2018 CAL – Year of the Stitches Blanket – Page 23

Year of the Stitches – Week 8 Front Post Double Crochet

February 25, 2018 No Comments

Front Post Double Crochet

Well hello. Don’t you just love half term week! I have had so much fun with my little bods. We’ve not ventured very far, but it’s been nice to relax at home and not do too much rushing around. I think one of the main highlights of the week has been my daughter’s cooking!! What a super mini chef she is. I only got to cook a couple of times this week. I feel redundant!! She was so excited to lay her food down on the table and present it to her Daddy. Each day she hasn’t told him what we are having, she kept him guessing all day! She’s been using my cookbook from when I was a child! It’s beautifully presented with lots of step by step photos – so it’s perfect for a little budding 6 year old chef! We’ve had spicy chicken and rice, fish pie & even homemade beef burgers! One very proud Mummy. This was her idea for trying to keep the onion fumes from making her eyes water!! Not the best of ideas when you are grating!!! Ouch!! Her second idea was using her nerf gun glasses!! These are now known as her cooking glasses!! Love it!!

I’m loving having my girl at home & no school run to work around. I can’t quite get over how much you can get done in a day without the school run. The kitchen has actually been cleared & clean after breakfast for once! An occurrence that doesn’t tend to happen in the week. It’s usually a case of quick eat your breakfast, brush your teeth, quick get your shoes on & out the door!!

Well we have managed painting, brio, baking, cooking, sorting, pasta play & I think Lego is on the cards at some point. But most importantly we have been crocheting together!! Can’t tell you how happy I am to be teaching her!!! Sooooooo exciting & it melts my heart when she starts talking about all the projects she wants to do & who she wants to give them to. You can’t knock her enthusiasm!! Hopefully she will start getting a bit quicker soon, so she can start all these crazy projects. But we’re a while off them yet. It’ll come!!! Bless her.

I have had a very special yarn delivery this week too. My parents-in-law have given me a Wool Warehouse voucher for Christmas – best pressie ever!!! And I’ve been very good and only just spent it!!! So this year my main aim was not only to learn more about stitches, but also about shawls!! I’ve always loved shawls & scarves. There’s something quite comforting to be wrapped in one on a day to day basis. I tend to have my favourites that are potentially looking a little bit thread bare now. But they still look presentable – well at least I think they do. So to make my own delicate shawls, would just be mega. I could actually have colour coordinating ones with my clothes!! (This never happens!!) So I keep seeing all these wonderful yarn cakes on instagram and in shops and thinking I need those in my life!! So when I found out that Sublime did one, it was only a matter of time before one or maybe two, ended up making their way into my yarn stash!! My thinking is, get my Easter pressies made and then crack on with a shawl or two! Exciting! There is definitely isn’t enough time in the day!!

So this week I have kept it quite simple. So it’s called a Front Post Double Crochet. Which basically means you only pick up the front part of the double crochet stitch. But I can show you what I mean later on. So I have chosen quite a bright & colourful coral colour this week. Once again it is from the truly fantastic sublime range!! I just can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s such a lovely colour, a very cheery coral, so I think that it is quite apt for end of a half term week.

Stitches –

Chain (ch) – To make a chain stitch, make a slip knot on your hook and then place the yarn over your hook and pull through the loop. Repeat this action to make a row of stitches.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc) – Insert the hook through the first part of stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. You roughly need about 30g/40g. Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Right then so let’s get started. Start work on the wrong side (ws), so the opposite side to the raised popcorn stitches. Attach your new yarn by hooking it through the first stitch, then chain 1. Then work 1dc into the same stitch.

Now continue working 1dc into each stitch in the row. When you get to the last stitch, work 2dc into the same stitch. (210)

2 – Ok so now turn your work and chain 1.

Now for the next few rows you are going to work a front post double crochet (fpdc). So to do this all you need to do is only pick up the front part of the double crochet stitch. So basically instead of going through both parts of the v in the stitch below, only go through the front part and then finish the stitch as normal.

Carry on crocheting fpdc across the whole row.

When you get to the last stitch, work 1fpdc and turn your work to start the next row. (210)

3 – So we are going to repeat row two, so start by chaining 1.

Then once again work 1fpdc into the same stitch by picking up only the front part of the stitch below. Then work 1fpdc into each stitch in the row. (210)

4 – Repeat row 2 again. So chain 1 and work 1fpdc into the same stitch. Then work 1fpdc into the rest of the stitches across the row. (210)

Can see you are making ridges in your rows. That’s because you are only working in the front part of the double crochet. You can also make back post double crochet stitches (bpdc), where you only work in the back part of the stitch. This gives you a different effect too.

