Tag: yarn

Large Granny Square with Circle Centre

Categories crochet, free pattern2 Comments on Large Granny Square with Circle Centre

Granny Square Tutorial

This large granny square pattern has been designed specifically so I can use it in a bigger crochet project that I’ve been working on over the last year. Since last autumn or so, I have made enough granny squares for two double-bed sized crochet blankets and this pattern is part of those colourful blankets.

I recorded a large granny square tutorial in the spring and it has taken me until the late summer to edit it and put it together! Oh my goodness, such a long time. One of the reasons for the delay is that I wanted to make sure I got the pattern right. The element that needed perfecting was the granny circle in the middle of the square because the first blanket had too many stitches. You can find out much much more in Episode 104 of the Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast as that video has a decent chat about the blankets I made. Therefore, if you’d like to know more, please do watch it (there are other granny projects in that episode too).

To watch the video tutorial of how to make a large granny square with a circle centre, go HERE to YouTube. For the written pattern, keep scrolling.

Crochet blanket. Large granny squares and cute little granny squares together.

Granny Squares to Make a Crochet Blanket

The photo above shows the first blanket I made at the beginning of this year. It’s a crochet blanket that I have been meaning to make for yeeeeeaaars. Back in 2011 (ish) I made one that was very similar and over the years I have been asked for the pattern quite a lot. I’ll have to dig out a photo to share in the next blog post (I’ll do that once blanket no.2 is complete).

The blankets all have the same thing in common; they have large and small squares laid out together in a “random formation”. The pattern for the large granny square is below. You can find the pattern for the cute little granny square HERE (plus the video tutorial too). When combined, you can make an awesome crochet blanket.

The best thing about making lots of squares and turning them into a blanket is that there is no rush. Make just a few every now and then, pick up and put down as and when the mood takes. Before you know it, everything has come together nicely at a super relaxing pace. Wonderful stuff.

Pattern for a large granny square

Things you Need to Crochet a Large Granny Square

For this pattern, you will need lots of DK yarn and a 4mm hook. This crochet pattern makes a 13 round square, that measures approximately 10 inches. Granny squares are, of course, the best stashbusters in the world so gather up all your DK leftovers to make your own unique motifs for a one of a kind blanket.

It’s important to note that the written instructions here use UK terms. Anywhere you see “tr” or “treble” please remember that these are US double crochet stitches.

Below are some special stitches that you may not know. I assume that you know any other, more basic, abbreviations but please leave a comment below if anything foxes you and I will do my best to answer as soon as I can.

Special Crochet Stitches

To make a stonkingly good crochet square there are a couple of techniques here that you may be new to, or perhaps not. But I will share them here as they are integral to the pattern. Please do not worry, they are not as hard as you might think and the video tutorial takes you through these crochet techniques step-by-step.

Beg tr2tog:

This is used at the beginning of Rnd 1 to work the first “petal”. It uses the same principle as a Stacked Start (have you seen my video tutorial for Alternatives to a Chain 3?).
Insert hook in circle, yrh and pull through, yrh and pull through both loops on hook (it helps to gently pinch the st at this point to make the next stage easier). Insert hook in left leg of the st and the loop behind it (the pinch helps the back loop to become looser and more visible), yrh and pull through, (2 loops on hook), yrh and insert hook into the circle, yrh and pull through (4 loops on hook), yrh and pull through 2 loops, yrh and pull through 3 loops. 

Standing tr start (sttr):

This is instead of starting rounds by using chains, it looks much tidier than a 3-chain and it’s fun to do! It’s perfect when changing colour at the beginning of rows. Yrh three times and hold loops on hook with forefinger, insert hook in ch-sp/st, yrh and pull through, [yrh and pull through 2 loops] twice. Let go of the yarn wrapped around your hook. First treble stitch made.

Standing dtr start (stdtr) = A US standing treble:

This is same principle as the sttr only for a taller stitch; you just wrap the yarn around your hook an extra time.
Yrh four times and hold loops on hook with forefinger, insert hook in ch-sp/st, yrh and pull through, [yrh and pull through 2 loops] three times.  Let go of the yarn wrapped around your hook. First dtr stitch made.

A cluster = 3 tr together in the same space.

The written pattern below assumes you will change colour every round. With Blanket No. 2 you will see that I don’t change colour every round for the granny squares. Watch the tutorial (towards the end) to see how that’s done as you have to use a couple of different techniques. Nothing crazy, I promise.

Top Tip!! Alternate the place where you join your yarn for each round. Join new yarn in the opposite corner to the join of the previous round. This avoids the dreaded granny twist! You can see this method doesn’t work quite so well if you are not changing colour.

Crochet Granny sqaure blanket in the making. Pattern for a Large granny square

Large Granny Square Pattern

Chain 5 and join with a sl st.
Rnd 1: 1Beg tr2tog, ch2, *tr2tog, 2ch: rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the 1st 2ch-sp. Fasten off & cut yarn. Do not turn (here & throughout). [ 8 “petals”]

Rnd 2: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 2ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, 1ch, *3tr in next 2ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 3: [this is a change from the video tutorial – you may hear me waffle at about 12/13 minutes re where I put my chains for Rnd 4 and this new way makes more sense – it amounts to the same amount of stitches and chain at the end] Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, (1tr, 1ch, 2tr) in same sp, *(2tr, 1ch, 2tr) in next 1ch-sp; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 4: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr, *miss 2 tr, 3tr in next 1ch-sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr; rep from * around join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn. [16 clusters]

Rnd 5: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp between clusters, 2tr in same sp, *3tr in next sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 6: Attach new yarn with 1stdtr in any sp, 2dtr in same sp, [3tr in next sp] three times, *(3dtr, 2ch, 3dtr) in next sp, [3tr in next sp] three times; rep from * two more times, 3dtr in first corner, 1htr join in top of stdtr [see the htr join at 22:30 of the video tutorial]. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnds 7 – 13: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in corner 2ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, [3tr in next sp] four times, *(3tr, 2ch, 3tr) in 2ch-sp, [3tr in next sp] four times; rep from *two more times, 3tr in corner ch-sp, 1htr join in top of sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

And that’s how to crochet a large granny square! Now, sew in all of your ends!!

How to Join Granny Squares

There are a few different ways to join granny squares and you can do so however you see fit. In the video tutorial for the little granny squares, I demonstrate how to Join As You Go but for the new crochet blankets I have chosen to sew them together using the mattress stitch, which is also known as the ladder stitch. I prefer the look and it gives me more control. But that’s a story for another day.

Obviously, you can use this pattern to create lots of crochet squares for your own projects. However, I will pop by very soon to put all the elements together so you can see how to crochet your own granny square blanket.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Decked Out: A Striped Shawl Pattern

Categories crochetLeave a Comment on Decked Out: A Striped Shawl Pattern
Decked Out is a Striped Crochet Shawl Pattern from Zeens and Roger

Deck Chair in a Crochet Shawl?

This morning, my phone reminded me that three years ago today I was putting the finishing touches to this striped crochet shawl pattern. Times flies…

I designed Decked Out to be just like deck chair fabric. It was the design idea for a magazine commission all about going to the beach. I think it fits the brief quite nicely.

Three years ago we were going away for a sunny weekend in Cornwall. I’m not usually brave enough to take crochet commissions on holiday but I think I’d left it very late and I was dancing pretty close to the deadline. I needed it done ASAP so it travelled with us, a few hours away, just a little bit deeper into the West Country.

Don’t worry, it didn’t get sand on it. I left it at the B&B when we went to the beach!

Decked Out, Striped Shawl pattern

Decked Out; A Striped Shawl Pattern

To celebrate its birthday, I’m releasing Decked Out for the first time since it appeared in Inside Crochet magazine. And if that’s not exciting enough, it’s right here on the blog now too! Keep scrolling for the striped shawl pattern full of bright, fun colour blocking. Or, you can buy both ad free UK and US versions of the pattern over on Ravelry, or in my Etsy store.

Oky doky, this is a lovely and simple shawl for those who fancy something a little bit more than basic stitches.

I used two kinds of stitches in this crochet design. The majority of the main body uses one of my favourites, the UK half treble / US half double worked in the front third loop. It creates beautiful ridges that provide a gorgeous texture. Then I finished it off with a classic rib of post stitches. If you have the yarn spare, add another couple of rows. I think it’s look really good.

What Yarn etc Do You Need for Your Crochet Shawl?

The yarn I used to make the Decked Out shawl is Milla Mia Sweden, Naturally Soft Merino. It’s 100% Superwash merino, 50g/ 125m/ 136yds which is sold as a sport weight yarn.

I used this soft and squishy yarn with a 3.5mm hook. I didn’t do a gauge swatch as tension doesn’t really matter for this shawl. But as you work your shawl, pay attention to the feel of the fabric. You’ll know if it looks too loose or feels too stiff. If you don’t like the squish of the fabric, just try a different hook size.

If you can’t get hold of the yarn I used, read all about Yarn Substitution to find an alternative that will work for you.

Special Stitches Needed for Your Shawl

UK hdc / US htr in 3rd front loop only: instead of working under the 2 loops that form a “V” at top of st, insert hook in horizontal loop that sits at front of st below the “V”.  

