LOVE blanket... free pattern

A How To project for your hooky pleasure from me to you! Its quick, its light, its pretty, its adaptable, it could be a bag, a cushion, a scarf, a blanket...

Ingredients:

5.5mm crochet hook

Aran weight wool blend yarn in 3 colours as follows, 200 gms of  colour A, 200 gms of colour B, and 300gms of colour C. You can in fact make this with any weight wool but make sure you change your hook size to suit!

Stolen time... take your blanket bag with you WHEREVER you go...

Method:

First of all using colour A chain 22 (not too tightly remember).

1st row - Insert hook in the third chain from the hook and work trebles (for British crocheters or double crochet for Americans...) all along the foundation chain. You should have 20 treble stitches there all lined up nice and neat.

2nd row - chain 3 to count as the first treble, then work 1 treble into next stitch, this is the eyelet row, basically it consists of 2 trebles, *chain 1, miss a stitch, then 1 treble into each of next 2 trebles* and repeat from* to* across the row. See picture below to illustrate the eyelet row.

3rd row - working 3 chains to count as first treble repeat the last eyelet row.

4th row - 3 chains to count as first treble, then work trebles into every stitch including the eyelet spaces across the whole row. Have a count, you should still have 20 stitches!!!

Repeat rows 2 to 4 untill 10 rows have been worked.

NOTE on the last stitch - before you take those last 2 strands off of your hook you need to join in the last colour for a tidy beginning on the next square! Simply let go of colour A, pick up colour B leaving a long tail for darning in and use it to complete the stitch. You now have B ready on your hook to make the next square.

Continue like this making the squares and alternating colours as you wish until the strip is as long as you want it to be. I worked 8 squares as I want my finished blanket to be 8 x 8 squares in size. This is approx 130 cms with the border.

Starting the next strip and joining as you go...

Obviously it goes without saying that WE all hate sewing in ends... we'll have none of that here! The only ends to sew in are the start and the finish of the square. Heres how...

To start the next strip, simply change colour as above and instead of working the next square, work 22 chains to form the foundation for the next strip. You then work back up the strip that you just made!

Below is another image showing the joining method at the end of a row.

When you have the last incompleted stitch on your hook with 2 strands showing (prior to wrapping and pulling through) push your hook through the top of the adjacent row of trebles of the first strip.

Just like this!  Pick up your working yarn and pull it through to complete the stitch. There is your first join!!

To start the next row (this is the eyelet row by the way), work 2 chains.

Then push your hook into stitch opposite, its there at the very tip of my finger in the picture.

Pick up the working yarn and pull it through.

Now turn your work so that the other side is facing you.

Working into the top of the next stitch pattern across the row.

Turn, and repeat, changing colour when necessary until you have completed the second strip.

Isnt that nice and tidy!

NOTE - finding the top of the second to last stitch as you are working the join up through the strip can be difficult. The pictures below show in detail where to put your hook! If you find it a fidget, then simply work both of these last two stitches into that last coloured space below! It still looks good and is quicker!

2 stitches left to work before the join and Im wondering where do I insert the hook? The stitch is very slightly twisted so the usual easy to spot V is pointing towards the back of the work. Push the hook in as shown.

There we go, the stitch is being worked.

To work the last stitch (the joining stitch) insert the hook into that space inbetween the last 2 trebles of the row underneath. Work as described earlier.

Working the LOVE in!

You can use your hook to embroider the LOVE on the blanket. I have worked mine into the 4 corner squares.

Leaving a tail end and holding the working yarn under your work, insert your hook and pull through to the top.

Keeping things nice and loose, push your hook in again and pick up the yarn from underneath, pulling it through that loop on your hook.

Work along the surface, literally drawing your letter shape with the hook and yarn.

Easy peasy!

The back of the work is nice and tidy too.

I worked a heart in place of the O... because its for my tiny tiddlywink.

My blanket still isnt completed because Im working on 20,000 projects at once... but its not far off completion. I shall work a border with yarn C (hence the extra ball) of half trebles, then a tiny bobble edge to finish.

Then I will start another one because its just been too easy for words! I hope to have a new delivery of Aran 50% wool blend yarns arriving next week. The colours are truly lovely and I feel I may have to steal some shop stock for the next woolly adventure...

This pattern has been drafted for personal use only please.

REN CUMING 2010