Hi everyone!
It is time for the fourth and last part of the Advent Meditation CAL! Hard to believe, isn't it? We had a good time and we hope you did as well!
For those who are just joining us, you can find an overview of all information about the CAL here.
For those of you who celebrate: Merry Christmas! Have wonderful days with your loved ones and lots of good food - we certainly plan to!
Sooo, here comes pattern no 4:
Stitch Guide:
dc3tog - double crochet 3 together (or bobble stitch) - Tutorial from LookAtWhatIMade (includes instructions for beg dc3tog - beginning double crochet 3 together - called a First Bobble Stitch in this tutorial)
hdc - half double crochet - Photo and Video Tutorial from Lion Brand Yarns
spike sc - spike single crochet - Photo Tutorial from The Spruce Crafts
Sunday, 22 December 2019
Sunday, 15 December 2019
Advent Meditation Crochet Along - Week 3
Hi everyone!
2019 is disappearing quickly and somehow it's already time for Week 3 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along! You can find an overview of all information about the CAL here.
We hope that you enjoyed the first two patterns and would love to see your pictures! If you use instagram, can you use the hashtag #cbwadvent? That would be brilliant. :)
To slow down the video, you can click on "Settings" and reduce the Playback Speed to 0.75. If you go much slower than that, Michelle sounds like she's been having wayyyyy too much Christmas cheer :P
Pattern no 3 is a wee bit more complicated, but just pause as often as you need to!
Stitch Guide
sc2tog - single crochet 2 together - Photo, text and video tutorial by New Stitch a Day
sc3tog - single crochet 3 together - Photo tutorial by Knotions
fphdc - front post half double crochet - Photo Tutorial by Crochet Parfait
2019 is disappearing quickly and somehow it's already time for Week 3 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along! You can find an overview of all information about the CAL here.
We hope that you enjoyed the first two patterns and would love to see your pictures! If you use instagram, can you use the hashtag #cbwadvent? That would be brilliant. :)
To slow down the video, you can click on "Settings" and reduce the Playback Speed to 0.75. If you go much slower than that, Michelle sounds like she's been having wayyyyy too much Christmas cheer :P
Pattern no 3 is a wee bit more complicated, but just pause as often as you need to!
Stitch Guide
sc2tog - single crochet 2 together - Photo, text and video tutorial by New Stitch a Day
sc3tog - single crochet 3 together - Photo tutorial by Knotions
fphdc - front post half double crochet - Photo Tutorial by Crochet Parfait
Sunday, 8 December 2019
Advent Meditation Crochet Along - Week 2
Hi everyone!
It's already time for Week 2 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along! You can find an overview of all information about the CAL here.
We hope that you enjoyed the first pattern and would love to see your pictures! If you use instagram, can you use the hashtag #cbwadvent? That would be brilliant. :)
To slow down the video, you can click on "Settings" and reduce the Playback Speed to 0.75. If you go much slower than that, Michelle sounds like she's been having wayyyyy too much Christmas cheer :P
So without further ado, here comes pattern no 2!
Stitch Guide
Puff stitch - Tutorial from Annie's Catalog (but you can make your puff stitches as puffy as you want!)
It's already time for Week 2 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along! You can find an overview of all information about the CAL here.
We hope that you enjoyed the first pattern and would love to see your pictures! If you use instagram, can you use the hashtag #cbwadvent? That would be brilliant. :)
To slow down the video, you can click on "Settings" and reduce the Playback Speed to 0.75. If you go much slower than that, Michelle sounds like she's been having wayyyyy too much Christmas cheer :P
So without further ado, here comes pattern no 2!
Stitch Guide
Puff stitch - Tutorial from Annie's Catalog (but you can make your puff stitches as puffy as you want!)
Sunday, 1 December 2019
Advent Meditation Crochet Along - Week 1
Hi everyone!
It's time for Week 1 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along. We hope you are as excited as we are!
You can find all information about the CAL here. If you have questions, you can post them here. We are also active in the Stylecraft Make-Along Facebook group. We will try to answer as soon as possible, but we are not online all the time (you know... life, work, sleep, and so on).
The meditation available on youtube at https://youtu.be/5w4fC-upjKM or you can view the file below. It's just audio, with a placeholder picture.