For the visual learners amongst you, check out my free pattern for a chunky scarf that uses the same stitch. That’s the link to the video tutorial.

Abbreviations – US terms

BPdc = back post double, ch = chain, ch-sp = chain space, dc = double crochet,
FPdc = front post double, hdc = half double, st(s) = stitch(es), sp(s) = space(s), sl st = slip stitch.

Notes Before You Begin

The following striped shawl pattern is in US terms but if you buy the ad free PDF version, it comes in both US & UK terms.

Please note that I haven’t included where to change colour within the written pattern. Instead, there is a chart (below) that will tell you how often you need to change colour. It also includes the stitch count for the end of every colour change (it’s the stitch count for the last row of each colour used).

If you love the crochet ribbing and want to explore it further, take a look at my post all about the best crochet ribbing!

And if you enjoy this pattern, have you seen my other crochet designs? Have a look at my Free Crochet Patterns Page. Then, why not take a look at some awesome crochet tips & tricks?!

The Crochet Shawl Pattern

With YA make a magic circle, or ch4 and join with a sl st.
Row 1: 1ch (does not count as a stitch here & throughout), 1dc, 2hdc, 2ch, 2hdc, 1dc in magic circle, turn – 3 sts per side.

Row 2: 1ch, (1dc, 2hdc) in first dc, hdc to center, (1hdc, 2ch, 1hdc) in 2ch-sp, hdc to last st, (2hdc, 1dc) in last dc, turn – 6 sts per side.

Row 3: 1ch, (1dc, 2hdc) in first dc, hdc in front 3rd loop to center, (1hdc, 2ch, 1hdc) in 2ch-sp, hdc in front 3rd loop to last st, (2hdc, 1dc) in last dc, turn – 9 sts per side and increasing by 3 sts per side every row.

Continue in pattern, following chart (below) for color order/stripe sequence.

Row 4 – 67: Rep row 3 – 201 sts.

Crochet ribbing on a striped shawl pattern

Edging
Row 68: 1ch, 3dc in first st, [2FPdc, 2BPdc] to center 2ch-sp, (2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in 2ch-sp, [2BPdc, 2FPdc] to last st, 3dc in last st, turn – 205 sts, increasing by 4 sts per side.

Row 69 – 71: Rep 68 – 217 sts. 

Fasten off and sew in ends.

Block using preferred method.

Follow This Colour Chart

In the PDF pattern you can purchase, this helpful chart is colour coded to make it a little bit easier to follow. It’s still not difficult but I like it to be pretty!

RowsYarnSt count  @ end of colour block.
1 – 12A36
13 – 16B48
17 – 20C60
21 – 24D72
25 – 32E96
33 – 36F108
37 – 44G132
45 – 52D156
53 – 56A168
57 – 58E175
59 – 66C198
67 – 71B217

And it’s as simple as that! I hope you like this striped shawl pattern. Let me know if you make it and add it to your Ravelry project page too.

Cheers. x

Crochet Join As You Go Ribbing

Categories crochetLeave a Comment on Crochet Join As You Go Ribbing

What is Join As You Go Ribbing?

Join As You Go Ribbing, or JAYG ribbing is an excellent technique you can use with all sorts of crochet projects. Its meaning is literal; as you work your ribbing, up and down, you anchor it to a main piece of crochet fabric with a couple of slip stitches every other row.

I have used a few different stitch patterns for Join As You Go ribbing and now have my favourites (I’ll share a few stitch patterns below). JAYG is perfect for crochet sweaters and cardigans, you can use it for the waistband, neck band and cuffs. It also works brilliantly for a blanket or shawl border.

I often find that the starting point is the fiddliest bit of many crochet patterns and that’s true here, I’m afraid. But as is normal, after a couple of goes it becomes much easier and you’ll have wondered why you were so worried about trying it in the first place!

To take away any confusion, I have also put together a video tutorial showing three ways to work Join As You Go Ribbing. This includes crocheting ribbing around a corner!

The Riley Sweater, The boat neck design uses a Join As You Go Hdc in the front thrid loop
Riley Too, JAYG ribbing for the neckline.

If you’re not ready for JAYG (but I’m certain that you are!), you can work your ribbing separately and stitch it on after. Check out my blog post on my absolute favourite Crochet Ribbing Stitches. That post also comes with a video tutorial to demonstrate how I work the ribbing stitches.

A Couple of Tips for Tidy JAYG Crochet Ribbing

There is very little restriction on what ribbing stitch patterns you can use for Join As You Go, it’s entirely up to you but I will share a few of my favourites that you may want to try on your own crochet items.

With any of these patterns, you’ll want a round/row of foundation stitches to work into. It’s best that this is in the same yarn and same colour as the ribbing or main fabric because it will help blend the joining stitches tidily. Obviously, this depends on what you determine to be the right side or wrong side. Experiment with a swatch before you embark on your actual project to work out what side you’d like to start on.

Even if the stitch patterns themselves look the same on both sides, where they’re joined to the fabric you can see the slip stitches on one side. Aim to make this the wrong side where possible and in some of the patterns below, I do point out which is the right side but in the case of the Yarn Over Sl St pattern, my favourite side of that stitch happens to show the slip stitch joins. Ah well, you can’t win them all. But, this is why it’s a good idea to use the same colour for the foundation, it hides your sins….

Please note that for all of the stitch patterns included here, I haven’t paid much attention to stitch multiples. I’m often happy to fudge the row I end on. I hope you’re not outraged. I am better behaved in my published patterns, I promise!

Gudrun, a crochet shawl with granny stitch motif and hdc Join As You Go Ribbing.
Gudrun Shawl with US hdc front third loop ribbing

How Many Stitches Do you Need For Crochet Ribbing?

The number of chains you need to start your Join As You Go Ribbing is entirely up to you. The patterns here have been lifted from some of my designs and they have been written for different yarn weights and with different design elements in mind. Also, the depth of your ribbing will mostly depend on your aesthetic and what you think looks best.

However, as a general rule, I use fewer chains for heavier weights of yarn. The buttonband for the Perfect cardigan, which is an aran weight garment, has about 8 sts. My Little Fluffy Clouds cardigan is crocheted with DK yarn and there are a couple more stitches for a (roughly) similar depth.

Make a swatch and decide how many stitches look the best for what you’d like the ribbing for.

Which Stitch Pattern is Best for Crochet Ribbing

I cover more on this in my first crochet ribbing blog post but a lot of it is down to personal preference as well as what you’re using it for. This is just my opinion but if you accept that it doesn’t quite grip or stretch like a knitted rib does, then you won’t be disappointed.

Do you want your crochet ribbing to be easy to work up? Look great? Have some stretch?
Each of these factors is impacted by the stitch that you choose. If you’re using only slip stitches in the back loop only, they’re more stretchy so have great functionality; they look awesome as well. But they’re also fiddly and require consistent tension. If it’s a beginner project then single crochet back loop only (blo or BLO) would be a good choice. That’s why I’ve included the latter here but if you read the other blog post, you’ll know it’s not actually one I like very much…

How Many Slip Stitches Should I Join With?

The number of slip stitches required for anchoring to the foundation row depends on a couple of different factors:
Do you want it to be flat or flared? The stitches you’ve chosen to use, how wide are they?

The wider the stitch, the more slip stitches you should use. This is why some of my patterns use three slip stitches and others, only two.

Take a look at my colourful crochet sweater, Milis (pic below). It has Join As You Go Ribbing at the neckline, waistband and cuffs. The stitch pattern uses a combo on US hdc / UK htr and slip stitches. There’s approx 5cm positive ease in this sweater which is less than other designs I’ve made. I was a bit worried that adding shaping at the waist and cuffs (by cinching it in) would affect the fit so the ribbing here is flat/inline with the sweater.

Conversely, I dislike fitted, tight necklines, I feel strangled. Therefore, I often design open necks with lots of breathing space. Milis had lots of that but I needed to be careful. Too much space and it’d end up as an off-the-shoulder top, which was not the intention. All of this to say, I used the same stitch pattern throughout but for the cuffs and waist, I attached the ribbing with two slip stitches; at the neckline, I used three.

This simple change gathered the neckline just enough so that it fits just like Goldilocks. Not too big and not too small.

Milis, Colourful Crochet sweater. I used Join AS You Go Ribbing

The JAYG Stitch Patterns

The Easiest JAYG Ribbing

Let’s start with the most simple stitch pattern for Join As You Go Ribbing. It’s all worked with US single crochet stitches / UK dc stitches. Both sides of the ribbing are the same and it’s all worked in the back loop only.

Pattern (US terms are used – my UK friends probably know that a US sc is a UK dc):
Chain 13 (or however many stitches you like). For this starting chain, work into the back bumps.
Row 1: 1sc in 2nd ch from hook, 11sc, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation round, turn. [12 sts]
Row 2: Miss 2 sl sts, 12sc BLO, turn.
Row 3: 1ch, 12sc BLO, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation round, turn.
Row 4 & 5: Rep Row 2 & 3.

