afghan / blanket – Page 6 – Crochet blog

crochet v stitch blanket, rainbow blanket

Very V blanket tutorial

Published on August 30, 2016January 10, 2023 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin20 Comments

Thank you for your lovely comments about my latest blanket off the hook…the ‘Very V’ blanket.

It really is very simple to hook, so I thought I would put together a little tutorial, as I have not done one for a while and because I have some rare time off on my own. The tutorial can be found below. You can also check out my latest free pattern The Angelece baby blanket by clicking on this link.

So, clearly this is not an original pattern. I say that from the offset because of copyright and all of that. Let’s be honest…the humble ‘v stitch’ has been around for years. But this is my tutorial in case you want to have a crack for yourself and you have never done a ‘v stitch’ and you are a visual kinda gal or guy.

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Here we go!

Final measurements: 132cms x 120cms / 52″ x47″

I used Stylecraft special dk , for it’s durability, softness and price! The colorway I used:

Lipstick x 1 ball

Meadow x1 ball

Saffron x 1 ball

Violet x 1 ball

Spice x 1 ball

Lobelia x 1 ball

Storm blue x 1 ball

Cream x 3 balls

You will also need a 4mm hook and a darning needle to weave in those ends!

Of course if you are using different yarn then you may need to use the recommended hook size for your chosen yarn; and of course you can alter the finished size by hooking more or less chains to start.

Your hooking tension (we are all different) may also mean you need more or less chains to start with.

Lets start, are you ready?

Abbreviations used are below and are English terminology.

Ch = chain stitch

Chs = chains

Tr = treble stitch (double crochet in US terminology!)

St = stitch

Slst = slip stitch

Sp = space

Pattern order I used:

Row 1: Cream

Row 2: Lobelia

Row 3: Violet

Row 4: Cream

Row 5: Storm blue

Row 6: Meadow

Row 7: Cream

Row 8: Saffron

Row 9: Spice

Row 10: Cream

Row 11: Lipstick

Row 12: Indigo

Row 13: Cream

Row 14: Violet

Row 15: Storm blue

Row 16: Cream

Row 17: Meadow

Row 18: Saffron

Row 19: Cream

Row 20: Spice

Row 21: Lipstick

Row 22: Cream

NB/ the first and last row form the edging for the top and bottom of the blanket so use the colour you wish to edge the blanket in, for row 1.

Chain 175 in cream

(This gave me about a 1m 15cm /42″ length of Ch. But any odd number of Chs will work to suit the size blanket you are wishing to hook!).

2tr in 5th ch from hook,

miss a ch, 2tr in next ch

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miss a ch, 2tr in next ch

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miss a ch, 2tr in next ch

Repeat * – * across the row.

Finishing with 1tr in last ch. Change colour. As shown below, I change colour by completing half of the process for the last tr (ie/ leave two loops on the hook). Complete last part of tr in new colour as shown.

I find this makes colour changes more secure. These ends should be tied to secure further. Top tip! leave the ends long (approx. 10cms) so that weaving in is easier.

Turn. Ch3 (counts as 1tr)

2tr in the middle of set of tr’s of previous row

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Continue along the row.

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finishing with 1tr in top of 3rd ch on previous row.

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Change colour. Turn.

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And that’s it!

Top Tip!! Weave in the ends every few rows.

Repeat rows 1-22 x5 times.

Then repeat rows 1 – 13 to finish body of blanket. And if you did not adhere to the top tip above…now is the time to weave in those ends!

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I’ve gone all minimalistic for the edging because the blanket itself is simply stunning in this colourway and I did not feel like it needed something fussy to detract from its beauty.

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This is what I did.

The first and last row (in cream if you have been following this colourway) form the edging for the top and bottom of this blanket. In cream / your chosen edging colour join in the space at the bottom right of your blanket as shown.

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Ch 3 and slst into the top st of the first tr/ch3 of 1st row.

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Ch1, 2tr in same sp

2tr in next sp (the sp is the gap between the side of the first sts of each row), 2tr in next sp.

Continue along the edge until you come to the top corner. 2tr in last sp, ch 1, 1tr in same sp.

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Then slst into the top st of the first tr/ch3 of last row as shown. Fasten off. Repeat for the other side of the blanket.