This weeks pattern uses some "special" stitches next to the normal one. If you are unfamiliar with one of them (list below), we recommend that you read the linked tutorial before you start.
Special Stitch Guide for Week 1
Stacked standing double crochet - you can use this instead of 3ch or another kind of standing dc - Video Tutorial by Michelle
treble 5 together - Tutorial by LookAtWhatIMade but with an extra helper to make your tr5tog pointier: at the last step, don't pull through all 6 loops at the same! yo, pull through three, then yo, pull through the rest!
sc in the third loop - Where is the Third Loop - Tutorial by Oombawaka Design
We can't wait to see your decorations!
Love,
Michelle & Anne xx
It's time for Week 1 of the Crochet Between Worlds Advent Meditation Crochet Along. We hope you are as excited as we are!
You can find all information about the CAL here. If you have questions, you can post them here. We are also active in the Stylecraft Make-Along Facebook group. We will try to answer as soon as possible, but we are not online all the time (you know... life, work, sleep, and so on).
The meditation available on youtube at https://youtu.be/5w4fC-upjKM or you can view the file below. It's just audio, with a placeholder picture.
This weeks pattern uses some "special" stitches next to the normal one. If you are unfamiliar with one of them (list below), we recommend that you read the linked tutorial before you start.
Special Stitch Guide for Week 1
Stacked standing double crochet - you can use this instead of 3ch or another kind of standing dc - Video Tutorial by Michelle
treble 5 together - Tutorial by LookAtWhatIMade but with an extra helper to make your tr5tog pointier: at the last step, don't pull through all 6 loops at the same! yo, pull through three, then yo, pull through the rest!
sc in the third loop - Where is the Third Loop - Tutorial by Oombawaka Design
We can't wait to see your decorations!
Love,
Michelle & Anne xx
P.S. Please remember that we are offering this crochet meditation CAL for free in our spare time. We will not be able to answer your questions at any time of the day. Living in two different time zones (Australia and Europe) means that we cover a decent chunk of the days; however, we also have a life and will definitely not always be online or available even if we are awake. Furthermore, there is a chance that technical difficulties might occur (they did last time) or that there are errors in the pattern (we tried to do our best to make sure they are fine!). We ask you to notify us if there are technical issues or errors, but we also ask you to be patient with us. We will work on it as soon as humanely possible.
Wednesday, 27 November 2019
BAWJ2019 - Weeks 31-35!
Hi everyone!
Back again, as promised, with Squares 31 to 35 of the BAWJ2019!
Have you seen our 2019 Advent Meditation CAL? It starts on 1 December 2019, and the first episode is already recorded, tested and waiting for you!
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019 and see the squares we've been working over the year, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 31 - OCTOBER LOVE by AURORA SUOMINEN
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/october-love
Yarn colours: Sage, Rose, Copper
Oh, it was so nice to have a relatively simple pattern this week! The clean lines made it the perfect opportunity to show off the Stylecraft Batik Elements in the centre section.
WEEK 32 - RINSKE SQUARE by SUSAN CARLSON
Pattern: https://feltedbutton.com/blogs/new-felted-button-blog/free-crochet-pattern-rinske-square
Yarn colours: Olive (no longer available), Plum and Coral
I enjoyed playing with the colours on this incredible textured square. It uses a lot of yarn, with rows layered over one another! Felted Button writes beautifully clear patterns that are easy to follow.
Look at all that texture!
WEEK 33 - FLORA & FAUNA by SANDRA ENG
Pattern: https://mobiusgirldesign.com/flora-fauna-free-crochet-block-pattern/
Yarn colours: Gold, Raspberry, Mint, Silver
I'm not sure where the fauna are in this square, but I do love it! It worked up pretty square, and the textures are lovely.
These rich colours in the Stylecraft Batik made the design sing, in my opinion :)
WEEK 34 - AMAYA by MELISSA GREEN
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amaya-3
Yarn colours: Lupin, Cream
As advertised, this square worked up quickly and easily. I followed the colour change directions in the pattern, and it came out quite nicely!
WEEK 35 - ARBORETUM SQUARE by SONYA BLACKSTONE
Pattern: https://blackstone-designs.com/arboretum-square/
Yarn colours: Mint, Plum, Heather
Hoo boy. No amount of blocking is going for make this look straight. I don't know how Julie did it in her test version!