The Road To Nowhere is an asymmetric crochet shawl that uses US sc / UK dc in the back loop only. The JAYG ribbing is worked all around the outside in painstaking fashion. Yes, it took ages. Yes, it’s so worth it!

The Front Third Loop Rib

I really love this one! Look at the tidy button band of the Perfect Cardigan (pictured below), it’s so pleasing!

What’s the front third loop?! Instead of working under the 2 loops that form a “V” at the top of the stitch, insert hook in the horizontal loop that sits at the front of the stitch below the “V”.  This pushes the stitch forward to produce a rib-like effect.

Pattern:
With right side facing, attach the yarn to your project. For the starting chain, work into the back bumps.
Chain 8.
Row 1: 1hdc (a UK htr) in 2nd ch from hook, 6hdc to end, 3 sl sts into next 3 sts of main body, turn. 7 sts
Row 2: Miss 3 sl sts. Working in the front 3rd loop (here & throughout) 7hdc, turn.
Row 3: 1ch, 7hdc,  3 sl sts into next 3 sts of body, turn.
Repeat Rows 2 & 3.

The Perfect Cardigan uses a US hdc in the front thrid loop for the button band
The Perfect Crochet Cardigan!

Yarn Over Slip Stitch Ribbing

This ribbing uses a combination of yarn over slip stitches (YO sl st – aka a US hdc/ UK htr slip stitch) and regular slip stitches, all in the back loop only.

Pattern:
Chain 10 or however many stitches you like.
Row 1 (w/s): Working in back bumps,  YO sl st in second ch from hook, YO sl st to end, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation row, turn – 9 sts.
Row 2 (r/s): Miss 2 sl sts, 9sl sts BLO, turn.
Row 3: ch1, 9YO slst BLO, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation row, turn.
Rep Rows 2 & 3 to end. 
Fasten off.

If you’re interested in a tidying tweak for this ribbing pattern, on the last slip stitch of Row 2, work into both loops. Whilst not necessary, I think it creates a neater edge.

Little FLuffy Clouds Cardigan
Granny quare Sweater. Sleeves with join as you go ribbing on cuffs
Little Fluffy Clouds, a crochet cardigan with JAYG Ribbing

What About Creating Corners?

It took me a while to work out the best number of repeats. It depends on how acute your corner is but you can use JAYG ribbing around corners. Not only did I do this in the Road to Nowhere shawl, I also added ribbing to my Gudrun shawl, which was designed especially for the first issue of Moorit magazine.

When working the initial foundation row/round, make sure to have three stitches in a corner. The increase rows will be worked over those three stitches. Or if you prefer, play around with a number of increase rows that’s going to work best for your design.

Join As You Go Around a Corner

The below is pilfered from Road to Nowhere and uses single crochet BLO. Potentially, for other stitch patterns, this may be too many increases. You can also try other ribbing stitch patterns too. For example, Gudrun uses the front third loop rib around the outside.

Pattern:
Work in a 2-row stitch pattern of your choice until you get to the first stitch of a corner. Work 1 sl st into the first corner st.
Corner st 1: rep your two-row stitch pattern three times – sl st in same st after first two repeats, sl st in next st on last row of final rep.
Corner st 2: rep your two-row stitch pattern three times – sl st in same st after first two repeats, sl st in next st on last row of final rep.
Corner st 3: rep your two-row stitch pattern three times – sl st in same st after first two repeats, sl st in next st on last row of final rep.
Corner complete.

And that’s it! As always, I can write a lot about crochet! I hope you find these stitch patterns useful. Are you a fan of Join As You Go crochet ribbing?! What do you use it for?

Whilst I’ve linked to Ravelry for the patterns above, you can also find my crochet designs in my Etsy shop and Lovecrafts.

For more Crochet Tips and Tricks, take a look HERE. And, as always, don’t forget to check out my Free Crochet Patterns Page here.
Cheers! xx

Granny Stripe Shawl with Easy Crochet Edging

Categories crochet1 Comment on Granny Stripe Shawl with Easy Crochet Edging
Wayward Sisters, a Granny Stripe shawl crochet pattern by zeens and roger

Wayward Sisters Crochet Shawl

About eighteen months ago I made the simplest crochet granny stripe shawl, it was a very enjoyable and mindful make. I had taken some yarn away with me on a sunny weekend retreat with a couple of other yarn loving friends. It turned out that I pretty much just worked on that one stripey pattern.

I called the shawl Wayward Sisters and it’s a free pattern here on my blog. How to crochet the main body of the pattern is in that post but it’s also worth a read to see what we got up to on that September weekend…

Crochet yarn life

Anyway, this crochet shawl is such a fun pattern to work up that I’ve made it twice! This time, I used it more as a stash busting project, using loads my yarn scraps to create a colourful, granny stripe pattern. To be honest, this is the kind of crochet project where most yarns will work but if in doubt, check out my post on Yarn Substitution.

You can buy a PDF version of this crochet pattern in my Ravelry Store, or if you prefer, Etsy. The PDF pattern has additional charts, a table for the main border and new scallop edging. Keep reading for the pattern to make your own pretty crochet edging and remember that the main body of the granny stripe shawl is HERE.

Please note that the written pattern for the crochet edging is slightly different to what you see in the photos. I changed it in one single place; the point at the front. Take a look at the photo of the yarn with Marceline’s tail, there is a scallop at either side of the point (on the very first “row” of granny stripe). The look bothered me way more than it should have. It bothered me enough that I have added an extra scallop to go in the middle of those two.

Am I being pernickety?! Would you have changed it too?

Colourful granny triangle shawl

Easy Crochet Edging For Your Granny Stripe Shawl

For the first Wayward Sisters shawl I didn’t add a border, it was the ultimate in easy crochet patterns. I didn’t even bother sewing in the ends that time. I just added some simple tassels to hide where I hadn’t woven them in. But it turns out, I’m not much of a tassel person. I removed them and they’re in a box, waiting to be turned into a yarny garland.

Instead, I added a simple edging of UK htr / US hdc stitches. I don’t have a photo of that crochet border as it’s tucked away for the winter (spring is on the way, folks!). However, I do have a quick snap of when I was crocheting that border on holiday in Croatia. Crocheting in Croatia!!

Crocheting in Croatia! On holiday in Cavtat
A spot of early morning crochet from the terrace of the Croatia Airbnb, Oct 22.

Isn’t it amazing how a different edging can change and elevate a crochet design? It can make a design look totally new. This stash busting version of Wayward Sisters looks vastly different with the change in colour scheme and pretty scallop edge.

Once you have made the main body, this handmade shawl looks good in lots of kinds of edgings, the crochet pattern I’m sharing in this post is just two rounds and takes no time at all. I have also included an additional stitch chart in the PDF version of the pattern so you can get a visual representation of the pattern layout.

granny stripe shawl by zeens and roger

Crochet Scallop Edging Pattern

This simple yet pretty crochet edging is worked around each side of the triangle shawl. You can work pattern edging in the main colour or choose a contrast colour. Either will work well. On my list of things to do is crochet a plain main body (just one colour) with a fun contrast edge. I think that will look brilliant.

Note, where the pattern says “sp” this refers to the space at the end of each row. This is created by the 4ch or last tr stitch of a row.

A Crochet scallop edging on my granny stripe shawl

After Row 76, do not turn.
Rnd 1: With right side facing (sl st, ch5, sl st) in first sp, *ch5, sl st in next sp; rep from * to last ch-sp of first side, ch5, rotate shawl to work down the next side, sl st into the first sp, rep from * to last ch-sp of 2nd side, ch5, sl st in same sp, **ch5, miss 3tr cluster, sl st in sp between clusters; rep from ** to end, turn. 

Rnd 2: (sl st, 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, ch1, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc, sl st) in each 5ch-sp around, join with sl st to first sl st. 
Fasten off and cut yarn. Sew in ends. 

To bring out extra drape, uniformity and all round perfection, wash and block your shawl.

Boom, job done. You’ve added a pretty crochet edging to your granny stripe shawl.

Fay, Rosina and Michelle at Unravel Yarn Festival
And the Wayward Sisters were reunited once more at this year’s Unravel yarn festival (Feb 24).

What do you think? I hope you like this crochet edging pattern. If so, please take a look at some of my other free crochet patterns here. If you missed it at the top of the blog post, I will add a link to Ravelry patterns HERE and the link to Etsy is HERE.

Are you on Pinterest? Come and find me!

Granny Stripe Shawl Crochet Pattern

Cotton Granny Tote – Free Crochet Pattern

Categories crochet6 Comments on Cotton Granny Tote – Free Crochet Pattern
Striped granny tote from Zeens and Roger

Granny Stripe Tote

I am revisiting a granny tote pattern that I initially put together several years ago. You can find my original Hotchpotch granny stripe purse pattern here on my blog. For that colourful version, I created a YouTube crochet tutorial on how to make a small size purse with no written pattern. It always felt weird (possibly lazy!) that I didn’t write the bag pattern at that time so that’s what I’ve done today (six years later!).

Last summer I worked up this new granny stripe bag but it has taken me a few months to sort out the blog post and free crochet pattern so that you can make one too.

Granny stripe bag. Hotchpotch granny tote by Zeens and Roger.

