2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 5 Double Treble Stitch

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The Double Treble Stitch 

Hi everyone. It’s been a very sad week for our family. My dear Grannie passed away this week. So sad. Not quite sure how to put it all into words or what to say. I am currently writing this, whilst snuggled under the foot blanket I made for her. Unfortunately, she never got to have the blanket, but it’s now known officially as ‘GG’s blanket’ according to my daughter. (Hmmm, I seem pretty attached to it!)

My dear Gran was 96 years old. She had 2 children, 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. What an amazing lady. Family was very important to her. Gran used to keep all our feet warm with her wonderful slipper socks. She was so chuffed when she found out that I was going to carry on making them for everyone. I feel very honoured to do so. She always used to say that there was a little corner for everyone. I was never sure where my corner was, but I definitely think I’ve found it now in PipsRainbow. I definitely feel at home here.

So this week I’d like to dedicate my yarn colour to my very special Grannie. It’s a lovely calm peaceful lilac colour from the King Cole cotton soft range. She loved this colour. I’d say it was second best to the pale blue I used on week 2.

Stitches – 

Chain stitch (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 Treble Stitch (dtr) – A double treble is quite a tall stitch. So yarn over hook twice, insert hook through the stitch/space and then yarn over hook again. Now pull the yarn through the stitch. There will now be 4 loops on the hook. Now place the yarn over the hook and pull through the first 2 loops. Then yarn over the hook again and pull through the next two loops. Haha, now place the yarn over the hook again and pull through the last 2 loops. Phew! It’s a bit of a long process, but a lovely stitch with the height that it gives.

Supplies –

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

So here we go …

1 – First of all, join your new yarn by inserting your hook into the first stitch and pulling the new yarn through.

2 – Then chain 4. Now to make your first dtr you need to wrap your yarn over your hook twice.

Then insert your hook through the next stitch, yarn over your hook, then pull back through. This will give you 4 loops on your hook.

Now yarn over your hook and pull it through the first 2 loops. This will give you 3 loops on your hook.

Now yarn over your hook again and pull through 2 loops on your hook. This will leave you with the last 2 loops.

Finally the last stage of the dtr, yarn over your hook and pull through the last 2 loops. This will leave you with 1 loop on your hook, ready to start the next stitch.

So carrying on working 1dtr into each stitch across the row.

And in this last stitch, work a dtr as normal and fasten off and sew in ends as usual with a tapestry needle. Make sure you know which is the right and wrong side. The next row you do will be worked on the wrong side for next weeks stitch. So if you find it difficult to tell. Don’t sew in your ends, till you are about to start next weeks stitch. (201)

And there you have it. One row of double treble stitches. As this is quite a tall stitch, we are only going to only work one row. Feel free to do more, but work an odd number as next weeks stitch, needs to start on the wrong side of the blanket.

Hope you have all enjoyed this weeks stitch. Any queries or questions, just give us a shout.

I dedicate this weeks stitch and yarn to my Grannie. Here’s to you – Gran. I will miss you so very very much. You will always have a special place in my heart.

Forever your granddaughter.

🌈Xx

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2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 4 Moss Stitch

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The Moss Stitch

Well this week seems to have utterly flown by. I swear it was only just the weekend. I’ve been concentrating on my slipper sock pattern this week, so hopefully that will be ready to go for you guys soon. This week I would like to dedicate my colour to a little excited girl that we had on our hands last Sunday. Wow, she was sooooo excited!! So my daughter has started collecting the little Lol Dolls. It’s a new doll that comes in a little surprise ball. It’s wrapped in 7 different layers, so each layer you find a little accessory for the doll. It’s pretty cool. I know I would have loved it when I was her age. So there’s 35 to collect, but there’s one ultra rare one called Luxe. She’s only got two so far, but has studied the collection till the cows come home!!! So we gave her another one to open, as she had been so good. Well she only went an opened the ultra rare one! I mean – how did that happen!! Crazy!!! She couldn’t believe her luck. The little ball it comes in, is the dolls home.

It’s a beautiful dusty pink with a hint of gold. So I couldn’t resist choosing that colour for my blanket. It’s from the sublime range again. Oh I just love that yarn!!!

Ok, so this week I’d like to introduce you to the moss stitch. It’s such a fab stitch and gives a nice little textured bump!! It’s quite a tight stitch, so keep checking your stitch count so that you don’t loose any stitches along the way. My mum made my daughter a little tunic in the a knitted version of this stitch, which is utterly gorgeous.

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. You roughly need about 30g. Don’t forget your scissors and 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.

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.

Moss Stitch – This is actually a combination of a half treble crochet in the first stitch and then a slip stitch in the second stitch.

Half Treble (htr) – A half treble crochet is basically one less movement than a treble. So yarn over hook, insert through space/stitch, yarn over hook, pull back through space/stitch. There should be 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over hook and pull through all 3 loops.

Ok so here we go …

1 – So first of all, insert your hook into the first stitch and pull the new yarn through, then chain 2.

Then work 1htr into the same stitch. Now miss a stitch and slip stitch into the first chain one space.

Now work 1htr into the next stitch. *Miss a stitch again and slip stitch into the chain one space then work 1htr into the next stitch.* Repeat ** across the row.

In the last stitch, work 1htr and then in the last space between the ps and tr work a slip stitch. (202)

2 – Now turn your work and chain 2.

Then work 1htr into the same stitch. (The chain 2 and htr act as 1 stitch.)

Now *slip stitch into the next htr stitch, then htr into the next slip stitch.* Repeat ** across the row. Then slip stitch into the last stitch. (202)

3 – Repeat row 2, 4 more times. This will make 6 rows in total. (202)

And there you have it – 6 lovely rows of moss stitch. Once you have finished the last stitch, fasten off and sew in both your ends. Hope you have enjoyed this weeks Moss Stitch. Please post any pics if you have any. Can’t wait to see how everyone’s blankets are turning out. Hope you all have a super week.

Happy hooking everyone.

🌈Xx

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