Tutorial: Fold A Star Blanket

Hello hello!

A couple of weeks ago, I finished a star blanket for a newborn baby girl for good friends of ours and complained to my husband that I never know how to fold these blankets. They always look oddly shaped when folded, are impossible to gift wrap, and so on. Well, my husband took one look at the blanket and was like "uh, yes, of course, you could fold it", took the blanket andddd folded it perfectly. Right. I was baffled and posted a picture on Instagram. It looks like I am not the only one struggling with folding star blankets, and I was asked to ask my husband to show the world how he folds star blankets...

So, I present the "fold your star blanket tutorial" :). The pattern I used for the blanket is from Celeste Young and the yarn is Life DK and Life Changes DK from Stylecraft. 

I would love to see your folded blankets! Can you tag us on instagram or use the hashtag #crochetbetweenworlds? That would be awesome!!

If something is unclear, please let me know, and I will try to describe it in other words. 

Take care, 

Anne

Tutorial: Fold A Star Blanket

Step 1

Lay it out with the wrong side facing up.

Step 2

Fold in the first side. I use the corners (the dips) as guidelines. With larger blankets, you might to fold it over a bit further though. 

Step 3

Fold in the second side. If your blanket is bigger than mine, the sides will overlap more and you might need to fold the side in a bit further.

Step 4

Fold in the upper half. If your blanket is bigger, you might need to fold it in a bit further.

Step 5

Fold in the lower half. If your blanket is bigger, you might need to fold it in a bit further.

Step 6

Fold the lower half in again to the middle and turn it over! :)

The Video

It might sound more complicated than it actually is. In fact, it is super easy... So, we made a short video - it doesn't have the highest quality (we filmed it in the middle of our move and were rather short on time) but I hope you get the idea anyway. :)

TUTORIAL: Foundation Single Crochet

I have a brand new pattern with the graphic designer at the moment! So exciting :D However, it uses a LOT of foundation single crochet stitch. To make your lives easier, here is the Crochet Between Worlds Foundation Single Crochet Photo Tutorial! 

--------------------------------------------------------------

FOUNDATION SINGLE CROCHET - PHOTO TUTORIAL 

---------------------------------------------------------------

1. With your hook and yarn, start with a slip knot.

2. Do 2 chain stitch. 

3. Now, look carefully at your first chain stitch (2nd from your hook). There are three threads - the "chain loops" and the "third loop" - I've marked them on this photo for you. You need to insert your hook from front to back through the "chain loops".

4. Yarn over hook, and pull it back to the front - now you have two loops on your hook. 

5. Now the magic begins! Yarn over hook, and bring it through ONLY THE FIRST LOOP, like the photo below. This creates the chains to mimic a foundation chain starting row. 

6. The next step is to make the single crochet stitch - yarn over hook again, and pull through BOTH LOOPS. Tada! You've made your first foundation sc stitch! 

7. This is the part where I was coming undone in other tutorials - where do you put your hook through to start the next stitch? Well, here you go! If you turn the work over so you are looking at the underneath (the "chain" part), you'll see a group of loops. I've labelled with pink arrows which are the "chain loops" that you need to stick your hook through.

Put your hook through those loops from front to back.

Now yarn over hook, and pull through the "chain loops". You'll have two loops on your hook again.  

8. Just like the first time, yarn over hook and pull through the FIRST LOOP only, to create the "chain" section of the stitch.   

9. Then, pull through both loops to create foundation sc #2!

10. Turn you work over again to look at the "chain" side of things. See the next two chain loops that you need to put your hook through to start the next stitch? I've labelled them with yellow arrows below :) 

When you are looking for the next chain loops, make sure you don't pick up the "third loop" by accident! I've spread the threads out a bit and labelled them below. If you start using the "third loop", your chain side will look a bit strange!

Once you've got the hang of it, continue on in the same way: 

FOUNDATION SINGLE CROCHET STITCH - SUMMARY

STEP 1:  Insert hook front to back through chain loops of last stitch, yarn over hook, pull back through chain loops (2 loops on hook). 

STEP 2:  Yarn over hook, pull through 1 loop ("chain") (2 loops on hook). 

