This week I’m going to show you how to turn the motifs into the bag shape. Here’s a reminder of the bag, so you know the shape you are aiming for:
First you need to block the motifs, if you haven’t already done so. If you leave it until you finish the bag you may find it a bit tricky.
Then you need to decide how you are going to join them. I recommend joining in one of these 4 ways:
By slip stitch holding the motifs right sides together, as I did for the Christmas CAL here.
By double crochet (US single crochet) holding the motifs wrong sides together.
By sewing.
By slip stitch holding the motifs side by side, this is the method I used and I worked into the back stitch only. You may find this a bit tricky if you haven’t done it before, but I think it gives a good effect and is worth that extra effort. This shows you the technique:
Slip stitch side by side back loops only
I joined my bag using the same yarn that I used for the centres of my motifs – White. This is how the joins look:
To form the bag shape you need to join them in a particular order. And I have illustrated this in the following diagrams:
The final part next week will show you how I finished the bag and made the handle.
I would love to see what you make. Join in the discussion on Facebook or Ravelry.
I’m so sorry that I have been quiet for the last 10 months, I’m still here but I haven’t had much to say!
Like many people, I’ve had plenty of time for reflection in the last few years. I’ve analysed my design work and realised that, even though I love it, I had become a slave to it. I spent too many hours making items I designed, writing patterns, drawing charts, organising testers and tech editors, and then publishing, promoting and, the most time-consuming, running CALs. I decided the best thing I could do for me is to slow right down and that is exactly what I have done. I confess I like it!
So designs have been minimal and I haven’t even got round to publishing them yet. But I have spent time decluttering and organising. I’ve also used my making time to make things for me, in particular socks which have become one of my easy makes. These are mainly knitted but I have spent time trying to find a great crochet sock – my favourite so far is Riley and Saunders by Joanne Scrace, written for both DK and 4ply yarn in a wide range of sizes.
Over the years, I’ve built a lot of personal stash and, as you will know from previous posts, I have tried to reduce this and did a good job for a while but I need to be more rigorous. So I’ve sorted some stash to sell (this was a hard decision!) and started to advertise it (slowly). So far I’ve advertised only on a facebook group but I may spread further. I’ve also realised that my WIPs have got out of hand so they are having some well deserved love. I’ve pulled out a Cloud Line Wrap that I started last May using some luxury stash yarn and I’m halfway through.
I’m using 4ply yarn in 4 colours and a 4mm hook. I haven’t decided how much of a fringe I want so I’m leaving some lengthy ends. I will do 19 or 20 repeats of the 4 colours using up virtually all the yarn.
I’m keeping some of my precious stash for my own use. I have 6 skeins allocated for more socks and 9 skeins in blues and greens which I may turn into an easy and, hopefully, quick blanket. This may turn into a CAL so watch this space.
Something that will be a CAL is a bag. This will be in blues and greys and will be very similar to the Spring Lifter. This may well emerge later this month 🙂
So I’ve just committed myself to a CAL and there’ll be another blog post soon.
Time has flown. It seems like yesterday when this CAL started yet here we are at the final stage. Part 6 is the border. This is one of my favourite borders, simple, relaxing and very effective.
The pattern here is written in UK crochet terms and these are the abbreviations used
st(s) stitch(es)
ch ch
dc double crochet
htr half treble
htr3tog half treble 3 sts together
ss slip stitch
ch-sp chain space
The first round of the border is best in the same colour as your joining round. Thereafter, you can use your scrap yarns. I used about 12g/48m for Round 1 and I found each Round from 2 to 9 took between 8g/32m and 10g/40m of yarn. I finished with a final round in the same mid grey as the joining.
Round 1: join yarn in any 3ch-sp in corner, 1ch (does not count as st), work sts in this round as follows:
(2dc, 1ch, 2dc) in each 3ch-sp,
1dc in each st,
2dc in each 2ch-sp,
htr3tog across the join (placing the first leg of the st in the space before the join, the second leg in the join and the third leg in the space after the join)
ss to 1st dc to join, break yarn and fasten off.
You will have an odd number of sts on each side of the blanket and a 1ch-sp in each corner.
Round 2: join yarn in any 1ch-sp in corner, 1ch (does not count as st),
**(1dc, 1ch, 1dc) in 1ch-sp, 1ch, miss 1 st, *1dc in next st, 1ch, miss 1 st; repeat from * until next 1ch-sp in corner then repeat from ** along each side, ss to 1st dc to join, break yarn and fasten off.
