Sewing Daisies

Crochet: The Single Crochet Tangelo (mat)

 

 

 

 

 The Tangelo.

 

As you have probably guessed

by looking at some of my other crochet posts;

 

 

I love

Rico's Creative Cotton

(Aran)

 

The colours in the stash

I bought the other year are so vibrant & fresh,

they practcally leap up at you.

Which make Creative Cottons perfect

for table mats. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To make things interesting for myself,

I decided to try out the Intarsia Crochet tablemat

I have been drooling over/avoiding

for the past 12 months.

 

 

 

Side note: 

The pattern is from a lovely Japanese book called

'Crochet with British Taste'

ISBN: 978 4 579 11161 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How easy is Intarsia Crochet?!

 

 

If you haven't tried it  

it's easy.

 

I have been kicking myself all week for taking so long

to get to this project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike Tapestry Crochet,

you don't need to carry along spare colours  under

your yarn.

 

 

Drop & Move on.

 

No waste yarn, no fiddling about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh okay, there's a little fiddling.

 

There has to be

to avoid 5 balls of yarn twisting together

when you turn your work.

It's fun though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say I am pretty stoked with this effort.

 

The Tangelo colours along with the square blocks

makes for a lovely fresh modern look.

 

Perfect! on both sides.

 

 

 

Crochet: GG Mittens

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crochet: GG Mittens

 

Here are the mittens I made a few weeks back.

 

 

I usually crochet blankets and shawls,

but I thought it was time to learn how

to crochet mittens.

 

And these were made just in time

for winter.

 

 

Before you tell me

that 11c isn't very cold, for Sydney it is.

The dog & I are both snuggled up to

 the radiator as I type!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(back to the mittens)

 

 

The 'single crochet' body

of these mittens make them Quick & Easy to do.

 

Actually all of pattern is easy to crochet,

even the cuffs.

 

 

They are simply

3 rows of FRONT & BACK POST dc's,

tagged onto the bottom of the main body.

 

 

In fact, I think the most fiddly part of this pattern

were the little decorative flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a Japanese crochet pattern

(ISBN: 9784529051163),

  I had to extend the main body and thumb a little,

but even that proved easy to do.

 

 

Who knew?

 

 

Why it has taken me so long to crochet

I don't know, but I plan on making some more.

Perhaps some less appealing to the  

5 year old in me!

 

  

 

 

 

 

p.s.

The current theme of 'Green & Gold'

is a mystery to me too.

 

 

p.p.s

 

I used Rico Creative Cotton (Aran)

with a 4mm hook.

 

 

Crochet: Granny Square Shrug

 

 

 

 

 

 Crochet Granny Square Shrug

is a little something I made for my

winter wardrobe.

 

 The pattern is from Panda (Yarns)

Crochet Modern Vintage book (228) 

 

It's a gorgeous book.

 

I have already made Granny Square Blanket (small) 

and I am now eyeing up

their Poncho.

 

 This little shrug is fantastic,

not only does it incorporate everyones favourite the

'Granny Square'

 

it's also really easy to make.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To cut a long story short (or in this case a pattern)

 

All you need is:

 

16 granny squares each measuring approx 11x11cm, 

& about 29 rows of treble stitches (tr).

 

 

 

If you happen to be in North America, or like to mix up your stitch names like I do,

 

 

All you need is:

16 granny squares each measuring approx 11x11cm,

& about 29 rows of double crochet

stitches (dc).

 

 

That's it (pretty much).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So how do you make yourself this lovely

Granny Square Shrug?

 

 

 

1. Sew!

a) Arrange your 16 Granny Squares into two rows of 8

b) Sew the sides of your Grannies together forming TWO separate strips.

n.b. I used a 'hidden' running stitch seam

to keep my squares in line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Crochet!

Working across the top of one of your newly joined strips

of Granny Squares;

 

 

Row 1:

a) chain 3, 1tr into the top right corner space of your FIRST Granny Square

b) *3tr  into the next open space on your Granny Square*.

REPEAT*  until you reach the left top corner of your first Granny Square.

c) 1tr into the corner space, then crochet 1x TWO TREBLE CROCHET INCREASE (tr inc),

and finish with 1tr in the top RIGHT corner on the second Granny Square.

 then continue with 3tr into your open spaces until the end

of your last Granny Square.

 

d) in the last corner space - 2tr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Row 2:

a) chain3, 1tr in the first tr

b) *skip 3tr, 3tr in the open space*....REPEAT* until the last 2 stitches,

c) skip 1tr, 1tr in the top of the churning chain.