STEP 3: Yarn over hook, pull through both loops ("sc"). 

Tutorial: Invisible Half Double Crochet Decrease

Good Morning!

2015 is a tough year so far... My Granny died last Sunday, less than 3 months after my granddad. I feel very sad but also very lucky I got to have her in my life for so long. Also, I am happy that she is now with my grand-dad - she longed for that in the last weeks.

She had my blanket with her all the time. That made me feel really close to her and I felt very connected to her. Making blankets for loved ones is such a wonderful thing!

* * * * * * *

Anyway, as my granny was really into crochet, I am sure she would like me posting a tutorial in her memory...

If you are following us on Instagram or Facebook, you already know that I am working on a new beanie design. I had to learn the hdc invisible decrease stitch which is pretty easy once you get it. However, I wasn't too fond of the tutorials around for it on the web, so I decided to write one up myself. Here is goes...

Tutorial 

When you use traditional hdc decrease stitches it will be visible as seen in the following pic.

The aim of the invisible decrease is to make the decrease look like a normal stitch. For this you will work into the front loops of the two stitches from you previous row. I marked them in the following two pics.

 

 

Yarn over and insert the hook into the front loop of the first stitch. Don't pull through, do not yarn over again. You now have three loops on the hook.

Insert the hook into the front loop of the second stitch. You now have four loops on the hook (as seen in the next two pictures). 

 Yarn over hook, then pull the yarn through the two front loops. You now have three loops on the hook.

Pull the yarn through the remaining three loops. And voila! Your invisible decrease is finished!

Pretty clever, ey? I love the invisible decreases and certainly won't ever go back to normal ones!

* * * * * * *

 Take care

Anne

These boots are made for... snuggling!

Hello everyone! Sorry I'm a bit late this week - I was hoping to blog last night but me and Sophie were NOT getting along, and I wanted to show you all how this week's part of the CAL looks :) 

First up though, I have been having loads of fun recently making Crocodile Stitch Booties! Using this fabulous set of patterns from Bonita Designs, I've made baby ones in Stylecraft Special DK Citron:

Child ones with a Stylecraft Special DK Lavender sole and Moda Vera Fayette Jewel Mix tops:

And adult ones with a Moda Vera Marvel Green sole and Moda Vera Fayette Frenzy tops!

It is a fantastic pattern - very easy to follow and well explained for uneducated people like me who have never done crocodile stitch or rib stitch before - I highly recommend it. And, so cute!

I particularly had fun at Mum's house on Sunday, shopping in her button collection :) Do you think these were good choices?

The baby ones don't have buttons yet. I need to either figure out how to crochet buttons that are the right size and work well, or maybe get some velcro? What do you think?

And here is my Sophie's Universe progress! It took me much longer than it should have to do the last 10 rows, but I kept reading the pattern wrong and miscounting and discovering mistakes in previous rows... Sophie didn't quite go over the balcony, but it was a near thing a few times. I love the colours though!!

Here's hoping I have better luck with next week's part 5 :) 

EDITED TO ADD: Here is my sister's start on the Sophie's Universe CAL - I love how the different colour scheme gives a totally different effect!! She was inspired by the Attic24 Cottage pack in choosing her colours. 

PATTERN: Twist and Turn Bargello Afghan

Ta dah! My Rainbow Twist and Turn Bargello Afghan is finished! 

I loved making it so much - the small squares and join-as-you-go technique meant that I felt like I was working very fast! Plus, only two ends to weave in for each square, and no growing pile of little squares to join at the end. Overall it took me 16 days of holidays when I was doing very little else (other than watching Downton Abbey). This project would be very easy to do a little and then pack away with the chart and pick up again later.

I am full of dreams about my next bargello-style afghan now... watch this space!

