Big granny throw is finished!

I have managed to finish a project (it feels like the only one for a while!). Yes, I have completed the big granny square throw which I made for S's bed.

It came out pretty well!

I will try and explain how to create something like this.

Using a basic granny square treble pattern, you need to make 25 squares, using a 4mm hook and dk weight yarn. Each square will consist of 12 rounds. Hopefully from the pictures you can make out that I have tried to use a colour toning effect - each sqaure using shades which tone to one - three colours. I have 4 differnt colour toning squares:

1. Blues - make 4 squares
2. Green/Teal - make 9 squares
3. Pink/Purple - make 6 squares
4. Red/Yellow/Orange - make 6 squares

The first 11 rounds of each square are worked by changing colour each round. I didn't stick to any specific colour order for the toning squares - there are no two squares alike in this throw. The final, 12th round of each square is worked in cream/ecru.

Approximate yarn requirements are given below:

Reds/Yellows

Bright red - 3x balls
Yellow - 2x balls
Dark red/Burgundy - 2x balls
Orange - 1x ball
Light orange - 1x ball
Cinnamon - 1x ball

Blues

Dark blue - 1x ball
Light blue - 2x balls
Medium blue - 2x balls
Dusky blue - 3x balls
Turquiose - 2x balls

Pinks/Purples

Dusty purple - 2x balls
Bright pink - 2x balls
Dark fuschia - 1x ball
Pale pink - 2x balls
Dusty pale pink - 1x ball
Royal purple - 1x ball
Dark grape - 1x ball

Green/blues

Avocado green - 2x balls
Dark teal - 3x balls
Spring green - 1x ball
Light teal - 2x balls
Mid green - 1x ball
Grass green - 1x ball
Mint green - 1x ball

The reason there are so many shades of colours in the mix here is because I was using up a load of scraps! The requirements given above are approximate - you may need more of less of a colour depending on how you use it - colours you use for the outer rounds of your squares and colours which you use several times in a square (there will be a few of those) you will of course use more quickly. I sort of designed this throw to deliberately give me the choice to use more of some colours (the ones I had a lot of left over from other projects) and less of those I had little of.

Granny square treble pattern

Chain 4. Join into a ring by slip stitching into first chain

Round 1: Work 3 chain, 2 trebles into ring, then chain 2. *Work 3 trebles into ring, chain 2. Repeat from * until you have 4 groups of 3 trebles (including the first group with 1 3 chain and 2 trebles) and 4 corner chain spaces. Fasten off

Round 2: Join in new colour. Work 3 chain, 2 trebles into one of the corner chain spaces from last round. Work 2 chain and three more trebles into the same corner chain space that you started in. *Chain 1, then work 3 trebles, 2 chain, 3 trebles into next corner space. Repeat from * 2 more times. Chain 1, slip stitch into top of 3 chain from start of round. Fasten off.

Round 3. Join in new colour. Work 3 chain, 2 trebles into one of the corner chain spaces from last round. Work 2 chain and three more trebles into same space. *Chain 1, work 3 trebles into 1 chain space along the side of your square. Work 3 trebles, 2 chain, 3 trebles into next corner space. Repeat from * to end of round, ending with 3 trebles into last 1 chain space then slip stitching into top of 3 chain from start of round. Fasten off.

Continue for a further 9 rounds, changing colour each round and working last round in cream. As your square grows with each round you will have progressively more 1 chain spaces along each side of you square. Work 3 trebles into each of these 1 chain spaces as described above and continue to work corners as described above.

Yarn on the square, Ely

Yesterday I mentioned that I had some crafty adventures during my holiday, so here's a little bit about them.

While wandering around Ely last week, my eyes happened to light upon a little yarn shop on the market square, so of course I couldn't go past without going in!

Yarn on the Square is a lovely little shop, with a good range of yarns - brands I spotted whilst browsing included Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Adriafil, Manos Del Uruguay and many more! All was delightfully arranged, with a friendly proprieter to boot.

Naturally with such yarny delights on display I couldn't resist making a purchase and walked out with a lighter purse and a heavier bag containing 3 skeins of Manos Silk Blend in sea green tones:

I think this yarn is definately destined for a cosy crochet scarf!