A Strong Bottom for Your Bag

The new granny tote has a couple of changes. Firstly, I ditched the starting chain and replaced it with a Foundation Start.

If you don’t like using foundation stitches to start your crochet, you may wish to use chains instead, which is what I show in the old video tutorial. However, I LOVE foundation stitches to begin projects; they’re awesome. The benefit of a foundation start is that you don’t have to work into a chain (not my fave thing to do), and they have a nice elasticity to them. They are also especially good if you need to work long chains (a foundation start is not in quite so much danger of twisting as a chain is wont to do).

The other great thing about a foundation start is that you can work into both the top and bottom, as I do in this crochet pattern. It is more structurally sound than a flimsy chain too. Hopefully, that is enough to convince you to give it a try!

A Colourful Crochet Bag

No matter which way you look at it, both old and new granny totes are super colourful. For this new cotton version, I went less crazy on colour choices but it still looks fun and fabulous.

I used Paintbox DK cotton (affiliate link) and changed colour every row rather than it being an outrageous stream of clashing colours. As much I am an advocate of the magic knot, I don’t actually enjoy tying hundreds of knots and would rather sew in a handful of ends tbh.

How to Make a Crochet Granny Tote

Oky doky, here’s what you need to crochet your own colourful granny stripe bag (I think the list of tools & materials is actually longer than the bag pattern itself!).

FYI, my granny stripe bag measures approx 36cm / 14 inches across with a depth of 30cm / 11.5 inches.

Crochet Tools you Will Need

  • Cotton DK (this is a bit finer than acrylic double knit, sturdier to). I used about 18 colours of Paintbox DK. I like the range of colours and it’s non-mercerised. (Mercerised = shiny, and it’s not my favourite).
  • 3mm crochet hook.
  • Handles of your choice. Try Amazon, Etsy or upcycle by extricating them from an old bag (a tote or similar, not the other kind of old bag).
  • Fabric for lining. Whilst this is optional, I 99.9% recommend lining a crochet bag.
  • Magnetic clasp. Another optional item.
  • Needle and thread. If you have a sewing machine then great. But since you’re only sewing a few inches, you could get away with hand sewing. I quite enjoy hand sewing even though I now need reading glasses to do it. (this is how I discovered that I am the other kind of old bag).
  • A pointyish needle with an eye that’ll fit the dk cotton (for sewing the handles).
colourful granny tote by zeens and roger

Crochet Granny Tote Pattern

Note, for the set up row, watch the tutorial for how to work a foundation start HERE.
Also note that below I have added two sets of instructions. The first set is for US terms, the second are UK terms.

US Instructions

Set up row: Work 61 fsc, turn.
Rnd 1: Ch3, 2dc in first stitch, *sk 2 sts, 3dc in next st; rep from * to end, ch2, rotate work to continue along the underside, 3dc in first st, rep from * to end, ch2, join with a slip stitch (sl st) to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. [42 clusters around].
Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 2: Join new yarn to 2ch-sp, ch3, 2dc in same sp, 3dc in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top fo the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 3: Join new yarn to any sp between clusters, ch3, 2dc in same sp, 3dc in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnds 4-30: As Row 3.
Rnds 31 – 34: Join new yarn to any st, ch1, hdc in each st around, do not turn.
Fasten off and cut yarn. Sew in ends.

UK Instructions


Set up row: Work 61 UK fdc, turn.
Rnd 1: Ch3, 2tr in first stitch, *miss 2 sts, 3tr in next st; rep from * to end, ch2, rotate work to continue along the underside, 3tr in first st, rep from * to end, ch2, join with a slip stitch (sl st) to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. [42 clusters around].
Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 2: Join new yarn to 2ch-sp, ch3, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top fo the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnd 3: Join new yarn to any sp between clusters, ch3, 2tr in same sp, 3tr in each sp around, join with a sl st to the top of the 3ch, do not turn. Fasten off and cut yarn.
Rnds 4-30: As Row 3.
Rnds 31 – 34: Join new yarn to any st, ch1, htr in each st around, do not turn.
Fasten off and cut yarn. Sew in ends.

Lining A Crochet Bag

This is easier than it sounds. You can opt for just a simple pocket sewn up the sides to pop within your granny tote. That will stop anything from falling out of the holes between the granny clusters. It will also provide a bit of anchorage for the handles, which will make your bag last longer. By sewing the handles through the crochet fabric and the lining fabric it’s way more sturdy than solely relying on your precious crochet stitches to bear the weight.

I hope it’s OK but instead of writing specific instructions on how to add a lining here, pop across to my blog post for How to Crochet a Zigzag Bag. That blog post has an explanation of how I lined that chevron tote and I used the same method for this crochet granny stripe bag. There’s even the option to add a magnetic clasp too. I also have a YouTube version for crocheting the chevron tote. For the lining demo, jump to timestamp 30:36.

Take your time with lining your crochet bag, there’s no rush.

Granny stripe tote bag
This is my first Crochet Hotpotch bag

Adding Handles to a Crochet Tote

Once you’ve chosen whether to line your crochet granny tote or not, regardless, you need to add handles. Feel free to crochet some but I like to add leather ones (faux leather in this case). They really are very cheap and you can get them from Amazon or Etsy easily.

Again, I won’t use too many words here to describe this process because I used exactly the same method as I did for my Zig Zag Bag. Feel free to measure where you’re going to place them so they’re equidistant. I usually eyeball first and, if in doubt, get the tape measure out.

Use a decent needle for sewing through the handle’s holes. If it’s too blunt, you’ll have a fight on your hands.

Your Crochet Granny Tote is Finished!

And that’s it! Voila, you have made a colourful crochet bag!! Now it’s time to show off to everyone and galavant around town with your new striped granny tote, yay!

If you have enjoyed making this pattern, then please take a look at my other Free Crochet Patterns right here on my blog.

Z&R Cardigan CAL 2024. Discounts and Prizes!!

Categories crochet4 Comments on Z&R Cardigan CAL 2024. Discounts and Prizes!!
Cardigan Crochet Along patterns

Crochet Along Time!

The Cardigan Crochet Along is almost upon us! Starting on Saturday 13th (that’s this Saturday), we can all pick up our hooks and start crocheting!

I wrote lots of fabulous information about the CAL in my first post a couple of weeks ago. You will find lots of useful bits and bobs about how to join in with the Cardigan Crochet Along HERE. At this point in time I am very excited about starting, and I hope you are too!

One of the other reasons I’m excited is because I am sitting waiting for the postman to arrive as he will be delivering my yarn soon, so I can crochet a cardi! The other reason is that I can finally share discounts and prizes to make the CAL that little bit more enticing! These have been kindly offered by my crochet friends to give you additional ideas and choices for the Crochet Along.

She Sells Seashells Crochet Cardigan designed by Zeens and Roger. The perfect pattern to join the Cardigan crochet along
She Sells Seashells

CAL Discount Offers from Brilliant Crochet Designers

Let’s do the discounts first as they may have an impact on your pattern choice for the Crochet Along. However, even if some of these cardigan patterns aren’t what you’re going to make for the CAL, perhaps you’ll be tempted to grab copies of your faves for a date to make in the future.

Also, please think about hitting “follow” on anyone new to you and sign up for newsletters etc. It really supports the crochet community by highlighting designers for new makers and you get to learn new stuff too! I have specifically chosen designers where there is a really good mix of different styles, techniques and stitches. This way there is something for everyone. Below there is a wonderful selection of different yarn weights, different experience levels and different styles.

Cardigan Crochet Along Patterns

Zeens and Roger Cardigan Patterns

I am going to cheekily barge my way to the front on this one. I think I’ll be forgiven!

First up, I am releasing two cardigan patterns for this awesome yarny event and both will have discounts throughout the CAL. For kicks and giggles, I will also pop a discount on the Perfect Cardigan too. Therefore, I am offering 25 % off on Little Fluffy Clouds, She Sells Seashells and the Perfect Cardigan with the code: ZeensCAL24

The code is valid from Saturday 13th January through to the 31st of March. You will be able to buy them from my Etsy shop and also my Ravelry store with the discount code.

Find She Sells Seashells on Ravelry HERE. And Shop for the pattern on Etsy HERE.
Find Little Fluffy Clouds on Ravelry HERE. And shop for the pattern on Etsy HERE.
Find The Perfect Cardigan on Ravelry HERE. And shop for the pattern on Etsy HERE.
If you’re hoping to save a few quid by using a free pattern, try my recipe for the crochet JW Anderson cardigan.

Read on for even more great discounts from some of my fellow crochet designers and also, to find out which cardigan I will be making….

A collection of Crochet cardigans by Zeens and Roger for the Cardigan Crochet Along 2024

More Crochet Cardigan Patterns…

All codes will be valid throughout the duration of the CAL, beginning January 13th.
Oh, and whilst I’ve linked many specific patterns to Ravelry, you can find them on the designer’s other platforms, which are also linked.

Strata – Fay Dashper Hughes

I keep looking out the window to see if the postman is on his way. I am waiting for a bundle of skeins so that I can make Strata, a beautiful crochet cardigan designed by Fay Dashper Hughes. Fay is a friend of mine who designs modern crochet patterns. Strata is her first crochet cardigan design and I’m really keen to get started. I was lucky enough to try on the sample when Fay was making it so I know it’s a doozy!

Fay’s designs are available on Ravelry, Etsy and her own website, Provenance Craft Co (links below). If you purchase Strata from her website, Fay operates a “pay what you can” scheme.

Fay is offering 30% off of Strata with the code: ZeensCAL24

Fay’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram @faydhdesigns
Blog/Website: Provenance Craft Co.
Ravelry
Etsy

Strata, a crochet cardigan by Fay Dashper Hughes
Strata

Short Stories Cardigan- Michelle White

I’m sure you know Michelle, otherwise known as Dora! Michelle, another lovely friend of mine, has a fab catalogue of crochet designs, I love love love her new cardigan design, Short Stories. It is a set-in sleeve garment, which I’ve never done before but would love to try. With the inclusion of short rows for the sleeve caps, it’s an intermediate pattern that is sophisticated and beautifully shaped.

Michelle is offering 20% off the Short Stories cardigan pattern with the code ZeensXDora

Michelle’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram @Doraexplored
Blog/Website
Ravelry
Etsy

Also, it’s worth pointing out that Michelle’s newsletter is the best one out there. Always full of relevant crochet good stuff.

Short Stories Crochet Cardigan by Dora Explored.
Short Stories

Fay, Michelle and I had a lovely weekend in the Cotswolds a couple of years back. Here is a pic of us all in the sunshine. I just happen to be wearing my first sample of Little Fluffy Clouds!! Michelle is wearing one of her pretty cardis too. This makes me happy!

Rosina, Fay and Michelle.

Cardigan Collection – Blage Crochet Designs

Next up is a gorgeous choice of cardigans by Blazenka of Blage Crochet Designs. Her Airy Petrol Shrug is super eye-catching, I love the stitch pattern and shaping! There is a variety of stitches and shaping in Blazenka’s design work. Woodhill is another that I thought was interesting piece that would be popular.

Blazenka is offering 25% off all of the cardigans (pic below) until the end of the CAL. Code: ZEENSCAL24

Blazenka’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram @Blagecrochetdesign
Ravelry
Etsy

Blage Crochet Desgin crochet cardigan patterns
Blage Crochet Design

A Spoonful of Yarn – Crochet Cardigan Collection

Christina is well known for her amazingly popular Hotel of Bees shawl. Luckily for us, she also has some lovely crochet cardigan patterns too. My fave is the Little Maple Cardigan, the shoulder shaping is what I’m curious to try, it has an interesting construction. The maple motif continues with Maple Leaf cardigan.

The beauty of Christina’s patterns is that you can find them for free on her blog. However, the discount that is on offer is to receive 20% off the PDF versions so you can print the pattern and make it without trawling through website ads. The code you need to receive a discount is ZeensCAL2024

Christina’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram: @aspoonfulofyarn
Blog/Website
Ravelry
Etsy

Two cardigan designs from A Spoonful of Yarn for the Cardigan CAL 2024
A Spoonful of Yarn

Crochet Along Prize Draw!!

A few years ago, when I hosted my last CAL, it was super popular to include prizes and giveaways too. I don’t see this as often anymore but it’s what I know and it adds an extra layer of excitement to the crafty proceedings. Therefore, I have arranged a fantastic bundle of crochet designs that one lucky participant will win at the end of the CAL.

In the old days, I would close my eyes and do some random scrolling, press my finger to the screen and the name nearest my smudgey paw print would be the winner. These days I can download names from chats and they go into an anonymous random generator. I will do that this time around.

So, want to see what’s on offer?! ….

The CAL Prizes

A collection of crochet pattern by Lois of Logiilo
Logiilo Crochet

Logiilo Crochet

I love Lois’s modern crochet work (some examples above), it’s timeles, classic and always on trend. Her colour choices are on point too. The winner will receive a Ravelry gift code to pick a pattern of their choice. I don’t know how anyone would choose mind you, there are so many lovely things to crochet!

Lois’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram @Logiilo
Blog/Website
Ravelry
Etsy

Mosaic crochet blanket by red sparrow crochet
Fool’s Gold Blanket by Red Sparrow Crochet

Red Sparrow Crochet

I think Esme was won over by the name of Little Fluffy Clouds! It is a 90’s dance track by the Orb and I know that Esme recently went to one of their gigs. She has kindly offered to gift a copy of a pattern for her Fool’s Gold blanket (Fool’s Gold, another classic, old school track!).

Esme is the queen of colourful mosaic crochet and her books are amazing and stupendous.

Esme’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram: @redsparrowcrochet
Blog/Website
Ravelry
Etsy

Retro Flowers Blanket from Made By Hem.

Made By Hem

Helen was one of my brilliant Little Fluffy Clouds cardigan testers. I am so so grateful to Helen and the rest of the gang who helped me spot any tweaks that needed to happen. Thanks, Helen!!

Helen will send over a PDF to the winner for her Retro Flowers blanket. It is so pretty and colourful and fun, as are all of the crochet patterns that Helen designs! Loves ’em, I do and you can see more examples of her work on Lovecrafts (link below).

Helen’s socials and shopping opportunities
Instagram: @made.by.hem
Blog/Website
Lovecrafts

A collection of crochet garments for the Cardigan Crochet Along 2024

More Crochet Along Prizes…

Not content with allllll of the above, the designers who are offering discounts for their cardigan designs are also generously donating prizes to the pot, for example, Michelle has donated a copy of her Any Yarn Will Do Cardigan, which, as the name suggests, you can make in any yarn weight. But it’s not just cardigans, there are accessories, blankets and other garments. Plus, I will add three of my own designs to the bundle of patterns so the winner will have ten patterns to enjoy crocheting at their leisure!!

Whether it’s a pattern of your choice or a specific pattern that the designer is offering, I’m sure you will agree wholeheartedly that we have put together a selection of joyful treats for the person whose name gets plucked from the hat.

Useful Crochet Resources

If you have any questions at this point, please please do ask. You can drop me a line in the comments, or message me on the other platforms and forms. You will find all the links in the first post about the Zeens and Roger Cardigan Crochet Along 2024!!

If you have never crocheted a garment before then you will certainly find it useful to read up on getting gauge for your crochet clothes.

If the yarns suggested in a specific pattern aren’t for you, then check out my blog post on Yarn Substitution.

And with that, it’s nearly time to get cracking. Are you looking forward to joining the Zeens and Roger Cardigan CAL 2024?!

PS, my yarn arrived just as I finished writing this post!! Yay!

Yarn Substitution

Categories crochet17 Comments on Yarn Substitution

Finding Different Yarns that Match

I remember when I first started crocheting, I didn’t have a clue about yarn substitution, I didn’t give a second thought to buying aran instead of double knit (DK) for a cardigan I wanted to make. It kind of looked the same so it didn’t occur to me that it would have an effect on the final outcome of my exciting new crochet project. Oh dear.

Therefore, the first rule of Yarn Sub: do not use a different weight of yarn.

If a pattern calls for DK, it’s likely that other DK yarns will work. Checking other DK yarns would be my first port of call. But, hmmm, not all DK yarns are created equal. A cotton DK can be quite a bit different to a wool DK. I still find cotton DK confusing because some of them are super fine compared to fluffier fibres. Oh my, this is not a straightforward subject!

Please don’t worry, keep reading because I will explain all about different yarn weights. I will explain about different fibres and yardage/meterage too. Together, each of these elements should be considered when selecting your new yarn choice.

Why Substitute Yarn?

So, what yarn are you going to choose for your new project crochet or knitting project? It’s great when you can use the recommended yarn choices but what about when you can’t? This is the perfect moment for yarn substitution step forward and wave hello!

There are loads of reasons why a suggested yarn isn’t the right choice for you. Here are some examples I can think of:

  • The original yarn has been discontinued. Side note:: I’m writing this post because a new design that’s launching very soon, Little Fluffy Clouds, has a lovely sample (the pink one below) and since making and writing the pattern, poooff, the yarn is no longer available!! Arghh… I didn’t fret for long, I met gauge with a different DK and made a new sample. Yay!
  • You can’t buy the yarn where you live. Different countries often sell different yarn brands.
  • You’re allergic to the fibres.
  • It’s not within your budget (some yarns are super expensive!).
  • Wool in the heat? No thanks. Maybe you want to sub it for a cooler plant-based fibre.
  • Maybe it’s for ethical reasons. For example, if you’re a vegan you wouldn’t choose animal fibres to work with.
  • And what if you have plenty of yarn already and need to stashbust?!

In this blog post I will cover the main aspects of yarn substitution so that you know what you need to consider when investing in the new yarn you need for that gorgeous sweater you want to make.

Little Fluffy Clouds crochet cardigans. Yarn substitution for when your yarn is unavailable.
Little Fluffy Clouds, a crochet cardigan with two DK yarns. One light & fluffy, one with a more standard wool yarn.

