Make: Granny Square Blanket

I taught myself to crochet in March this year using videos from YouTube. After learning the basics of chaining, single and double crochet, I took on one of the classics - a granny square.

I used some acrylic yarn, a size 4 hook, a whole bunch of websites and more YouTube videos. Many, many hours were spent crocheting round and round and round... Until I had a finished blanket!

After finishing a crocheted project, it will often buckle or bow around the edges. In order to flatten and straighten out a piece, you can block it - wetting the knitting or crochet to relax the yarn and reshaping it whilst it's wet, so it dries in the desired shape. I did this to my blanket, to finish it off ready for use!

I couldn't have learned how to do this without help from YouTube. There are so many crafters out there posting helpful How-To videos, so I wanted to pass on the torch with my Blocking Basics video. Hope it helps any amateur blockers out there!

Make: Fingerless Gauntlets

Giving these gloves the name "gauntlets" makes them sound very military - however, I'd challenge any uniform to sit comfortably next to this much rainbow colour (except perhaps the Colour Guard, MEGALOLZ no?)

I started making these in April when we were skiing in the Alps, but have only just gotten round to finishing them. I blame Tetris. They are crocheted using a 4mm hook and some amazingly bright rainbow yarn that I've lost the label for. 

I hate wearing normal gloves, as they make my hands feel super clumsy. I doesn't help that I am, even bare-handed, quite clumsy already. So I always opt for fingerless ones when I can. Hopefully the gauntlet sleeves will also help keep the draught from getting to my wrists.

I have also taken this rainbow opportunity to use a few beads that I've had lying around for YEARS. I think I got them free with Mizz magazine when I was about 12...

Finished just in time, judging by the awful weather outside!

Make: DVD Shelf

Does this count as a proper Make? It had pieces, a pattern and I did actually "make" it... So I think it counts!

I love building flat-pack furniture... There's something very satisfying about lining up all the pieces ready to go, then fitting them all together!

My only issue with this shelf, is why are the shelves all different sizes?! Was it too difficult to take the total height and just divide by four? If I get more bothered by it, I'll get the drill out and Amend...

Amend: Zip Fastenings

I finally completed two mini-amends this weekend - the kind that don't prevent you from wearing something, but as soon as you put it on, you're reminded about it.

The first was on a green gypsy skirt, where the top of the side zip would be scratchy & irritate my hip. It needed something to cover the top of the zip. I opted for some ribbon, mounted on the inside and sewn through only one layer, so the stitches don't show on the outside.

Of course, this has to be detachable, to allow the skirt to go on and off. I used a popper for this.

Worth noting is that ribbon like this will fray at the end when cut. My preferred technique for this is to hold it near (but not in) the flame of a candle, till the end curls up and goes black right along the edge. For this to work, I think it has to be manmade fibres, ie. not cotton or silk. I don't know the science!

The next fix was on a dress with a zip up the middle of the back. I had previously put a hook and eye at the top of this zip, as an additional fastening.

However, on wearing it, I realised I must've sewn it on the wrong way, as it was almost impossible to do up myself. I'd end up looking like I was doing some kind of contortionist yoga trick*. To avoid this, I turned the hook around! We'll see next time I wear it if I got it right this time...

*Disclaimer: I have never done yoga, so have no idea what "tricks" or positions actually look like.

Make: Knitted Ear-Warmer

I bought some Drops Eskimo Print in the sale on Wool Warehouse. It's a 50g ball of chunky 100% wool, rather than my usual (cheaper) yarn, destined for size 8mm needles. I decided to design my own pattern to make an ear-warmer. I'm not great at pattern descriptions but let's have a go!

Use circular needles, 40 or 60mm long, size 6 (I think that means 6mm...)

Cast on 71 stitches and join, to knit in the round

Row 1: p1, *k1, p1* repeat to end

Row 2: k1, *p1, k1* repeat to end

Row 3: *k5, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo* repeat to end (8 times)

Row 4: k all

Repeat rows 3 and 4 eight times, until piece measures approx. 8cm

(As you do this, the start point will move round by one stitch each time, creating the swirl)

Row 22: repeat row 3

Row 23: p1, *k1, p1* repeat to end

Row 24: k1, *p1, k1* repeat to end

Cast off and weave in ends.

Et voila! Mine took about 2hrs to make - love chunky wool.

Note for pattern repeat - I'm really not sure I've done a good job of describing it properly. That description above is how I thought of it. Here's a close-up of the finished pattern, to help improve the understanding of my instructions above.

And a wee diagram too, showing the progression of row 3. The pattern is worked from the bottom right, moving across and up.

 

Pink = knit as usual

Yellow = k2tog

Green = yo

Good luck with that!

Make: Ruffle Scarf

It was my mum's birthday this week and I wanted to make something for her, to go with some diamond sparklies from me & the other Grenham siblings.

I grew up in Mansfield, using a haberdashery called Sally Twinkle. I recently found out they had a new website and when I went on to browse, I inevitably ended up buying things! Among my purchases, some turquoise mix Four Seasons Gründl Butterfly Color yarn.

I took it on the train up to Newcastle for the Great North Run last weekend, with some size 6 needles. The yarn is special - it is a webbed yarn. You knit it by picking up the edge loops in the web, in the bottom of this picture. The rest of the width of the web forms the ruffles.

 

These types of yarns always come with instructions, though of varying quality. Mine were translated from German and not entirely clear - but fortunately I've made one before, so that wasn't too much of a problem for me. For anyone without that experience though, I'd suggest some YouTube tutorials first!

 

About an hour of knitting on the train, then maybe two that evening and... ta-da!

 

 

 

And the extra good news is... my mum loved it!

Update: Tetris Blanket

NEWSFLASH!

All 160 Tetris squares are now complete! Including all the final black ones!