Half Treble Crochet – Page 2

Year of the Stitches Week 31 – Ball Stitch

Ball Stitch

Well, we have had a week at home with no school runs or clubs to contend with. Bliss. It’s funny how you can easily fall into a life with no real routine or structure. My husband goes to work early, so the alarm is always set and getting up is the usual time. But once I’m dressed it’s pretty much free for all. Both our children will happily snuggle in our bed for a while. So a sneaky cuppa in bed may occur. I wonder one day if some crocheting in bed may happen?!? You never know – it could do. Our one thing in the day is little one’s afternoon nap. But that’s a nice thing to keep to as it gives me some special time with just my daughter. We keep hoping to paint our Smile Stones, but we still haven’t managed it! I reckon this is the week!! We found this one this week, just walking into town.

So for some reason my husband has been craving a chocolate and cherry mousse. Not sure why, I think it’s because we had a bowl of cherries on the table for pudding one night, which in my house, doesn’t last long. But then they had them with some chocolate ice cream. (Unfortunately, not some of my own making – my supplies have been demolished!) But I think the chocolate/cherry combo got them both wanting a mousse. Thus the Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake was born. It’s pretty yummy, if I say so myself! Think it will definitely make an appearance at the next meal I host. My daughter is usually the cook/food critique in our house – and I had a serious amazing thumbs up for this one. So pleased with that.

Other than slow mornings and chocolate cake bakings, we haven’t done a lot. We managed a nice family bike ride today and a trip to Brum yesterday, which was good. Our opticians that we go to, are on route, so it seemed daft to not carry on into Birmingham after our yearly appointments. Feels strange going in at the minute. We used to go in most weekends before little ones. We’d mooch around, do a bit of shopping, probably have a Pret sandwich and then back to one of the parent’s houses for a spot roast dinner. It’s bonkers now to think that shopping in Birmingham is just not an option and utterly pointless with little ones in tow!! We just don’t do it anymore. I can never shop for clothes when the kids are with me and they definitely don’t want to be there, so we just don’t do it. Bless them. How your life changes with kids. We are currently looking up bike ride locations for next time, not which city is good to shop in. I’m sure our life will change again at some point, but at the minute – I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

So on our ‘not shopping’ trip to Birmingham we ended up at the Birmingham Museum to meet Dippy the Dinosaur. He’s on tour at the minute and it was definitely worth it. My daughter definitely got the specialness of it all, but I think my son was on a mission to just run around and explore. I definitely think, hands on attractions are on his radar at the minute. Funny.

So onto crocheting and more importantly – socks!! Oh my!!! My life seems to be revolving around crocheting socks at the minute!! I’m not entirely sure how it has happened, but I am currently addicted to crocheting socks!

I have written a pattern for a size 6-8 and a 9-11 sock at the minute. So just need to write it for a 3-5 and a 12-13 and I am there. And guessing a little peoples pattern needs writing too! But seriously I can’t seem to get enough of it. My dad spotted me walking around the house with a ball of wool in a cardigan pocket and a sock being crocheted in my hands the other day – it did make him laugh! I just can’t get enough of them. Oh well, I am sure I will get over it soon. Or maybe not, Hee hee. I definitely think everyone is getting a pair of socks for Christmas!!! Well, that’s the plan anyway!!! Here’s hoping!! This is the sock ball mountain at the minute!! Oooo, don’t you just love all those yummy yarny rainbows 🌈 colours.

So onto the blanket and this weeks wonderful stitch. I thought it was time that we had another cluster stitch. So this week I have chosen the Ball Stitch. The Ball stitch is ever so simple. It works up quite a bit quicker than some of the other cluster stitches and fits easily with rows of double crochet stitches. You could use it for a bag of some description. Hope you enjoy this one. It’s known in our house as the tomato stitch. They definitely look like little dark red tomatoes don’t they!! 🍅

Here’s my blanket so far. It’s getting quite hard to get it all in one picture!!

Supplies –

As always you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind and you roughly need about 30g. This week I have decided to use a Debbie Bliss merino wool in a maroon/red colour.

It’s such a deep strong colour and has a rather close resemblance to some yummy reddy/black tomoatoes that we are growing at the moment. Well I say trying to grow. My little munchkin of a son keeps nabbing them off the plant in the garden and eating them, sometimes before they are even ripe!!

Luckily my daughter or myself tend to launch ourselves at him to stop him eating the green ones. But it does now mean we have a bowl of green tomatoes attempting to ripe in our kitchen. Poor things. Hopefully we can keep his little grabbing hands at bay, for the others to grow properly. And especially these rather weird looking ones!!! Love them!

Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

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.

Half Treble 4 Together (htr4tog) – A htr4tog is working 4 half trebles together. *Firstly yarn over your hook, insert through stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through stitch. * Repeat ** 3 more times. You should now have 9 loops on your hook. Now yarn over your hook and pull through all 9 loops. This completes your htr4tog.

Ok so here goes …

1 – Ok so first things first, attach your new yarn and chain 1. Now work 1dc in the same stitch. Now work 1dc in each stitch across the row. To do this, you’ll be working 1dc in each of the chain stitches and then 1dc in the double crochet stitches from the row below. When you’re working stitches into the chain stitches – just pick up the top loop of the chain stitch. (See photo below.)

You should then finish with 1dc in the last stitch. (200)

2 – Turn your work and chain 1. Then work 1dc in the same stitch. Then work 1dc in each stitch across the row. Then 1dc in the last stitch. (200)

3 – Right so now we are ready to start the ball stitch. So start by turning your blanket and chaining 1. Then work 1dc in the same stitch. Work 1dc in the next 2 stitches.