The techniques were interesting to learn, and the design is fascinating but I think I'd need to change directions each row to get it to any semblance of straight. Overall it is square though!
PHEW. Next instalment: Squares 36-40!
Back again, as promised, with Squares 31 to 35 of the BAWJ2019!
Have you seen our 2019 Advent Meditation CAL? It starts on 1 December 2019, and the first episode is already recorded, tested and waiting for you!
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019 and see the squares we've been working over the year, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 31 - OCTOBER LOVE by AURORA SUOMINEN
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/october-love
Yarn colours: Sage, Rose, Copper
Oh, it was so nice to have a relatively simple pattern this week! The clean lines made it the perfect opportunity to show off the Stylecraft Batik Elements in the centre section.
WEEK 32 - RINSKE SQUARE by SUSAN CARLSON
Pattern: https://feltedbutton.com/blogs/new-felted-button-blog/free-crochet-pattern-rinske-square
Yarn colours: Olive (no longer available), Plum and Coral
I enjoyed playing with the colours on this incredible textured square. It uses a lot of yarn, with rows layered over one another! Felted Button writes beautifully clear patterns that are easy to follow.
Look at all that texture!
WEEK 33 - FLORA & FAUNA by SANDRA ENG
Pattern: https://mobiusgirldesign.com/flora-fauna-free-crochet-block-pattern/
Yarn colours: Gold, Raspberry, Mint, Silver
I'm not sure where the fauna are in this square, but I do love it! It worked up pretty square, and the textures are lovely.
These rich colours in the Stylecraft Batik made the design sing, in my opinion :)
WEEK 34 - AMAYA by MELISSA GREEN
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/amaya-3
Yarn colours: Lupin, Cream
As advertised, this square worked up quickly and easily. I followed the colour change directions in the pattern, and it came out quite nicely!
WEEK 35 - ARBORETUM SQUARE by SONYA BLACKSTONE
Pattern: https://blackstone-designs.com/arboretum-square/
Yarn colours: Mint, Plum, Heather
Hoo boy. No amount of blocking is going for make this look straight. I don't know how Julie did it in her test version!
The techniques were interesting to learn, and the design is fascinating but I think I'd need to change directions each row to get it to any semblance of straight. Overall it is square though!
PHEW. Next instalment: Squares 36-40!
Saturday, 23 November 2019
BAWJ2019 - Weeks 26-30!
Hi everyone!
It's time for a BAWJ2019 update - I'm up to date, but to keep you all sane I'll still keep reporting on 5 squares at a time. This time, so that I don't get caught up in other things, I've scheduled 3 posts over the next week or two :D We're nearly finished, then my Christmas project will be joining them up into blankets to donate to charity.
Have you seen our 2019 Advent Meditation CAL? It starts on 1 December 2019, and the first episode is already recorded, tested and waiting for you!
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019 and see the squares we've been working over the year, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 26 - CANADA SQUARE by TANIA LEIS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/canada-square
Yarn colours: Cherry, Cream and Sulfur
This was a very clever square - each row of stitches represented a different province of Canada!
While sampler things are not always my favourite style of work, it was fun to work lots of different stitches, and learn a bit more about Canadian geography.
The little maple leaves in the corner are so clever!
WEEK 27 - PATRIOTIC PLAID SQUARE by CYLINDA MATHEWS
Pattern: https://www.crochetmemories.com/blog/patriotic-plaid-square/
Yarn colours: Storm, Coral and Gold
The repeating stitch pattern was quite cute, but it irritated me that the square struggled to be, well, square. I'm sure peer pressure will sort it out once the blankets are put together, but it's always a risk with layered post stitches.
I also found the pattern quite complicated to follow, and there was a reasonable amount of frogging and cursing. Once I got the hang of it, it was fine though!
WEEK 28 - REBIRTH by MAGDALENE LEE
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rebirth-2
Yarn colours: Plum, Sage, Gold and Cream
Despite the popcorns, I loved this square! The design is just gorgeous, the instructions were straightforward and clear, and it sits pretty much square and flat!
