2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 8 Front Post Double Crochet

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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

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2018 CAL - Year of the Stitches Blanket

Year of the Stitches – Week 6 Raised Popcorn Stitch

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The Raised Popcorn 🍿 Stitch

Hi everyone, well what a wet and dreary week. I hope you have all had good weeks. I’ve been busy making my wonderful mother-in-law some slipper socks for her birthday. I’m pleased to say I got them finished and they are hopefully keeping her tootsies warm as we speak.

I’ve finally managed to get the pattern all written up for them, but it just needs another check before I will pop it on here. The pair I have made for myself seem to be keeping my feet very snuggly and warm.

Once again we have had a sad week as we have said goodbye to one of the families and one of my dear friend’s Mum. She had been fighting her illness for so long and was such a strong person. Can’t quite believe it really. It was so terribly terribly sad. She was so full of life and had had so much fun. It was clear to see at her celebration of life, how many friends and family she had around her that were dear to her. What an amazing lady!! Listening to the stories about her made you want to go off on an adventure straight away. Wow! She had had a few herself. So I would like to dedicate this weeks yarn to a wonderful lady, who brought so much fun and love into the world. Here’s to you!! Sending so much love to her closest and dearest. We are thinking of you.

So I have chosen a wonderful bright warm yellow, which I think is rather apt for her. It is from the lovely sublime merino wool range again.

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.

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.

Raised Popcorn (rp) – So chain 1, then work 6tr stitches all in the next dc stitch 2 rows below. Then remove your hook from the loop and reinsert it back into the chain 1 space worked before the 6tr stitches. Then collect up the loop from the last tr stitch and pull through to complete the raised popcorn stitch.

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 – Ok so start off by joining your new yarn by inserting your hook into the first stitch and pulling the new yarn through.

Now start by chaining 1 and dc into the same stitch.

Then work 1dc into the rest of the stitches. (201)

2 – *Now turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1 dc in the same stitch.

Work 1dc in the rest of the stitches in the row. (201)*

3 – Repeat ** for row 3. (201)

4 – Right so in this row chain 1 and work 1dc into the same stitch. Then work 1dc in the next 3 stitches. Now it’s time to work a raised popcorn stitch (rp). So to do this chain 1.

Then you are going to work 6tr stitches into the stitch 2 rows below. Can you see in the photo below where the stitch is you are picking up? It’s 2 dc rows below.

So this is showing your first tr stitch.

Right so carry on with tr stitches to complete the 6tr stitches in the same stitch. Now remove your hook from the loop and insert it in between the chain 1 space at the start of the stitch.

Now place the loop from the last tr stitch you worked over your hook and pull it through. This completes your first raised popcorn (rp) stitch.

Ok so now you are going to work 5dc stitches. You can see in the photo below where I have started the first if these 5dc stitches.

And now you are ready to start your next rp stitch. So *chain 1, work 1rp stitch then 5dc stitches. *

Repeat ** till you have completed the row. (After the last rp, work 5dc stitches as normal.) (238)

5 – Now turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1dc into the same stitch. Then work 1dc in each stitch in the row. This is being worked on the wrong side of your blanket. Once you have completed the row, fasten off your yarn and sew in your ends. (238)

And there you have it. Your raised popcorn stitches are complete. Now you may have noticed that our stitch count has jumped! This is because of the raised popcorn stitch being worked lower in the rows, so another stitch was included in the top to keep the structure. Don’t worry as next week we will get the stitch count back down again. I tried it without the extra stitch and it didn’t seem to work as well. Hope all that makes sense. You should end up with 39 lovely raised popcorn stitches in your row.


Thank you once again for reading my blog and having a go at my Year of the Stitches blanket. Hope you have enjoyed this weeks stitch. Please let me know if you are unsure of anything! And don’t forget to share pics!!

Happy hooking.

🌈Xx

 

 

 

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