When my children were small I always looked forward to the summer holidays and in particular the fact that they had the whole month of August off. When they were really little the summer holidays seemed a little long and at times it was hard work trying to keep them occupied for weeks on end, but as they got older and were a little more independent the summer holidays were a time when we would do fun things together, relax and really recharge our batteries! Now that my children are both grown up I do miss the school holidays, but still have that feeling that August is a time for fun and recuperation before the hard work of the Autumn.
If you're in the UK then (like me) you are probably wishing for better weather - it has been so dreary the last few weeks and particularly autumnal feeling here in North London, but looking at the bright and cheery edging on the Sunshine and Showers blanket has gone some way to make me feel a little more cheery and summery, so hopefully it will help you feel this way too!
This month you are going to make the top and bottom edging of the blanket. The edging is made from repeated flower motifs in summer shades – it is not particularly complicated, but it does involve a lot of yarn ends so you will get good practice at sewing them in.
This month you are going to make the top and bottom edging of the blanket. The edging is made from repeated flower motifs in summer shades – it is not particularly complicated, but it does involve a lot of yarn ends so you will get good practice at sewing them in.
If you want to purchase a download copy of the patterns for just 95p you can access the Stylecraft Special DK version by following this link and the Yarn Stories version by following this link - please note that step by step images in all patterns are from the Special DK version.
Yarns used this month:
Stylecraft Special DK 100g balls
1065 Meadow
1712 Lime
1027 Khaki
1241 Fondant
1080 Pale Rose
1023 Raspberry
1722 Storm Blue
1068 Turquoise
Yarn Stories Fine Merino DK 50g balls
2510 Leaf
2516 Spring Green
2510 Bottle
2514 Raspberry
2536 English Rose
2509 Fuchsia
2535 Bluebell
3534 Iced Teal
Equipment Special DK:
4.5mm hook
Sewing needle
Equipment Fine Merino DK:
4mm hook
Sewing needle
Dealing with yarn ends: Sewing yarn ends in as you go along makes the finishing process much easier and means that you are less likely to loose stitches or make errors with your tension. There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of yarn ends this month, so I urge you to sew yarn ends in as you go along even if this is something you do not normally do.
Hook Changes:
Please take note of changes in hook size.
Method
The majority of the Sunshine and Showers Blanket is made by working rows of crochet stitches, however crochet can also be worked in the round and so I felt it was important that the blanket incorporated this method at some point.
You need to make a total of 21 flowers in order to create the edging for each end of the blanket. The flower centres are made first – use 3 of the green shades for this and make 7 of each shade.
Flowers (make 2 strips of 21 flowers)
Flower Centre:
Using Meadow (Leaf) & 4.5mm (4mm) hook make 4ch, join with a ss to form a ring
Round 1: 1ch (does not count as a st) 10dc into ring, ss to join fasten off.
Make 13 more flower centres using Meadow (Leaf), then make 14 using Lime (Spring Green) and 14 using Khaki (Bottle) so that a total of 42 pieces have been made.
Flower Petals:
Although each flower has a total of 5 petals when complete, you are going to work 4 petals onto each flower centre first, leaving a gap of 2 stitches on each flower centre – the fifth petal of each flower will be worked into these stitches later on.
Flower One:
Row 1: Using Fondant (Raspberry) & 4.5mm (4mm) hook join yarn into any dc made on a Khaki (Bottle) Flower Centre by working 1ch + 2ch, tr2tog over same st & next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st [3ch, tr2tog over same st & next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st] twice, 3ch, tr3tog working 1 st into same st & 2 sts into next st changing yarn shade to Pale Rose (English Rose) on the final step of the last st (as you pull yarn through tr3tog) (4 petals made)
Using Pale Rose (English Rose) 2ch
Flower Two:
Using Pale Rose (English Rose) tr3tog over 2sts of Lime (Spring Green) Flower Centre working 2sts into 1 st & 1 st into next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st, [3ch, tr2tog over same st & next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st] twice, 3ch, tr3tog working 1 st into same st & 2 sts into next st changing yarn shade to Raspberry (Fuchsia) on the last step of the st (as you pull yarn through tr3tog)
Using Raspberry (Fuchsia) 2ch
Flower Three:
Using Raspberry (Fuchsia) tr3tog over 2sts of Meadow (Leaf) Flower Centre working 2sts into 1 st & 1 st into next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st, [3ch, tr2tog over same st & next st, 3ch, ss into st at base of 3ch, ss into next st] twice, 3ch, tr3tog working 1 st into same st & 2 sts into next st changing yarn shade to Pale Rose (English Rose) on the last step of the stitch (as you pull yarn through tr3tog)
Using Pale Rose (English Rose) 2ch
Flower Four:
Work as Flower Two
The last 4 flowers set the yarn shade repeat for the ‘petal’ part of the flowers, work as set using the flower centres in a 3 shade repeat – Khaki (Bottle), Lime (Spring Green), Meadow (Leaf) - and using the pink shades in the correct order. Work as set until a total of 21 flowers have been made, do not change yarn shade on the final flower, draw yarn through the last st using Fondant (Raspberry).