So what else did I get up to craft wise last week? Well, also in Ely, S spotted a fabulous book shop, an independent retailer of the kind now seldom seen in the UK, especially outside the big cities. Topping and Co. Booksellers is a lovely old fashioned kind of shop, selling new books, with many copies signed by the author. The 3 stories which I discovered make up a rambling kind of bookship which you could easily lose a few hours browsing the shelves in. Did they have a craft section? Yes, they did! Once again I walked away with my purse lighter and my bag heavier for containing a copy of Jane Brocket's The Gentle Art of Knitting. I have fallen deeply in love with this book, but I think I'll have to save explaining why for my next post, or I'll run out of time to tell you what I've actually been making this week!

So, as you may know I have been hooking away on a hexagon throw made from single colour hexagons, after the fashion of one I saw on the MeMe Rose blog. However, as much as I enjoyed this, I found it quite a difficult mental exercise working out where to place my motifs so that I had the colour block effect I was after, but so that it was still broken up a little. I blame it on the studying overdrive I have been doing the last few weeks - my poor brain can only take so much! So, because of this, last Saturday night I found myself longing for a simple granny square project to take on holiday with me, where I wouldn't have to think too much about which colour to use next.

So here it is so far!

I'll explain more about this in detail in my next post, and probably put up some instructions, but as you can see from the picture the idea is big granny squares using tonal shades for each square on a white background. So far I am pretty happy with the result!

October in England

Hi everyone, I'm back after a week or so break, where I have been studying hard and enjoying some uninterrupted time (for a change) with S.

The two of use headed off to Thetford for a week away to enjoy the country side in autumn. For any one reading this who may not be so familiar with English geography, Thetford is a little market town near the Norfolk/Suffolk border in a region of England called East Anglia. I believe the region name of East Anglia is derived from the settlement in that area of a people who called themselves the 'Angles'. The Angles were a Germanic tribe that settled in what's now England after the Roman period. More info on Wikipedia in case anyone is interested (personally I love history almost as much as I do crafts!).

We spent a day tramping around Thetford forest, which despite being relatively new is quite lovely.

We also visited the nearby City of Ely for two days - a lovely place, with a wonderful Cathederal. The City is really something special - nestled near the Catherdral there is one of the largest surviving collections of medieval buildings in Europe. It is such an atmospheric place.

Whenever I visit somewhere where there is a cathederal or castle this impressive it always makes me feel so lucky to live in a country where these sorts of buildings are so numerous and open to visitors all year round.

Well, I think that's enough of the history and geography lesson for today! I'm hoping to find time for another post tomorrow - this time more craft related!

Take care! xx

Hexagon throw is coming along!

Despite much time studying I am still managing a bit of crochet when I can. Sometimes only a couple of motifs a night, but that's ok.

Prima magazine has brought out a Christmas craft magazine- so many cute things I want to make! Hopefully I will have some time to blog about it soon.

Collecting, crocheting and boxie pouches

It has been a heck of a week again for me with my coursework, and that's why its been a little quiet on here lately. I have so much studying to do I don't have much time at all for crafting. Sad, but necessary until the end of November, which isn't long now.

So, this is a bit of a round up of what I have been doing in the last couple of weeks. I normally would split this over a few posts, but I'm condensing due to lack of time!

Crochet hexagon blanket

It feels like ages ago since I first posted on here that I was attempting this. Well, I'm still working on it, though progress feels slow!

I'm taking a modular approach now - rather than making rows and sewing them on one at a time, I'm making clusters of hexagons as kind of modules then fitting them together.

Collecting china

I spotted some lovely cups and saucers on eBay the other week, and had to have them! They are Elizabethan Carnaby - I just love the retro floral pattern and colours on them. They have pride of place on the dresser at the moment. I'm afraid the colours don't show up so well in a photo. I think may favourite is the turquoise purple mix (bottom), though I like the autumnal feel of the orange, yellow and amber mix too (second from bottom)!

Boxie pouches

I discovered a sewing tutorial for these boxie pouches a couple of weeks ago and have since made 2 pouches - I love them! Once you get the hang of it, they are so quick and easy to make. I think every lady and possible all females work colleagues will be getting one of these for Christmas this year!