Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Showing posts with label blanket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blanket. Show all posts

Friday 26 June 2015

Border and Edging: Wades's Blanket CAL (Part 8)

Hello and welcome to Part 8 of the Wade's Blanket CAL, hosted by Zooty Owl and Kokopelli Design

This is our final instalment but the patterns will remain on our Blogs - so you can make Wade's Blanket at your own pace.      

Here are the links to date:

INTRODUCTION 
PART 1 - CIRCLE IN SQUARE GRANNY
PART 2 - TRADITIONAL GRANNY SQUARE
PART 3 - TALL STITCH DAISY SQUARE 
PART 4 - MINI GRANNY SQUARE 
PART 5 - "V" STITCH CENTRE PANEL 
PART 6 - DOUBLE CROCHET STRIPE 
PART 8 - DIAMOND STITCH GRANNY STRIPE 

So far your blanket should be looking like this:


granny blanket

We did not get many photos this week (if I missed any just give me a nudge on Facebook and I will include them in our next post)



We decided to surprise you with a choice of two borders and two edgings which you can mix and match as you please! 


PATTERN TERMS:    US

YARN WEIGHT:   DK (8PLY / LIGHT WORSTED WEIGHT)  

HOOK SIZE:   5.00mm

Zooty Owl's Colourway:   Denim Blue, Blue, Turquoise, Lime, Bright Green, Lemon and White.  


granny blanket



Bacon, the frog was taken out of storage for these photos.     I am holding on to him while my baby girl gets settled and sorted in her new home.    You can read the story of Bacon and how he got his name HERE

I chose Border 2 in the following stripe compilation:

Row 1:    Denim Blue
Row 2:    White
Row 3:    Lime
Row 4:    Denim Blue
Row 5:    Bright Green
Row 6:    White
Row 7:    Denim Blue

and Edging 2 in Lemon

granny blanket


BORDER 1 or 2: 
Row 1:    Crochet a round of sc around the entire blanket.   Note:   into each of the 4 corner 2ch work 2sc, 2ch, 2sc.   Where a corner of a square is joined to a stripe work 1sc into the corner 2ch, 1sc into the join.    Across your vertical stripes (the dc stripe) and the diamond granny stripe work 1sc into the first dc post, 2sc into the next dc post (alternating 1sc, 2sc into each post).   Work 1sc into each ch at the bottom of your v-stitch panel, and 1sc into the top  of each dc at the top of this panel.

Row 2:   Crochet 1dc into each sc around the entire blanket, working 2dc, 2ch, 2dc into each corner 2ch.

BORDER 1:
Rows 3 - 4:  Crochet 1dc into each dc around the entire blanket, working 2dc, 2ch, 2dc into each corner 2ch.

BORDER 2:

Row 3:  Crochet 1 sc into each dc arount the entire blanket, working 2sc, 2ch, 2sc into each corner 2ch

Row 4:  Crochet 1dc into each sc around the entire blanket, working 2dc, 2ch, 2dc into each corner 2ch.

Rows 5 and 7:  Repeat Row 3

Row 6:  Repeat Row 4

Note:    Since both borders are relatively simple and do not require any complex counting or concentration I have included links to You Tube Videos for those who have not yet been exposed to the relevant stitches (techniques) - please, please do not feel shy to ask if you have a question with regard to this post though!

EDGING 1:
Crochet a row of reverse sc (crab stitch) into each stitch around entire blanket, working 2 reverse sc into each corner 2ch.

granny blanket
 
EDGING 2:
Crochet a row of Pineapple Edging Stitch
around the entire blanket


granny blanket

Please send Andrea and I the photos of your finished blankets so that we can include them in our Ta-Dah Posts in two weeks time!!!!

granny blanket

We hope you enjoyed this CAL as much as we did and look forward to receiving your pics for our grand "Ta-Dah" post!!!!

Monday 15 June 2015

A RicRac Winter Blanket and A New Chapter

 

The nest is empty!

My three children have left home!

My middle daughter moved out at the beginning of last year and although we missed her terribly, there was not too much of an adjustment in terms of household management.

My youngest daughter moved out at the beginning of March 2015 and my son towards the end of March 2015.

SUDDENLY I felt quite lost!  

