I have often looked at the traditional crochet granny square and thought that one day I would like to make a blanket using the simple pattern. The one drawback from it it though, was I didn't love the idea of continually joining each new colour.
While I was surfing the net, looking for some inspiration for another project (because we all know I need to start yet another project lol), I came across the never ending granny square on Youtube. So like you do when you want try something, I grab my bag of scrap yarns and a hook and followed along.
I was quite happy with the result and I must admit that while I thought that the colours were funny together in the beginning, I was on the hunt for some more balls of the same colour when I ran out of the pink. But I had no luck so now I'm not quite sure how to finish it off as it isn't quite big enough for a blanket, even a small one.
But in my hunt I did find a few balls of blue, pink and white in a nice singles so I am making another one :) I would to see your favorite rug pattern, as I am on the hunt for something different.
Happy Crafting! :)
I have often in the past looked at knitted items that were reversible and thought to myself that they were too hard to knit. After surfing the net for some inspiration, I came across a reversible knitted scarf and decided that it was time to have a go at this double knitting technique.
After a few attempts at casting on some thick yarn onto my 9mm needles, I started the process of picking up stitches to introduce my second colour and them began the sequence of knit, purl, knit, purl. I then went searching for a simple pattern to try and found a flower one.
I must say that I like the results and discovered that once you got the hang of it, it was quite straight forward. I am now on the hunt for another pattern to have another go.
Happy Knitting! :)
I have had a bit of fun over the last few days trying some new techniques and also some new patterns. As with many knitters and crocheters, when it comes to following a pattern you have to be careful selecting the correct hook/knitting needle for the correct gauge of the pattern. Not only is gauge important for following some patterns but it is also plays a part in designing your own articles too. You don't want to spend hours knitting or crocheting to have the fabric of your article to be too stretchy or too stiff!
How often do you pick up a ball of yarn that you haven't use before (hand spun or commercial) and want to use it for a certain pattern that calls for a certain gauge? And how quickly do you get sick of making 15cmx15cm squares to determine your gauge because you have forgotten from the last time you used a similar yarn. I must admit that I thought doing tension squares was a waste of time, until I came to designing some of my own patterns and quickly ran into trouble.
As I use a variety of yarns of various thicknesses, I couldn't see the point of doing a tension square for every yarn type I have in my stash. So going back to the drawing board as I often do, I came across a little exercise in a very old knitting and crochet book that went towards helping with this little problem I had with designing.
The exercise call for a ball of standard 8ply yarn and a complete set of knitting needles, starting from 2.5mm up to and including 12mm (or what ever range you have at home in your collection that you use most often). The idea was then to knit (in stocking stitch) the same amount of rows for each needle size, finishing with a purl row in each section, forming one continuous strip of knitting.
I did each section of mine 25 stitches across for 11 rows, followed by a purl row before changing to the next size up needles and continuing with kitting. By knitting without changing the number of stitches or row count, you can get an idea what your personal tension is in relation to each size needle using the same yarn. I got a little side tacked when I was finishing mine and I mucked up the last section with the 12mm needles, doing a few rows, purling, and then doing another 11 rows.
I also missed the line in the exercise that said "purl every second and second-to-last stitch to stop it from curling". But that is ok because I was thinking of doing one in 4ply baby yarn, so when I do I will remember this bit! Also, I had the thought that you could apply the same exercise to crochet, working 3-4 rows of each stitch, to understand how the hook size affects the same 8ply yarn. This is especially helpful when doing free form work.
So I hope that helps. I know it will not be exact for every brand of 8ply yarn, but it will give you an idea of what to expect with similar yarns. It also gives you a chance to experiment and feel the results. I guess you could always make a rug out of your tension squares, you might just have to add a bit around the smaller ones to make joining easier!
Happy Crafting! :)
