Paired Half Trebles 

Well hello. Hope everything is well with you all and your summers are all good. We’ve had a lot of fun this weekend celebrating our anniversary. Loving my flowers from my husband and was even given some gorgeous roses from my little girl. Aren’t I the lucky one. Lots of love going on in our household this weekend. Happy days!!

I have had a rather crafty week this week with my two. It’s official – we have finally entered the world of Staffordshire Smile Stones!!! Yippee!!! I’m not sure how long it’s taken us to do them, but I’m pleased to say we made 18. It’s been great making them with my little girl. Would highly recommend having a go.

Painting loveliness and the crazy colours it creates! Oh don’t you just love it!!

#whatmumsdo – I know my place of an evening – Mod Podging my daughter’s Smile Stones! Most mums would be sitting down watching tv with a cuppa. But I’m Mod Podging stones. Love it. Worth it though, as this stuff will make them water tight. We popped 4 coats on, so hopefully that’s enough.

Some serious waiting for the Mod Podge to dry is going on here.

What do you think?

And here it is, her first Smile Stone hidden. Really proud of her. I thought she would be a bit worried about leaving it, but she popped it down proud as punch and off she went. Very happy with her handy work. I don’t think I would have been that confident when I was her age, but maybe it’s just me worrying about whether she is going to miss it or not. As there’s no way of knowing if it goes missing or not. Hopefully it won’t. We hid it in one of our local fairy trails, so surely it will find its way around the fairy village. Ekkk – here’s hoping!

We even managed to hide the second one at our other local fairy trail. (Hmm – we do sound like fairy trail season ticket holders don’t we!) This wasn’t quite as well hidden, so hopefully some lovely little bod will find it and rehide it for us.

Other than crafty painting, me and my daughter sneaked out for a cheaky hour or so just the two of us to the local library. There was a build-a-bear workshop, which in my daughter’s words ‘Was just amazing.’ Bless her – she loved making her bear. We even had a quick trip to the sewing shop for some material for her bear’s dress. Better get my sewing machine up and running.

And to top it all off, we had a trip to the Croome Park, the National Trust place and had a go at rainbow lace making! I mean what could be more perfect! Seemed rather complicated to me, but sure once you got the hang of it, you’d be ok.

It’s a pretty mega place. It’s quite a strange one to go around as there’s no furniture or belongings. It’s past through so many pairs of hands, there’s nothing really left but the shell of the house. Quite sad really. Felt like it couldn’t tell it’s own story. It’s definitely very different to the one we went round in Cornwall, called Llandyhock.

So another activity of the week, not to mention swimming, park trips, baking and seeing friends was that we managed some yummy strawberry picking. Unfortunately they were struggling with the ripeness of the crop, so there wasn’t that many to pick. It was a bit of shame, but we managed a full punnet between us.

So this week my crochet hook has been going none stop. Each weeks blanket instalment is always priority and then it’s the usually project. You can tell  I’ve been busy as one night I realised I had two projects on my lap at one time! Funny.

So I have been crazily crocheting to get my husband’s socks finished. They are my first pair of man’s or large I should say, socks, of this particular design. As these are an Anniversary present for my husband, I’ve been tinkering with the pattern, without being able to use his foot as a model. My poor Dad – he has been so nice – I keep going around to his house to borrow his foot!! Think I had better make him some next as a thank you.

So this weeks blanket. I have chosen a rather useful stitch, as it can be used in all sorts of projects. The Paired Half Treble Stitch is ever so simple, but has a lovely texture. It would be great for a baby blanket or even something more simple like a table mat. It gives a lovely bumby feel to the project, so in my case (someone whose rather tactile) it’s perfect. Now I have only completed two rows of this stitch, because of the nature of the stitch, it is quite a full one. So thinking to do more than a few rows, might change the structure of the blanket a little. Obviously if you were only working this particular stitch in a blanket, it would be fab.

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.

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.

Paired Half Trebles (2htrtog) – To crochet a 2htrtog stitch, all you need to do is yarn over your hook and insert into first stitch then yarn over and pull through. So you should have 3 loops on your hook. Then yarn over again and go into the next stitch, yarn over and then pull back through. You should now have 5 loops on your hook. So now yarn over your hook and pull through all 5 loops and that completes your 2htrtog.

Supplies –

So again you need to choose a double knit yarn of any kind. I’ve used wool of some description for the majority of his blanket, but you can definitely use cotton. This week I have chosen to use this fantastic blue from the Millamia soft merino wool range. It’s sooooo soft. It’s a stunning blue navy colour.

You roughly need about 30g/40g of yarn. Don’t forget your scissors and blunt ended tapestry needle. And of course your 4mm crochet hook.

Ok so here we go …

1 – Attach your new yarn on to the right side of the blanket and chain 2. (Acts as 1htr) Now crochet a 2htrtog in the same stitch and the next stitch. To crochet a 2htrtog stitch, all you need to do is yarn over your hook and insert into first stitch then yarn over and pull through. So you should have 3 loops on your hook.

Then yarn over again and go into the next stitch, yarn over and then pull back through. You should now have 5 loops on your hook.

So now yarn over your hook and pull through all 5 loops and that completes your 2htrtog.

So now repeat *2htrtog in the previous stitch (so the stitch that you have just finished in) and the next stitch.*

Repeat ** this across the whole row. At the end of the row, work the last 2htrtog in the second to last and last stitch and then crochet 1htr in the last stitch. (200)

2 – Ok so now turn your work and chain 2. (Acts as 1htr.) Now start by working your first 2htrtog over the first stitch and second stitch.

*Now continue working 2htrtog stitches over the stitch before and the next stitch.* Repeat this ** across the whole row.

And as before work the last 2htrtog in the second to last and last stitch of the row and then finish the row by working 1htr in the last stitch. (200)

So I have spoken about this before, but as this is such a full stitch, I have decided to only work 2 rows. (Feeling it may effect the structure of the blanket a little too much, if we do anymore.)

Anyways, hope you have enjoyed this weeks instalment of Year of the Stitches. Give me a shout if you have a problems.

Happy hooking everyone!

🌈Xx