Mornings I would make coffee and toast for my youngest and hang out with her while she was getting ready for work!     The first week or two after she left I would get up and wander around not knowing quite what to do with that half hour!!

I had been cooking for a family and almost overnight I had to make food for just hubby and myself!   For the first two weeks dinner was a cause for panic - and we would invariably end up eating out!

Not being inclined to "mope",  hubby and I got over the shock of having an empty nest and embraced this new chapter in our lives with open arms!

I gave away most of my "big" pots, pans and bakeware - and then went on a bit of a shopping spree to buy "just for two" replacements.

I  began mercilessly cleaning out rooms and selling or giving away any excess. 

My yarn stash had to be tidied out too as there were a lot of partially used yarns which were making my space look untidy.   I wound various thicknesses of yarn together to give a total of 16ply (DK plus DK;   or 2x4ply plus DK) and then set about making a HUGE chunky scrappy blanket which is perfect for cold winter getaways!



I wound all the scrap yarns together before I started so that I would not end up with too much of a colour mishmash!




Yarn Weight:   Super Chunky (16ply)
Hook:  7.00mm
Foundation Chain:    250
Stitch used:   V-Stitch


You can find a tutorial for this V-stitch Andrea HERE


I just kept going until the yarn was all finished and I had a blanket which covered the top of my King Size bed.


There were way too many ends when I was finished so I used them to make braids instead of working them in.


All in all a very rewarding exercise!     My yarn stash is once again tidy and we have a lovely snuggly RicRac Blanket!!

Friday 12 June 2015

Diamond Sitch Granny Stripe: Wade's Blanket CAL (Part 7)

Hello and welcome to Part 7 of the Wade's Blanket CAL, hosted by Zooty Owl and Kokopelli Design

The patterns will remain on our Blogs - so you can make Wade's Blanket at your own pace.      

Here are the links to date:

INTRODUCTION 
PART 1 - CIRCLE IN SQUARE GRANNY
PART 2 - TRADITIONAL GRANNY SQUARE
PART 3 - TALL STITCH DAISY SQUARE 
PART 4 - MINI GRANNY SQUARE 
PART 5 - "V" STITCH CENTRE PANEL 
PART 6 - DOUBLE CROCHET STRIPE 

So far your blanket should be looking like this:



Feel free to share your progress photos with Andrea and/or me on Facebook so that we can include your photos in our Gallery.



Of course I left the tutorial to the VERY last minute, and then it started to rain - so please, please, please excuse the poor quality photos!


Diamond Stitch Granny Stripe Side Panel:  

The Diamond Stitch Granny Stripe is just as easy to do as the simple Granny Stripe - the only difference being that your dc groups are 2dc instead of 3dc.


This section of the pattern is worked onto the Circle In Squares Granny strip (to which you will then join your Traditional Granny strip)
 
PATTERN TERMS:    US

YARN WEIGHT:   DK (8PLY / LIGHT WORSTED WEIGHT)  

HOOK SIZE:   5.00mm

Zooty Owl's Colourway:   Denim Blue, Blue, Turquoise, Lime, Bright Green, Lemon and White.  

I crocheted 12 rows using the following composition:

Row 1 - Denim Blue
Rows 2 & 3 - White
Row 4 - Blue
Rows 5 & 6 - White
Row 7 - Turquoise
Rows 8 & 9 - White
Row 10 - Bright Green
Rows 11 & 12 - White





Row 1Working on the right side of your work, join your into the corner 3ch of the first square in the row,  1ch, 1sc into same place as join (counts as 1sc);   1sc into the top of each dc, when you reach a corner on a block 1sc into corner, 1sc into loop of  join (if you have used my visible join:  alternatively 1ch over a join - which will count as 1sc), 1sc into corner on next block.   Repeat this to the end of the row of blocks.  1sc into the last corner 3ch.


Row 2:  Into top of first sc on the right side of your work, crochet  4ch (counts as 1dc, 1ch);   (skip 1sc,  2dc into 2nd sc from hook)  rep to last 2sc;   skip 1sc;   1ch, 1dc into last sc;   turn work





Row 3:  turn work - now working on the wrong side;  ch 3 (counts as 1dc);  1dc into 1ch space;  (2dc into space between 2dc groups) rep to end of row, with your last 2dc being worked into the 4ch at the start of your previous row;   turn work.




