, I got the yarn for this pattern for free from Hobbii. During some correspondence I asked if they’d been interested in collaborating in my Corner 2 Corner CAL. Rather happily, they said yes! How great is that!? They are going to give away four balls of Happy Sheep wool as one of the CAL prizes!! OK, on with the show…
As part of the C2C crochet along that I’m hosting this autumn, I thought it’d be a nice idea to have a free pattern on the table. When I first mentioned the idea of a CAL a lot of people told me that they’d not tried the C2C stitch before. I think a few people had tried it and were put off by the (only slightly) weird start (honestly, you get over it pretty quickly!). I decided a free pattern might coerce these fab people into giving C2C another chance. I thought that a video tutorial to accompany it might persuade a few others too…
Here we have a cowl and a hat using 4 x100g balls of aran weight yarn. The colours and pattern have a funny eighties vibe about them; I’m thinking shell suits and ski jackets, therefore the name of this set is Apres-Ski! I made the cowl first, had loads of yarn left over so thought I’d better squeeze in a hat too. Follow the same chart for the cowl and the hat. For the cowl you just sew up the rectangle (I used mattress stitch) and for the hat, you add some FP/BP stitches along the bottom and gather the top. Easy peasy!
The design is pretty simple, uncomplicated colour changes an no carrying of yarn. That’s not too bad, right?! I drew up the chart on Stitch Fiddle. It’s a been a few years since I stumbled upon Stitch Fiddle and since I’ve been using it, it has become much much better and more advanced. Seeing as it’s a free programme, this is fantastic [and before you question my motives, I am not affiliated with the site, I just use it a lot and like it]. The chart is below but I think I can also share it via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, so I’ll do that too.
Pattern is written in UK terms but in the video I use both UK & US speak. A UK treble = US double
I changed my colours around a bit but if you want both hat and cowl to be identical, there should be just enough yarn of your chosen main colour to do that.
Row 1: 6 ch, 1 tr in 4th ch from hook, 1 tr in next 2 st, turn. [1 block]
Row 2: 6 ch, 1 tr in 4th ch from hook, 1 tr in next 2 st, ss into the 3 ch-sp of previous row, 3 ch, 3 tr into same 3 ch-sp, turn. [2 blocks]
Row 3: 6 ch, 1 tr into 4th ch from hook, 1 tr in next 2 st, *ss into next 3 ch-sp of previous row, 3 ch, 3 tr in same 3 ch-sp; rep from * to end, turn. [3 blocks etc]
Row 4 -11: Continue increasing as Row 3
Row 12: Repeat Row 3, ending with 1 ss in the last 3 ch-sp (ie. do not make the last block), turn.
Row 13: Ss along the next 3 st and into the first 3 ch-sp, (3 ch, 3 tr) in same ch-sp, continue making blocks in each 3 ch-sp to the end, turn.
Repeat Rows 12 & 13 until Row 28.
Row 29: Ss along the next 3 st and into the first 3 ch-sp, (3 ch, 3 tr) in same ch sp, continue making blocks, end with 1 ss into the last 3 ch-sp, turn.
Rep Row 29 to end. To finish ss across the last 3st and into the corner. Fasten off.
Mattress stitch the ends together and voila! A cowl is made!
Turning it into a Hat
Round 1: Attach your chosen colour to any stitch along the bottom and chain 3 to count as your first st. Make 2tr into the horizontal bars and 1tr into each of the 3 vertical stitches of the blocks (see hastily hand drawn chart below). Double check you have an even number of stitches. I had 70st.
Round 2. 2ch (doesn’t count as a st), *1 front post tr, 1 back post tr; rep from * around and join to the first st, no turn.
Rounds 3 & 4. Repeat Row 2
Fasten off. With a needle and yarn, gather the other opening to close. Attach a pompom (please watch Episode 39 of my podcast where I make the pompom and sew it on to the hat, as I chat).
Slightly embarrassing …but I’m pretending to hold a ski pole!
And before I go I just wanted to say thanks to Hobbii, they have been great. The emails we exchanged felt really friendly and warm. They were totally up for coming on board the CAL and I got a free row counter (and sweeties!) in my parcel!
I’d love to see your makes. Tag me on Instagram @zeensandroger and if you’re joining in with the CAL, don’t forget to use the hashtag #c2cCAL18
Finally!! I promised this months ago and here we are, I have pulled my finger out and made a tutorial for my crochet bobble edging. Rejoice!! It’s over on YouTube, the pic above is the link but feel free to travel HERE to the whole channel.
You can add this edging to pretty much any blanket, scarf, cushion etc. If the multiples don’t work then I’m all in favour of wangling it so that they do! Crochet is not offended by mild cheating. But for you sticklers out there it’s mults of 3, plus 1 and the corners [my corners are (2tr, 2ch, 2tr)].
For the swatch in the video and the rainbow edged striped blanket pictured here, I used Lucy’s Attic 24’s Granny Stripe tutorial. For more details of making a rainbow edged blanket I have a tutorial for that too! It’s HERE.
Just in case you want to know, I used some random acrylic dk and a 3.75mm hook, which might be a bit small if you have a tight tension.
I first came up with a version of it when I made Sandra’s Cherry Heart A Touch of Spice blanket. (This seems like a lifetime ago!). At the time I made a photo tutorial. It’s just ever so slightly different but it will help here if you want pics.
What do you reckon? I can tell you that it’s time consuming, and on a giant blanket you might get a bit miffed of having it take so long. However, it’s worth persevering as it looks great!
Only two weeks after the last crochet tutorial (
;p
