2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches Week 46 – Treble Crosses

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Treble Crosses Stitch

Well hello my lovelies! I hope you have all had lovely weekends!! We have had a rather activity weekend, so I think these two have earnt a movie night. They seem to be enjoying a double whammy of blanket yumminess!!! Surely you can’t have enough snuggly blankets around you can you?!?! The back one is a granny square blanket that I made for my daughter a few years ago!! It’s a firm favourite in our house.

So this weekend we have managed two big walks. The Long Mynd on Saturday and Thorpe Cloud today. It was so nice to get out and about in the fresh air. Unfortunately as you can see, we didn’t have the best of weather yesterday. It was like we were walking in the clouds. I don’t think it dampened our spirits though.

But by the end of the walk, it was clear blue skies and bright sunshine. The walkers seem to appear out of the woods at that point! My old faithfuls are still going strong!!

I think we were the only crazy ones that were out early in the morning. Just to give you an idea, we had got up, cooked and ate a big breakfast, driven to the Long Mynd (over an hour away,) walked up and around the The Mynd (9km to be precise) and then managed a yummy pub lunch by 1pm. So I reckon that’s pretty good going!! Either that or it’s just usual life with a little one that needs to sleep early afternoon!! Bless him. I know it’s not forever, so we don’t mind arranging our day around him!! And definitely don’t want his naps to end just yet!! Ekk!!

We have definitely had an active weekend – so today  we ended scrambling up Thorpe Cloud!! And we had the amazing weather that we had hoped for!! Wow!! We were so lucky!!! Just incredible!

If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a trip!! There’s the famous stepping stones that you can walk to, but then the adventurous ones go up Thorpe Cloud! It’s a bit of a scramble at the beginning and definitely not easy for my poor husband with a back pack and a little boy who is getting bigger by the minute on his back!! Totally worth it though!! The view was amazing! My daughter kept saying how easy it was and why were we taking so long!! Bless her!! She has so much energy!!

This walk had definitely earnt a mulled cider at the Old Dog Inn afterwards!!! Dare I say it – felt like the beginning of chrimbo!!

We ended up in Ashbourne afterwards and had a lovely cuppa in the F’coffee cafe!! My son even had a babychino, but it’s wasn’t any normal one!! He absolutely adored it!! Mega coffee bar if you are ever in Ashbourne!!! Hmm, just looking at this photo – do you think he likes diggers?? Haha! Bless him!!

Well we have definitely had a lovely weekend making lots of family memories!! Happy days!!

So onto a spot of crocheting. So this weekend I have published my Simply Snuggly Hat pattern. Now this is a great pattern for any of you who are new to crocheting and want to make something easy, but also for crochet addicts like me who love giving crocheted pressies to everyone. This one uses a  back loop double crochet stitch, which is extremely easy to make up. So no worries there!!

My other Weekend Hat pattern, will be ready to go mid week I think. This will be my second hat pattern and once again it is extremely easy to make up. It uses the back loop treble stitch, so it’s a lot quicker than the back loop double crochet hat, but obviously gives you a different look.

This is one I am making for my Mum. She adores this cerise colour, so hope she will like it. The wool has been hand dyed by the wonderful Easy Knitter!! Hoping to find a matching pom pom for it!!! Definitely needs a pom pom, doesn’t it!!

So onto the blanket and this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches CAL. So this week I have chosen a lovely stitch called the Treble Crosses Stitch. It’s a pretty cool stitch. It’s kind of like a spike stitch in the sense that you work trebles in the row below, but crossed!! Hope you like. It’s good fun to work up. Just watch your tension. Make sure your tension is quite loose, as otherwise it will pull the stitch down!! Hope you like it!

Supplies –

This week I have used a 100% Double Knit wool from the Cascade range!! It’s ever so nice to work with!! As always I have used about 30g of yarn. Remember you can use any double knit yarn you like. Don’t forget your 4mm hook, scissors and a blunt ended tapestry needle.

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.

Treble Crochet (tr) – Yarn over your hook and insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have three loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through the first 2 loops. Then yarn over your hook again and pull through the last 2 loops.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Attach your new yarn onto the wrong side of your blanket and chain 3. Now work 1tr in the same stitch. Then work 1tr in each stitch across the row. (200)

2 – Now turn your work and chain 3. Then work 1tr in the same stitch. Now miss 2 stitches and then work 1tr in the base of the next stitch. So work the tr stitch around the back of the tr post. Can you see where the arrow is pointing.

So to do this, yarn over your hook and insert your hook around the back of the stitch like so.

Then yarn over and pull back through and up to same height of the row. You should have 3 loops on your hook.

Now finish the stitch by placing the yarn over your hook and pulling through the first 2 loops and then yarn over your hook and pull through the last 2 loops to complete the stitch.

Now work 1tr in the 2nd of the missed stitches. This is where the arrow is pointing.

Ok so now you are ready to work 1tr around the base of the first tr stitch that you missed. So we are going to put the yarn over your hook and insert your hook where the arrow is pointing.

So place it around the back of the stitch like last time.

Now yarn over your hook and pull through. This will give you 3 loops on your hook.

Then finish the stitch by yarn over your hook and pull through the first 2 loops and then yarn over your hook and pull through the last 2 loops.

Now work 1tr in the next 3 stitches. The first stitch needs to go where the arrow is pointing. You need to make sure this is the stitch that hasn’t had a treble stitch underneath. If you start in this one you will end up with a higher stitch count!

Son once you have worked the 3 trebles you have finished the treble cross stitch.

