Monday catch-up...

Well how exciting!  There is another blanket swap going on... this time Lynda from Hookin' With Laalaa  is organising a blanket....  

Lynda has invited crocheters to sign up, then within a certain amount of time, everyone crochets a square for everyone else on the list... a bit more work than the Beautiful Blogger Blanket, but everyone gets a blanket so it will be worth it.  I've signed up!

(Blanket photos taken from Google search - origins unknown)

Laurinda from Remembering Rowan  got in touch and asked for her link to be included on the Beautiful Blogger Blanket list of links for patterns etc. so I decided to have a look at her blog... Please go over there and have a look too - after the loss of her daughter Rowan, Laurinda decided to inspire other crafters to make blankets, hats etc. to donate to local baby care units in memory of baby Rowan.  

The site includes patterns, tutorials and links to support for parents who have suffered the devastating pain of losing a baby. 

Back to the BBB2012 - I have had a couple of questions about what weight DK or Double Knit yarn is as other countries refer to DK weight under other names.  Try this link to Dummies.com for information on all sorts of problems like this.

Dummies.com

This weekend I worked a lot on my design for the crochet contest over at About Crochet - the following photos aren't of the design I have decided on as a final piece, but they are of one of the stitch pattern variations that Elisabeth specified.. this was a practise piece....

The stitch is called chain double-crochet(ch.dc) in the UK and chain single-crochet (ch.sc) is the American term.  You can see that the front view of the stitch is quite different from the back view. 

The pattern goes like this (using the English terms): 


Make a chain of 15 and add 2 for turning.  If you want a longer piece of work you need to multiply the 15, and then add 2 on, so for example:  15 + 2 = 17, 30 + 2 = 32, 45 + 2 = 47...etc....


Make 17 chain.


Row 1. 
Make 1 chain in the 3rd chain from hook, 1 chain, *skip 1 chain, 1 chain double-crochet in the next chain, 1 chain*, repeat from * to * until the end of the row, end with 1 chain double-crochet in the last chain, make 2 chain, turn.


Row 2. 
1 chain double-crochet into the first 1 chain space, 1 chain, *1 chain double-crochet in the next 1 chain space, 1 chain*, repeat from* to * until the end of the row, end with 1 chain double-crochet into the top of the turning chain, 2 chain, turn


Row 3 and further. repeat row 2.

Elisabeth got the pattern description from Mypicot.com , she also gives 3 variations of this stitch in the competition rules.  

Mypicot.com is a lovely site for stitch patterns (crochet and knitting) and tutorials - especially if you would like to try crochet with thread.

I am off to do some house work and walk Fred... he's a bit bored...

Square inspiration and a lovely competition...

Christmas stars... no I haven't gone mad.. I forgot to blog them and completely forgot to give them to my Mum and sisters!  Ah well.... only  358 days until Christmas 2012! It's true... look here !

(Photos from Google search on Granny Squares... origin unknown)

Have you found Adaiha's blog called 'Things to make and do'?   

Basically Adaiha pledged to crochet a square a day in 2011... and not the easy way as I have been doing with the One-a-Day group led by Gingerbread Girl... 

No, Adaiha is sourcing and using a different PATTERN every day! Amazing!  

In her blog there are links to patterns, books, tutorials all based around the crochet square and what to do to /with it..  I have a feeling I may be spending some time there in the next month!

I popped over to Scarlet Dash this afternoon and found a lovely Giveaway going on.. The book "Interlocking Crochet by Tanis Galik " will be given away next Sunday (8th Jan)...all you have to do is pop over to Scarlet Dash's  blog, leave a comment and wait with fingers and toes crossed...good luck! 

No reason for this Photo of Freddie... It's just to make you smile.... 

I hope you are all able to enjoy your Bank Holiday Monday tomorrow... I don't think it is going to be a hot sunny one (not in the UK anyway)!