3D SUNFLOWER BLANKET – WORK IN PROGRESS
It’s been a while…..work in progress Wednesday…take a look at my latest projects
It’s been a while since I have been able to write in my blog it’s been a busy year so far and I just haven’t had a chance. This year I decided to finish a challenge I started way back in 2016. It’s the 365 days of granny squares challenge by Yarnuptopia. https://yarnutopia.com/365-days-of-granny-squares/
It’s a fantastic challenge if you are learning how to crochet want to brush up on your crochet skills. Each day a new square is made using patterns from designers around the world. Each pattern is unique in it’s combination of stitches but they also have common themes such as floral patterns or texture squares. The challenge is divided into months with a new square for every day of that month.
I recommenced the challenge starting on the April square as I had finished all of January to March. Most of the patterns are available on Raverly.com or by following the link above.
If I get time each week I will add more information about each square. Here is a gallery of the squares I have made so far this year.
As you can see each square has its own individual flair. Nadia has put together the colour combinations and each square I think suits it’s chosen color quite well.
I hope you can join in with me on this challenge and I look forward to updating you all soon on the latest squares I am making.
Enjoy your day everyone
Vicky
Work in progress Wednesday…….. continuing projects from last week…take a look
I am still working on the stash buster granny square blanket and the Tunisian crochet block sample blanket.
Granny squares are a great way to use up left over yarn or odd colours. You can put whatever combination you like. YouTube and Tiktok or Pinterest have a vast array of ideas and patterns to choose from.
I have gone with a combination of granny squares and more solid squares. A mix of small and large squares. This gives the project an interesting look and vibrance. Also the mini squares work perfectly for small amounts of yarn you have left.
The Tunisian crochet blanket is coming along well. I have finished block 5 and commenced block 6.
Block 5 is a diagonal texture stitch made up of a knit stitch and Purl stitch in alternating blocks to give a texture affect. Block 6 shows you how to add a second colour and introduces the slip stitch into the body of the crochet item instead of just casting off at the end.
I found this block difficult to start with as I couldn’t find how to do the slip stitch. I was lucky to find a tutorial on YouTube which helped and I was able to continue with the pattern.
So far this is my favourite block. The pattern is from a book called Tunisian crochet from absolute beginners to advanced, written by Dijana Warrender. It’s available on Amazon
Well that’s it for this week. Thank you for reading my posts as always. For those who celebrate I wish you all a merry Christmas and to everyone a happy new year.
Vicky
Work in Progress Wednesday……Take a look at my latest projects this week.
Recently I made the decision to stop taking custom orders and business to business orders and turn my crochet business back to what it originally was, a fun hobby. Since I have done that I have been able to finish old projects and work on some new ones.
I am onto block 5 of the Tunisian crochet blanket I am making. There are 16 blocks in total so I will be working on this for a while. The pattern is from the book Tunisian Crochet from absolute beginners to advanced written by Dijana Warrender. The book is available on Amazon. Its a wonderful book which takes you through all the main stitches used in Tunisian Crochet as well as fun projects to make and also, a sample blanket to brush up on your skills. I have yet to attempt any of the projects in the book apart from the blanket, but my plan is to be able to make each one.
Above is block 5. It is a mixture of Tunisian Purl stitch and Tunisian Knit stitch. with the purl stitch you bring the yarn in front of the project and the knit stitch you insert the hook in the space between the stitches. This gives the project a beautiful textured affect.
The second project I am working on is a simple granny square blanket using yarn I have in my yarn stash. It’s a bit more colourful than my usual choices of yarn but I am loving how the colours work together and they definitely brighten up the room. The yarn is an 8ply acrylic and I am using a 4.5mm crochet hook and making mini granny squares and joining them together in a formation of 4 x 4 squares to make a larger square. This is a great project if you have bits of yarn you want to use up or just want to crochet without having to think to much about the stitches. Its simply a series of treble crochet stitches (UK terms). I love how versatile granny squares can be and the colour combinations are endless.
I am slowly getting through these projects. There are many more for me to finish but I will leave them for another time. Thank you as always for reading my posts and happy crocheting to you all.
Vicky
Throw Back thursday – Taking a look at some crochet blankets I have made through the years.
As the dreaded cold months approach we all reach for our trusty blankets to keep us warm and safe during this time. Nothing says cosy more than a handmade blanket. My favourite to crochet are the granny square blankets. There is a infinite number of stitches, colours and combinations you can make. The best thing about granny squares is that you can make them a few at a time and sew them together whenever you want to.
In the last few years I have learnt new techniques and stitches. Next to granny squares I love the chevron stitch, where each row is a series of v’s this too can be made in any combination of stitches and colours. Be in plain or texture stitches, the design ideas are endless. Which brings me to my other favourite to crochet, blankets with texture stitches. I love how the texture stitches lend to the coziness and snugness of the blanket. They give it depth and character and are great for when you just want one colour in the blanket.
Below are some expample of recent blankets I have made through the years. You can see the full range in my Instragram account Vickys Handcrafted Designs.
I am currently working on a version of the “Peoples” blanket which is featured above, with bunny rabbits for the border and texture stitches for the body. Take a look at the photos below.
I love how the different stitches all work together to make one blanket. I will be finishing this soon and will put photos up.
Thank you for reading my posts. I hope you enjoyed this venture into my world of blankets.
#crochet #crochetblankets #grannysquare #grannysquareblanket
Vicky
Work in progress Wednesday…….The Art of Crochet Blanket
Well I did it! I finished all the squares in the Art of Crochet blanket and have sewn them together. I am still deciding on a border so I am hoping to get that sorted by the weekend.
Thank you for joining me on this wonderful journey of this gorgeous blanket. I still have a few more squares to show you so I will be keeping this series going for a while longer.
After this I am hoping to recommence the 365 days of granny squares challenge i started back in oh 2016 I think! So I hope you can join me in that one soon!
Thank you so much for reading my blog posts and talk to you all soon! I have some exciting recipes to share with you at the end of the week.
Vicky
2022 hear I am! It’s been a challenging few years for everyone – How to stay Positive
Well here we are the start of a new year and many a new resolution. Already the year has started with disparaging news as Covid runs rapid.
This year is a significant year for me. I will be 50. I have spent the last 49 years in a somewhat negative and only slightly positive mindset. Turning 50 has made me realise that life waits for no one and that we are the master of our own destiny. So I will be adopting a glass half full attitude from now on.
Unfortunately in life we will encounter many sad and devastating situations. Things that will definitely break us. It’s important to keep going and remain strong. By doing this you will find that you will achieve so much more and conquer many of life’s tribulations.
These holidays I have been busy working on my Art of Crochet throw. Crocheting helps me keep focused and given me confidence to handle any situation. I have now finished all the squares and am joining them together. Can’t wait to show you all the finished throw.
Thank you as always for reading my posts. It means the world to me. I wish you all a wonderful year ahead and sending out hugs and prayers to all those who are going through hard times.
2022 I am keeping positive.
Vicky
