PipsRainbow

V Stitch Blanket

September 29, 2024 No Comments

Well hello Sunday evening. How are we all? Thought I would bring you some yummy yarny crocheting in the form of this lovely foot blanket. It’s one of my favourite little blankets that I made in the winter and as you can see it’s a firm favourite in our family. It finds itself living in different places in the house, but seems to like living here in between a very old carriage blanket and my Year of the Stitches Blanket.

When I designed this blanket, I had a few specific ideas in my head. I wanted it to be warm, but not too heavy. I also knew it needed to have the lovely fluid drape that a blanket can give, as I knew it would be placed over a bed or someone’s feet or lap. Thus why I used quite large hooks for the tasks and choose the magnificent, yet oh so simple V stitch. My first of these blankets was for my dear Grannie. She was in a care home at the time and her feet were getting cold. She had spent her life keeping our feet warm with knitted slipper socks, so it was about time we kept her feet nice and toasty. I visited her with my Dad and started the blanket that evening. It took me 3 evenings, so it’s ever so quick to make up. Unfortunately she passed away the next day, so I never got to give it to her. But it is now known in our house hold as the GG Blanket. So that’s nice. It even gets lent out to family members aka my sister, for camping trips or snuggle needing events!!

Supplies –

Now you can choose to make this blanket in either Aran weighted wool or 2 double knit wools worked together. I love using up all my different odds and ends and mixing lots of yarns, so I choose to use 2 double knit yarns. My Gran did this a lot. She even used to undo unwanted jumpers and reuse the wool for other projects, so I think she would have approved of this one. Just remember when you are using multistrands of wool, all you need to do is work with them as if they are 1 ball of wool. It’s ever so easy, so nothing to worry about. Here’s a little snuggle pod I was making with 3 balls of wool!

So mine weighs about 600g and I have used the 2 strands of double knit wool method. So probably looking at about 12 balls of dk yarn, as they are usually in 50g balls. If you are using Aran, then you will need roughly about 7-8 balls of wool. Obviously it depends on your tension and how big or small you fancy making it. You will also need a 7mm and an 8mm crochet hook, scissors and a blunt ended tapestry needle.

Level – Easy

Blanket Size – 53inches wide and 23inches tall.

Stitches –

Slip knot – Firstly fold over the yarn to make a loop. Insert your hook through the loop and grab the working yarn (long piece) and pull through the loop. Hold the tail and the working yarn and pull tight to create a knot.

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 (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.

V Stitch – To make a V stitch, you need to work 2 Treble crochet stitches inbetween the two trebles stitches in the row below.

Ok so here we go …

1 – To start the blanket you need to chain 120 stitches. Now remember when you are starting a blanket off, always use a hook size 1 whole size bigger for the chain stitches. So we are using a 7mm hook for this blanket, so work your chain stitches with an 8mm hook. Otherwise you will get a delightful curve on your blanket before you have even started. It helps you to have a nice straight edge to your blanket. So first things first make your slip knot.

Then work your 120 chain stitches.

Now that you have chained all of your stitches, change back to your normal crochet hook which is a 7mm hook. (120)

2 – Right so turn your blanket and chain 3. This will give you the height for your V stitch. Now in the 5th chain from the hook work 2tr stitches. (Don’t forget there is a recap at the top if you have forgotten how to work a Treble Stitch.) So you are working into the 5th chain from the hook – because 3 stitches are acting as your first tr stitch and one stitch you are missing.

Now *miss a chain stitch and work 2tr into the next stitch.* Repeat ** across the rest of the row.

Now work 1tr Stitch in the last chain stitch in the row. (120)

3 – Now turn your work and chain 3. This acts as your first tr stitch. Now you are going to work your V stitch inbetween the 2 treble stitches from the row below. This is where the arrow is pointing.

To work your V stitch, work your 2 trebles stitches here.

*Now miss a stitch and as before work 2tr inbetween the 2 treble stitches below.*Repeat ** all the way across the row.

So when you come to the last V, work the 2tr stitches as usual. Now work 1tr in then top of the chain 3 stitches from the row below. (120)

This completes your row. (120)

4 – Now turn your work and chain 3. This acts as your first tr stitch. Then *work 2tr inbetween the V stitch below (Inbetween the 2 tr stitches)*.

Repeat ** across the row. Now if like me you are using up lots of odds and ends of yarn, at some point in each row, balls of wool will run out. So I have created this blanket with colour changes randomly. Obviously you don’t have to change mid row, you can always change at the ends of the row or not at all. Up to you! But if you do then here’s how. So start your first tr in the next V stitch by yarn over hook, insert into your stitch, yarn over your hook then pull back through. So at this point, you are going to use your new yarn. So place the new yarn over your hook.

Now finish the tr stitch as usual, so pull the new yarn through the first 2 loops.

Then yarn over your hook and pull through the last 2 loops. Now work another 1tr in the same place to finish the V stitch.

