Toothpicks and a Cardboard Box

Doily + toothpicks + cardboard box = blocking with minimal resources

I already have a plan to crochet a throw resembling Islamic design

Vinnis Serina in Dark Army or Army + Amanda Perkins pattern in either Clementine or Jonquil = Islamic inspired throw

Our new abode

This is the view from the l-shaped courtyard on the ground floor

There is also a rooftop patio leading from the third floor

T's a happy feeling home

BUT

We have a pink, yes a PINK kitchen for goodness sake!

Dusky pink and stone coloured tiles . . . 

Raw Rustic Cotton and Bamboo Throw!

Good Morning from a sunny Mother Africa!  The Throw that I have been working on for a while ('cause I ran out of yarn and so did my supplier) is finally finished - well that is apart from the weaving in of ends that is still happening . . .  It is such a soft, beautiful throw and I enjoyed every minute of the process from selecting the colours to deciding upon the appropriate hook sizes, joining methods and edging. I have made about 4 different postings about this project over the past weeks and attach the links below where appropriate. 

Pattern: 

The 70 squares are hooked in HDC

Ring: Ch5, close with ss. 

Row 1: Ch2 to form first stitch and then another 15hdc. Close round with ss. 

Rows 2-5: Ch2 to form first stitch and then 1hdc, 1ch, 2hdc (this is the first corner). Rest of the 3 corners 2hdc, 1ch, 2hdc. For the rest of the stitches between the corners: 1hdc in each. 

Repeat until there are 5 rounds in total.

See my posting On the Hook! where I blogged about the idea and stitches

Yarn:

 hand-dyed cotton, bamboo and cotton-bamboo mix

See my posting titled Wabi Sabi for more about inspiration for projects and yarn choices

Joining Method

I absolutely fell in love with the joining method I used for this throw.  I will be writing more about the method in another posting and will also refer you to a YouTube tutorial by someone else that thoroughly showcases this easy but visually appealing method. 

At first I was interested in joining the squares via the flat braid method, but I realised that the method was not suitable to a highly textured yarn.

Edging

I tried out a lattice edge in two different sizes - 3 chains as well as with 5 chain lattice but discarded the effort as I felt a simple edging would be more suitable to the yarn. The final edging consist of 3 rows hdc in the bamboo/cotton yarn and one row sc in the cotton.  The hooksizes suitable to these yarns are 3,75-4,5 mm.  I however hooked the throw in 5,5 and 6,5 mm - using the 6,5 mm for the lightest in weight in order to achieve the texture I was after.

Blocking

I steam blocked the squares in a rather rustic manner on a block made of nails and a rustic piece of wood 

See my posting titled Why I blocked all my squares for more information on the process

Stitch and Texture 

Squares in hdc, edging in sc

This throw is showcasing lovely texture by using a simple pattern, 3 different kinds of yarn and 2 different hook sizes.  It is lovely to say so myself and I am still playing with the idea of joining the squares with the flat braid pattern.

See my posting titled Progress where I blogged about the yarn and texture

I will post about the next wip on my hooks soon!  This time it is a modern looking Baktus stripey scarf in single crochet. I have a soft spot for the Baktus knitted scarfs that made the rounds among the Norwegian blogs a while back and designed a skinny version in single crochet to achieve the minimalist look I am after.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Why I blocked all my squares!

Steam blocking is a gentle way to shape crochet squares:

Pin and then hold steam iron over finished crochet squares so that the steam penetrates the squares without adding the weight of the iron pressing down on it - steam each square before placing the next one on top.  

Because we currently live in sunny South Africa, I am able to pile about 5-6 squares on the block, place it in the sun and all the squares are dry within half an hour.  My block is big enough to take 2 squares next to one another so I am able to block 10-12 simultaneously without much hassle. 

I like rustic processes and certainly did not feel guilty pinning my squares on nails rather than pinning down with delicate pins.  The nails are not rusty and because I edged the squares with a more bulky yarn, seeing the slight rounded shapes the nails left behind, only added to the process rather than  ruining it.

For more detailed information about steam blocking cotton, take a look at How to Steam-Block Knitting or Crochet

Enjoy your weekend, Autumn is kicking in here whilst many of you are preparing for gorgeous Spring!