I love the detail of the spikes around the central circle. The colour options for this square were endless, but I'm very happy with my choice of the cream as a background colour including the popcorn texture, and highlighting the surface crochet with bright colours.
WEEK 29 - BLOOMING LILY OF THE WATER by JOANITA THERON
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blooming-lily-of-the-water-square
Yarn colours: Plum, Iron, Coral, Rose, Cherry, Graphite
You know me, I love a square square. The way that the lily petals are secured to the square pulls each side into the middle...
But, the texture and design of the centre circle is lovely - I wonder if I could use this motif in another way?
WEEK 30 - KINNEDY NICHELLE AFGHAN SQUARE by PAM KNIGHTON-HAENER
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kinnedy-nichelle-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Teal, Cream, Heather, Platinum, Mint, Gold
Another beautifully written and designed square by Pam Knighton-Haener! The textures are simply lovely, and such clear instructions for a relatively complicated pattern.
That daisy in the centre is so cute, and my only complaint is the number of ends after changing colour every single row :P
PHEW. Coming in a few days: Squares 30-35!
It's time for a BAWJ2019 update - I'm up to date, but to keep you all sane I'll still keep reporting on 5 squares at a time. This time, so that I don't get caught up in other things, I've scheduled 3 posts over the next week or two :D We're nearly finished, then my Christmas project will be joining them up into blankets to donate to charity.
Have you seen our 2019 Advent Meditation CAL? It starts on 1 December 2019, and the first episode is already recorded, tested and waiting for you!
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019 and see the squares we've been working over the year, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 26 - CANADA SQUARE by TANIA LEIS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/canada-square
Yarn colours: Cherry, Cream and Sulfur
This was a very clever square - each row of stitches represented a different province of Canada!
While sampler things are not always my favourite style of work, it was fun to work lots of different stitches, and learn a bit more about Canadian geography.
The little maple leaves in the corner are so clever!
WEEK 27 - PATRIOTIC PLAID SQUARE by CYLINDA MATHEWS
Pattern: https://www.crochetmemories.com/blog/patriotic-plaid-square/
Yarn colours: Storm, Coral and Gold
The repeating stitch pattern was quite cute, but it irritated me that the square struggled to be, well, square. I'm sure peer pressure will sort it out once the blankets are put together, but it's always a risk with layered post stitches.
WEEK 28 - REBIRTH by MAGDALENE LEE
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rebirth-2
Yarn colours: Plum, Sage, Gold and Cream
Despite the popcorns, I loved this square! The design is just gorgeous, the instructions were straightforward and clear, and it sits pretty much square and flat!
I love the detail of the spikes around the central circle. The colour options for this square were endless, but I'm very happy with my choice of the cream as a background colour including the popcorn texture, and highlighting the surface crochet with bright colours.
WEEK 29 - BLOOMING LILY OF THE WATER by JOANITA THERON
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blooming-lily-of-the-water-square
Yarn colours: Plum, Iron, Coral, Rose, Cherry, Graphite
You know me, I love a square square. The way that the lily petals are secured to the square pulls each side into the middle...
But, the texture and design of the centre circle is lovely - I wonder if I could use this motif in another way?
WEEK 30 - KINNEDY NICHELLE AFGHAN SQUARE by PAM KNIGHTON-HAENER
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kinnedy-nichelle-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Teal, Cream, Heather, Platinum, Mint, Gold
Another beautifully written and designed square by Pam Knighton-Haener! The textures are simply lovely, and such clear instructions for a relatively complicated pattern.
That daisy in the centre is so cute, and my only complaint is the number of ends after changing colour every single row :P
PHEW. Coming in a few days: Squares 30-35!
Friday, 15 November 2019
CBW Advent Meditation Crochet Along 2019 - Overview
Hi everyone,
What do I need?
About 50gr of DK/8 ply yarn.
Two years ago we ran an advent meditation crochet
along through our blog. We got a lot of positive feedback, and several people
asked us if we would do it again. 2018 was too busy for the two of us (Michelle
welcomed her first child into the world, and Anne moved country); however, in
2019 we are game again.
We love Advent, the time before Christmas, but we do
know that it can be a very hectic and stressful time. So why add
something to do during this time, you might ask. Well, we had
the idea that because life is so hectic during these days, it is all the more
important to take some time to calm down and to focus. So, the idea of the
Advent Meditation was born.