Round 3: join yarn in any 1ch-sp in corner, 1ch (does not count as st),
*(1dc, 1ch, 1dc) in 1ch-sp, 1ch, (1dc, 1ch) in each 1ch-sp along the side; repeat from * to end of round, ss to 1st dc to join, break yarn and fasten off.
Rounds 4 onwards: repeat Round 3 until your border is the width you want.
I worked the last round in the same mid grey as the joining round and then finished with the final round.
Final Round: *(ss, 1htr, ss, 1htr) in 1ch-sp in corner, (ss, 1htr) in each 1ch-sp to next corner; rep from * to end of round, break yarn and fasten off.
Weave in all ends.
Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has a US crochet terms available too. It also includes some charts of the joining and the start of the border.
This is my blanket, I would love to see photos of your blankets, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry.
Have you made all your circles yet? Don’t worry if you haven’t, just go at a pace that is right for you. But if you have finished you can now start joining.
The pattern here is written in UK crochet terms and these are the abbreviations used
st(s) stitch(es)
ch ch
dc double crochet
tr treble
htr half treble
dtr double treble
ss slip stitch
ch-sp chain space
The motifs are joined as you go, with a final round in your joining colour. I used a mid grey sock yarn.
Make all the circle motifs first, then lay them out in your blanket shape, moving them around until you have a colour scheme you like. Then photograph them to remind you of your layout. You may also wish to thread them onto a knitting needle in the reverse order you will join them. Either one long circular needle or one needle per row of blanket.
The final round is the same for all motifs and you will end with 24 2ch-sps and 4 3ch-sps. The motifs are joined at all these ch-sps.
First Motif Final Round: join yarn into any st (for Circle 7 it is best to join into a dtr), 1ch (does not count as st), *1dc, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1tr, 2ch, miss 1 st, (1dtr, 3ch, 1dtr, 2ch) in next st, miss 1 st, 1tr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts; rep from * to end of round, ss to 1st dc to join, break yarn and fasten off.
Start by joining the first row of motifs along the top of your blanket.
As with many join as you go methods, for each ss join insert the hook from the right side (front) through to the wrong side (back) of the motif you are joining to.
Complete your first motif with the final joining round. Then work the final round of the second motif, joining on one side of the first at 8 points as follows:
Final Round: join yarn colour into any st, 1ch (does not count as st), *1dc, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1tr, 2ch, miss 1 st, (1dtr, 3ch, 1dtr, 2ch) in next st, miss 1 st, 1tr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts; rep from * once, 1dc, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1tr, 2ch, miss 1 st, (1dtr, 1ch, ss into 3ch-sp on first motif, 1ch, 1dtr) in next st, 1ch, ss to next 2ch-sp on first motif, miss 1 st, 1tr, 1ch, ss in next 2ch-sp on first motif, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 1ch, ss in next 2ch-sp on first motif, miss 2 sts, 1dc, ss in next 2ch-sp on first motif, 1ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, ss in next 2ch-sp on first motif, 1ch, miss 2 sts, 1tr, ss in next 2ch-sp on first motif, 1ch, miss 1 st, (1dtr, 1ch, ss in 3ch-sp on first motif, 1ch, 1dtr, 2ch) in next st, miss 1 st, 1tr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, 1htr, 2ch, miss 2 sts, ss to 1st dc to join, break yarn and fasten off.
Continue in this way, joining the motifs across rows and then adding new rows on the bottom. For motifs from the second row onwards most will have to be joined along 2 sides, just follow the same techniques as you join. When joining into previously joined corners I prefer to place the ss into the space between the motifs that are already joined and over the previous ss join to secure it.
Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has a US crochet terms available too. It also includes some charts for the joining round.
I would love to see photos of your little circles, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry. Next week is the border.
How did you like the ruffles last week? They are surprisingly easy to make and add some lovely texture. This week for our last circles we are adding a little lace, but I love the ruffles so much that I decided I should combine them into other circles as well!
The pattern here is written in UK crochet terms and these are the abbreviations used
st(s) stitch(es)
ch ch
dc double crochet
tr treble
htr half treble
dtr double treble
ss slip stitch
ch-sp chain space
PART 4
Circles 7 and 8 are lacy, again useful for single colour yarns. They use roughly the same amount of yarn as Circle 1.