We’re now ready to start the ball stitch, which basically is a htr4tog stitch. This is basically when you are working 4 half treble crochet stitches together. So start off by putting your *yarn over your hook and inserting into your next stitch. Then yarn over your hook and pull back through the stitch.* There should be 3 loops on your hook.

Now repeat ** 3 more times. You will now have 9 loops on your hook.

Ok so now it’s time to put your yarn over your hook again and pull through all 9 loops. This completes your ball stitch (htr4tog.)

So now it’s time to crochet 1dc in the next 3 stitches.

*Now work 1htr4tog in the next stitch and then 1dc in the next 3 stitches.* Repeat this ** across the row. (200)

4 – Ok so for a final row, turn your blanket, chain 1 and then 1dc in the same stitch.

Then work 1dc in each stitch across the row.

You should finish the row with 1dc stitch and then fasten off and sew in your ends. (200)

And there you have the lovely ball stitch. Think it’s definitely one of the simpler of the cluster stitches. And loving the fact that the little balls look rather similar to our yummy dark red tomatoes. It’s definitely all about tomatoes in our house over the last few weeks – look at those colours that I have used on the last 3 weeks of the blanket. Love it. I’m sure it wouldn’t make others smile, but it definitely gives me a big grin on face. Hee hee, happy days.

Hope you have all enjoyed this week Year of the Stitches CAL.

Don’t forget to share any pics of your beautiful blankets on their holibobs.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

Year of the Stitches – Week 13 Pique Stitch

Pique Stitch

Happy Easter everyone!! Hope the Easter Bunny has visited you all. There’s a serious amount of chocolate being stacked up in this household!! Easter hunts have been going on since Friday. But my daughter seemed to have started the weekend with 4 chocolate eggs already! No idea how she managed that! I think she’s going to need to share all those yumminesses!!

My two did find these feathered friends in between the chocolate this morning. There names are Henry and Penny. I made them with a mix of the super sublime and Toft wool, following the fab Toft pattern. They were found chilling together by the window.

I love how Easter has become such a family affair. All over the country, families are getting together for roast dinners and egg hunts. It’s just wonderful. I know some people boohoo all these celebrations and how commercial they are getting. But do you know what, why not, if it brings families together!

I managed to hold out till Friday to start this beauty. Quite proud of myself that I didn’t cave. I’m really chuffed with how it’s coming along. I think it’s going to be a lovely shawl, but one that you can wear as a scarf. I am seriously loving the yarn from Beregere de France. It’s merino wool and is just stunning!

So this week I have blocked my blanket, as I felt like it was getting a bit wibbly wobbly. It’s definitely worth having a go at blocking! All you need is some long glass headed pins and a flat work surface that you can pin them into. I use children’s foam tiles to block mine, but you could just use a large piece of cardboard. Just make sure that it’s clean.

So start of by wetting your blanket in luke warm water. Then layout your blanket flat onto your surface. Smooth it over with your hands, to get rid of any crinkles and then start pinning your blanket out. You want to make sure that where the blanket is curling a bit that you pin it to where you want it to be. I think someone has walked off with one of my tiles!!! I wonder who that could have been!!

Once you are happy with it, you need to leave it over night to set. Once it’s dry you can get crocheting again. Hope you find it easy to do. Why not have a go after this weeks stitch.

Right so onto this weeks blanket. I have chosen a super stitch called a pique stitch. It’s follows the same kind of pattern as a aligned treble cluster. It’s has quite a cool texture which is made up of treble and half treble stitches sitting on top of one another. Hope you enjoy it.

Stitches –

Chain stitch (ch) – To make a chain, place the yarn over the hook then pull it through the loop on your hook.

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.)

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.

Pique Stitch (gp) – Start by placing your yarn over your hook, insert through the stitch, yarn over your hook again and pull through the stitch. Then yarn over your hook again and pull through the first two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and insert back in through the same stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through, then finally yarn over your hook and pull through all 4 loops.

Supplies –

Right so this week I have chosen a wonderful sublime minty coloured yarn. Decided it was a lovely fresh colour for the new beginnings of Easter and Spring. I have used about 30/40g of this DK yarn, but you can use any kind of DK yarn you wish. You will need your 4mm hook, scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Right so as usual we are working on the right side of the blanket, so all your little cluster & popcorn stitches should be facing you. We are going to decrease the number of stitches in the blanket, as this is quite a full stitch. So firstly attach your yarn by pulling it through the first stitch, then work 1dc into the same stitch. Then work a further 19dc stitches.

Now work 2dctog. (Don’t forget to check above with the stitches information if you’re unsure of how to work a 2dctog.)

Now work *20dc stitches then 2dctog*. Repeat 7 more times across the row, then work the remaining 14 stitches as double crochet stitches. We have now reduced our stitch number from 210 to 203.

(203)

2 – Ok so turn your blanket and chain 3, then work 1htr into the same stitch.

Now it’s time to work a pique stitch which is known as a Gp stitch in the next stitch. *So to work a Gp stitch place your yarn over your hook, insert through the stitch, yarn over your hook and pull through. Then yarn over your hook again and pull through the first two loops, then yarn over your hook and insert back in through the same stitch, yarn over your hook, pull back through, then finally yarn over your hook and pull through all 4 loops.*

So repeat this process ** across the whole row. (203)

3 – Right, so turn your blanket and chain 3. Then work 1htr into the same stitch. Now work 1gp into each stitch across the row. In the last stitch work 1htr. (203)

Right so there you have the beautiful pique stitch. I hope you have enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches. Wishing you all a wonderful Easter! Hope you all get to do some crocheting with a yummy piece of chocolate in one hand and your crochet hook in the other.

Have a super rest of the Easter festivities everyone.

Happy hooking everyone!!

🌈Xx

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