Top Tips for Yarn Substitution

If the following article looks like a TLDR type of thing, allow me to help with a shortcut to some info. It isn’t all included below but there are definitely quick ways to find yarn alternatives:

  • If you’d like to try different brands or fibres of various DK yarns (for example), maybe ask fellow makers for recommendations. Put a question to Instagram or a Facebook group that you’re in. In the past, I have cheekily asked if friends can send me samples of yarn in the post, just enough for a swatch so I can try before I buy. Maybe offer a yarn swap.
  • Or, pop to your LYS to ask for advice.
  • Check out the ball band/details of the yarn. Find a similar family of fibres, match the yarn weight (how thick the yarn is), match the yardage. A close match of all suggests you could meet gauge quite nicely.
  • Visit Yarnsub.com and check out what they’ve got in terms of a close match.
  • Use the filter in online yarn stores to zone in on similar products. Tick on all the filters that apply and narrow down your search.
  • If you find yourself staring at the screen, torn between a few different options, check out some finished projects for recommended yarns on Ravelry to see if it helps you make a decision.

Easy Ways to Substitute Yarn

So, onto a bit more detail. How do you substitute yarn? It can be minefield for sure, there is a vast sea of different choices and knowing where to start can be discombobulating. However, there are a couple of resources to take away the stress of deciding which yarn to choose.

Firstly, yarnsub.com is your friend. I pop by this website every now and then. It’s great for discovering close matches and exploring alternatives. It breaks down the different elements of other yarn options so that you can see how they are similar to the yarn you’re trying to substitute.

I’ve heard that Ravelry also has an enhanced search function for checking out subs too. It’s not something I have used but it’s good to know that there are options. And to be honest, you can always go to an online yarn store and filter the specifics until you find some matches to check out.

Yarn substitution, holding two yarns together.
granny square sweater

Yarn Subbing: An Overview of the Different Elements

Let’s move away from the quick fix resources. It’s not the only way of finding what you’re looking for. I believe that learning more about yarn substitutions will give you more control over your choices. It’s also a good idea to explore how different yarns behave by playing around with lots of them. Experiment with lots of swatches, use a bit of trial and error and with time, you’ll know which ones work for you and your next big project. Of course, I know I know, this won’t be for everyone because (sadly) we can’t get our hands on all the yarn…

What are Yarn Weights?

You will see the following “weights” of yarn, from very fine to very thick: Laceweight (0), Fingering/sock (1), 4ply, Sport (2), Double Knit (3), Aran/ US Worsted (4), Chunky / US Bulky (5) and Super Chunky / US Super Bulky (6). It is not how heavy they are but how thick.

Usually, depending on the category, they are sold in 25 gram, 50 gram, 100 gram or 200 gram skeins, balls, cakes, hanks or skeins. Generally speaking, the finer the yarn, the smaller the ball.

When substituting yarn, it is best to match weights like for like: A DK for a DK, an aran for an aran. However, look at the photos below. These are all categorised as DK weights. You get variations in thickness and that will affect the size, drape, volume and texture of what you’re making. Please check the yardage to see how close they are to what you’re looking for.

Different Dk yarns. Be careful with yarn substitution.

Same with the aran weights below… These ones are also pretty diverse thicknesses too.

Yarn Fibres Behave Differently

Each yarn fibre acts differently and there are quite a few options out there. I don’t think I will ever have a full understanding of all the fibres. It is an enormous, far reaching subject.

The most important thing to understand about different fibres is that they will each affect things like stitch definition, drape, stretch, bounce, warmth, softness, texture, lustre, halo and durability. How important is it that your new yarn captures these elements? It’s up to you to determine which matter most.

Animal Fibres for Yarn

Wool is warm, bouncy and very durable. If you read up on animal fibres, you learn that it wicks away moisture. Yum.

I am in awe of people who compare the wools that come from all the different sheep. That’s some serious deep diving and my attention span doesn’t allow for me to absorb that level of detail! Even if I mention the word wool, well… there’s woollen spun woolly wool, softer, worsted spun merino, breeds like Texel, Bluefaced Leicester, Longwool, Corriedale, Masham…. Eep, it’s so intimidating to think that creatives out there understand how each of these types of wool behave.

Alpaca is another animal fibre, which is still warm and cosy but has a different drape and stretch. It’s one to try if you have lanolin allergies and therefore can’t use sheep based yarn. It is also stronger and warmer than sheep wool.

Then there’s lovely, fluffy mohair (my current fave!), which is often held with another yarn (see below). Mohair is a fibre from the angora goat. It is not beloved by everyone but that’s where substitution comes into play, yes?! You can get synthetic fluff too.

I have just remembered I have yak yarn in my yarn stash! There are a few more animal based fibres as well but I won’t cover them all. Silk is another. Cashmere etc…

Plant Based Yarn

If you’re not into using animal fibres for your crochet and knitting, there is a decent array of plant based fibres too. Cotton, bamboo, hemp, linen, tencel (which originates from wood) and there’s even yarn from nettle and seaweed! I think this area will grow and we will see more plant based yarns arrive on the scene.

Changing the fibre from one that’s not the same as suggested in a pattern will alter the appearance of the end item. If you use cotton instead of wool, there won’t be as much bounce. It will hang and drape differently and won’t ping back like wool can.

It’s also worth noting that some cottons, for example, are much finer than wool of the same weight. Be sure to check out the yardage on the ball band to see how it compares.

Acrylic Yarn and other Manmade Fibres

Acyrlic yarn is a cheap and popular choice. You get a lot of metres for your money. Acrylic yarn is bascially a petroleum product in that it comes from fossil fuels. Whether blended with another fibre or not, it’s a go to product for lots of crocheters and knitters. And you can get a wider range of colours because it’s easy to dye in saturated shades.

Acrylic yarn can mimic other yarns well, which is perfect for recreating lots of looks. Brushed suri alpaca is currently on trend, and you can now get brushed acrylic which looks super similar. It has the fuzzy halo and replicates the floof perfectly.

Acrylic yarn will be fine for a few washes and doesn’t need blocking for many projects. Instead, use fabric conditioner and tumble dry so it doesn’t come out squeaky. It will grow and stretch a little bit upon wearing it a few times. Usually, it’s not a drastic change but eventually, over time, acrylic becomes a bit flatter and more plasticky than its original fluffy self. That’s my experience anyway.

Other synthetic yarns are nylon (great in sock yarns) and polyamide. I shan’t deep dive on this, but each provides different properties to yarn.

Different aran weight yarns. Be careful with yarn substitution!
These are all called aran weight on their labels.

Check the Yardage

The information you need is on the ball band. Check this out so you can see if your sub is a close match in terms of how many yards or metres there are per 100 grams. The number of yards or metres per 100 grams determines the weight of the yarn (as in whether it’s 4ply, dk or aran etc).

I don’t think I’ll touch upon WPI (wraps per inch) as, I confess, I don’t use it! But I hear it’s very useful for identifying the weight of yarns. I also quite like this Ravelry chart too.

Holding Yarn Double

I’m a big fan of holding two yarns and working them together at the same time. This works especially well for fine mohair yarn that benefits from the structure of another fibre.

You can also hold two yarns together to create a different weight of yarn. If you need a particular weight of yarn but don’t have that in stash, you can substitute it by holding two lighter weight yarns together.

Rather than over explain and confuse things even more, the easiest way to find out the detailed knitty gritty is to visit a fab multi-stranded blog post by Fay of ProvenanceCraft.com.

The Wheatfields shawl is a fingering weight yarn held with laceweight merino.

Meeting Gauge

Together, all of the above has an impact on your project. They’re all intertwined. If you have taken them all into account you will very likely meet gauge when you work up a swatch. If in doubt, check out my post of getting gauge for your garments.

And ugh, yes working up a swatch is not everyone’s favourite, but it is critical if you want to guarantee a good fit when making handmade clothes. I guess, not so much if you’re making a scarf. However, spending the short amount of time on a swatch is going to be a darned sight better than making a whole sweater that doesn’t fit and/or doesn’t feel very nice.

Make the swatch, Meet the gauge.

Blocking Swatches of Yarn

Essentially, blocking means to wash or steam your woolly items and then (gently or aggressively, depending on the situation) pin out to stretch the item as it dries. It will then be fixed in its new state and this is what you’ll use to measure gauge.

Spend a few minutes to work up a swatch that measures about 15cm (6 inches) and pop it in warm water (with a dash of detergent – I use wool wash soap for my handmade garments). Rinse, blot in a towel, then pin onto foam blocking boards and wait patiently for it to dry.

Do the swatches ping back? Stay as they are? Have they become softer? Have the swatches become drapier. A top tip here is to leave the swatch a further day or two to fully relax once the pins have been taken out. It will be a truer reflection of the finished article.

Washing and air drying doesn’t work on acrylic but heat does. Heat will also “kill” acrylic or worse, melt it. Forever changed. Be careful!

Matching Yarn is Not Easy!

Phew!! I think I’ve covered most things but I’m not gonna lie, this post was much trickier to write than I thought it would be! All of the different factors (yarn weight, fibre, yardage etc) are really hard to juggle. But yarn substitution isn’t always easy and that’s what I wanted to convey. Hopefully, you have discovered some ways that you can cut corners and do a bit of cheating to find what yarn you need. I would also hope that I’ve led you through some additional layers to explore, should you want to gain more experience in yarn substitution. At least now, you know where to start?!

