So Many Daisies!

My crochet adventure has landed me smack dab in the middle of a field of daisies! Well, sort of. While perusing Pinterest, I came across the most adorable pattern for a granny square with a daisy in the center.

Seriously, how cute is this?

The image took me to Tillie Tulip, where I found a free step-by-step guide (with visuals!) on how to make the daisy center. It took some practice to master a treble crochet stitch, but it was well worth it to get those petals to puff.

An additional link on the daisy page, will take you to another page that lays out steps to add rounds in order to turn the daisy into a granny square. It’s a simple process that requires basic crochet knowledge (chain, double crochet). The only trick is figuring out how to space the shells.

Once I got the pattern down, it was all about color choice. While I love the colors in the sample blanket image, pastels really don’t fit my house. So, I decided to model my daisies after the Black-Eyed Susan and the plain white daisy.

That gave me the color scheme of brown, yellow, and white. I went with ever popular Red Heart yarn in Coffee, Gold and Soft White.

It sounds awful, doesn’t it? However, the overall effect creates a very autumn-like and cozy feel. Perfect for a granny square afghan!

Even though I used only three colors, I was able to create 9 different squares simply by switching the order of color in each round. This created a more interesting effect in the color distribution throughout the blanket.

To join the squares, I used a simple single crochet chain stitch, but through the back loop of the joined stitches on each square edge. This made the chain lie flat and it was easier to join corners.

For the border, I stitched five single crochet rounds. The first two were done in coffee to match the border with of the joined squares and then I did single rounds of Gold and Soft White, with a final round of Coffee to create a balance between the interior and exterior borders.

This afghan turned out better than I expected, especially since I’m a new crocheter. Who knew I’d have this much fun with a little yarn and a hook?

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c.b.w. 2017

Addicted To Granny Squares

It’s official: I’ve fallen under the spell of granny squares. Nothing about them is remotely cool, except for the fact that they are ridiculously fun to make.

It all started when I decided I wanted to make a new throw blanket for the winter. I sat down with a set of instructions and made about 10 billion mistakes before I finally ended up with a semi-functional granny square. From there I practiced a bit and settled on a pattern I liked to make a 6″ square.

My mother always told me the best yarn for an afghan is Red Heart, so I got three skeins each of Burgundy, Hunter Green, Soft Navy, Coffee, Cafe Latte, and Aran Fleck. She’s right, by the way. Red Heart yarn is sturdy and can handle repeated failures!

It took a couple of months, but I made 14 squares for each color of yarn. From there, I laid them out in a diagonal pattern

Joining the squares turned out to be the hardest part of the process because I couldn’t decide what method to use. I ended up stitching a single-crochet edging on each square with the Coffee color. Then, I did a back-loop slip stitch. This created a thicker color border and sturdier bond.

I edged the entire afghan with two rounds of a single-crochet stitch, so it would match the width of the square borders. All in all, I happy with the result. I finished it just as the weather turned colder and it is very warm!

I made a matching pillow with some of the leftover squares – I’ll post pictures of it soon, along with tutorial on how I made it.

This little pattern book gives great visual instructions and includes the pattern I used for my afghan.

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c.b.w. 2016

Knitting A Scrap Yarn and Flannel Blanket

Over the summer, I started two scrap yarn knitting projects as a means to clear out my growing stash of leftover yarn, (see Knitting With Scrap Yarn). The first blanket turned out great and my little dog is snuggling up in it every night.

The start of the school year pushed my second project, the Maxi Cosi Blanket, to the sidelines for a spell, but I’ve finally finished it. In many ways, I think it turned out better than the first. The smaller size gave me a great opportunity to experiment with a new finishing technique for knitted blankets.

After blocking the blanket came out at 25″ x 27″. This turned out to be a perfect size for a little corner of the bed where my cat likes to sleep. She’s already claimed it as her own!

The yarn came from four different partial skeins leftover from two hats, a scarf, a cowl, and a pair of socks. I let the amount of yarn dictate stripe size, however I was careful with the oatmeal color so I could carry it all the way through end to end, (I only came up 3 rows short, which I supplemented with a cream-colored yarn scrap I thankfully had stashed!).