For us, crochet can be like a meditation, that is, a
time where you live in the moment because you focus on the task at hand and
don't let your mind wander. However, when one follows a written pattern, it is
very easy to get distracted (hello phone, hello family, hello housework... you
get the picture). It is also easy to skip ahead, to read ahead, and thus not
focus on the task at hand (in this case, the row or round you are working on).
While thinking about this dilemma, Michelle had the idea of a crochet
meditation podcast, that is, a pattern that can only be heard but not read.
In the meditation podcast, each pattern is read
out, and one has to crochet the rows/rounds as one listens to the
instructions. No worries, it is not read at super speed but at a decent crochet
time (we had it tested).
We will post the links and extra information for each
meditation here on the blog, so make sure to come back by the 1st of December!
This post is not the start of the CAL; it is designed
to answer frequently asked questions and to offer an overview of the overall
setup.
Two small personal notes beforehand
(1) Please
note that we are offering this crochet meditation CAL for free in our spare
time. We will not be able to answer your questions at any time of the day.
Living in two different time zones (Australia and Europe) means that we cover a
decent chunk of the days; however, we also have a life and will definitely not
always be online or available even if we are awake. Furthermore, there is a
chance that technical difficulties might occur (they did last time). We ask you
to notify us if they do, but we also ask you to be patient with us. To be
honest, people complaining in pretty mean words is not a big motivation to set
these kinds of things up for free (and it has happened in the past).
(2) We
are Stylecraft Blogstars, which means that Stylecraft sent us the yarn we used
for this CAL for free. We are under no obligation to say anything nice about
their yarns or use their yarns. If we do so (and we do), it is because it is
our own opinion. Furthermore, we will be active in the Stylecraft Make-Along
Group on Facebook. Feel free to join, but it is not an obligation to do so
if you want to participate in this CAL.
FAQ
What will we crochet?
We will crochet a set of 4 different Christmas tree decorations. So there is a nice side effect aside from taking some time for yourself to relax: you will crochet a Christmas tree decoration set which you could give away as a Christmas present!
Will there be a written pattern or a graph?
There will be no written pattern. There will be no graph. There will be nothing which you can see. Nada. You will have to listen to create the pattern. For anything other than the basic stitches (chain, slipstitch, single crochet, double crochet, treble crochet) we will have a stitch guide in the blog post too.
How do I participate?
Every week, we will post the YouTube link in a separate post on the CBW blog.
We will crochet a set of 4 different Christmas tree decorations. So there is a nice side effect aside from taking some time for yourself to relax: you will crochet a Christmas tree decoration set which you could give away as a Christmas present!
Will there be a written pattern or a graph?
There will be no written pattern. There will be no graph. There will be nothing which you can see. Nada. You will have to listen to create the pattern. For anything other than the basic stitches (chain, slipstitch, single crochet, double crochet, treble crochet) we will have a stitch guide in the blog post too.
How do I participate?
Every week, we will post the YouTube link in a separate post on the CBW blog.
Once you get the link, you will have
to find the time to listen and crochet as you listen to the meditation.
Where can I get the file?
We don’t own/rent file storage space
for the file. Last time, we tried googledrive (which maxed out after too many
downloads within the first 30 minutes) and a free file sharer (which had a lot
of advertisement, not all of it on topics we were comfortable with
“promoting”). So this time, we will upload the file to YouTube only.
We do know that YouTube is a mild
inconvenience to some of you as you cannot download the file. However, you have
to understand that we don’t have the funds to rent proper file storage space as
we offer this CAL for free and in our spare time.
Do I have to pay something to participate?
No! However, you have probably read/heard about the devastating bushfires in Australia this year. If you have something to give, we ask you to donate for the bushfire victims of the bushfires east of Armidale in Australia (know as the Bees Nest Fires). The donations are managed by Rotary Australia World Community Service, an organisation we trust. Plus, if you're Australian, donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Do I have to pay something to participate?
No! However, you have probably read/heard about the devastating bushfires in Australia this year. If you have something to give, we ask you to donate for the bushfire victims of the bushfires east of Armidale in Australia (know as the Bees Nest Fires). The donations are managed by Rotary Australia World Community Service, an organisation we trust. Plus, if you're Australian, donations over $2 are tax deductible.
