Squaring the Treble Circle

Hello!  I have been playing around with US Treble/Triple crochet stitches over the past few weeks and whilst I a still figuring out how to increase the rows beyond row 5 in order to create a beautiful flat circle of about cushion size, I managed to square 2 different sizes last night and thought I'd share with you how I did this. Perhaps instructions already exist, but I haven't come across it yet. (Ah - correction - I just came across Retro Circles which albeit hooked in DC, was squared similarly.) 

I also realised how beautiful a throw would be in the smaller square - perhaps each square also edged in one row of SC in a contrasting colour? I bought yarn in natural, peach, grapefruit and raspberry recently and now wonder whether I should be ditching the naturals and pick up cherry red and purple to create a funky doodle donkey vibrant scarf/bag/throw/potholder/doily?  Hmm I will mull over it and perhaps I should just get into my car and visit the yarn store? I also fell in love with the latest circles by Little Woollie and am most definitely hooking something in that pattern soon.

Cheers!

Thank you to all those who subscribed and are flipping pages on Pigtails Crochet Mag (Flipboard)!

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!

Progress!

Throw progressing nicely

Yarn:

Four Squares in top corner are hooked in Vinnis Nikkim Colours, edged with Vinnis Bambi. The square in the left bottom corner is hooked in Vinnis Serina, edged with Vinnis Bambi.

Vinnis Nikkim is 100% hand dyed cotton; Vinnis Serina is 100% hand dyed bamboo and Vinnis Bambi is a 100% organically grown cotton slub yarn twisted with bamboo.

Hook sizes: 

Vinnis Nikkim Colours - 5.5; Vinnis Serina - 6.5; Vinnis Bambi - 5.5

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.

 These 3 squares are hooked in cotton and the stone shows the texture of the cotton-bamboo mix

I buy my yarn from Maryna Fouche in Pretoria.  Hop over to the great I love pom-poms blog and the Facebook Craft Share page both hosted by talented Cornel Strydom for fellow hooker, Maryna's details.

 Vinnis Bambi in the metal bowl; the threads are the 3 different yarns

Have a great weekend - I am about to block more squares in order to edge them.  Cheers!