Circle 7 – lace
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in ring, 4ch) 7 times, 1dc, 2ch, 1htr in 1st dc to join (the 2ch, 1htr forms the last 4ch-sp). [8dc, 8 4ch-sps]
Round 2: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in 4ch-sp at base of ch, 2ch, (1dc in next 4ch-sp, 2ch) 7 times, ss in 1st dc to join. [8dc, 8 2ch-sps]
Round 3: ss in 1st 2ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 3tr in same 2ch-sp, 4tr in each remaining 2ch-sp around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 4: 1ch (does not count as st), 1dc in sp before 1st tr, 5ch, (1dc in next sp between 2 groups of 4tr, 5ch) 6 times, 1dc in next sp between groups of 4tr, 2ch, 1tr in 1st dc to join (the 2ch, 1tr forms the last 5ch-sp). [8dc, 8 5ch-sps]
Round 5: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in 5ch-sp at base of ch, 5ch, (1dc in next 5ch-sp, 5ch) 7 times, ss in 1st dc to join. [8dc, 8 5ch-sps]
Round 6: 4ch (counts as 1dtr), 7tr in next 5ch-sp, *1dtr in next dc, 7tr in next 5ch-sp; rep from * to end of round, ss in 4th ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [56tr, 8dtr]
I made 14 of Circle 7 for my blanket.
Circle 8 – just a little lace
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in ring, 4ch) 7 times, 1dc, 2ch, 1htr in 1st dc to join (the 2ch, 1htr forms the last 4ch-sp). [8dc, 8 4ch-sps]
Round 2: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in 4ch-sp at base of ch, 2ch, (1dc in next 4ch-sp, 2ch) 7 times, ss in 1st dc to join. [8dc, 8 2ch-sps]
Round 3: ss in 1st 2ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 3tr in same 2ch-sp, 4tr in each remaining 2ch-sp around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 4: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in next st, *1tr in next st, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 5: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 14 of Circle 8 for my blanket.
Now you have completed 8 different circles you could try combining elements from each circle to give more variation. For example, the following circle is a combination of Circle 7 and Circle 4.
Circle 9 – a little lace with a small ruffle
As shown in the motif at the bottom of the photo below.
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in ring, 4ch) 7times, 1dc, 2ch, 1htr in 1st dc to join (the 2ch, 1htr forms the last 4ch-sp). [8dc, 8 4ch-sps]
Round 2: 1ch (does not count as st), (1dc in 4ch-sp at base of ch, 2ch, (1dc in next 4ch-sp, 2ch) 7 times, ss in 1st dc to join. [8dc, 8 2ch-sps]
Round 3: ss in 1st 2ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 3tr in same 2ch-sp, 4tr in each remaining 2ch-sp around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 4: 5ch (counts as 1dc, 4ch), miss 1 st, *1dc in next st, 4ch, miss 1 st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 1st ch from start to join. [16dc, 16 4ch-sps]
Round 5: work this round behind the 4ch-sps from Round 3, 1ch does not count as st, ss in 1st missed st in Round 2, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in st at base of ch, 3tr in each following missed st, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 6: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 9 different combined circles for my blanket.
Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has US crochet terms available too.
I would love to see photos of your little circles, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry. Next week it is joining!
How are you getting on with Part 2? I know some of you are still on Part 1 and I have seen even more lovely circles this week. It doesn’t matter what speed you work at, just enjoy the CAL.
So this is Part 3 and I know I shouldn’t have any favourites but these are definitely my favourite variations. They involve what I call ruffles and there are 3 different ruffle variations. They are very effective for single colour yarns. They all use more yarn than Circle 1, the small and large ruffle used about 3.5g/14m and the double ruffle used about 3.8g/15.25m.
The patterns here are written in UK crochet terms and these are the abbreviations used
st(s) stitch(es)
ch ch
dc double crochet
tr treble
ss slip stitch
ch-sp(s) chain space(s)
Circle 4 – small ruffle
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 15tr in ring, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr]
Round 2: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 3: 5ch (counts as 1dc, 4ch), miss 1 st, *1dc in next st, 4ch, miss 1 st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 1st ch from start to join. [16dc, 16 4ch-sps]
Round 4: work this round behind the 4ch-sps from Round 3, 1ch (does not count as st), ss in 1st missed st in Round 2, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in st at base of ch, 3tr in each following missed st, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 5: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 16 of Circle 4 for my blanket.
Circle 5 – large ruffle
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 15tr in ring, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr]
Round 2: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 3: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in next st, *1tr in next st, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 4: 6ch (counts as 1dc, 5ch), miss 2 sts, *1dc in next st, 5ch, miss 2 sts; rep from * to end of round, ss in 1st ch from start to join. [16dc, 16 5ch-sps]
Round 5: work this round behind the 5ch-sps from Round 4, 1ch (does not count as st), ss in 1st missed st in Round 3, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each missed st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 18 of Circle 5 for my blanket.
