Square and ripple blanket variations

One of my favourite patterns is square and ripple even though it takes a bit of thought and planning. It can be made several ways to make it look very different. The pink one looks like a flower and has a different construction to the blue and the green blankets, which were made using the same technique.  The photos show the construction process.

Meandering Lattice crochet Blankets

 It's been a Looong time since my last post. A lot has happened since then. 

We sold our house in NSW and moved 3,700 km across the other side of the country to Western Australia, so Ive spent a lot of time in a caravan and without a computer. 

Hubby and I "celebrated" Australia Day this year sick with Covid. 

So that's what I've been up to and why I've neglected my blog.  I decided I should finally try out a pattern that I bought a pattern a Loong time ago. When I purchased it, it was called Moroccan Lattice Afghan, it's now called Meandering Lattice Afghan by Julie Yeager. I enjoyed making it so much I've now made 8, using 8ply acrylic, mainly using Porta craft yarn, when finished they are 75cm square. They are all for charity, going to Geraldton hospital, 420km North of Perth in Western Australia. Now on to the photos, I hope you like them. 

1st, tree frog green around blocks with striped border

2nd aqua mc with cobalt border

#3 i had a plan in my head that didnt work out, i added several borders

#4 both mustard, it looks a lovely gold colour

#5 both teal

#6 both true blue

#7 dusty pink

#8 vanilla edging with Sean sheep cleome colour Zen from Big W for the border

Row by row crochet blanket

 When covid 19 hit, I decided I needed a project to occupy my mind. I spent a lot of time looking at patterns and decided to try something I've never done before. It started with a rough sketch and I went from there. Most of the yarns were what I  already had so I wouldn't need to go shopping with social distancing. Most of the patterns  are from the mypicot website and spitspot dainty rose squares are top and bottom. It measures 105 x 100cm. I hope you like it. 

 

Yarn chicken

 I was making a 55x55cm baby rug for Little Wonder charity and played yarn chicken and lost, I ran out of yarn 7 trebles short. 

My daughter has just asked for a blanket for a baby due in 4 weeks time so I've decided to undo the royal blue and will continue with the self striping yarn. The pattern is Lise by Polly Plum and the yarn is ice yarn magic light shade 22031.  I might have to start thinking about what I will make if it turns out to be a little girl!

Rectangle granny blanket

 I made this for the recent Knit 4 charity CAL. I decided to make each round a different colour. In the caravan i only have a shopping bag of yarn, so I tried to make it look scrappy by mixing the colours, then added a rainbow border. Also another pair of toe up mountain form slippers.

Wingham Show 2019

Wow, i've just realised it's almost a year since my last post!
We are still on the road travelling around Australia in our caravan.
I don't have a computer with me and its hard blogging on my phone.
In March I entered 3 items into the Wingham show and I
won 1st prize in the crochet knee rug section with my own pattern.

This is a photo of the blanket before the border was added
64 squares with 4 colours is a lot of ends, over 500,
so not for the faint hearted.
I actually don't like sewing ends in as I have a nickel allergy,
 but i did the ends as I went and it wasn't too bad.
When you have a strong enough desire to
achieve something, it's a case of mind over matter,
you will find a way.

For the middle star rug, I undid all the
squares from this post and re-made it
into one blanket.
The pink blanket on the left is
Rings of change by  Frank O'Randle
using Magic Light by Ice Yarns in pink shades #22021

Crochet blanket design

In my previous post I mentioned I had used a different method
to design the blanket I entered into the 2018 Wingham show.

I used the 10-petal afghan square pattern by Joyce Lewis
with scraps leftover from a previous blanket.
I made 5 different squares and took a picture of them,
then I used an app called Blankie to change the squares around.

As you can see, I had some help!












I decided I preferred this setting & it became the finished blanket above!

Wingham Show 2018

This time last year the Wingham show was cancelled

so I entered a few items into the Taree show at the end of the year
I also entered 4 items into this years Wingham Show
I won first and second prize in the baby shawl section
and second prize in the lap blanket section.
Most of the baby items are usually white or pastels,
But I like to make items that are a bit different.
The Second prize baby shawl was a pattern by
Frank O'Randle called mini rings of change
In my favourite yarn  Magic Light by Ice Yarn #22034
My mum likes it better than my first prize shawl.
 
For the first time I entered into the baby knitted set of three section
Also using my favourite yarn I used in the shawl above
The pattern is called Aussie Swing by Aussie Maria
The hat is a bernat pattern available here
http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/knit-baby-hat.html
It didn't win a prize but that's ok I enjoyed making it.

