CARON SIMPLY SOFT: complete range of colours just arrived

I'M HYPERVENTILATING I AM.....
so many yummy shades and they are super soft just like stroking the under belly of a Kitten.

 The post brought my latest design for Homespun Magazine back to me too but thats for another day

As i opened the full to the brim box....

Oh! What fun i am going to have with these today, thats everything on hold for at least 24hours

first few colours laid out 

Thank you Black Sheep Wools for organising this 

i was excited the other day on my visit and you handed me a basket and said help yourself...wow!
But I'm having a heart attack here now with all these super soft and yummy colours, in my hands to play with thank you so much its going to be a fun filled future

...and thanks to Readicut too for the fabulous SPEEDILY SENT collection of Caron Simply Soft.....thats my day filled for sure.

Sorry everyone.....im off to play with Caron Simply Soft, it has fabulous stitch definition so i will be posting pictures as soon as i have a few samples done to share

BREATHE........X

Slow progress, but getting there...

Previous Pattern Posts

LINK TO PART 1 MAKING THE ORIGINAL CUSHION FRONT

LINK TO PART 2: DIAMOND/SPEAR SHAPE INFILLS

LINK TO PART 3: TRIANGLE IN FILLS

LINK TO PART 4: BUTTON BAND AND JOINING CUSHION TOGETHER

EASY PEASY ALTERNATIVE CUSHION BACK

MAKING THE SPINNING TOP BLANKET FROM THE CUSHION FRONT

COLOUR SEQUENCE FOR ALL 9 MOTIFS TO DIAMOND IN FILLS

CIRCLES TO SQUARES PREP

Spinning Top Blanket BORDER?

Having agreed to do probably a little more than I could manage this month, the Spinning Top Blanket, hasn't been completed as quickly as i had hoped..... 

I now have 6 blocks together and think that 6 blocks would also makes a fabulous blanket too, so now we have 4, 6, 9 or 12 blocks as options for a blanket, all with different uses.

BUT WHAT SIZE BLANKET TO MAKE?

I don't have a place in the house specifically for this blanket so nothing to guide me...

OPTIONS:

4 Blocks: is a gorgeous baby blanket or lap blanket for your knees in a car

6 Blocks: is big enough to wrap around your shoulders or go on the bottom of a single bed or as a sofa throw

8 Blocks: would also make a fabulous wrap blanket or bed runner for the bottom of a double or king size bed.

9 Blocks: would make a big blanket that sat diagonally makes a fab cover for a double/king size bed

12 Blocks: would make a giant of a blanket for a King size bed...although the yarn pack would NOT make this size.

My Dilema is to decide which size i actually make...I had thought maybe i would stop at a 6 blocks get it finished and add the border for you all and use the other 3 blocks i have part made for a couple of square cushions so that i have a circular cushion 2 square cushions and a throw......But looking at it wrapped around me i'm thinking the big 9 block blanket is still the one i really would like to complete 

SO........ please be patient as the border will be completed as soon as i can get to it hopefully over the weekend

for now, I'm thinking 3 or 4 rows of granny shells and finish with a shell st or maybe a more lacy look and finish with 3 or 4 rows of 'v' st....

The final border rounds I'm really not sure of yet....nothing too complicated it really doesn't need it but what, a decision yet to be made.

so today i need to decide on 8 or 9 blocks, wrap blanket/bed runner or the giant square throw?

PATTERN LINKS SO FAR FROM CUSHION TO BLANKET

LINK TO PART 1 MAKING THE ORIGINAL CUSHION FRONT

LINK TO PART 2: DIAMOND/SPEAR SHAPE INFILLS

LINK TO PART 3: TRIANGLE IN FILLS

LINK TO PART 4: BUTTON BAND AND JOINING CUSHION TOGETHER

EASY PEASY ALTERNATIVE CUSHION BACK

MAKING THE SPINNING TOP BLANKET FROM THE CUSHION FRONT

COLOUR SEQUENCE FOR ALL 9 MOTIFS TO DIAMOND IN FILLS

CIRCLES TO SQUARES PREP

BORDER

Part 2: Camper Coat

Hope you have made progress and been able to decide on your yarn and colour, unlike me!

I changed my mind about using the Daisy Flower Granny below, for my coat...

its a motif i've used on and off for years and just felt it wasn't right after all for my coat, so i set about redesigning a new motif that i would be far happier with, nothing wrong with the motif from yesterday just not for me this time.

This is the new motif I decided was just right for my coat

I will be using one or two more centre colours, this is only a photographic mock up to see what it might look like

I also tried it in a pale grey shade

Love both so I might be making 2 or maybe one as jacket and one as a blanket.

several options from lots of brights the original coat to just a few colours to almost neutral shade of grey.

WHEEL MOTIF PATTERN

Finger wrap of 4 wraps

Round 1: 12sc into circle, sl st, to complete, cut off and weave in end

Round 2: ch4, counts as first dc, ch2 sp, dc, into next st ch2, repeat until you have 12 'spokes', cont.

Round 3: ch2, counts as first dc, 2dc, ch3, 3dc, into first sp, *2dc in next 2 sps, 3dc, ch3, 3dc, in next sp, repeat, from * to end, sl st to complete, cut off and weave in end.

ROUND 3: IS THE JOIN AS YOU GO ROUND

Using a sl st  between the side spa, and replace the middle ch st with a sl st into the previous square as below

dk or aran could be used for this motif

the charcoal grey is dk and looks more 'open' than the pale grey which is in aran, all the centres are in dk

LINK TO PART 1 HERE

Links to the original coat and link to the Alpaca version patterns in part 1.

Next post for the coat will be in a week.

Decide on you yarn colour and do the first row of the motif you have picked to fit you. 

If you are happy with you first row then continue to make the rows as this first row will be the hem of the coat.

PART 1: Granny Flower Coat

Having already made a granny square coat with a wide sleeve it was basically a 'T' shape this time around I'm going to attempt to make a Granny Square coat with a shaped sleeve and set it into a shaped arm hole

these MINI CALS really are crochet along, I'm only going to be one step ahead, so you will see worts an all, we can create a coat for everyone.

SIZE

The number of square you need will of course depend on the size coat you need...so for this first post its...

Decide on the colour

Decide on the yarn

Decide on the Granny motif you want to use.

Make a sample length all joined in one long row.

Check your yarn is all washable, if you've used odd ends of balls and have no idea of the content.

I'm using dk all wool or with some wool in it. 

I used an all acrylic yarn last time and after a few washes and lots of wearing it stretched slightly the small amount of wool should help to stop the stretching and I'm using a

 4mm hook...

but if you want a bigger coat then maybe an 

Aran and a 5mm hook will help make a smaller square sightly bigger for a bigger coat so you need to make less squares 

The pattern will look something like this for the fitted sleeve

hoping this shape will work ok

so there will be some half squares to make for this coat or jacket if you prefer.

PICKING YOUR GRANNY SQUARE MOTIF

So many to choose from....

You could use the one i used for my first coat and some I know have already started with this motif.

made in many colours above or made in just 5 below

MOTIF PATTERN HERE

You could make your coat in a basic granny...this is the one I'm using for my Bethany Skirt 

There are so many good options, I think this could be the hardest part making that decision?

MY COAT MOTIF PATTERN CHOICE

I have decided on a simple 8 petal Daisy flower, i've used this pattern many time before 

originally in a Circular Daisy rug, using a white daisy.

But for this coat i've adapted the pattern slightly from the original, to open it up a little ays don't need such a close daisy for a coat and to use my favourite finger wrap start.

BASIC DAISY GRANNY PATTERN

Finger wrap of 4 wraps

Round 1: after securing the finger wrap, ch3, this is the first dc and ch1 sp, 1dc, ch1 repeat until you have 8 spokes to the centre, with 8 ch1 sps, sl st to complete cut off and weave in ends

Round 2: Granny Shell petals, att new colour, ch2 counts as first dc, 2dc into first sp, ch1, 3dc, ch1, in next 7sps, sl st, to complete, cut off and weave in ends

Round 3:THIS ROUND IS THE JOIN AS YOU GO ROUND

 att, background and joining colour in any ch1 sp, ch3, 2tr,  in the first ch1 sp, ch1, 3dc in the next is sp, ch1 3tr, 3ch, 3tr, in the next corner sp repeat for all 4 sides, finished with the last 3tr, ch3, sl st into the first tr, to complete, cut and weave in ends

JOIN AS YOU GO

Replace the ch1 stitch between the side granny shell and the 2nd ch st, in the corners with a sl st and join the next square to the first in the matching sps.

FINGER WRAP: for this that don't know how, wrap around finger 

and secure with a ch st.

MY COAT COLOUR CHOICE

This is a quick to make motif and I am using shades of greens for the first round

Shades of reds, pinks, oranges, maybe a few purple lilac shades too, for the petals and

Charcoal grey for the 3rd and joining round...although i might be tempted to make a second as this is such a quick granny square to make into making an Olive green back ground one too.

MY COAT YARN CHOICE

All the yarns i'm using and I'm mixing lots of brand together, all with a small wool content to hopefully eliminate the stretch on my first coat in all acrylic and all will be washable yarns.

Important to remember when mixing lots of yarns together to be sure they are all washable at the same temperature, if you're not sure then wash at 30deg.

I'm making a sample length...

a. to decide on how many squares i need to fit me

b. to check they are all washable yarns I'm using

MAKING A START...

So as soon as you have decided on your colour, yarns and motif, make a sample length of squares that will fit you personally

That will reach around your biggest part un- stretched, no cheating now, its around your biggest bit.....so you know how many squares to make approx.

TOMORROW 

I will have my sample length made of the 3 round granny daisy i have chosen and it will be washed and I will be able to say approx. how many squares I will need for this 
new Camper Coat. 

My old coat was 13 squares wide by 9 in length with 6 wide by 4 in length sleeves

Lets see what this coat will have
cya tomorrow 

Have fun

Happy Valentines Day: Heart book Marker

Cute little book marker 

Aran 5mm hook

PATTERN:

Finger wrap of 8 wraps

Round 1: 14sc [14dc], into circle

Round 2: ch2, 1dc [1tr], into first st, 2tr [2dtr], into next 4 sts, 2dtr [2ttr], into next st, ch3 picot, 2dtr [2ttr], into next st, 2tr, [2dtr] into next 4 sts, 1dc [1tr], ch 2 sl st into next st,

sl st into next centre st, ch36, 

Round 1: mini heart at the other end

sl st into 3rd st, from the hook, ch2, turn, 6dc [6tr], into tiny circle, ch3 picot, 6dc [6tr], into circle, ch2 sl st into circle cut off and sew in end.

 make the chain exactly the right length for your book so it sits in the crease and holds the page for you