WORKSHOP FIRST EVENING...a great success

Well I think the first evening of Chat, Cheese and Crochet went very well, everyone learnt something new and I'm sure will be sharing lots of pictures with the Facebook group. Sue Pinner's Granny Squares just click the link and join the fun 

First few pictures of the WORKSHOP PATTERNS, 

WITH MUCH MUCH MORE TO COME...

 

This workshop has 2 patterns one will be a wrap, but much more than that each component of the wrap can me made into several other designs from blankets to decorations. All the yarn is provides and a i think the goody bags were a great success.

2 of the fabrics i used to make the totes

With something very special still to come...

Christmas Decorations an extra, off shoot of the main wrap pattern

Cya later Hookers, a full day of Hooky fun to come 

Reference an expert...ERIC BROUG

Research said Eric Brough is the go too expert of Moroccan/Islamic Geometric Design. You Tube has been very useful but they go so quickly I thought a couple of good books would be useful. 

These 2 easy to use, great starter books arrived next day from Amazon. 

Having so much fun. Creating the geometric patterns from scratch is so very distracting from any pain i'm feeling in my hands. I was totally zoned out and lost in the world of geometry yesterday, it's so very relaxing to do. And colouring in is a great relaxer in the middle of the night when you cant sleep.

From what he says in his books i've jumped right in with a more difficult pattern first, instead of starting with a simple one. So back to basics with a repeated pattern next I think. 

Not worked with pencil crayons much for a long time so I'm love getting the perfect finish with coloured pencils and they says its supposed to be very relaxing, colouring. It seemed to work. I dropped right off to sleep again after and hour or so's colouring in the middle of the night.

 New tiny box of water colours to try next and a repeated design instead of just a single shape.

All the designs in Eric's books are listed with a date and where they can actually be seen, one day maybe i might get to see some of them in the place of origin.

MINI STAR HEX PATTERN 2012

Another very old but quite enjoyable star mini hex pattern from years ago,

to try if you have seen it before

Mini Star Hexagon

USA Terms 

4mm hook DK yarn

SIMPLE 2 ROUND PATTERN:

NOTE: An easy 2 round hexagon that I prefered to stitch together thought the back of the stitch only.

USA Terms as usual, DK yarn, 5mm hook.

ch 3, sl st into a circle

ROUND 1: Make 6 spokes, ch 4 as first spoke, dc, ch2 repeat until you have 6 spokes and 6 spaces

ROUND 2: 2dc, 2 ch, 2dc in every chain 2 space, sl st to complete round. (6 sides)

how easy is that then?

Have fun

Join as you go in the corners only using a sl st to join...i think these original ones many years ago were sewn together...shock horror lol x 

15 MINUTE RULE...

Using the 15minute rule to try and complete a few projects, the leftover hex blanket has another row of hex's added...

15 Minutes a day until a project is completed..

I have lots of small balls of left over wool, thanks Chris the pots are full again so decided to do more on my scrap hex blanket...it almost covers half a king size bed now

I do love secondary patterns don't you?

Mr T Likes it too...

it's grown a bit since the Summer hope to make it a giant blanket for a king size bed eventually

PATTERN?

Cant remember did i share this pattern with you all..let me know and i will add this one to the freebies if i didn't? 

CUSHION CAL: Square cushion 2nd Panel

I did decide to simplify the square cushion so i could do the circular cushion as well as the blanket, but lots have asked for the 3 different panels for the one side of the Square cushion so here is the 2nd Star panel

The 1st part MINI GRANNY SQUARES and the Hexagon panel HERE

The Star Panel

Aran yarn

5mm hook

Finger wrap of 6 wraps, 

Round 1: 12 sc [dc], into circle, sl st to complete.

NOTE: ROUND 2 IS THE JOIN AS YOU GO ROUND.  

Round 2: att. new colour in any st, ch1, [counts as fist sc (dc)], dc [tr], into the same st, ch3, dc [tr] and sc [dc],  into the next st, sc [dc], dc [tr], into next st, ch3, dc [tr], sc [dc], into the next st, repeat the star point 4 more times,  sl st to complete. (6 star points)

Make a row of 7 stars join as you go using the 2nd ch st as a sl st to join 2 star points together.

NOTE: TO MAKE THE ROW OF 7 STARS INTO A PANEL USE THE SAME PATTERN AS FOR THE HEX PANEL.

FINISHING BANDS

 Add a ch st base and 4 rows of hdc [htr] to both sides of the 7 STARS row.

ROW1: First colour, Att. yarn with a tr [dtr], standing start, ch 3, sc [dc],  into next point of the first STAR,

ch3, tr [dtr], into dip between the first 2 STARS 

repeat to end of row, finish with a tr [dtr], in the last ch1 point of the last STAR in row.

 ROW2: ch2, turn, 3hdc [3htr], into the ch3 sp,

1hdc [1htr], into the next st,  3hdc [3htr], into next sp, hdc [htr], into next st, repeat to end finish with 3hdc [3htr] in last ch3 sp. (56sts)

 ROW 3: change colour, ch2 turn, hdc [htr],into first st.

1hdc [1htr], in every st to end (56sts)

ROW 4: Repeat row 3. (56sts)

CUSHION CAL UPDATE:

Still playing, but with the Batik this time, same pattern and number of stitches but it will be smaller maybe a 16" cushion in the Batik dk...

If it stretches then an 18" cushion pad will fit in a couple of months time when its been well used, or it stays the same because of the wool content, little experiment here.

Using Batik on its own not mixing it with 4ply here.  Batik dk, 4mm hook and mixing the motif's, hex's and stars, so lots of options to come with this cushion.

And the 6 Aran colours i had run out of are here too so full steam ahead on the the cushions now

Special Aran and Alpaca shades, I am using in the cushion cal.

Saffron, camel, gold, spice, pomegranate, raspberry, rose, parchment, sea breeze (alpaca), duck egg  (alpaca), storm blue, denim, meadow, pistachio

almost ready for the 17th January, Cushion cal start date

ARAN WEIGHT BATIK

Aran weight..my favourite for blankets grows so quickly and very warm...this is a selection of Stylecraft Batik and Life mixed together to give 20 shades of Aran weight yarn and there are 30 shades in the Aran Special already if you want solid flat colours 

the Aran yarn pack in Parchment from the blog tour 2016....love the colours in this pack just 

added a couple of extra shades, Camel and Plum and Fern for the triangles and hexagons

             i've made up so many of my old patterns and updated the look with this pack....

Granny Shawl pattern here

reposted pattern from 2013

Mini Shawl pattern here 

slight variation in stitch 

Wave pattern here

even the back of the wave looks great too...

back of the wave at the bottom of the picture 

ssssh! Christmas presents 

New Flower pattern for  January 2017