Now carry on working V stitches as usual. At the end of the row, work 1tr in the top of the chain 3 stitches. (120)

5 – Now turn your work and chain 3. This acts as your first tr stitch. Then *work 2tr inbetween the V stitch below. (Inbetween the 2 tr stitches.)*

At the end of the row work 1tr in the top of the chain 3 stitches. (120)

6 – Now repeat row 5 until you are happy with the height of your blanket. For my foot blanket, I have worked 42 rows, but feel free to do as many or as little as you like. Once you have finished, fasten off and sew in all of those rascally ends and block your blanket.

Look at all those lovely V stitches. Love the colour change in this one.

Here’s one my dear friend has made, think it is loved by the dog too! Hers is a little bigger, so if you do want a bigger blanket, just repeat the pattern with the same rows, until the desired length.

You can see here the size of the 42 rows. It will fit easily at the end of a single bed or just as a simple lap blanket that lives on the back of the sofa.

So there you have the wonderful V Stitch Foot Blanket. Really hope you like this one. Great for a really quick blanket to make for someone. Might be nice for a Christmas present for someone or even a big bod off to Uni. Would be great to go at the end of a single bed too!! My very clever sister made one too. Love how her colours work together.

Well, happy hooking everyone.

🌈Xx

(Don’t forget that this pattern is brought to you from PipsRainbow, it has not been tech edited, but all attempts have been made to ensure it is correct and easy to follow. It is only to be used for personnel use only and not to be shared or used to create items for profit. Thank you.)

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Rosie the Unicorn

June 9, 2024 No Comments

Warning – this is one soft and fluffy little unicorn!!! And yes it is crocheted!!!

How mad is that!!!

Two unicorns and a teddy bear later with this Sirdar Alpine Yarn from the incredible Wool on the Exe shop in Exeter and I am still in shock with how soft it is. Serious softy heaven!!! And I have my daughter and the lovely Debbie at Wool on the Exe to thank for introducing it to me.

Here’s the link to the amazing Wool on the Exe yarn shop if you fancy buying some of this incredible furry soft Sirdar Alpine yarn to make your Unicorn. They are seriously speedy with their deliveries!

Here’s the link Wool on the Exe

Now, as with all my patterns, they are all here for you to enjoy. And in exchange for these patterns, I would be very grateful if you could give, however little, a donation to our chosen charity Child Bereavement UK. This is an incredible Charity, that was been close to our hearts for a few years now. I cannot imagine how important the work they do is to the families that help. So if you can, however small, donate to the charity, in exchange for my pattern, then I would be so grateful. Thank you. Here’s the link to the Just Giving Page

Now making this little bundle of fluff from this kind of yarn, is an interesting one, as it is a little on the tricky side. Only in the sense that you can’t really see where you are crocheting. You can to some extent, but not as easy as normal yarn. So here’s a little video on how to use this amazing yarn.

Top tip for this project – count your stitches as you are making them in the round. It’s just another way of checking that you haven’t missed any stitches, as they are rather tricky to see.

Level – Moderate (Only because, you really need to know where your stitches are by how it feels, as it is rather tricky to find them amongst the fluff!

Supplies –

Right then, so for this pattern I have used this fabulous Alpine faux fur yarn from Sirdar. It’s 100% polyester, which I don’t tend to work in, but by golly it’s soft. I have used 3 balls of wool for this unicorn, but as I usually say, it depends on how your tension is as to whether you need less or more.

You will also need a ball of the double knit yarn for your mane and tail. I have used the Sublime Print yarn, but you can use whatever you fancy.

And then a small amount of yellow/gold double knit yarn for your horn. Once again I have used the gorgeous sublime golden cashmere merino mix yarn.

You will also need a pair of scissors, a blunt ended tapestry needle, yarn stitch marker, a 7mm crochet hook, a 4mm crochet hook, small piece of grey double knit yarn for the nostrils and eyebrows and some toy stuffing and some toy safety eyes and nose.

Stitches –

Magic Ring (mr) – For a magic ring, make a loop with the yarn, leaving a tail. (Make sure the tail is under the working yarn.) Now insert your hook into the loop, from the front to the back. Wrap the working yarn around your hook and pull the yarn through and pull tight to create a ring.

Slip stitch (ss) – This is where there is no height to the stitch. It’s usually used to join rounds. So insert the hook into the front of the stitch you are joining to. This is usually the first stitch you made in that round/row. So yarn over hook and pull through that first stitch then also 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.

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.)

Abbreviations –

Magic Ring – mr

Chain – ch

Slip Stitch – ss

Double Crochet – dc

Double Crochet Decrease – 2dctog

Ok so let’s go…

Use your 7mm hook for the body, head, legs, arms, nose and ears.

Use your 4mm hook for your horn, mane and tail.

Body –

1 – Start by making a magic ring. (Don’t forget there is a tutorial and a video on Magic Rings, if you are unsure.) Here’s the link to the video.