Circle 6 – double ruffle
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 15tr in ring, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr]
Round 2: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 3: 5ch (counts as 1dc, 4ch), miss 1 st, *1dc in next st, 4ch, miss 1 st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 1st ch from start to join. [16dc, 16 4ch-sps]
Round 4: work this round behind the 4ch-sps from Round 3, 1ch (does not count as st), ss in 1st missed st in Round 2, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in st at base of ch, 3tr in each following missed st, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 5: 6ch (counts as 1dc, 5ch), miss 2 sts, *1dc in next st, 5ch, miss 2 sts; rep from * to end of round, ss in 1st ch from start to join. [16dc, 16 5ch-sps]
Round 6: work this round behind the 5ch-sps from Round 5, 1ch (does not count as st), ss in 1st missed st in Round 4, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each missed st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 16 of Circle 6 for my blanket.
Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has a US crochet terms available too.
I would love to see photos of your little circles, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry.
I hope you have made lots of little circles from Part 1. I’ve been blown away by the many lovely circles I’ve seen! This week we make a simple variation of the first circle in Circles 2 and 3 which use slightly less yarn, great if you have a few scraps that weren’t quite enough for Circle 1.
Keep those scales out as it really is useful to weigh them as you make them. I found each used just a little less than 3g/12m. And keep that ruler/tape handy as I know many of you have found variations in size and needed to adjust.
These are a selection of Circles 2 and 3, they have ‘spokes’ in them so that’s why I chose their names.
The patterns are written in UK crochet terms and use the same stitches as last week, with just one addition: ch-sp which means chain space. The other abbreviations can be found in that post. Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has a US crochet terms available too.
Circle 2 – centre spoke
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 4ch (counts as 1tr, 1ch), (1tr in ring, 1ch) 7 times, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [8tr, 8 1ch-sps]
Round 2: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each st and in each 1ch-sp around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 3: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in next st, *1tr in next st, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 4: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
Circle 3 – mid spoke
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 15tr in ring, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr]
Round 2: 4ch (counts as 1tr, 1ch), (1tr, 1ch) in each st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr, 16 1ch-sps]
Round 3: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in next 1ch-sp, *1tr in next st, 2tr in next 1ch-sp; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 4: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 24 each of Circles 2 and 3 for my blanket.
I would love to see photos of your little circles, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry.
Next week the circle has a bit more texture.
Until then, happy crocheting xxx
The patterns and photographs in this post are copyright
I hope you are all ready for Part 1 of the Round Again Blanket CAL. This is the first of 6 parts of the CAL and introduces the simple circle. This is not at all difficult provided you know how to work in the round and count stitches. There are only 4 rounds and I made quite a few of these, however they are very quick to make. They will help you to see how some of your variegated scrap sock yarns look in the round and I recommend you make one of these circles for each of your different scrap yarns. Don’t forget there is a paid for pattern on Ravelry which is also being released in parts and has a US crochet terms available too.
When you have made a few circles in different yarns, measure each of them. They should all be roughly the same size at around 9cm across. If you are using sock yarn of different wool blends or meterage you may find that the motifs vary a little in size; provided this variation isn’t too great then it won’t really matter. But some may vary significantly so you may need to adjust. I found small variations, mainly only a mm or so, but a few were a bit too big. I adjusted these by reducing the height changing the stitches on the final round, for example I used half treble (US half double crochet) rather than treble (US double crochet) on the final round; this was much quicker than frogging the whole circle and trying a smaller hook!
If you find the odd one is a bit small you may find working larger stitches on the final round will adjust sufficiently.
You may also wish to weigh them. Knowing how much yarn is used for each motif may help you decide which to make with your remaining yarn. I found each Circle 1 used about 3g/12m of sock yarn.
The pattern here is written in UK crochet terms and these are the abbreviations used
ch chain
tr treble
ss slip stitch
Circle 1 in sparkly yarn
Pattern
Foundation: 4ch, join into a ring with a ss.
Round 1: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 15tr in ring, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [16tr]
Round 2: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in st at base of ch, 2tr in each st around, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [32tr]
Round 3: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr in next st, *1tr in next st, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join. [48tr]
Round 4: 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr in next st, 2tr in next st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 2tr in next st; rep from * to end of round, ss in 3rd ch from start to join, break yarn and fasten off. [64tr]
I made 52 of these for my blanket.
I would love to see photos of your little circles, please share them on Facebook and Ravelry.
A selection of my 52 circles
Next week in Part 2 I will be giving some very simple variations to Circle 1.
My 2022 blanket for the CAL has a name – it is called Round Again Blanket. Round because it is made of circles and Again because I’m using scrap yarn so I’m using the yarn again!