Finally, in Lobelia (or your chosen colour) join in any st of edge with a slst.

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Slst in each st around edge of blanket. Fasten off and weave in loose ends. And that is it, you should now have one of these to snuggle under…or reluctantly gift.

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Well done if you got this far.

I really hope you have found this tutorial easy to follow. I welcome feedback, so let me know how you got on and if you want to share your picture of your finished make you can in the comment section below.

I would love to see what you have made.

xxxxx

‘Very V’…a very happy blanket.

Published on August 28, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin11 Comments

This is my latest finish.

I’ve called it the ‘Very V’ blanket, as it uses the very beautiful and very simple ‘v’ stitch throughout.

The yarn is stylecraft special dk and the colourway…

It reminds me very much of the Happy Ripple blanket I hooked a few years ago.

This blanket was a thank you gift for someone that has helped me enormously this year and each stitch, like the Happy Ripple before was hooked with love and prayer.

It makes my heart sing when I am able to gift something like this and know that it is appreciated.

I received a card in the post just this week from the owner of the Happy Ripple telling me of the enormous comfort the blanket has brought to both her and her family in the midst of heartbreak recently…

and that…

well that just blows me away.

xxxxx

Graffiti Robin…

Published on August 7, 2016August 7, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin5 Comments

There is still time to enter the yarny give-a-way here

I stumbled upon an arty robin last weekend, well I say stumbled… it was more like rode. I dusted off Bella and wheeled her out into the day light, hoiked her onto the bike rack and off we all went.

It had been way too long since the last time we had an afternoon out in the countryside together, and as we cycled our cares flew from us and we felt light. We stopped at points to play in the stream

race each other,

or just to admire the scenery and breathe out.

And then we stumbled upon this…

(You may have to lean back and squint a little)….Not everyone’s cup of tea, but talented and arty non the less, and it made us smile!

We rode on some more, and returned home fulfilled and tired. The perfect excuse to put up my feet and get out my hook.

I didn’t move until I had finished the main body of this Very V blanket, but I had been undisciplined throughout and had not woven in the ends as I had been hooking!!! Oh my, that is what I have been doing this week…Its a good job I don’t mind weaving in those ends isn’t it!

Now to border it before next Friday…

xxxxx

My PHD!

Published on July 16, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin21 Comments

I thought it about time I returned, I know its been a while and it has been far longer than I had planned. So I return with a familiar confession.

I have come to realise that I am actually not as clever as I like to think and so this post is about my PHD….Projects Half Done! I much prefer this to the acronym WIP (works in progress) as PHD sounds so much more positive and well….lets be frank; what I am about to show you is not in progress. Not even by any stretch of the imagination! Abandoned may be a better description.

So, first out of the box is the baby blanket awaiting the hooking of one final square and then construction. So close to a finish, but I need some more cotton.

Then there is this linen stitch blanket…I abandoned hooking because I felt my design may be a bit to fussy…I’m undecided. Do I continue or rip it back and reclaim the wool?….I’ve done that before.

Then there is my knitting loom project, a sumptuous alpaca cowl…I really must restart this…if I can remember how to that is!

The rainbow V stitch blanket is still on the go, not abandoned at all but most definitely a PHD!

And it is with this in mind I need you all to do me a small favour…if you don’t mind that is. If you ever read my words that might even hint I am going to study again then I would like you to hit me over the head with something very heavy!!!

xxxxx

Bluebells, bulldog and crochet…

Published on May 2, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin3 Comments

Well lets start with the bluebells shall we! It is fair to say that the weather around these parts has been bizarre. We have literally had four seasons in a few hours. Rain, followed by blue spring skies and then a few moments later hail or snow and thunder. This is what fell from the sky during little ones football training

It was absolutely freezing needless to say, and totally out of the blue, as the start of the training session had been sunny. Any way, I promised you bluebells, which the crazy weather does not seem to have hindered. Here they are…

These little delicate flowers make my heart very happy and I just love climbing to the top of the hill, where the tall trees stand grandly, graciously carpeted beneath with this blue hue of lovliness.

starting the climb to bluebell wood

the grand trees — the grand trees leading to bluebell wood

emerging out of bluebell wood

Once through the wood and out the other side, the boys played and climbed and we took the long path back to the van. Stopping only to watch a kestrel hunt and to watch miss Jess and a rather handsome springer run rings around each other….oh and to play a game of bulldog. Of which I do not have any photos as in the first instance I was too mesmerised, in the second instance miss Jess was way to fast for me to photograph and lastly an out of breath me isn’t for photographing!