What do I need?
About 50gr of DK/8 ply yarn.
We have crocheted the patterns with
cotton yarn (using Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK) and acrylic yarn (Stylecraft Stardust). Both work, but the “end
product” looks a bit different. Cotton results in a bit more texture, whereas
acrylic was a bit prettier in regards to the colours.
If you are in a festive mood, you
might want to choose Christmas-y colours. We used Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK in Poppy, Ivory
and Leaf, and Stylecraft Stardust in Holly and Poppy. The Stardust yarn sparkles!
You will also need a 4.5mm crochet
hook, scissors and a yarn needle.
How many meditation podcasts will there be?
Four. One in each week of Advent.
How long is each podcast?
Each podcast is less than 30 minutes long - Michelle can make three or four of each decoration in that time, so we are confident you will be able to make one!
When will the meditation podcasts be published?
Each Sunday of Advent: 1 December, 8 December, 15 December and 22 December
Will there be pictures of the decorations available beforehand?
No. We want you to focus on the process and not to think ahead what might come next. We fear that a picture might be a distraction. We will probably publish pictures one or two days after the podcast episode was released.
Can I post pictures of my finished items?
Of course! In fact, please do - we looovvee to see what you made with our patterns. If you're on Instagram or Facebook, please use the hashtag #cbwadvent, so we can find your pictures easily.
How many meditation podcasts will there be?
Four. One in each week of Advent.
How long is each podcast?
Each podcast is less than 30 minutes long - Michelle can make three or four of each decoration in that time, so we are confident you will be able to make one!
When will the meditation podcasts be published?
Each Sunday of Advent: 1 December, 8 December, 15 December and 22 December
Will there be pictures of the decorations available beforehand?
No. We want you to focus on the process and not to think ahead what might come next. We fear that a picture might be a distraction. We will probably publish pictures one or two days after the podcast episode was released.
Can I post pictures of my finished items?
Of course! In fact, please do - we looovvee to see what you made with our patterns. If you're on Instagram or Facebook, please use the hashtag #cbwadvent, so we can find your pictures easily.
Furthermore, we will be active in the
Stylecraft
Make-Along group. We do, however, ask you to post your pictures in the
assigned post only (it will have SPOILER in the text), so that others are not
“spoilered” by your pictures.
Are the patterns hard to follow?
No, at least we don't think so. They are suitable for intermediate beginners, but not for total beginners. That is, you need to know how to crochet specific stitches and be able to crochet at a steady pace. Don't forget you can always pause the podcast to catch up, or rewind and listen again. We will also post a list of the stitches used beforehand and we will include links to tutorials, so you can check them out beforehand.
Are the patterns hard to follow?
No, at least we don't think so. They are suitable for intermediate beginners, but not for total beginners. That is, you need to know how to crochet specific stitches and be able to crochet at a steady pace. Don't forget you can always pause the podcast to catch up, or rewind and listen again. We will also post a list of the stitches used beforehand and we will include links to tutorials, so you can check them out beforehand.
For those of you who participated in
2017, please note that the patterns are a bit more difficult than last time.
If you want to want to work on
slightly easier patterns, you can also check out the 2017 meditation as well.
Which crochet terms will you use?
U.S. crochet terms.
What if I find a mistake in the pattern?
Please contact us right away, so we can start an errata list. We try very, very hard not to have any mistakes in the pattern, but oh well, it might happen – we are only humans after all.
Which crochet terms will you use?
U.S. crochet terms.
What if I find a mistake in the pattern?
Please contact us right away, so we can start an errata list. We try very, very hard not to have any mistakes in the pattern, but oh well, it might happen – we are only humans after all.
Monday, 23 September 2019
A Prayer-ish Blanket
Hi everyone!
I've been working on super secret projects recently - terrible for blogging and instagram! But I can share one of them with you today :)
What do you call the agnostic version of a prayer blanket?
A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I know that cancer is never expected, but this one has been particularly aggressive and particularly fast-moving in someone too young and healthy. The news hit and I felt what I think everyone around feels in this situation - what on earth can I do?
