...if it gets a little quiet around here in the next few weeks,

it's not because I have run off with the milkman.

I am simply helping

the husband edit his first book

"The Smartphone Medic

Using smartphones in ski resorts to save lives,

reduce costs, and develop your brand".

 by Duncan Isaksen-Loxton

If all goes to plan (editing etc),

I will be back in 3 weeks time

to pick up my crochet hook.

See you then!

p.s. my email inbox will still be open.

 Crochet Granny Square Shrug

is a little something I made for my

winter wardrobe.

 The pattern is from Panda (Yarns)

Crochet Modern Vintage book (228) 

It's a gorgeous book.

I have already made Granny Square Blanket (small) 

and I am now eyeing up

their Poncho.

 This little shrug is fantastic,

not only does it incorporate everyones favourite the

'Granny Square'

it's also really easy to make.

To cut a long story short (or in this case a pattern)

All you need is:

16 granny squares each measuring approx 11x11cm, 

& about 29 rows of treble stitches (tr).

If you happen to be in North America, or like to mix up your stitch names like I do,

All you need is:

16 granny squares each measuring approx 11x11cm,

& about 29 rows of double crochet

stitches (dc).

That's it (pretty much).

So how do you make yourself this lovely

Granny Square Shrug?

1. Sew!

a) Arrange your 16 Granny Squares into two rows of 8

b) Sew the sides of your Grannies together forming TWO separate strips.

n.b. I used a 'hidden' running stitch seam

to keep my squares in line.

2. Crochet!

Working across the top of one of your newly joined strips

of Granny Squares;

Row 1:

a) chain 3, 1tr into the top right corner space of your FIRST Granny Square

b) *3tr  into the next open space on your Granny Square*.

REPEAT*  until you reach the left top corner of your first Granny Square.

c) 1tr into the corner space, then crochet 1x TWO TREBLE CROCHET INCREASE (tr inc),

and finish with 1tr in the top RIGHT corner on the second Granny Square.

 then continue with 3tr into your open spaces until the end

of your last Granny Square.

d) in the last corner space - 2tr

Row 2:

a) chain3, 1tr in the first tr

b) *skip 3tr, 3tr in the open space*....REPEAT* until the last 2 stitches,

c) skip 1tr, 1tr in the top of the churning chain.

Row 3:

a) chain3, 1tr in the first tr,

b) *skip 3tr, 3tr in the open space*, REPEAT* until the last 4 stitches,

c) skip 3tr, 2tr in top of turning ch

REPEAT rows 2 & 3

until you have approx 29 rows

or your work measure

65cm (width).

  When you have finished

with your 'trebles',

4) Sew it!

a)  sew your second Granny Square Strip to the top of

your 'treble' work.

b) fold over your work lenghtwise, so that the granny square strips lie on top of the other

(wrong sides together).

c) join the side seams (approx 18 cm) at each end of the Granny Square Strips.

This join will determine the size of your armholes.

n.b. Its worth playing around with some safety pins before sewing,

to make sure the shrug sits the way you want it to.

Lastly,to make your shrug

look professional;

d)  double crochet (dc) once around the arm holes & across

the top of your Granny Square Strips.

 I told you it was easy!

All you need to do now  is take lots of photos

of your shrug & show it off to the world!

Ikea Kool: Tallort Blanket Scarf

is a little trial run.

I got my mitts on

a little Japanese crochet book the other day,

that uses fabric strips (rather than yarn) to make

hats, scarves and bags.

Very cute!

The scarf that really caught my eye

is a beautiful voluminous creation

made from a Tartan blanket.

It looks incredible.

I really want to make the Taratan version,

but I thought I would try out the pattern on something

that I wouldn't get too upset over in case 

the pattern didn't work.

It happens.

So here's my effort using a  

Tallort Ikea blanket

( $19.99).

It's not soft, light or fluffy, but it crochets well enough.

And it's cheap.

The scarf is really simply to make;

a) Cut your blanket strips 3.5cm wide*

  b) Chain one long strip ( long enough to hang to the bottom of my ribs)**

 c) Crochet loops (15 chain stitches each) all along the top & bottom of your base strip.

N.B.

* tie your strips together leaving small tails on each knot.

** leave 30 cm tails either end of your scarf to use

to tie the ends up together.

Very easy.

Now unless you fancy

a big statement piece like my

Ikea Cotton & Jute one which is surprisingly weighty,

I recommend using a nice light weight blanket.

I will be trying this again soon, but with a nice light Tartan blanket.

Watch this space!

Knitted: Candy Striped Scarf

I did it!

I have knitted my first COMPLETE scarf.

The little beginners workshop at Morris & Sons

and the time spent learning knitting charts from my

Japanese Knitting book actually paid off.