So to the crochet…

mostly hooked at the skate park, whilst the not so little Robin practised ‘jumping the box’ and ‘airs’ on his bmx.

xxxxx

Linen cherry baby bar blanket

Published on April 30, 2016April 30, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin9 Comments

I have had such a lovely slow Saturday; a stark contrast from recent weekends which have been so hectic with essays and research.

I’ve played with colour ways finally deciding upon this colour way I’ve called ‘cherry stripe’. The yarn being Drops Paris 100% cotton in:

green

rusty red

light old pink

dark beige

off white and

moss green

Then I hit you tube to learn a new stitch and opted for ‘linen stitch’. It is actually a very simple double crochet (single crochet), chain stitch combo. I like it because it hooks quickly, is economical with yardage, gives a lovely solid reversible fabric and is just perfect for my new baby blanket design…’Linen cherry baby bar blanket’.

So, that’s a sneeky peek, I’m off to hook some more.

xxxxx

joining with a double crochet

Published on March 8, 2016March 22, 2016 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin13 Comments

I’ve been asked several times to put together a tutorial about how I joined my 100 patch granny square blanket… so here it is…

I love joining squares with a double crochet (dc) English terminology that is…single crochet if you use American speak! The reason is that lovely little ridge which just frames each square.

The hard, but fun part is deciding upon the placement of each tiny square, but once you have made your mind up the joining together is quick and easy.

To download the pdf version click here, otherwise full instructions are below:

To join two rows take 2 squares, and place them together so that the corners align. The front of squares should be facing outwards….(the back of one square should be facing the back of the other square)

With the joining yarn, pull through a loop. Leave a long tail (for weaving in later!) and for now just hold securely behind your work, until you have made a few stitches.

Ch1, then dc in the same space. Taking the hook through both squares, as shown.

taking the hook through both squares stitches; dc in each of the next 4sts, then dc in space,

dc in next 4sts, then dc in space.

your squares are now joined, but do not fasten off. If you open your squares out you will notice that there is a little ridge along the one side….this is the front side of your work.

The back of your work will look like this.

Top tip, always note the front and back of your work…it is soul destroying to find out that you have some ridges on the front and some on the back of your work; then spending ages having to unpick all that hard work!!

Taking two more squares, align corners as before… front sides facing out, and ridge of previous squares facing up! Dc in corner space, then dc in next 4sts, dc in space, dc in next 4 sts.

Repeat this process until you have joined two rows of squares. Fasten off at the end and leave a long tail again!

For the 100 patch granny blanket there were 10 squares per row.

As you can see, the squares are just joined along one side.

Put to one side and repeat the process x 4 more times, so that you end up with x5 lots of joined double rows.

Next lay out the double rows adjacent to each other. The next stage is to join the double rows together horizontally. With right sides facing up (ridge side up), align the squares adjacent to one another.

On the right edge, pull through a loop in the corner space with your joining yarn, ch1, dc in same space. Dc in next 4sts, dc in space, dc in next 4 sts.

Continue along the row, making sure 1dc is placed in each st and in each space. Fasten off as before at the end of the row, remembering to leave a long tail for weaving in purposes. Repeat until all 10 rows are joined horizontally.

You should now have a 100 squares all joined horizontally.

Your next task is to join the squares vertically. I found this easier to do by flipping the work around and hooking the verticals, horizontally…if that makes sense!! As in the picture above… the completed joining ridge you can see is the horizontal join previously completed.

The process is the same… with chosen joining yarn (leaving a long tail, ch1 in edge corner space, dc in same space, 1dc in next 4 sts, dc in space, 1 dc in next 4sts, dc in corner space…as above.

Taking hook over the top of horizontal ridge, dc in next corner space as shown and repeat. Making a dc in each space and in each st along. Making sure to take the hook over any horizontal ridges before placing a dc in the following corner space.

Repeat process for each vertical run.