The string of 21 crochet flowers ends with a Fondant (Raspberry) Flower worked into a Meadow (Leaf) centre. Place last st on a holder.
Sew in all yarn ends except the attached Fondant (Raspberry) yarn.
Row 2: (RS facing) Remove st holder and place st on hook, Using Fondant (Raspberry) 1ch, (does not count as a st) skip 1ch, 1dc into next ch, 4ch, tr4tog over remaining 2sts of same Flower Centre, changing yarn shade to Pale Rose (English Rose) on the final step of the st (as you pull yarn through tr4tog)
Using Pale Rose (English Rose) 8ch, tr4tog over remaining 2sts of next Flower Centre, changing yarn shade to Raspberry (Fuchsia) on the final step of the st (as you pull yarn through tr4tog)
Using Raspberry (Fuchsia) 8ch, tr4tog over remaining 2sts of next Flower Centre, changing yarn shade to Pale Rose (English Rose) on the final step of the st (as you pull yarn through tr4tog)
Work as set, changing yarn shade as you work along the row (do not change yarn shade on final flower) draw yarn through last st using Fondant (Raspberry), 4ch, 1dc into top of tr2tog made on next petal, fasten off.
Sew in yarn ends attached to all petals – leave tail ends that sit at beginning of 8ch to be sewn in later on. You can choose to weave these ends in whilst working the next row if you wish, but they may still need a little sewing to make them secure.
Row 3: With RS facing, using Lime (Spring Green) & 4.5mm (4mm) hook join yarn into 1st dc made at beginning of last row by working 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into same st, 4dc into next ch sp, * 4dc into next ch sp, working around 8ch made on previous row and 2ch made on Row 1 tr3tog, 4ch into next (same) ch sp; repeat from * 18 times, 4dc into final ch sp, 1dc into next st changing yarn shade to Meadow (Leaf) on the final step of the last st, turn (190sts)
Row 4: Using Meadow (Leaf), 1ch (does not count as a st) 1dc into next 8sts, * dc2tog over next 2sts, 1dc into each next 7sts; repeat from * to last 2sts, 1dc into each next 2sts changing yarn shade to Storm Blue (Bluebell) on the final step of the last st, turn. (170sts)
Row 5: Using Storm Blue (Bluebell), 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each st to end, turn. (170sts)
Row 6: 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each st to end, fasten off (170sts)
You will find that the edging strip you have made is approx. 4/5cm wider than last row of the main blanket piece. The edge strip will ease in to size as you join the pieces together.
Joining Row:
Hold main piece of blanket and edging strip together with wrong side facing you so that the right sides of the work are facing into each other.
Using Turquoise (Iced Teal) and 4.5mm (4mm) hook insert hook into first st on edging and the first st at top of main blanket piece so that 2 sts are on the hook, yarn round hook and draw through, 1dc into each matching pair of sts until 85sts have been joined, skip 1 st on blanket piece, continue to match pairs of sts to the end of the row, fasten off.
Sew in yarn ends
Each piece should measure approximately 25cm x 92cm (10 x 36in)
So, before we know it we will be in September and you can see a preview image of the pattern above. You will be starting 2 new (identical) strips, so you can put your 2 strips already completed (May through to August) away somewhere safe for a while.
The next set of patterns will be posted here on the 5th September.
With thanks to the team at Crochet Now magazine.
So, before we know it we will be in September and you can see a preview image of the pattern above. You will be starting 2 new (identical) strips, so you can put your 2 strips already completed (May through to August) away somewhere safe for a while.
The next set of patterns will be posted here on the 5th September.
With thanks to the team at Crochet Now magazine.
