If you haven't set up a Ravelry project yet, the pattern page can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fridas-flowers-blanket
I'll be working the CAL along with you all (in the Classique Cotton, provided by the wonderful Stylecraft team), and I'll post my tips and tricks for each part at the same time as the pattern is published over at the Stylecraft website. If you have any questions or need help, there are Facebook groups (English: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1555519964767343/ , German: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1039765272753087/ and Dutch: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145851979128898/ ),
and you are always welcome to leave a comment here or ask us on Facebook. As you know, Anne is doing the German translations for the CAL, so ask away in German too!
So, Block 2 - the Dahlia Bud.
You'll need to make 4 hexagons and 4 half hexagons, the same as Part 1 :)
Yarn usage:
129g Nocturne (238m)
4g Sunflower (8m)
14g Ivory (26m)
Remember: I'm using the Classique Cotton, so use the meterage above if you are making Frida in another DK yarn.
Here's a little spreadsheet tool that I am using to track yarn usage - just enter your start and finish weights for your yarns, and then the weight and meterage used will be automatically calculated!
My top tips for the Dahlia Bud block:
1. When joining Round 1 (Ivory), slip stitch to the first dc, which is now hiding around the back in the middle of the popcorn.
2. Do all your Dahlia flowers at the same time, and then weave in ends before continuing!
Once I filled in behind the flower, it got much harder to manoeuvre around and get the ends securely stitched in.
3. Use the stacked standing dc instead of ch3 to start a round - this will give you neater edges, more even stitches, and the stacked dc is much easier to work into on the next round!
Stacked Standing Double Crochet - sc into target stitch. Insert hook under two leftmost strands of sc, yarn over hook to do a second sc.
NB: When you do a stacked standing dc instead of 3 ch, you can make a "true" dc2tog to start a row - just work the second dc of dc2tog after you've pulled through the loop to do the second sc (i.e. stop after picture 3 above), and then pull through all three loops to finish!
4. When the pattern asks you to start with 2ch pretending to be an hdc, do the 2ch THEN the correct number of stitches. If you have to join into that stitch when you come back around, skip the 2ch and join direct to the first hdc, and don't work into the 2ch if you're going back and forth.
I find real hdcs much nicer to work into and the extra few chain is barely noticeable.
5. On the last round, the 3sc goes into the third hdc of previous round - the top of the stitch sits to the right of the post for hdc.
I had a little argument with the pattern, because it seemed to be asking me to do the 3sc into the second hdc of the previous round, which looked wonky. Make sure your 3sc group goes into the third hdc, and you have 17 single sc on each side, and all will be hunky dory.
I hope you are having a fantastic time with this gorgeous CAL, and don't hesitate to comment, visit a Facebook group or ask us on Facebook if you need any help :D
1. When joining Round 1 (Ivory), slip stitch to the first dc, which is now hiding around the back in the middle of the popcorn.
2. Do all your Dahlia flowers at the same time, and then weave in ends before continuing!
Once I filled in behind the flower, it got much harder to manoeuvre around and get the ends securely stitched in.
3. Use the stacked standing dc instead of ch3 to start a round - this will give you neater edges, more even stitches, and the stacked dc is much easier to work into on the next round!
Stacked Standing Double Crochet - sc into target stitch. Insert hook under two leftmost strands of sc, yarn over hook to do a second sc.
NB: When you do a stacked standing dc instead of 3 ch, you can make a "true" dc2tog to start a row - just work the second dc of dc2tog after you've pulled through the loop to do the second sc (i.e. stop after picture 3 above), and then pull through all three loops to finish!
4. When the pattern asks you to start with 2ch pretending to be an hdc, do the 2ch THEN the correct number of stitches. If you have to join into that stitch when you come back around, skip the 2ch and join direct to the first hdc, and don't work into the 2ch if you're going back and forth.
I find real hdcs much nicer to work into and the extra few chain is barely noticeable.
5. On the last round, the 3sc goes into the third hdc of previous round - the top of the stitch sits to the right of the post for hdc.
I had a little argument with the pattern, because it seemed to be asking me to do the 3sc into the second hdc of the previous round, which looked wonky. Make sure your 3sc group goes into the third hdc, and you have 17 single sc on each side, and all will be hunky dory.
I hope you are having a fantastic time with this gorgeous CAL, and don't hesitate to comment, visit a Facebook group or ask us on Facebook if you need any help :D
This is lovely Michelle, thanks for the tutorial.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
My pleasure Amalia - I hope it helps :)
DeleteI love the thoughtful inclusion of a working spreadsheet on your blog. How did you do that?
ReplyDeleteThrough Microsoft OneDrive, I can embed sections of a spreadsheet, and make it writable! I was keeping track of my yarn usage anyway, and thought it would also be helpful for others who might be concerned about having enough yarn :)
DeleteHow do you do a stacked standing double crochet into a stitch you have just slip stitched into? A lot of the rounds start with a ch3 and a treble into the same stitch. Do you do a ch1 as well before the first DC?
ReplyDeleteI do a ch1 before the stacked standing dc to get up to dc height to start, and then another normal dc in the same stitch if that's what the pattern asks for :)
DeleteI am having trouble with my double crotchet decreases. When I look at the block, my right hand side is slanted more than the left hand side ( where it decreases). I don't know why. Is it because I am crotcheting left handed?
ReplyDeleteIt could be! I'm not sure. You can always ask Janie Crow directly - https://www.janiecrow.com/contact.html
DeleteThank you for responding. I actually found youtube videos through Raverly. The youtube address is TheSupijas. She has a video for each square. So I realized that I was joining my rounds into the wrong dc. To me, the chain 3 and dc at the beginning of each round do not really look like the other dc2tog. I did frog it and redo it and it looks much better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the poost
ReplyDelete