For finishing, I decided to add a flannel backing. I saw the technique on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. Luckily, my local craft store was having a sale on flannel fabric and it just so happened to have the perfect print. It was meant to be!

To attach the flannel and keep it from “tenting,” I employed an old quilting technique (thanks for reminding me, mom!) of using yarn ties. Once again, I went to my leftover yarn stash and found a great partial skein of variegated woodsy colors.

The grid  of the knitted pattern made it easy to space yarn ties about 2″ apart. First, I tacked the flannel to the blanket using safety pins to mark where the ties would go. I worked from the center out to the edges. Second, I loaded a yarn needle with a double-strand segment of yarn. I came up through the bottom (the flannel side) and back down through the top (the knitted side), making as small a stitch as possible in the garter stitch sections of the blanket. This hid the yarn tie on the front and added the tie detail to the flannel backing. Lastly, I tied each section and clipped the ends.

To secure the edges, I sewed a basic blanket stitch using DMC pearl cotton embroidery thread. This thread is thick and sturdy, which makes it perfect for stitching together folded flannel and worsted weight knitted yarn.

The result is a smooth edge that is decorative and not bulky. The edges are fully secure and the stitch adds to the rustic quality of the pattern and flannel print.

Not bad for scrap yarn, eh? See what’s hiding in your leftover yarn stash – it’s amazing what you can make with even the smallest scraps of yarn!

Happy Knitting!

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c.b.w. 2016

Favorite Thing Friday: Seascape Melody Socks

After the challenge of knitting lace socks, I decided to go the simple route for my next project. I pulled out my trusty KB sock loom and got to work on Seascape Melody Socks (via Loom Knitting Socks by Isela Phelps).

Hiding in my yarn stash was a gorgeous skein of ONline Supersocke in Ocean Color, Colorway 1577. How perfect given the name of the sock pattern! I got this yarn while on vacation a couple of years ago and I was so excited to finally find the right pattern for it. Sadly, however, I think this yarn is discontinued.

The yarn is self-striping and mixes solids with heather effects. Beautiful shades of pink, blue, brown, cream, and green pull together to make a simple alternating ribbed pattern something really special.

Seascape Melody Socks

Seascape Melody uses only knit and purl stitches. It’s basically an interrupted ribbed pattern. As usual, the heel and toe are worked using the short row method with a series of wrapped stitches.

I worked this sock over 56 pegs on the original fine gauge KB sock loom. I arrived at this peg count because the yarn I used had the same gauge (28 sts = 4″) as my favorite sock yarn, Paton’s Kroy. Experience has taught me 56 pegs with a 28 st gauge makes a perfectly fitting sock for my 8″ diameter foot.

My goal this summer is to clear out my sock yarn stash, so more sock posts are on the horizon!

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What’s your favorite thing this week?

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c.b.w. 2015

 

Favorite Thing Friday: Simple Skyp Socks

Leave it to me to knit wool socks in the summer! For this project, I decided I wanted a pair of neutral colored socks that can be worn with anything. Most of my socks are very colorful and that can sometimes make it tricky to find a pair that matches what I’m wearing.

Paton’s Kroy Socks yarn in Grey Marl is a perfect neutral. Instead of just a flat gray, it’s slightly variegated to make it a bit more interesting. I paired it with a great little (free!) pattern that adds some great texture – Simple Skyp Socks – to make what would otherwise be some very boring socks into super awesome socks.

Simple Skyp Socks in Paton’s Kroy Grey Marl

These socks were great fun to knit, but I would recommend them for knitters who have some experience. The Skyp stitch involves passing a slipped stitch over both a knit stitch and a yarn over. While a relatively simple maneuver, new knitters might find it a little daunting to work with a yarn over within a three stitch sequence.

The combination of the Skyp stitch with a ribbed pattern creates a beautifully textured sock. There is nothing boring about alternating ridges of knits, purls, and the Skyp stitch! (Okay, maybe it is for people who are not obsessed with knitting socks.)

My next sock project is a little more complicated. Instead of the usual ribbed pattern, I’m going with a lace pattern, Veil of Rosebuds. To make them extra special, I’m using a gorgeous skein of Malabrigo merino wool. This is fancy yarn, so it deserves a fancy pattern!

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What’s your favorite thing this week?

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c.b.w. 2015