5 – Repeat row 2 again. So chain 1 and work 1fpdc into the same stitch. Then work 1fpdc into the rest of the stitches across the row. (210)

And that’s it. Now obviously you could work with this stitch for as long as you like. I love the effect it gives. It’s good for scarves if you alternate it with rows of normal dc stitches. So now fasten off your work and sew in your ends using your tapestry needle.

I hope you have enjoyed the simplicity of this weeks stitch. Thought that as it was the week after half term, some of you might need a little crocheting that isn’t too crazily complicated! I can imagine some of you holiday goers may have a serious amount of washing to catch up with! I always seem to have a monumental mountain of washing to get through and I haven’t even been away!!! My mother in law has always said to me that it took her like 30 years to see the bottom of her washing basket – I think she might be right!!

Any questions or worries just give me a shout. Hope you’ve enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches Blanket. Can’t wait to see how you are all getting on.

Happy hooking!

🌈Xx

Year of the Stitches – Week 7 Cabbage Patch Stitch

February 18, 2018 No Comments

Week 7 – Cabbage Patch Stitch

Hello all. Hope you have all had a lovely week. How did you get on with the raised popcorn stitch? It’s such a cool stitch and so fun to crochet. I keep thinking of all the different projects you could make with it. This week, I’ve been working on the blanket, but also enjoyed making some Super Ducks for the kids for easter. I’m using the wonderful Toft pattern, which is so quick and easy to follow. But I thought I would make them into super ducks by designing them some super capes and masks. S0 hopefully the kids will like finding them on their Easter egg hunt this year.

I also made some little crocheted snowdrops to remember my dear Grannie by. She loved snowdrops and as she passed away when they were out, it seemed only right.

So this week I would like to introduce you to the cheeky cabbage patch stitch. (It reminds me of those dolls you used to get!) I think the stitch gets it’s name from the resemblance to rows and rows of cabbages in a field!! It’s created by 2 rows being repeated, so it’s quite straight forward. I just love the texture it produces. Would be stunning worked in a cardigan for a little girl.

Right so on to the yarn. So once again I am using the stunning sublime yarn, but this week it is a beautiful mermaid blue colour. (Haha – well I think it’s called that!! My husband wasn’t so sure!! I’m sure I’m right!!!) So as this is such a wonderful colour, I would like to dedicate this one, to my wonderful mother-in-law. It was her birthday at the end of last week and she loves this colour. So this one’s for you!! I am one lucky girl to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. She is always up for an adventure and totally one of a kind. She has known me since I was 16!! So she is definitely my second mum. She loves turquoise and mints and purples. But I think this is one of her favourite colours. So here’s to you!

Stitches –

Chain (ch) – To make a chain stitch, make a slip knot on your hook and then place the yarn over your hook and pull through the loop. Repeat this action to make a row of stitches.

Double Crochet Decrease (2dctog) – This is where you crochet two stitches together to decrease the amount of stitches in the round. So insert the hook through the front of the first stitch only (the front V) and then insert again through the front of the second stitch (the front V). Now yarn over your hook and pull it back through both stitches, so you will then have 2 loops on your hook. Yarn over your hook again and pull through both loops. And there is your 2dctog. (Basically 2 double crochet stitches crocheted together.)

Treble (tr) – To make a treble crochet, firstly yarn over your hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should now be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through the first two loops, yarn over hook and pull through the last two loops.

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. You roughly need about 30g/40g. Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

1 – Ok so first of all we are going to reduce the stitch count a little. (Remember you are starting on the wrong side – so the opposite side to the popcorn stitch.) So attach your new yarn by pulling it through the first stitch and chain 1. Then work 1dc into the same stitch. Now work 5 more dc stitches, then work 2dctog with the next two stitches. Check the stitches information above, if you are unsure of how to work a 2dctog. The picture below is showing you how to pick up two dc stitches to work them together. *Now work 6dc stitches then 2dctog.* Repeat ** all across the row, but in the last stitches just work 6dc stitches. (209)

2 – Ok so now turn your work and chain 3. Then miss a stitch and work 1tr into the next stitch.

Then work 3 more tr stitches into the same stitch.

*Now miss 3 stitches and work 4trs into the next stitch.* Then repeat ** to the end of the row. There will 2 stitches left. So miss the first stitch and then work 1tr in the last chain 3 space. (209)

3 – Right so with this row we need to firstly chain 3 (this counts as your first tr). Now miss the next 3 stitches then work 1tr in the next stitch.

Now chain 2 and then you are going to work 1tr stitch into the first of the 3 missed stitches. This stitch is where the other crochet hook is pointing.

Now repeat the whole process again across the row. So miss 3 stitches, 1tr in the next stitch, chain 2 and then work 1tr in the first of the missed stitches.