Z&R Crochet Podcast 103. All the 2023 WIPs!!

Categories vloggingLeave a Comment on Z&R Crochet Podcast 103. All the 2023 WIPs!!
zeens and roger crochet podcast

Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast

Perhaps a couple of days later than I had intended, here is episode 103 of the Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast. In this episode it’s all about my works in progress (WIPs!). Some are a little closer to finished objects, it’s true, but I have some tweaks that mean they’re not quite ready as patterns.

Hop across to my YouTube channel to take a further look. You’ll find loads more episodes and crochet tutorials. Or you can go straight to the episode by clicking on the picture above.

crochet granny squares

Yarny Things in the Crochet Chat

Firstly, as we’re talking about WIPs in this episode, some of these patterns aren’t going to be linked because they don’t exist yet! I will be sure to let you know when they are ready.

The first thing I can link is a little bit of knitting! I’m knitting the Sophie shawl! Who isn’t?! Well, I suppose most other people have finished now but I’m still making mine. Very slowly! You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

I chatted a little bit about my old Hotchpotch granny purses. Whilst I have adapted the original design slightly, you can use my first granny stripe bag pattern as a guide. With the video tutorial and blog post, you can make either the big or small colourful, crochet purses.

After many, many years I have finally gotten round to making a large granny square blanket like the one I made for my sister twelve or thirteen years ago. It will be a mixture of large and small granny squares. This time I am using an acrylic/wool blend of yarn: Paintbox Yarns wool blend DK in thirteen shades. The original granny square blanket is pictured below.

And not linked or added here are ALL of my WIPS. I have quite a few! I talk about a crochet cowl collection, another mini granny square cowl, a crochet cardigan crochet along and a new corner to corner sweater design. And I’m sure there’s more but that will do for now!

crochet granny blanket

What WIPS for 2024?

As 2023 draws to a close, I know which works in progress I’d like to see finished first. What about you? What would you like to see most of all? Not just my WIPS but yours too?

PS. This post contains an affiliate link for the Paintbox yarn. If you happened to click on the link and buy some yarn, it means I would receive a percentage of the cost. 🙂

Cheers. x

5 Christmas Crochet Patterns

Categories crochet2 Comments on 5 Christmas Crochet Patterns
Christmas crochet bundle of patterns

What Will You Crochet For Christmas?

A couple of years ago I put together a Christmas crochet bundle of festive patterns. I did not make enough noise about it and it didn’t sell very well at all. At no point did I plan a fun publication party for it and I didn’t shout it from the rooftops. I am a silly sausage.

Essentially, I thought it would be a lovely idea to put together all of my Christmas crochet designs in one place so that there was all kinds of yuletide inspiration all in one place. Some of the patterns are available for free, you can find them in my Free Patterns page. A couple of the ideas are paid crochet patterns but in this bundle you can get them collectively for a bargain price!

Buy the Christmas Crochet bundle on Ravelry!! Or, if you don’t use Rav, you can find the bundle in my Etsy shop too. Up until the 30th of November you can receive a 25% discount with the code NOVSALE. Enter the code at the checkout.

This code applies to all of my patterns on Ravelry and Etsy at the moment, not just this bundle, so please have a look and see if there are any other crochet patterns that you fancy. Thanks!

Take a look at the Crochet Christmas collection of patterns below…

Cosy crochet socks

Easy Crochet Slippers Socks

A popular pattern of mine is for some very cosy crochet socks. I created a helpful “how to” video tutorial as well as the written sock pattern on the blog. The original pair weren’t festive but it is super easy to crochet a holly motif to pop onto a plain pair of winter white socks. In fact, my feet are cold right now so I think I’m going to dig these out and put them on. It’s definitely acceptable to wear Christmas socks in November, right?

C2C sweater pattern

Simple C2C Festive Lights Sweater

As someone decided to tell me on Pinterest recently, it’s not a very Christmassy jumper, is it?! Hmm, I know it isn’t full blown Christmas style but so what?! It’s a gentle nod to colourful Christmas lights against a snowy backdrop. I like the subtle seasonal hints of this crochet sweater design. Not everyone wants Christmas to be a punch in the face.

Plus, the PDF does have an additional Christmas themed C2C design!

Find the blog post about my C2C Christmas jumper here. You’ll find a link to the video tutorial in the same place. I have tried to cover everything in the vid to help you make your own C2C jumper!

Crochet Santa Hats!

christmas crochet bunting

This fun festive pattern has a real life-size granny stitch hat design alongside its mini-me version of Santa hat bunting. I love it and the bunting is festooned upon our walls every year. These lil crochet Santa hats don’t have to be a garland, take a peek at my tree in the corner of the photo above and you can see a hat hanging from the spruce’s branches.

Is it too early to start making paper chains yet? They look so lovely with the hat bunting!

Granny stitch crochet christmas hat

The life-size version of my granny stitch Santa hat was modelled by my baby (who does not look this young anymore!). This Christmas crochet hat fits most grown up heads too, not just kids. It has been a few years since I designed this chunky hat for festive heads and it is still going strong. We fight over who gets to wear it to which Christmas party! Perhaps I should make more….?

Christmas Crochet Baubles

I think these granny stitch baubles are my favourite! They are easy and very fast to make. Before you know it, you will have made a treeful! Every year I am tempted to make more crochet Christmas baubles but I resist. I really don’t need more, we have loads! How many would you make?

As well as being part of the bundle, these colourful decorations are also a Christmas Bauble video tutorial.

5 Christmas Crochet Ideas

What do you think? Hopefully you like these Christmas craft ideas as much as I do. Fingers crossed, you also think that having them as a bundle is a good idea too, so let’s have an overview…

I’ve thrown together a collection of my favourite festive crochet designs all in one document. A Festive collection of Christmas Crochet patterns. In this bundle you will find:
● Cosy Slipper Socks in 3 sizes
● Chunky Granny Santa Hat
● Mini Santa Hat Bunting
● Colourful Baubles
● Christmas C2C Sweater in 9 different sizes

As well as the written patterns, there are also video tutorials for the C2C jumper, colourful baubles and cosy slipper socks, which can also be found for free on my blog. The Granny Hat and hat bunting are only available elsewhere as a paid pattern. It is bargain bundle for quick Christmas makes!

Don’t forget to check out my other Free Patterns, plus I have even more patterns in my Ravelry store. And if you’re not a Rav user, then I also have an Etsy shop (Oh, gosh, and Lovecrafts and Ribblr, I have all the fingers in all the pies!)

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Crochet Christmas!

Crochet Zigzag Bag

Categories crochet5 Comments on Crochet Zigzag Bag
Zigzag crochet bag from Zeens and Roger

Colourful Crochet Bag

A few years ago I made a colourful crochet zigzag bag using all of my yarny stash busting powers. My new bag used a chevron stitch and it immediately jumped out at me as a bag that other crocheting peeps would enjoy making too. However, I had made my bag out of acrylic yarn and I quickly learned that acrylic is not my favourite yarn for crochet bags.

The next photo is the original crochet zigzag bag and it has taken me three years to revisit and remake it in a more appropriate yarn: cotton. The colours are so pretty; the rainbow of different hues definitely had to stay. In fact, the design itself is very simple so I have only tweaked it slightly for the new iteration.

crochet chevron bag

Would you Like to Make a Zigzag Crochet Bag?!

Hopefully, you are stopping by to find out how to crochet your own colourful bag. Well, I am pleased to tell you that, you are very much in the right place. Welcome to zigzag town!

There isn’t much of a story to tell with this design, I just wanted to use a stitch I’d found a long time ago when making a baby blanket for my youngest son. I’ve just had a quick look, I wrote a blog post about my crazy chevron blanket here. It’s from a blanket pattern by Meet Me at Mike’s called the Zali Zigzag.

This kind of colourful crochet was perfect as a “pick up and put down” project, something easy to work on, just a couple of rows at a time. Also, great for telly watching with a kitty at your feet.

So let’s crack on, shall we?

Making a crochet zigzag bag

Make Your Own Chevron Bag

Crochet Video Tutorial or Written Pattern?

Below is lots of lovely written detail about how to crochet a zigzag bag and add a sewn lining. A pattern, if you will! However, I have also put together a video tutorial too. Watch my zigzag bag turial HERE.

I would have liked to include more sewing machine action in the video but as I watched back the recordings, I spotted toothpaste splattered down my t-shirt. Mind you, I’m less embarrassed about that than I am about some of the sewing techniques I employ. Watching back the vids and it is plain to see that I am very much an amateur sewist!! Please don’t judge my weird logic, sewing is not my forte!

What Yarn to Use for a Crochet Bag?

In the summer I purchased a whole selection of colourful cotton so I could experiment with lots of ideas for bags, totes and purses. So far so good. I have made this zigzag bag and another granny hotchpotch, which I’ve only just finished. (The original version of the Granny Hotchpotch is also made with acrylic, which started to look tatty after a couple of outings, acrylic also warps out of shape, whereas cotton is sturdier and longer lasting). For bags, cotton is my go-to. For this pattern, it’s all Paintbox cotton that I bought from Lovecrafts.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been very clever and I didn’t weigh how much I used. I am so sorry! The thing is, I get so excited about making the thing that I went straight ahead and completed it before I even thought about yarn weights. Apologies. However, use what you have. If you twisted my arm, I’d guess at a very approximate 200 grams?