Anne sadly has some experience in this area so I asked her - what is the most helpful thing that I could do to make my friend feel supported and loved through the horribleness that is cancer treatment? She said, make him a blanket to keep warm during radiotherapy sessions. It needed to be soft and machine washable.
I had less than a week before we were going on holidays for two weeks, so with a smoking hook I tore through my Special DK stash for the brightest colours, and used this Ocean Breeze pattern and a 5mm hook for speed and texture! 24 squares made the perfect sized blanket, and it will be useful once he's better as a throw for the couch, or a single bed blanket. Fortunately Allie spent a weekend with her grandmother which gave me some extra assistance-free hours to watch movies and crochet as fast as humanly possible.
Inspired by fellow Stylecraft Blogstar Polly Plum's Arabella CAL I used Stylecraft Wondersoft Merrygoround in Rainbow and a continuous sc join in the back loops to put the squares together! It saved so many ends - I can never go back to the old crosshatch style of joining square blankets again! A border in the same Rainbow yarn finished it off beautifully.
To get the same number of stitches on each side, the "squares" ended up more rectangular which meant that when they came together it wasn't very square! I did decide that the wavy lines were more of a design feature than a flaw though - what do you think?
My mum, amazing as she is, whipped up a super quick drawstring bag for the blanket to be kept in, for schlepping back and forth to the hospital every day.
Good luck friend - may you be warm and cured <3
I've been working on super secret projects recently - terrible for blogging and instagram! But I can share one of them with you today :)
What do you call the agnostic version of a prayer blanket?
A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer. I know that cancer is never expected, but this one has been particularly aggressive and particularly fast-moving in someone too young and healthy. The news hit and I felt what I think everyone around feels in this situation - what on earth can I do?
Anne sadly has some experience in this area so I asked her - what is the most helpful thing that I could do to make my friend feel supported and loved through the horribleness that is cancer treatment? She said, make him a blanket to keep warm during radiotherapy sessions. It needed to be soft and machine washable.
Inspired by fellow Stylecraft Blogstar Polly Plum's Arabella CAL I used Stylecraft Wondersoft Merrygoround in Rainbow and a continuous sc join in the back loops to put the squares together! It saved so many ends - I can never go back to the old crosshatch style of joining square blankets again! A border in the same Rainbow yarn finished it off beautifully.
To get the same number of stitches on each side, the "squares" ended up more rectangular which meant that when they came together it wasn't very square! I did decide that the wavy lines were more of a design feature than a flaw though - what do you think?
My mum, amazing as she is, whipped up a super quick drawstring bag for the blanket to be kept in, for schlepping back and forth to the hospital every day.
Good luck friend - may you be warm and cured <3
Saturday, 3 August 2019
BAWJ 2019 - Weeks 21-25!
Hi everyone!
I'm back! Kiah has had the rosters from hell, work has been extremely busy with outbound interviews, negotiations with people overseas and finalising the inbound paperwork, and Allie has changed her naptimes so there's been yet another adjustment period. I've still been crocheting a bit, written up my new sweater/cardigan pattern (that'll come out a bit later in the year, when it's less hot in the Northern Hemisphere!) and, well, the BAWJ2019 fell a little behind.
But! Now I am caught up with the BAWJ2019! As I have (gulp) 10 squares to report on, I'll do 5 today and 5 next week :)
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 21 - SYDNEY by SHELLEY HUSBAND
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sydney
Yarn colours: Iron, Cream, Rose
The colour possibilities with this block were pretty much endless - I did like using the Batik Elements for the central flower. Plus, a square with the same name as my home town!
The method for squaring up the circle looks very different and effective, but I can't for the life of me make it sit flat. Hopefully the peer pressure of being in a blanket will smooth things out.
It's almost square, just bulging a bit at the sides from the central circle.
WEEK 22 - AURORA by VANESSA PHILLIPS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aurora-41
Yarn colours: Mercury, Cream, Coral, Old Gold, Lupin
I loooove the centre circle of this square! It looks so cool, and is centred neatly on the rest of the square rather than being wonky! It did end up a bit looser than the outer rows though, so isn't quite flat.
