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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Patterns

Snuggle Snood

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Snuggly Snood

Well hello my lovely ones. I thought I would bring you this little pattern for a warm and snuggly snood today. I couldn’t resist making it for my daughter, but I can see a certain little old me borrowing it or making one too! It’s a one size pattern, which fits both child from about 5 years old to adults. I think for those busy little children in our lives, who will fly out of the door with their coats flailing in the wind at break time, to the busy person, who doesn’t even get chance to look in the mirror before they leave the house, this is perfect. As it will sit where it’s suppose to sit, you don’t need to worry about tieing knots or working out where the end are on a scarf, just pop it over your head and tuck it into your coat. Jobs a goodun!

It’s 12 inches wide so is plenty big enough for both child and adult. If you did want to make it a little longer, all you need to do is just add more rows. As we are using a trinity stitch which is reversible, you don’t need to worry about how many extra rows you put on!

Now the stitch used is called a Trinity stitch. This is because it comprises of 3 different segments, which it gathers together into 1. It’s a beautiful stitch comprising of a dc3tog and a chain stitch. It’s ever so easy and works up really quickly. I hope you like it.

Level – Easy

Supplies – 

So I have used one skein of Aran weight yarn for this snode from the amazing Abby Parkes at Luxury Yarns, but you can use any Aran weight yarn you wish to. I used about 100g of yarn which was about 166m. This Luxury Yarns skein is Cashino which is a mix of merino, cashmere and a little nylon, so it is incredible soft.

My little ball of loveliness came out of this little box of magic. It’s my first instalment from the wonderful Abby Parkes over at Luxury Yarns. It’s called the Oil Yarns Club and comprises of a skein of beautifully hand dyed yarn by Abby, two little oil gems (that my daughter has already nabbed) a lovely little jewel stitch marker, a pattern for a pretty cowl and a pair of circular wired knitting needles. (Will definitely be using those next year.)

Now for this pattern you will need to use a 7mm hook for the foundation chain and then 6.5mm hook for the rest. You will also need some scissors and a blunt ended tapestry needle to sew in your ends.

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.

Double Crochet 3 Together (dc3tog) – work your dc3tog by inserting your hook into the previous stitch, yarn over and pull through, then inserting it into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through and next stitch, yarn over and pull through. This will give you 4 loops, then yarn over again and pull through all loops.

Trinity Stitch – Ok so to start this stitch, work your dc3tog by inserting your hook into the previous stitch, yarn over and pull through, then inserting it into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through and next stitch, yarn over and pull through. This will give you 4 loops, then yarn over again and pull through all loops. Now to finish the Trinity stitch work a chain 1 stitch.

Ok so here we go… 

1 – Ok so start off by chaining 30 with your 7mm hook. The reason we are using a 7mm hook for the foundation chain is because it needs to be a little looser, as otherwise you get this semicircular curve on your foundation chain.

2 – Now change to a 6.5mm hook and turn your work. Now chain 1 and then work 1dc in the second chain from the hook. Then continue working 1dc in each chain across the row. (30)

3 – Ok so turn your work and chain 1, then work 1dc in the same stitch. Now you are ready to start your Trinity stitch. So to do this insert your hook back into the first stitch (where your first dc stitch is.) Yarn over your hook and pull through. Then insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over your hook and pull through and then finally insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over your hook and pull through. This is your dc3tog. Meaning that you are crocheting 3   double crochet stitches together. So it’s worked across 3 stitches. You should now have 4 loops on your hook.

Now to finish the Trinity stitch, yarn over your hook and pull through all 4 loops. Then to finish work 1 chain. This completes your Trinity stitch.

Now repeat the process. *So insert your hook in the previous stitch, yarn over and pull through, then insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through and then finally insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull through. Now you have 4 loops on your hook. Yarn over your hook again and pull through all 4 loops. This is your dc3tog stitch. Finish the trinity stitch by working 1 chain.*

Repeat this ** across the rest of the row.

At the end of the row, work 1dc in the last stitch. (30)

4 – 70 Ok so now turn your work and repeat the process in row 3 for each row. (30)

Phew – that’s quite a few rows!

Right then, so now it’s time to fasten up the snode. So to do this, place one half of the snode on top of the other. Now chain 1 and then insert your hook into your first stitch, then also into the first chain in the foundation stitch. Now yarn over your hook and pull through the chain and then also back through the dc stitch. You should now have 2 loops on your hook.

Now finish the dc stitch by placing the yarn over your hook and pulling through both loops.

Now continue working 1dc into each stitch in this same way – so working through both the dc stitches and the foundation chain stitches.

At the end of the row, once you have worked the last dc stitch, work a slip stitch in the same stitch and fasten off. (30)

Now you should have a nice little ridge. This little ridge will be the inside of your snode. All you need to do now is sew in your ends. I always make sure I work it around the last stitch a few times, just to secure it a little.

And here’s the finished article. All you need to do now is turn it inside out.

I hope you have enjoyed this snood pattern. Please give me a shout if you get stuck. I bet it would look mega in a plain colour such as a grey. Can’t wait to see your finished articles. Don’t forget to link it to @pipsrainbow if you share it on social media.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

(Free pattern brought to you by PipsRainbow.)

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