In my last post I shared photos of all my little circles and promised I would give you details of start and timescale soon. Well soon is now! Testing is finished and I’m feeling very happy about the CAL.
I’ve had some lovely feedback from the testers including:
addictive
easy to crochet
fly off the hook
look great in variegated yarn
These are things I was aiming for and it looks like I have achieved them. So, after being so far behind in the preparation a few weeks ago, I am ready to share the details with you.
The CAL will be released in 6 parts
Basic circle
Variations 1 and 2
Variations 3, 4 and 5
Variations 6 and 7
Squaring off and joining the circle motifs
The border
Size, yarnand hook
The blanket I made is about 110cm by 160cm. I used approx. 650g/2600m of scrap sock yarn and 200g/800m of a mid grey sock yarn for joining and some of the border. These figures are approx. because I used scraps of different types and ever so slightly different meterage. I made 187 motifs in total. As I used sock yarn I used a 3mm hook. But of course you could use any yarn you like as long as you use a suitable hook size. And you can make it any size you like.
Stitches
The stitches used are all the normal sts – in UK terms these are ch, dc, htr, tr, dtr, ss and some sts worked together, nothing fancy at all. Everything is worked in the round, so you need to know how to do this, but otherwise I think a beginner could cope.
The pattern
The motifs will be published here on my blog in UK crochet terms and a comprehensive paid for pattern will be available on Ravelry in both UK and US terms.
When
Part 1 (the basic circle) will be published here on Saturday 19th February, and each further part follows every Saturday with the final part (the border) on 26th March. The Ravelry pattern will be updated on the same days.
Just before I blocked my blanket I took a few photos including several of the back of the blanket because I think it looks just as lovely on the back, making it reversible. The back doesn’t show some of the detail of the motifs but it does show the lovely colours and it’s amazing how beautiful scraps of sock yarn can be together. It also makes a good sneak preview photo!
If you join the CAL it would be lovely if you share progress on Facebook or Ravelry.
This year’s blanket CAL has been a long time in the making, I have been so slow, and I have no excuses. Maybe it is simply that I have slowed down during these strange times we are living in and prefer to enjoy every stitch as I make it. But it is progressing to the finish line and it’s about time to share some of it with you.
First – my inspiration.
Some years ago when I was a stash building addict, I bought an Opal Sock Yarn Advent Calendar containing 24 mini balls of colourful sock yarn. I thoroughly enjoyed opening the calendar each day and finding a different coloured ball. I really didn’t know what to do with the mini balls, they remained a colourful collection in my stash but eventually I found a simple flower motif and decided to make lots of these colourful flowers. It became one of those projects you pick up between larger projects and after a long time I managed to make over 100 of these flowers. I decided to join them so I designed a border to make each flower a square. I bought some pale grey yarn to create the border and join the squares as you go. A very long time after I started to open those advent calendar ‘doors’ a lovely lap blanket emerged which I gifted to my sister. I never took any notes of this project, nor did I take any photographs. I just enjoyed the long lingering project.
Roll on a good number of years and I find I have accumulated plenty of scraps of yarn of all sorts – the vast majority of them being sock/4 ply or fingering weight – all roughly the same meterage per 100g in a variety of colours and yarn types. Much of this is because I have finally found my sock knitting mojo – I have made over 20 pairs in the last 2 years and most for myself. And I have small feet so I have plenty left over from 100g balls of sock yarn! So this was the year I decided to use up all these sock yarn scraps in my CAL (ok it’s not the first time I have done this remember Wrapped in Memories?).
I wanted a really relaxing project, something straightforward that can be done at crochet/knitgroup (I’m sure you’ve all experienced the frogging after taking a project with only a modicum of complexity to a crochet/knitgroup meeting!). I also wanted some uniformity so that the scrap project looked like it was meant to be made as a blanket not just a mess of colours. And I wanted to use the same border to each motif, in the same colour just like I did with the Opal mini ball project. Grey was a good choice for this, I think white or cream would be a stark contrast to the colours and make them stand out too much and I really do not like the stained glass effect of black, but grey helps the colours to blend gently on the eye.
The motifs are all the same shape. I started doodling a crochet circle and decided straightaway that circles should be the theme. So the CAL blanket progressed, the pattern is written and I have a few testers lined up (but shout if you’d like to help).
Want a sneak preview? Well these are all my motifs, all lined up ready for the final joining round. They are now all joined and the blanket is almost complete.
The CAL will be free on this blog, although a more detailed paid for pattern will also be available. My next post will give you more details of the CAL start date and timescale, but for now enjoy the sneak preview of all my little circles!
Agrarian Artisan 