Then weave in those ends, ready to border.

xxxxx

crochet granny squareblanket with bobble edging

A glance back at 2015…

Published on December 29, 2015November 20, 2018 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin10 Comments

2015, well what a year, a roller coaster in a lot of ways, but a good year. A year of progress and accomplishment and growth…. and of course craftiness.

There have been walks that have embraced the changing seasons.

Beautifully chilly

Enjoying the very new spring sunshine

November 2015

December 2015

There has also been craftiness that has not been yarn related…

Valentines craft

pretty pumpkins

Christmas dog wreath.

Of course I did indulge in yarniness too, although at times making time for this proved difficult, but nevertheless, I did…

Rows of popcorn stitches

A pretty granny.

Blooming flower cushions.

100 patch granny

tree house pimping

Sprinkly donuts

Winter blooms.

Sunflower in progress.

Certainly, a lot less hooking than previous years, but for very good reason. As I eluded to at the beginning of this glance back, 2015 has been a year of progress, growth and accomplishment.

from this…

to this.

Walls demolished and a new kitchen installed, a new lounge and a whole lot of decorating. And as for the little Robins…

they are growing so quickly... — they are growing so quickly…

well, I guess they’re not that little any more.

Then there was the small matter of studying…

my study buddy…

A new career on the horizon!

assignments...aaagggh!!! — assignments…aaagggh!!!

and throughout it all, through these last beautiful, hard, tiring, challenging and wonderful twelve months that has been my 2015… I have clung to my motto BRAVE... and it has seen me through, it has inspired me, encouraged me, comforted me and at times kicked my butt… it has also taught me…

to be still…

Herb bench

to self soothe…

and that the smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention.

a glut of granny's — a glut of granny’s

So thank you to all those that have journeyed through 2015 with me here, this little, mostly yarny space of the ether. I value your encouragement and appreciate the time you spend dwelling here with me… more than you will ever realise.

Here’s to your 2016…may it be blessed and beautiful and of course yarny.

xxxxx

The smallest achievement is better than the greatest intention…

Published on October 18, 2015October 18, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin23 Comments

Here it is all complete… and I

love, love, love it.

Made from scraps, excluding the edging, this little blanket has provided me with the hooky colour therapy that I so needed. I had made many of these charming squares at the end of other projects, not really being sure of their final purpose.

mini squares made from scraps

Perhaps a cushion or a giant blanket I thought, big enough for all the robins to snuggle under…yes! that is what I decided upon, a large endeavour of love made from these little, beautiful components and so I started. And so it has remained, unloved at times or loved from afar, but most certainly unfinished and alas my latest commitments made the hooky pleasure of this project impossible.

I love a simple granny!

No, a king sized blanket out of tiny granny squares became a lingering burden…and so with some considerable heaviness, the white yarn was carefully frogged. I felt a sense of failure as I unravelled those stitches and was once again left with a glut of granny’s

a glut of granny's — a glut of granny’s

So, I counted my granny’s out….97….and thought on a smaller scale…hooked 3 more little ones and decided on this 100 granny patch baby blanket.

little beauties…

and as I hooked them back together, in a different way and with a different yarn and with a different purpose, the feeling of failure ebbed away and a new joy arose.

and I discovered that the smallest achievement is always better than the greatest intention… and this little blanket still conveys a large endeavour of love.

xxxxx

weaving in the ends and life….

Published on April 10, 2015 by Nicola Florence @ ayarnyrobin21 Comments

A couple of days ago…after 3 weeks of working shifts on placement as well as working my regular job and juggling Easter holidays with the robins and studying until the wee small hours…..crazy, absolute crazy…. I had the day off!

this is what sanity looks like!

Who would have thought that weaving in ends (millions of the things) could be so therapeutic… but it was. The warmth of the spring sunshine and the peacefulness of being by myself…the boys went off making all sorts of dens with big branches…close enough so that their laughter made my heart smile, but far enough to just allow me to breathe and weave in ends.

I love these colors — I love these colours

all done....just like my placement! — and the view

A busy few weeks, which explains, my absence here…it is so good to have a hook back in my hand. This giant granny is a long over due gift for a very special lady…who is patiently waiting. The colour way is delicate and pretty and of course it’s good old stylecraft special dk.

So, I need to get this wrapped and mailed, before the second wave of study hits…

xxx