Ok so now it’s time to repeat. So *miss next 2 tr stitches, work 1tr in the base of the next tr stitch.

Then work 1tr in the second of the missed tr stitches.

Then 1tr in the base of the first tr stitch missed.

Now work 1tr in the next 3 stitches.*

Repeat this ** across the row. (200)

3 – Now turn your work and chain 3. Now work 1tr in the same stitch and then 1tr in each stitch across the row.

End with 1tr in the last stitch and then fasten off and sew in your ends.  (200)

And there we have the wonderful Treble Crosses Stitch. Hope you like it. Still a bit shocked that we are on week 46 of Year of the Stitches!! I really hope you are enjoying this CAL as much as I am!! Think it’s going to be a magnificent blanket once it’s finished. Fingers crossed!!

Anyways, happy hooking everyone!

🌈 Xx

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2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches Week 45 – Alternate Spikes

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Alternate Spike Stitch

Hello all. How are we all? Has anyone started to get ready for chrimbo yet? Dare I say it, but a few pressies have been purchased and things to be made list, is a go go. Hoping I can get through it all this year. Think I have enough time. My problem is I keep adding to the list as I keep thinking of new and exciting projects to do!! This happened this week with the utterly wonderful subscription box, beautifullly created my the lovely Abby Parkes at Luxury Yarns.

It is a little box of pure yarny magic!!! You can subscribe either for 1, 2 or 3 months and in the post arrives a little box with a skein of hand dyed wool which Abby dyes herself. But also included are some little bottles of essential oils and some other yarny delights. My daughter was particularly taken with the lavender and frankincense worry oil, (as she calls it.) She straight away started using it. Think it is definitely going to come in handy when she is worried about something. When I realised how excited she was, I couldn’t resist making her something with the beautiful yarn. So I started this on the Friday evening in the car and finished it this morning. Not bad going. It’s using a trinity stitch from week 27 of my blanket. Think it really picks out the flashes on Firework colours that Abby has created in the yarn.

And here’s the finished article!!! Will get the pattern written up for you guys!! It was so quick and simple! Love the colours! Abby Parkes you definitely are a genius with colours!! Can’t wait for the next little parcel to arrive!!

We have had a lovely weekend away celebrating my father-in-law’s birthday in the Cotswolds. It was lovely to be as a family and celebrate such a special birthday. I made my father-in-law a version of Jacques Cousteau hat who was a famous sailor and diver. He wore this particular red hat that he was know for! So thought I had better design and make him one. So here it is. He definitely seemed chuffed with it. Another one to add to the pattern writing up list!!

We visited the wonderful Bourton On The Water yesterday. My grandparents used to live there, so it has a very special place in my heart. Was lovely going back and taking my children to see all the little bridges and of course the model village. My Dappy used to love the Winston’s Ice Cream. He used to have a scoop of ice cream every day. His reasoning was because he hadn’t had it as a child very much, so had to make up for it!! Love it!!

Right then, so we had better get on to the blanket and this weeks stitch. It’s a really simple stitch this week called the Alternate Spike Stitch. So basically the stitch looks like a little spike as it reaches to the row below.

There are lots of different types of spike stitches with different heights and it definitely looks great worked in contrasting colours. So it’s worth a go on a different project. This is cushion that I made for my sister with the spike stitch.

Hope you enjoy this weeks stitch.

Stitches –

Chain (ch) – To make a chain, place the yarn over the hook then pull it through the loop on your hook.

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.

Supplies – 

So this weeks yarn is a merino wool from the Wendy range. It’s a lovely pale toothpaste green colour, which is fresh and bright. It works well with last weeks blue. Remember you can use any kind of double knit yarn. So as always you need about 30g, a 4mm crochet hook, some scissors and a blunt ended tapestry needle.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Start by attaching your new yarn on the wrong side of your blanket and chain 1. Now work 1dc in the same stitch and then 1dc in each stitch across the row. (200)

2 – Right so now turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1dc in the same stitch and then the next stitch. Now you are going to work your first spike stitch by working 1dc in the row below. This is where the arrow is pointing.

So insert your hook through the dc stitch in the row below, yarn over your hook and then pull back through. (It will be easier if you work this loop up loosely)

Now finish your stitch by yarn over your hook and pull through both loops. Can you see how you have worked your first spike stitch.

Now work 1dc in the next stitch. (So where you have worked the spike stitch, you should have missed the dc stitch right above it.)

*So now work 1dc in the dc stitch in the row below and then 1dc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** across the row.

End the row with 1dc in the last stitch. (200)

3 – So now we are going to repeat row 2. Start by turning your blanket and chaining 1. Then work 1dc in the same stitch and then the next stitch. Now work your spike stitch by working 1dc in the dc stitch below. This is where the arrow is pointing.

Remember to work the spike stitch loose, so that it creates a tidy effect.

Then work 1dc in the next stitch.

Now repeat. So work *1dc Stitch in the dc stitch below and then work 1dc in the next stitch.* Repeat ** across the row.

At the end of the row work 1dc in the last stitch. (200)

4 – And once again repeating row 2. So turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1dc in the same and next stitch. Now work 1dc in the stitch below and 1dc in the next stitch to complete your first spike stitch.

Now work *1dc in the dc stitch below and 1dc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** across the row.

Work 1dc in the last stitch. (200)

And there we have the fabulous Alternate Spike Stitch!

Ever so versatile and would be fab with different coloured yarns worked up in each stripe!! Hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know if you need any help with it.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

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