However, something about the squaring up rows made the square twist a little bit, so it doesn't look very... square, by itself. That's ok though, being in a blanket will beat it into shape ;)
WEEK 23 - ENCOMPASS ME by HEATHER GIBBS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/encompass-me-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Teal, Lupin, Cream
The textures of this square were lovely - not overdone, but just enough to give it some more interest. The centre circle does look like a compass!
The squaring up didn't come up quite straight, but not in a way that bothered me. At least the final square is relatively square!
WEEK 24 - FROSTBLOOM by SHAN SEVCIK
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frostbloom-12-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Olive, Raspberry, Cream
Lacy and textured? Sign me up! The additional "ruffle" around the centre square was fun to work and looks very effective :)
A well-written square (and doing a multi-designer CAL reeeeally emphasises how good well-written squares are!).
WEEK 25 - BERRYLICIOUS by MARIE SEGARES
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/berrylicious-square
Yarn colours: Graphite, Pistachio, Cherry
I'm not sold on the name for this one - 12 "berrieds" around the middle does not make berrylicious! The tensions were all off for this one, I had to force it into a square to be able to take a picture at all. I'm not sure if I needed to change hooks for the v-stitch section.
The square also developed a noticeable twist as I went along, which as you will know by now is not my favourite. Overall, it was ok to work but not my favourite.
PHEW. Coming next week: Squares 26-30! And I will try and keep up more regularly from now on for my sanity as well as yours!
I'm back! Kiah has had the rosters from hell, work has been extremely busy with outbound interviews, negotiations with people overseas and finalising the inbound paperwork, and Allie has changed her naptimes so there's been yet another adjustment period. I've still been crocheting a bit, written up my new sweater/cardigan pattern (that'll come out a bit later in the year, when it's less hot in the Northern Hemisphere!) and, well, the BAWJ2019 fell a little behind.
But! Now I am caught up with the BAWJ2019! As I have (gulp) 10 squares to report on, I'll do 5 today and 5 next week :)
If you want to join in on BAWJ2019, check out Julie's Facebookgroup, blog and Ravelry Board for more information.
WEEK 21 - SYDNEY by SHELLEY HUSBAND
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sydney
Yarn colours: Iron, Cream, Rose
The colour possibilities with this block were pretty much endless - I did like using the Batik Elements for the central flower. Plus, a square with the same name as my home town!
The method for squaring up the circle looks very different and effective, but I can't for the life of me make it sit flat. Hopefully the peer pressure of being in a blanket will smooth things out.
It's almost square, just bulging a bit at the sides from the central circle.
WEEK 22 - AURORA by VANESSA PHILLIPS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aurora-41
Yarn colours: Mercury, Cream, Coral, Old Gold, Lupin
I loooove the centre circle of this square! It looks so cool, and is centred neatly on the rest of the square rather than being wonky! It did end up a bit looser than the outer rows though, so isn't quite flat.
However, something about the squaring up rows made the square twist a little bit, so it doesn't look very... square, by itself. That's ok though, being in a blanket will beat it into shape ;)
WEEK 23 - ENCOMPASS ME by HEATHER GIBBS
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/encompass-me-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Teal, Lupin, Cream
The textures of this square were lovely - not overdone, but just enough to give it some more interest. The centre circle does look like a compass!
The squaring up didn't come up quite straight, but not in a way that bothered me. At least the final square is relatively square!
WEEK 24 - FROSTBLOOM by SHAN SEVCIK
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frostbloom-12-afghan-square
Yarn colours: Olive, Raspberry, Cream
Lacy and textured? Sign me up! The additional "ruffle" around the centre square was fun to work and looks very effective :)
A well-written square (and doing a multi-designer CAL reeeeally emphasises how good well-written squares are!).
WEEK 25 - BERRYLICIOUS by MARIE SEGARES
Pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/berrylicious-square
Yarn colours: Graphite, Pistachio, Cherry
I'm not sold on the name for this one - 12 "berrieds" around the middle does not make berrylicious! The tensions were all off for this one, I had to force it into a square to be able to take a picture at all. I'm not sure if I needed to change hooks for the v-stitch section.
The square also developed a noticeable twist as I went along, which as you will know by now is not my favourite. Overall, it was ok to work but not my favourite.
PHEW. Coming next week: Squares 26-30! And I will try and keep up more regularly from now on for my sanity as well as yours!
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