You can bookmark or favourite this pattern on Ravelry for later here:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-twist-and-turn-bargello-afghan

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PATTERN: RAINBOW TWIST AND TURN BARGELLO AFGHAN 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Finished Size: 125cm x 125 cm / 49" x 49"

This pattern uses simple 2 row granny squares, joined with slip stitches during the second row in place of chains. It is very simple to make - the beauty is in the arrangement of colours to imitate the well-known patchwork bargello pattern, Twist and Turn. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Materials:

2 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK in each of:

Matador (red)
Jaffa (orange)
Saffron (light orange)
Citron (yellow)
Spring Green (pale green)
Green (dark green)
Petrol (dark blue)
Cloud Blue (light blue)
Lavender (blue-purple)
Violet (red-purple)

(total: 20 balls)

3.5mm/E hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Terminology:

This pattern uses US terminology. 

sl st = slip stitch
ch = chain stitch
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet

Special stitches:

Stacked Standing Double Crochet - sc into target stitch. Insert hook under two leftmost strands of sc, yarn over hook to do a second sc.



I prefer this stitch to other forms of standing dc, and it looks much better than chains. Replace with 3ch if you prefer not to use this stitch.

No Slip Magic Circle - I prefer this double loop to a single loop magic circle as I found I was weaving ends in with an extra circle before doubling back with the single loop - this cuts out one extra weaving step! Nerdifacts has an excellent picture tutorial on the No Slip Magic Circle :)

CHART

Work from the top left corner in rows from left to right. I recommend stopping to weave in the ends every 10 squares or so. 

INSTRUCTIONS - 2 ROW GRANNY SQUARES - JOIN AS YOU GO:

First square:

1. Start with a No-Slip Magic Circle. 

2. Do a stacked standing double crochet into the magic circle, then (2dc, 2ch), (3dc, 2ch)x3 all into the magic circle, and join into standing dc with a slip stitch. Tighten up the circle so there is no visible hole in the centre.

3. In the 2ch space you just made, do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into each of next three 2ch spaces. In the final 2ch space, do (3dc, 2ch, 2dc) and then join with a slip stitch to the standing dc. Finish off.  

Joining squares on one side only:

1. Complete steps 1 and 2 as for the first square. 

2. Do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into the next two corner 2ch spaces. In the next 2ch space, do 3dc, 1ch. In place of the second corner chain, slip stitch into a 2ch space of the square you want to join to (the red square in the picture). 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the corresponding 1ch space of the red square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the red square. 

Ch1, then 2dc and slip stitch into the top of the standing dc. Finish off.

Joining squares on two sides.

1. Complete steps 1 and 2 as for the first square. 

2. Do another stacked standing double crochet followed by 1ch, then (3dc, 2ch, 3dc, 1ch) into the next corner 2ch space. In the next 2ch space, do 3dc, 1ch. In place of the second corner chain, slip stitch into the adjacent 2ch corner space of the first square you want to join to (orange square A in the picture). 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the 1ch space of the orange square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the orange square A, and then slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the green square B. Ignore the red square B altogether! 

Continue with 3 dc. In place of the next chain, slip stitch into the 1ch space of the green square. 

Do another 3dc. Slip stitch into the corner 2ch space of the green square. Ch1, then 2dc and slip stitch into the top of the standing dc. Finish off.

INSTRUCTIONS - BORDER

The border is a simple tweed stitch (1sc, 1ch). I did a row of each of the rainbow colours, starting with Matador and ending with Violet (10 rows).

Row 1: The first row is all worked into the tops of the stitches and chains of the squares below. Start by joining the yarn with an sc on any corner into the second corner chain.

*Ch1, skip one stitch and sc into the next stitch*. Repeat until you get to the next corner. You should end up with 5sc in one square and 4sc in the next, repeating along the row. 

After you sc into the second corner chain, 2ch and sc into the same stitch. Then continue along as before. Repeat until you get back to the stitch where you first joined the yarn. 2ch, sl st into top of the first sc. Finish off and weave in ends.

Subsequent rows:

Join yarn with an sc into any ch1 space. *ch1, skip sc and sc into the next ch1 space*. Repeat until you get to a corner. In the corner ch2 space, do 1sc, 2ch, 1sc. Continue to repeat * * until you get back to your starting stitch. Ch1, sl st into the first sc. Finish off and weave in ends.

We'd love to see your finished blankets, and answer questions you have on our Facebook page!