 

 

 

Row 3:

a) chain3, 1tr in the first tr,

b) *skip 3tr, 3tr in the open space*, REPEAT* until the last 4 stitches,

c) skip 3tr, 2tr in top of turning ch

 

 

 

REPEAT rows 2 & 3

until you have approx 29 rows

or your work measure

65cm (width).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  When you have finished

with your 'trebles',

 

 

4) Sew it!

 

a)  sew your second Granny Square Strip to the top of

your 'treble' work.

 

b) fold over your work lenghtwise, so that the granny square strips lie on top of the other

(wrong sides together).

 

 

c) join the side seams (approx 18 cm) at each end of the Granny Square Strips.

This join will determine the size of your armholes.

n.b. Its worth playing around with some safety pins before sewing,

to make sure the shrug sits the way you want it to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly,to make your shrug

look professional;

d)  double crochet (dc) once around the arm holes & across

the top of your Granny Square Strips.

 

 

 I told you it was easy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All you need to do now  is take lots of photos

of your shrug & show it off to the world!

 

 

 

Ikea Kool: Tallort Blanket Scarf

Ikea Kool: Tallort Blanket Scarf

is a little trial run.

 

 

I got my mitts on

a little Japanese crochet book the other day,

that uses fabric strips (rather than yarn) to make

hats, scarves and bags.

 

 

Very cute!

 

 

The scarf that really caught my eye

is a beautiful voluminous creation

made from a Tartan blanket.

 

It looks incredible.

 

 

I really want to make the Taratan version,

but I thought I would try out the pattern on something

that I wouldn't get too upset over in case 

the pattern didn't work.

 

It happens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here's my effort using a  

Tallort Ikea blanket

( $19.99).

It's not soft, light or fluffy, but it crochets well enough.

And it's cheap.

 

The scarf is really simply to make;

a) Cut your blanket strips 3.5cm wide*

  b) Chain one long strip ( long enough to hang to the bottom of my ribs)**

 c) Crochet loops (15 chain stitches each) all along the top & bottom of your base strip.

 

N.B.

* tie your strips together leaving small tails on each knot.

** leave 30 cm tails either end of your scarf to use

to tie the ends up together.

 

 

Very easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now unless you fancy

a big statement piece like my

Ikea Cotton & Jute one which is surprisingly weighty,

I recommend using a nice light weight blanket.

I will be trying this again soon, but with a nice light Tartan blanket.

 

 

Watch this space!

 

 

 

Crochet: Yellow Brick Blanket

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crochet: Yellow Brick Blanket

 is another little lap or baby blanket

that is super easy to make.

 

 

This little beauty

is from my new Japanese book crochet book (isbn 9784864731262)

& is made up of Filet (grid) squares

beautifully chained together and finished

with a triple 'chain' edge.

 

 

Lovely!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little crochet book

is an unusual purchase for me because it

 

a) favours muted colours, especially grey

and 

b) the projects are chunkier

 

 

To boot it has a number of easy looking mitten patterns.

 (I have never made mittens)

 

 

Anyhoo, this book isn't what

I would normally reach for, let alone buy.

 

But, I am glad I did, because this a great blanket and

my colour horizons are being pushed

a little further.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of colours, for this blanket

I decided to try out ones in the book.

Well, near enough.

 

I swapped the baby blue for yellow.

 

So my blanket is black, charcoal, tan & yellow.

The exact same colours my new neighbours have used to

pimp up the front

of their house.

 

 

(trendies - gotta love 'em)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course

other changes were made too.

(surprise surprise)

 

The pattern calls for a Double Knit yarn (I think), but as I love cotton

and really enjoyed fondling

the Morris & Sons Avalon cotton

after my beginners knitting class last month,

I decided to buy some of that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see from my yarn photo,

the Avalon cotton is nothing like DK yarn.

It's neither fuzzy or thick.

 

In fact you need a 3.25mm hook, which is Smurf tiny.

Which is great, if you are Smurf sized, but as I am 'ogre' sized

I need a blanket bigger than a thimble.

 

So instead of just making 12 x Filet (grid) squares,  

I had to make 48.

 

Note to Self:

Its time to stop winging it, and learn about proper yarn usage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, the blanket was worth the effort.

I really think the Yellow Brick Blanket is a great one

for beginners to try.

I know most people start off with granny squares,

but these are even faster! 

 

You could have yourself a lovely blanket in less than a week

...if you use DK yarn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

so

How do you choose yarn?

By pattern

by feel

by colour

or  

blind folded

 ?