Now ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Now as I have explained in the video tutorial, you need to work 2 knots at this stage. This is to secure the mr as this yarn is so lovely and soft, it tends to come open a bit. (6)

2 – Now work *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – *1dc, then 2dc into next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

4 – *2dc, then 2dc into next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (24)

5 – *3dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (30)

6 – 7 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (30)

8 – *3dc, then 2dctog.* (If you are unsure on how to work a 2dctog stitch – see tutorial above or you can also find it in the video tutorials. Work ** 6 times. (24)

9 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (24)

10 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

11 – 13 (3 rounds) 1dc in each stitch. (18)

14 – *1dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

15 – 1dc in each stitch. (12)

Ok, so now would be a good time to stuff your unicorn’s body.

16 – Work *2dctog*. Work this ** 6 times. (6)

17 – 1dc in each stitch. (6)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail. Use the tail to sew up the top of the body to make a nice flat little ledge for the head to sit on.

Legs x 2

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then work 8dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (8)

2 – 13 (12 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (8)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the body.

When you stuff your legs, stuff the feet with quite a lot of stuffing. This will give the feet a nice shape, then only put a little in the legs, to make them nice and squidgy and soft.

Arms x 2

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – 14 (13 rounds) Work 1dc in each Stitch. (6)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the body.

When you stuff your arms, stuff the hands with quite a lot of stuffing. This will give the hands a nice shape, then only put a little in the arms, to make them nice and squidgy and soft.

Head –

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the first round. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – *1dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

4 – *2dc, then 2dc into the next stitch.* Work 6 times. (24)

5 – 7 (3 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (24)

8 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (18)

9 – *1dc, then 2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

10 – *2dctog* Work ** 6 times. (6)

Now you can stuff the head, then ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it up after you have attached the eyes.

Nose –

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – 6 (4 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the head.

Ears x 2

1 – Make a magic ring, ch1, then 6dc into the ring. Then pull the tail tight to create the magic ring. Don’t forget to work 2 knots so that the mr is secure. (6)

2 – *2dc into each stitch.* Work ** 6 times. (12)

3 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

4 – *2dctog.* Work ** 6 times. (6)

5 – *2dctog.* Work ** 3 times. (3)

Now ss into the next stitch and fasten off, leaving a tail so that you can sew it onto the head.

(Don’t stuff the ears!)

Horn

(Remember to use your 4mm crochet hook and double knit yarn for the horn.)

1 – Make a slip knot and ch18. Now ss into a ring.

2 – 3 (2 rounds) Work 1dc in each stitch. (18)

4 – *4dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (15)

5 – *3dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (12)

6 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (12)

7 – *2dc, then 2dctog.* Work 3 times. (9)

8 – Work 1dc in each stitch. (9)

9 – Work *1dc, 2dctog.* Work ** 3 times. (6)

10 – Work *2dctog*. Work ** 3 times. (3)

Now slip stitch and sew up the top so that it has a point and fasten off. Leave a long tail, so that you can sew on the horn to your unicorn’s head.

Sewing up – the fun part!!

Ok, so now that you’ve got all your body parts, it’s time to sew it altogether. So basically for each body part, use the tail that you left, to stitch around the top of the body part on to the body.

You just need to make sure that you work all the way around and fasten off your yarn securely by weaving it through the body and out the other side before cutting it off. The reason I do this is because the body stuffing will help it to be secure and not work it’s way free.

Now I usually start with the legs, as they tend to be the hardest to align. Then I would do the arms next, this will give you a nice flat platform for the head to sit on.

Now before you sew up the head and sew on the nose, you need to add the safety eyes. Now these can be quite tricky! But basically you need to make absolutely sure of the place you want them to be, as once they have been fitted, you can’t really get them off! So double, triple check!! So place the eyes where you want them and then turn the head slightly inside out to attach the back of the safety eye. It looks a bit like a washer. Now push the back of the safety eye on, with the dome part facing out.

And secure it in place. Once you have both eyes secure you can then sew up the head.

Now for the nose, put a little more stuffing in your nose and attach it to your head, sewing your way around the edges. And finally sewing on your ears and then the horn. Don’t forget to keep checking your alignment.

Once your unicorn is sewn together, you can use your grey yarn and needle to sew on some eyebrows and 2 little nostrils.

Now it’s time to work the mane and tail. You will need your 4mm crochet hook and DK yarn. So you can use whatever colours you like.

Ok so attach your yarn and ch1.

Now work 29 more chain stitches, so you have 30 in total. (30)

Now work 2dc in the second ch from the hook. *Then work 2dc in each ch.* Repeat this ** back towards the head, down the side of the chain stitches. This will give you a nice springy spiral effect.

Once you have worked all of your dc stitches into your chain and you are back at the head of the unicorn, ss into the stitch next to the base of your first chain. This will anchor your strand of mane to the head. Now repeat this process as many times as you like. Just remember the more you add the heavier the head will get. Once you are happy with your mane, fasten off by slip stitching back into the head and then fastening off the thread. Then use your tapestry needle to sew in the ends.

Then use the same method for the tail, as you did with your mane. Just make sure you start in the right place, as otherwise your tail might look a little funny!!

And there you have your finished Unicorn.

Really hope you have enjoyed this pattern. Can’t wait to see all your amazing creations. Don’t forget to link me in to your amazing pics!

If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to contact me!!

Happy hooking!!

🌈Xx

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