Paired Popcorn Stitch 

Well it’s birthday party season in our house still and this week was my daughter’s party. It was an extremely rainbowy, unicorny, fairy, crafty kind of a party at home and I think, was well received by all. We played all the traditional party games and made some rather gorgeous unicorns. We wanted to give her a party like we used to have as kids. It seems to have all changed now with big occasions and events that a child goes to. We’ve had a couple of farm parties and a woodland pirate treasure party which went down well, but I think the two we have had at home for friends are my favourites.

We had a treasure hunt of Smile Stones which my daughter made.

I think their favourite activity was the unicorn making! Their little faces when they found out they could make them and take them home was just priceless!! Wish I had it on video!!! They even added a little magic and wish inside before they sealed them up!!

This was daughter’s and you can imagine where it was snuggled up last night!!

I do think my rainbow addiction is getting worse though!! Look at these I found on the Internet!!! There’s some kind of a rainbow explosion occurred in our conservatory!!

Oh and I couldn’t resist making these!!!

Not only have we had my daughter’s party this wknd, but we’ve celebrated my brother-in-laws too!!  Now he is a keen landscape photographer. He has taken some incredible photos all over the country. So I definitely had to dedicate this weeks yarn colour to him. A warm and wonderful autumnal brown, one that can be found in many of his landscape photos. These were the slipper socks I made for him. I added a 4ply West Yorkshire Spinner yarn into the mix which gave them a much thicker feel and hopefully warmer too!

With all the party loveliness, we did manage to squeeze in a family country walk in the back of the woods near us.

Think it’s these morning family walks that make you feel alive and happy. We did feel left out though, in the sense that everyone we met had a dog!! One day… 🐾

Now this photo was taken for my father. Every year as children when autumn came we would play the leaf catching game. It’s ever so simple. You stand under a tree and attempt to catch a leaf floating down from the sky!! You would think it was easy, but it’s not!! Saying that my husband caught his first time!!! I reckon it was beginners luck!!!

Well here was our attempt! Hopefully next year my son can catch one!!

Oh and to finish off a family walk, you can’t beat a Melbourne in Lichfield coffee!!! Best drank in the sun!!

So I think we had better get onto the blanket and our lovely stitch this week. So this week it’s called the Paired Popcorn Stitch. Now we have already had the Raised Popcorn Stitch on the blanket. This is when a Popcorn Stitch sits on it’s own, well here we have two slightly smaller popcorns that sit together!! Great for an edging to a little one’s cardigan or even the cuff of a glove or scarf. Hope you like it.

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.

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.

Popcorn Stitch (Ps) – Work 5tr stitches all in the next stitch. Then remove your hook from the loop at the top of the last tr stitch and reinsert it back into the top of the first tr stitch. Then collect up the loop from the last tr stitch and pull through to complete the popcorn stitch.

Supplies –

Right so this week my colour is a lovely warm and cosy orangy/brown colour, representing all the magnificent leaves surrounding us at the minute. Definitely one of the best times of the year. I also wanted to dedicate it to my lovely brother-in-law and his wonderful photographs!!

So I have used this lovely coloured soft yarn from the Wendy merino range. Mega soft and snuggable. 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 first things first, start on the wrong side of your blanket. Attach your new yarn and chain 1. Then work 1dc in the stitch and then 1dc in the next 2 stitches.

Now *chain 1, miss 1 stitch, work 2dc in the next stitch, then chain 1, miss 1 stitch and finally work 1dc in the next 3 stitches.*

Repeat this ** across the row. In the last few stitches of the row, chain 1, miss 1 stitch and work 2 dc in the next stitch. Then chain 1, miss 1 stitch then work 1dc in the last 2 stitches. (133)

2 – Ok so turn your blanket and chain 3. Now miss first stitch and work 1tr in the next dc stitch.

Right so now miss 1 chain, then work 1 Popcorn Stitch (Pc) in the next dc stitch. So to work a Popcorn Stitch you need to work 5tr stitches into the same stitch. Now you are going to take your hook out of the stitches, leaving a loop. You can see this on the photo below. Now reinsert it back into the top of the first Treble Stitch. This is where my hook is and grab the loop you made at the top of the last Treble stitch.

Pull the loop through the stitch to finish the Popcorn Stitch.

Now it’s time to chain 1 and work 1Pc in the next dc stitch.

*Now miss 1 chain and work *1tr in each of the next 3dc stitches. Work 1Pc in the next dc stitch, chain 1 then work 1Pc in the next stitch.* Repeat this ** across the row.

To end the row work 1tr in the last 3 stitches. (33 Popcorn Pairs)

3 – Turn your blanket and chain 1. Now work 1dc in the same stitch and then 1dv in the next 2 stitches. Now chain 1, miss 1Pc stitch and now work 2dc stitches in the next ch1sp. This is where the arrow is pointing. It’s looks like s large gap inbetween the 2 Popcorn stitches.

Now chain 1 and miss 1Pc stitch. Now work *1dc in each of the next 3 stitches, chain 1, miss 1Pc, work 2dc in the next ch1sp, chain 1 and miss 1Pc.* so repeat this across the row.

At the end of the row work 1dc in the last stitch and then top of the chain 3 from the previous row. (233)

So there you have the lovely Paired Popcorn Stitch.

Hope you have enjoyed this one. Any problems just give me a shout.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx