INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH COWL PATTERN

I did say i would have completed the Alternative Solid Granny Square Blanket for you today , but i did the 2" border but want to try a flower edge finish 

and I just ran out of time last night...later or tomorrows post, promise.

But here is a wonderful stitch to try in a Cowl pattern...

INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH COWL PATTERN

click link for the pattern

One group of my favourite stitches, interlocking stitches...mix plain with space dyed yarn or two shades of space dyed yarns together to get some fabulous effects....enjoy

LAYERED FLOWER DECORATION
US TERMS
dk, 4mm hook
Black centre, 2 rounds of coloured petals

Magic circle
Round 1: ch2, counts as first dc, 11dc into circle, sl st, to complete [12dc]
Round 2: cont in black, ch3, miss a st, sc, into next st, repeat to end sl st, to complete. [6 xch3 loops]
Round 3: att. petal colour, in any ch3, loop, ch2, 5dc, into loop ch2, sl st into loop, sl st, into next ch3 loops and repeat in each ch3 loop. [6 x 7dc, petals]

Round 4: cont in same colour, ch3, sc, between first round of petals, ch3 sc between next 2 petals, repeat to end. [6 X ch3 loops]

Round 5: att second petal colour, in any ch3, loop, ch2, 7dc into same loop, ch2 sl st into same loops, sl st into next loop repeat for all 6 petals, sly t to complete. [6 x 9dc, petals]

Leave a long end to sew on a pin
Make 3 and pin close together on the cowl

Block Stitch Checks

 3dc, Block stitch checks each row a new colour

SCHEEPJES XL SAMPLING...Beautiful yarn

Asked my crochet group on Facebook 

GROUP LINK

If they had any favourite yarns and their least favourite yarns. Its led to me doing a sample wash test on Scheepjes XL...

Love the yarn myself and felt i needed to share this post after doing a wash test on a small sample of 3 colours of this Cotton/acrylic yarn that i love

BEFORE WASHING: slightly hairy look to this yarn

AFTER WASHING

actually found the 'hairiness had disappeared

RESULTS ARE:

I love the yarn, it crochets beautifully, used the recommended 5mm hook, it's soft and the Stonewash look is fabulous. 

A 70% Cotton, 30% acrylic yarn, washed on a 20deg, wash.

For a cotton yarn it is, quite 'hairy' but wasn't a problem to work with at all.

After washing most of the hairiness seemed to have disappeared....which really surprised me

After washing close ups

I have no problem with recommending this yarn to any Hooker no signs of pilling at all.

Hope that helps anyone wanting to buy this yarn 

MARCH UPDATE: 
I received my beautiful box of the DK Stone/River washed 10g balls, beautifully boxes...
I can certainly see why so many say they want to hang this gorgeous box of mini colour gems, on the wall. 
50 teeny tiny balls of cuteness...a perfect picture for any wall.

BUT...i've crocheted, unpicked and man handled this yarn to the extreme, while sampling the mini balls of yummy colours....

Absolutely no problems with the yarn at all, it CROCHETS BEAUTIFULLY, GREAT STITCH DEFINITION AND STUNNING COLOURS......but I can say that this dk yarn using a 4mm hook crochets to perfection, looks fabulous and
 I LOVE IT

I will do a wash and wear test and add the results in a few months time

INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH COWL PATTERN

With it warming up a little I had a clear up and moved back into the work room yesterday...well over due.

Back in my cosy litttle nest of woolly things and colour.

INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH COWL

 Interlocking block stitch Stripes and Checks...

 Loving the Noro Yarn

INTERLOCKING BLOCK STITCH COWL PATTERN

COWL: 74 stripes x 2 dc each =148 base ch,
Its quite a big cowl with 32 rows

2 x 50g Balls of Noro or 100g of space dyed Aran yarn
1 Ball of plain Aran weight yarn 
5mm hook 

US TERMS UK Terms in brackets

BASE CHAIN: 1st col. 148ch,[ even number of sts, if you want it bigger or smaller], sl st, into a circle. [148ch sts] 

ROUND 1: cont. in 1st col. 2dc [2tr], 2ch miss 2sts, repeat to the end, pull yarn through st and hold. [74 blocks 74 ch2 sp]

ROUND 2: Att, 2nd col. to the first st, of an unused base ch st, [ch2, counts as first dc], dc [tr], over the ch sts of first row into the 2nd unused base ch st, ch2, dc, into next 2 unused base ch sts, ch2, repeat to end, sl st to complete, pull yarn through st, and hold. 
[74 blocks, 74 ch2 sp]

ROUND 3: pick up col. 1, in a ch sp, ch2, counts as first dc, dc in next st, covering the ch2, of previous row, ch2 repeat to end, sl st, pull yarn through st, and hold.
 [74 blocks, 74 ch2 sp]

ROUND 4 - 32: Repeat round 3, alternate the 2 colours will give you vertical stripes.

NOTE: To Do Checks 

Do 2 rounds in col. 1, then 2 rounds in col. 2, repeating the same stitch to get a checked version.

Loopy edging stitch.
ROUND 1: Att yarn in any st, ch2 counts as first dc, dc in next st, ch5, dc in next 4 sts, ch5, dc in next 4 sts, repeat to end, finish with dc in last 2 sts, sl st into first st, cont.
ROUND 2: 8dc into ch5 loops, sl st between the pairs of dc, repeat to end, sl st to complete