Colourful Crochet

First and foremost, when it comes to the colours you use, this is a crochet project that you can really have fun with. I had a basket of colourful cotton double knit to randomly pluck out shades to use.

There is definitely less than a ball of each colour here. But I used 20, or thereabout, colours so that’s not a surprise. I threw in all the hues; ugly, clashy, pretty, complementary. If you’re unsure about how to do this, check out How to Choose Colours in Your Crochet.

I might miss out one or two shades here or accidentally have gotten one or two wrong, but I think I used:

  • Rose Red, Antique Pink, Vintage Heather, Kingfisher, Coffeebean, Buttercup or Mustard (Eeep, I can’t tell!
  • Marine, Dusty Rose, Lime, Pansy Purple, Raspberry, Washed Teal, Slate Green, Bubblegum Pink, Elephant,
  • Spearmint, Bloody Orange, Rich Teal, Pale Lilac, Dolphin

Adding a Lining to your Crochet Bag

Adding a lining to your crochet bag doesn’t have to be rocket science, I promise. I have basic sewing skills and that’s all you need. A lining will reinforce your bag and make it much sturdier to boot. It also does a great job of hiding the stitches where the handles get sewn to the bag. And, if you’re using them, you also need a decent lining to affix the magnetic clasps. Fear not, I show you how to do this in the video tutorial for my Zigzag bag.

The sewing is all in straight lines and your bag will look neat and tidy. It might also end up looking super professional! You can sew by hand if you don’t have a sewing machine.

My Lining Technique

I make two pockets of fabric and add medium interfacing to one of them. One pocket sits inside the other. I hide all stitches and clasp backs sandwiched between the pockets.

I recommend using iron-on interfacing as I got into a fiddly pickle with the sew-in stuff. Don’t be tempted to add heavy interfacing or use fabric that’s thick because at some point you’ll be cursing yourself and your poorly fingers when hand stitching on the handles. (you have to wriggle the needle through the fabric layers so get the sharpest needle you can that also has an eye big enough to fit the cotton yarn through). Crikey, it’s all a bit of a juggling act!

What would make life easier for you (and I’m not sure why I didn’t do this), is to treat the linings as the separate entities that they are. For example, attach the magnetic clasps to the inner lining before you pop it inside the outer lining. Or, how about you place the outer lining into the bag to stitch on the handles without the inner lining going along for the ride?! I persistently treated both pockets like they were glued together. They were not. Lesson learned.

Crochet Zigzag Bag Pattern

Measurements

The main body of my bag measures 28 x 36 cm. 11 x 14 inches.

What you Need to Make a Zigzag Bag:

  • 3mm hook. Or a hook that creates a tight gauge. You don’t want floppy zigzags!
  • Cotton DK in lots of colours. Approx 200 grams. I used Paintbox but other dk cotton would be excellent as well.
  • Fabric lining and interfacing. Plus all the sewing gubbins that goes with this.
  • Magnetic clasp if you fancy attaching one.
  • Bag handles. I got mine from Amazon. Etsy always has good ones as well. Or, upcycle some from an existing bag that’s no longer used.
  • A needle that is pointy with a largish eye for sewing the bag handles.

Pattern Notes

  • Don’t forget, the Zigzag bag video tutorial is HERE.
  • Before you begin, please note that the pattern uses a UK dc stitch, which is the same as a US single crochet.
  • dc2tog is crocheting two dc stitches together (essentially, a decrease). In this pattern it’s only the first 2 stitches and the last 2 stitches of every row.
  • As you work the following pattern, change colours in this order:
    • Six rows of one colour
    • 3x two rows of different colours
    • 4 rows of another colour
    • 2x two rows of different colour.

Crochet Zigzag Pattern

Row 1: Chain 84, turn.
Row 2: Starting in 2nd chain from the hook, dc2tog, 5dc, 3dc in next st, *7dc, miss 2 sts, 7dc, 3dc in next st; rep from * to last 7 sts, 5dc, dc2tog, turn.
Rows 3 – 120: ch1 (does not count as a stitch), working in the back loops only dc2tog, 5dc, 3dc in next st, *7dc, miss 2 sts, 7dc, 3dc in next st; rep from * to last 7 sts, 5dc, dc2tog, turn.

Fasten off and, with a needle and yarn, sew the two short ends together. Make sure the fabric is folded with right sides together. I talk about this in the video tutorial but one side is definitely better looking than the other side.

With the piece still inside out, work around the bottom and tie each end firmly together with its next dor neighbour. Then, using these ends, sew the bottom of the bag closed. Turn right side out to begin working a few rounds for the top of the bag.

For the following pattern, remember that I’m still working in UK terms, a UK htr is a US hdc.
Rnd 1: Attach yarn to the top of the bag and chain 1, 1dc in the end of each row around, join with a slip stitch and do not turn. Don’t change colour after this round, wait until you have completed Rnd 2. Then, change colour as often as you like.
Rnds 2 – 5: 1ch, htr in each stitch around, join with a slip stitch, do not turn.
Fasten off and sew in ends.

Use the crochet zigzag stitch to make a bag
A spot of car crochet on my way to a very sunny Wales at the beginning of September.

Lining Your Bag with Fabric

The next few paragraphs are a nutshell version of how to add a lining to a crochet bag. I show you each step in the Zigzag bag video tutorial, which will help if the following words are nowt but gobbledegook.

Measure Twice, Cut Once!

I like to make two pockets for the lining and place one inside the other. The outside lining pocket and the inner pocket are made in the same way, to the same measurements so that they are the same size. It’s a good idea to add interfacing to the outside fabric before you begin. The inner pocket will be the one that you see when you look inside your bag. I like to choose a prettier fabric for this.

Both pieces of fabric (for the outside and inside pockets) need to be bigger than your bag by half an inch on both sides (for seam allowance) and twice as long, plus 2x hem length. I like a deep hem of at least 3 inches, which is hidden on the inside. Deep hems create reinforcement for the handles and clasps on both pockets, respectively.

Fold a piece of fabric in half with the right sides facing each other. Set your bag on top to use as a guide and draw onto the fabric where the seams need to be up (at the bag sides). Sew down the sides, press with an iron and press a hem in place. If using a sewing machine, top stitch the hem as well.

Repeat for the other piece of fabric. Check that both bag pockets are the same size. Press. Turn the inner lining inside out and press again. Place inside the outer pocket.

Pin everything in place and decide on where you want the handles to be. Attach those to the outside of the bag, ensuring that as you sew, you also stitch through the interfaced outer lining. You then add your magnetic clasps to the inner lining. Neatly hand stitch to the crochet bag, ensuring your fabric lining doesn’t poke out over the top of the bag.

Adding a magnetic clasp

Phew, I find that writing about sewing is much harder than writing about crochet! And I haven’t even mentioned how to add the clasps to the bag yet!

Attaching Magnetic Clasps onto a Bag

This is where I get the ruler out. The clasps need to meet in the middle and fit nicely into each other without making everything else wonky.

What you need to do is find the very centre of the inner pocket and mark it on the wrong side (do this on both sides). I think it looks good to do this an inch (2.5 cm) from the top as you don’t want the clasps at the very top of the bag. Clasps come with little metal washers, so let’s use these to help mark where to place everything. Pop them in the centre and an inch down (essentially, where you marked the wrong side). Does that look alright? With a pen, draw little lines within the two vertical spaces of the washer.

These pics from an older bag project where I chose 1.5cm rather than an inch . Place them where you think is best.

By the way, inside the hem I also tucked in a couple of small, additional pieces of interfacing. It give the clasps something to really grab hold of and keep them firmly in place.

Now, double check that you’re happy with where you placed the markings because you need to make little slices into the fabric of the inner lining. I used a sharp seam ripper. This is a measure twice, cut once type of scenario, OK?! The little slices are where you marked the lines. Poke the legs of the clasps through and bend to close. Please poke them through from the right side so they are on the correct side.

Eww, that’s even more uncomfortable than writing sewing instructions. I hope it’s clear.

Zigzag crochet bag

A Finished Crochet Zigzag Bag!

Ooh lala! What do you think of my crochet Zigzag bag?!? I hope I haven’t frightened you away with all that sewing. I think it sounds worse when written down, don’t you? In practice, it’s actually very quick and straightforward to add a sewn lining to a crochet bag. It makes such a difference, though, and it really is well worth the effort.

If you have made it this far and you’ve enjoyed this free pattern, please feel free to buy me a cup of tea (or a bottle of wine?!) by supporting me on Ko-Fi. Also, don’t forget to check out my other Free Crochet Patterns here on the blog. And you’re welcome to check out my other designs in my Ravelry store and on Etsy too.

Thanks ever so much. Cheers. x

PS, this post contains an affiliate link for the yarn.

Free Crochet Bag Pattern. Zigzag bag