I still feel awkward (and look it too) holding my needles,

but I am determined to conquer knitting.

(booo!)

As you can see from my photos

my Candy Striped Scarf is very basic.

It's made up of 24 stitches across and 12 colour blocks

each made up of 16 rows (Stocking Stitch).

The edges of the scarf has purled ribs on every other row.

As I said, very simple.

According to Clara Parkes, author of

'The Knitters Book of Yarn' 

(isbn: 978 030 758 698 8)

"In plain stockinette,

the smooth alpaca fibers can reveal even

the slightest irregularities in your stitches"

That is so true!

The section that I was knitting

when I was being prodded & poked about Rhubarb Crumble,

looks upside down compared

to the rest of the scarf. 

Thankfully Alapaca 'fluff' covers most of it!

In case you are

wondering about prodding & poking,

according to my husband

"You can't buy rhubarb,

and then not make crumble!"

I think

that the next time I use Alpaca, 

I will either try using Moss or Seed stitch

as per Clara Parkes suggestion,

or not buy rhubarb.

What to do next?

I have a number of options available to me;

a) I could either try my hand at a next scarf

in my Japanese Knitting book.

It's another stocking stitch scarf,

but with a diamond & tree motif

running down the middle. 

or

b) I could go back to Morris & Sons

and try their circular knitting workshop

(they will be making a slouchy hat).

I don't want to jump the gun too soon,

however I really, really want to get the hang of knitting.

What should I do?

The way of Japanese Knitting!

Last week I realised

that it was probably about time

I stopped 'winging' it with my crochet projects.

I have been lucky so far with my yarn choices,

but there comes a point in a woman's life

when she really must get grips with yarn

& their many qualities .

Especially, if that same woman wants

to crochet her own cardigan!

Plus, I reckon that if I take the

time to learn about yarns that I will

a)  reduce the awkward silence I get in yarn shops 

when I explain that I have in fact been working with yarn

(crocheting) for 4 years.

AND

b)  I might be more inclined to continue with that

other yarn munching hobby - knitting.

(I learnt to knit last month)

 But, more importantly it gives me a great excuse to  

buy new books.

Having recently discovered  Amazon Kindle,

This is where I headed  and bought two books.

 Thinking my brain was ready for 'written instructions',

I bought a knitting book and one yarn.

 But, I was wrong - very wrong.

As soon as I opened my new knitting book to the

'Reading Written Instructions'

  chapter and saw this

 (k2tog, sl 1, k1, psso) 3  

my brain yelped and promptly shut down.

*sigh*

When my brain finally decided it was safe again,

I found myself at the cash register at Kinokuniya (bookstore)

paying for two Japanese Knitting books.

Some habits are hard to break.

One of my 'newer' of new books teaches you

the basics of knitting.

(isbn: 978 457 911 4016)

It's great.

I have learnt that just like Japanese crochet books,

symbols are used to represent

the different stitches.

AND

that the Stocking & Garter stitch patterns are

visually condensed down to a single symbol, making for some very nice

clean looking diagrams (knitting patterns).

Fantastic!

Of course what I didn't pick up (because I don't read Japanese ),

is the fact that there are RULES to reading

Japanese knitting patterns.

It took me the better part of two hours studying a basic

striped stocking stitch scarf pattern

in my other new Japanese knitting book

(isbn: 978 483 473 4300)

 to realise I had missed something important.

 But, thanks to the ABSs of Knitting site

and yet another Kindle purchase

(*sigh*)

I finally found the missing link.

It turns out that

there are  two different ways to read

a Japanese knitting pattern!

HOW you read a Japanese knitting pattern

apparently changes depending on whether you are  flat knitting

or using circular needles.

 (Good to know)

If you are using circular needles you read

ALL pattern rows from RIGHT to LEFT

(dead easy).

But,

if you are flat knitting you read

ODD numbered rows from RIGHT to LEFT &

 EVEN numbered rows LEFT to RIGHT 

 (a little less easy).

To make things even more interesting, 

If you are flat knitting you also need to know that as

ODD numbered rows refer to the  

front of your knitting,

EVEN numbered rows refer to the

back of your knitting

you need to do the OPPOSITE of what the symbols say on EVEN rows.

That's right, you need to reverse the symbols on EVEN rows.

It's actually a lot easier

and less frightening than it sounds.

If you remember this other vital bit of information

about Japanese patterns; 

 Stocking Stitch

ODD Rows always = Knit Stitch

EVEN Rows always = Purl Stitch

 Garter Stitch

ODD rows = Knit Stitch

EVEN rows = Knit Stitch

(or Purl, Purl if that's YOUR way).

 The way of Japanese Knitting

was hard learning, but I got there in the end.

I am now happily (flat) knitting a lovely striped

Baby Alpaca scarf with ribbed edges.

 Booyah!