Row 4:   Working on the right side of your work;  4ch (counts as 1dc, 1ch);  (2dc into space between each 2dc group) repeat to last 2dc group;   1ch, 1dc into last dc;    Turn work




Rows 3 and 4 form the pattern repeat.      Continue until your stripe is the required size.

Join your Traditional Granny Squares to the last row of your Diamond Granny Stripe - and your blanket is ready for the border and edging which will be posted on the 26th of June!!


Have fun - and don't forget to share your photos!!!!

Wednesday 6 May 2015

Making Light of a Crisis

Here in South Africa we are once again faced with an ELECTRICITY CRISIS - the worst since our first crisis in 2008.       While extreme electricity price hikes over the past 7 years were supposed to be used to improve infrastructure, the additional millions have instead been used to provide corrupt officials with bonuses and ridiculously high salaries -  so there is no possibility of this crisis ever abating!!

Forgive my rant - but back in my day poor performance was met with disciplinary action NOT rewarded with bonuses and salary increases (does anybody else spot the not here???)!!!

Our Minister of Energy, in her (*cough, laugh, sputter*) infinite wisdom gave a speech saying we should adapt because this is a way of life!     Well OK then!

When ESKOM gives you loadshedding -  make granny squares!!!!

granny blanket

A couple of evenings ago, I was sitting in my recliner, watching "Criminal Minds", working on a new pattern......  when suddenly "hello darkness, my old friend"!!   - We have just been loadshed.

We frantically run around lighting tea lights, giving just enough light here and there so that you do not fall and break your neck, but not enough to actually see what you are doing!!

Three to four hours of doing absolutely nothing is enough to drive me insane - so I grab a hook and a few baskets of scrap yarn and listen to an audio book on my phone (Anne of Green Gables).     Fortunately I am able to crochet a granny square blindly!!   (I am not that awesome yet that I am able to manage anything more complicated!!)

After three hours without power the lights are back on and this is what I have managed......


The following evening I made dinner early, just in case - a lovely homemade chicken pie (the one with the bread triangles and the mayo! - YUM), and I prepare two flasks - coffee for hubby and tea for me.  Thank goodness, because I have just settled into my chair when..... instant blackout!

"Muuwaaahaaa", I laugh in the face of darkness - tonight I am prepared!!!

Light the candles, listen to audio book and start hooking away on my "loadshedding" squares:


The next morning I arranged the squares I had made (a very motley assembly indeed!).     I then started joining them.

I have to do the joining and the working in of the tails (and OH MY GOODNESS what a lot of tails) in daylight - this is not something I can manage in the dark!

By day (whenever I have a quick spare minute) I weave and join!     When the lights go out I crochet!!

granny blanket


I just made this up as I went using a mishmash of colours and scrap yarn.

granny blanket

There is no "pattern" but this is what I did:

24 x 14cm circles in squares grannies (you could try one or two of these patterns:
WADE'S BLANKET CIRCLE IN A SQUARE;   or
BABY GROOVYGHAN CIRCLE IN A SQUARE

24 x 14cm TRADITIONAL GRANNY SQUARES

Add a single row of double crochet in "cream" to each square (the squares now measure 16cm x 16cm)

Join 4 squares with black yarn (2 traditional granny squares and 2 circles in squares) using the VISIBLE JOIN METHOD

granny blanket


You now have 12 blocks of 4 squares each

Crochet a BLOCK STITCH border around each of these 12 blocks (sc, ch row in beige and the dc cluster row in black).

granny blanket


Plan out the larger blocks before you star adding the border so that you can join as you go.

granny blanket

For the border:  1 granny row (black);   1 dc row (tan);   1 granny row (black)

granny blanket

Use the remainder of the scraps to measure out and cut lengths of yarn for the braids (I just wound them around an emery board and then cut through the top and bottom end).      Add a BRAID between each granny cluster!  

granny blanket

This is a very therapeutic, almost hypnotic exercise (so easy that you can make them in the dark!)

granny blanket

A real "feel good" blanket - I put both my time and my scraps to good use!    

granny blanket

We have been quite lucky so far this week - no loadshedding!     I will have to prepare a new "loadshedding" project just in case .......... (*touch wood;   fingers crossed*)

Sunday 10 November 2013

Rainbow Candy Diagonal Granny Stripe

I had been planning to make my niece a "groovyghan" for Christmas.    Luckily I remembered that eleven year olds are VERY particular little people, and decided that I should rather discuss the project with her before plunging in.