The first prize baby shawl is another Frank O'Randle pattern
Called Mini Galaxy of change made from scraps in my stash

Last but not least is the second prize lap blanket
It is a pattern by Joyce Lewis called Simple 10-petal afghan square
I used the scraps left over from the blanket
I entered into Taree show last year that won first prize
It is similar but quite different too

I used quite a different method to create this,
I will blog the details in my next post

Rainbow galaxy

We've arrived back home and I've been reunited

with my yarn stash that I left behind.
I decided to make another Frank O'Randle
Mini galaxy of change blanket in
rainbow colours using yarn from my stash.
This time I reversed the colours, starting
with red in the centre out to a purple border.
It's nice but I prefer the first purple centre
blanket I made last August

Wingham Show 2017

before I undid the border

I haven't done much crochet or knitting for a few months
as we were in Queensland and Northern Territory
and it was very very hot and humid.
I was planning to post after the Wingham Show
but due to a large rainfall it was cancelled.
Recently I ordered an Ice Yarn I haven't tried before
Favourite Magic # 46970
in green turquoise grey orange yellow shades
4 balls made 3 lap rugs.
It is a soft yarn similar to Magic Light
with a slight sheen to it and it's very nice to work with
For the first blanket I used a pattern based on the Blue Star
I decided to pull the yarn from the middle
and just keep going to see how the colour changes worked

The second border version

After I did 9 rounds of granny stitch on the outside border
I decided I didn't like the look so I frogged it
Luckily I remembered to take a photo first
and used a rust colour to do mosaic stitch
which is basically granny stitch alternated
with a row of chain and sc
The 2nd blanket I used rust for the star border
 and  every 2nd row of the granny stitch border
The 3rd is my favourite, it's the same as the 2nd
but with peacock green used instead of rust

rust alternated granny border

my favourite version

more dancing baby crochet

We have been travelling through the red centre and while I had little or no phone coverage
I made a cute little crochet jacket in ice yarn dancing baby #24560
Blue camel and white shades using baby boy cardi pattern,
it has star stitch which I haven't done before

With the remaining last ball, I decided to make another miniGalaxy by Frank O'Randle by adding matching scraps from my stash.
I think I spent more time working out the colours than it took to make!
EDIT: 9/10/17 I won first prize
                       
I used scraps of:
White for rounds 1-4, 27 & 28, 34 & 35
Beige for rounds 5 to 7, 36 to 38
Brown for round 8 & 39
Light blue for rounds 9 to 12 & 29
Med blue for rounds 13 to 15, 30 to 32
Dark blue for rounds 16 & 17 & 33
& 1 ball of Dancing baby for rounds 18 to 26

In my last Post I posted 2 mini galaxy of change blankets, I really enjoy making this pattern
 and I have already started another rainbow blanket with red in the centre this time.

Crochet and travelling

In mid May we packed our household up and hit the road to travel Australia again.
We are now North of the Tropic of Capricorn in Queensland
We are escaping the Southern winter and have been enjoying
the lovely warm days that are 10-15 deg warmer than NSW.
We've just visited Bowen where the big mango is and
also where Baz Luhrmann shot the movie Australia.
My crocheting has slowed down as there is more humidity here.
I'm hoping I can overcome that by switching to making squares
rather than crocheting with a growing blanket on my lap.
The last few months I've been enjoying making blankets by
Designer Frank O'Randle and using my ice yarn.
I've made a pink and white set using magic light ice yarn shade #22021
The blanket is Rings of change by Frank O'Randle
I've Stretched it further by adding matching white and dark pink yarn.
The jacket is another magic sweater with a matching crochet beanie.
This set was given to the charity "knitting for northern rivers needy" in Coraki NSW

I decided To try another Frank O'Randle pattern called mini galaxy of change,
I had to learn new stitches, thank goodness for YouTube.
It's become my new favourite, the first I made was with Ice Yarn Dancing Baby
In white camel and blue, shade # 24560 with a 4.5mm hook, the 1st ball ran out 3/4 around round 22
And the 2nd ball finished at end of round 31,
then I used complementary shades from white to dark blue to finish.
This was also gifted to the knit 4 northern rivers needy charity

Next I made another using rainbow colours which I think looks very effective

crochet for Little Wonder Charity

I have been working on more items for Little Wonder
at RPA hospital here in Sydney, Australia.
I enjoy making smaller blankets & experimenting
with patterns and colours and they ask for 55cm blankets.
I really like the Denna Square by Polly Plum
and made a few with that pattern
I must admit this is not a very good photo,
I was balancing it on my knees and trying to take a photo
as my friend Di was driving over Sydney Harbour Bridge.



Another pattern I enjoyed making is from Mypicot
again made for Little wonder and using wool from my stash.







Again using yarn from my stash, this is 2 patterns together
the centre is 10 petal afghan square by Joyce Lewis
and then round ripple in purple scraps.
It looks very effective, the photo doesn't do it justice

Winning blankets from the Wingham Show

I recently spoke about my Sophies Garden blanket 
I made it as a sample for a colour and design workshop
I held at the 2015 K4C Confab in Adelaide, South Australia.
I entered it into the Wingham NSW show and it won
first prize in the baby shawl section plus the
Stewards Award and Best piece in section.
To say I was absolutely thrilled is an understatement.

I also entered my Persian Tile blanket and it won first prize in the crochet blanket section.
They gave some lovely feedback, one thing they said
was that the wrong side was just as lovely as the front and they were impressed with how neat my ends were.
So it does pay to spend extra time on them (in my opinion)
I actually hate weaving in ends and I got eczema from the
amount of time I spent weaving them in.
 Each hexagon took half an hour to weave the ends in.
I just read this on the Persian tile facebook page
"there are 1022 ends to sew in for the whole blanket, 672 in the octagons."
Plus there would be more when sewing them together
(which is how i prefer to join) and the borders
But i think it is totally worth it.