A good thing too!

She wanted stripes - no blocks.   Very particular stripes in fact - "they must not be fat, also not dizzy stripes" (thin stripes).   No frills or flowers.  I had also planned to make it for her bed - she wanted a square blanket to snuggle under while watching DVD's.  Alrighty then! - as I said - good thing I asked!

We added a couple of colours to those I had already selected and I got started on the project HERE early in October. 


granny stripe

I used the Diagonal Granny Stripe - a firm favourite of mine.    You can find a how to in my Diagonal Granny Stripe Infinity Scarf post

This Diagonal Granny Stripe had to be square - this means to you keep on increasing on both sides until the outer edges of the triangle measure the length and width you wish your finished project to be.   Then decrease on both sides until your last cluster.


granny stripe

I used candy pink, fuschia, peach, red, lemon, lime, mint, jade, aqua, turquoise, blue, denim, lilac and purple for my colour stripes:



granny stripe

On the increase half I used white to separate the colour bands.   A few rows before I started decreasing I introduced grey between the colour bands.     


granny stripe

Once I started decreasing I began using grey as the separator colour and phased out the white over the first few rows.  

For the border I did a double row of shells:


granny stripe

I crocheted a two tone border - white on the white diagonal (2 sides) and grey on the grey diagonal (2 sides):


granny stripe

We had fantastic weather on Friday.     Hot as ...., but beautiful clear blue skies.    Perfect weather for a  bit of photo fun.  

Bundled the blankie onto one of our shaded walkways:


granny stripe

 Posed it on the stairs leading up to my rose garden:


granny stripe

Rolled up under the Lapa's thatch:


granny stripe

Hanging it from the beams:


granny stripe

Folding it in different ways:


granny stripe

Posing it here and there:


granny stripe

By then I was rather hot and bothered.    Took a lovely swim and poured myself some homemade ginger beer with lots of ice and lemon slices.   Sat myself down poolside to contemplate my Christmas List (one down - way to many to go!!)

Didn't get much done yesterday - "meltingly" hot again = hanging out with hubby and my youngest (who turned 21 recently!!!) - swimming, sipping iced tea and ginger beer, nibbling on finger food, and watching movies in the lovely cool family room (until four in the morning!).     Such a relaxing, perfect day!

Going to make brunch in a few minutes and after that I suppose I should go back to contemplating that Christmas List!

Thursday 29 August 2013

Granny Squares, Christmas Stocking (and other happy tales!!)

Joy! Joy! Joy!

A couple of reasons for my overwhelming sense of happiness today:

Finished the Queen Sized Log Cabin Granny Square Afghan commissioned by a client!!!     Delivered and client DELIGHTED = me HAPPY!!


Log Cabin Afghan

Finished the Granny Square Afghan for my shop (inspired by the Spanish Lavender in my garden)


Granny Squares Afghan

Little pops of colour showing up here and there in the Garden!

Yellows.....


Gerbera

and pinks!


Gerbera

Barberton Daisies (Gerbera's) one of my favourite flowers - I have them planted all over the garden in a multitude of colours.  The "landscape" variety make for fantastic cut flowers!!

And......

my latest crafty make - A Christmas Stocking!!


Christmas Stocking

This is just the prototype made yesterday morning while contemplating whether I should or shouldn't make the effort to do the grocery shopping - a task which I look forward to about as much as I would look forward to major surgery!   Anyway - common sense eventually won out and I did the shopping!    Phew!   over and done with for at least 10 days!

Thanks to this little stocking, however,  I left home at least three hours later than I had originally intended.     I say thanks because had I left at my usual grocery shopping time I would have been caught in the middle of a gunfight (12 armed robbers with AK47's) - really nasty!   Reminded once again to be thankful and happy in every little moment!

My Prototype has a few minor defects which I need to address - and then I shall attempt to share the pattern with you!!!