I had a lot and I mean a lot of leftover chunky yarn from the Attic 24 crochet bag. This much..
Now one good thing about volunteering in the library is I get to spot lots of books, including crochet books , so this one came home with me.
I rather liked the look of the crochet cushion on the book cover. It is made using Aran on a 4.5mm hook, so I reckoned a 5mm and chunky yarn would be just fine.
Well it is and it isn’t. The result is very bulky and I don’t think will make a very nice cushion. I am thinking maybe a blanket with the motif I have made at the centre.
The yellow in the top right of the picture is to square the circle. Hoping it is going to work.
The instructions are quite good, but I would have liked more pictures of where I am supposed to be going with the hook. The second round confused me for a long time as did this squaring the corner bit. I think a lot of my problem is inexperience, followed by over thinking and maybe miss reading.
I am very tempted now to do lots of granny rounds but not certain how far the yarn will go. Or maybe I should do two smaller motifs to go either side, and then some granny rounds, the practise would be good. Thoughts anyone please?
Joining with Kate for ScrapHappy, do check out the others scrap happiness!
Susan Pinner the author of the book blogs here at Suz Place
nanacathy2
nanacathydotcom 
Comments on: "Scrap Happy February" (37)
Now I don’t know anything about crochet, but I can say I like the colours😊 and it looks like a very inspirational book!
Looks fab – chunkiness doesn’t come through in pic 🙂 It’s fine line with making sure there is enough in a kit and not too much, because different people have different tensions, but that amount over is ridiculous – although I suspect they just chucked whole balls of wool in and Attic 24 kit?
My Grandmother had my Grandfather read her the instructions and help her! I was surprised she needed help. Seemed she could do everything! I realize we both have the same affliction- we can’t read directions! I have no help so reading instructions are out for me. I just started making my own made up primitive patterns which are quite limiting, but stress free! LOL! Your circle is beautiful and you’ve completed more than I’d have managed. I always forget about youtube, but watching could expand my crocheting too!
Thank you for your reassurance. It can be hard to follow patterns when several instructions are written in one sentence with stars for repeats, much easier to read would be one under the other but that would take up too much space. I think too that there are some errors as I look at the picture and think that is not what is written. In one place it reads do a DC but clearly it’s a treble, and I reckon it’s a muddle between US and UK terms.
I think there is a skill in reading crochet patterns ~ one that I don’t have ~ so pictures are invaluable. And YouTube videos even more so. It’s good exercise for our brains!
Yes miss just one instruction in a long line and I am just so lost.
It looks great. I think crochet has come a long way since I used to do it.
Oh yes absolutely. When I learned back in the day it was just granny squares or impossible lacy things with wafer thin crochet cotton and minute hooks.
Same here. These are architechtural marvels in contrast.
I have no gift with crochet. But I certainly enjoy the work of others who do! This will be so lovely!
Thank you.
I know nothing about crochet but I do like what you’ve done so far!
Oh bless you, thanks for the encouragement!
When I’m learning a new stitch or motif I often resort to YouTube to find a visual – as that is my best learning style. I often find word descriptions ambiguous or unclear. Enter the name of the design or the designers name into YT’s search engine and see if something comes up.
Clever idea thank you.
I think it looks great. I’m sure you will figure it out. One of these days I will get to making granny squares. But I am not experienced in crochet either and I think I would have a tough time without a tutorial or pictures, too. But keep going! Yours looks great.
Thanks Ginny. Most of my problem is trying to overthink the pattern and failing to understand how it was working. I kept having to peer really carefully at the pictures which are really there as decorative images rather than part of the how to!
Shame about the cushion cover it was the cushion cover that caught my eye on the photo of the book cover. Are you sure you have enough yarn for a blanket? Might be an idea to work out how big a blanket you could make. I do the crochet a small area in the stitch you are going to use, weigh it, then use that to calculate the final area method. Of course that is in addition to the centre square.
That’s such a clever idea to weigh the yarn. I would actually say I have more left than I used for the bag!
Yes but is the bag almost blanket sized? I suppose I make big blankets!!
The bag is all closely packed DCs whereas this pattern is double trebles and a bigger hook. I think there is enough for a lap blanket if I stick to motifs rather than something denser.
I know it gives us scraps to work with, but I’m always a bit annoyed that kits do include so much extra yarn. If there’s enough for two bags, why not say so in the kit description? Or if there’s loads left over but not enough for a repeat, why not include a pattern for something else too? Being in the middle of writing some patterns to go in kits, I’m very aware of making sure that there’s the right amount of yarn for the pattern… apart from anything else it keeps the cost of the kit down: excess yarn = extra cost. Please excuse my grumble, but it has been on my mind recently.
I have to say that, although I like the design of your cushion cover, I’m not sure it really lends itself to chunky yarn because it results in such big holes. I’d feel I had to make a lining for it. Anyway, squaring it off requires some triangular motifs, and it looks like that’s what you are doing, although it’s hard to make out the stitches. Sophie is squared off with a flower and leaf motif (see http://www.lookatwhatimade.net/crafts/yarn/crochet/sophies-universe-cal-2015/sophies-universe-cal-part-4/ for the relevant section) and you might be able to adapt this approach. Alternatively, you could make a round cushion cover!
If you are unsure whether you have enough yarn to complete a round then weigh it, work 1/4 of the round and weigh it again. If you’ve used more than 1/4 you don’t have enough, but you will know before you’ve done too much work. We have some digital kitchen scales that are invaluable for this… I don’t like playing yarn chicken!
I totally agree with your grumble, and all it would have taken the manufacturers is the addition of one more clasp, there is easily plenty for a second bag.
When you buy an embroidery kit you get the correct number of strands required not whole skeins of floss, so why not for crochet kits/
Clever idea to weigh the yarn so I can avoid the chicken yarn game. Thanks for your thoughts.
I have no idea how you square off a circle. I’d just crochet an even bigger circle and make a round cushion lol
The half circles seem to do the trick, we shall see.
This looks stunning, but as a novice crocheter i can’t really offer any advice. Will look forward to see how it turns out though. xx
Thanks Thimbers.
These colors are so fun….I bet your sweet little grand girl would love a cushion made of this, either for the floor or on her bed!!
Yes I think she would, I am very tempted to make the cushion using the correct weight of yarn as well as whatever this becomes.
This isn’t that far off the Eastern Jewels blanket I’m making at the moment only chunkier. The centre bit is an octagon though which obviously makes squaring it up a lot easier.
You mean I might be able to tackle the Eastern Jewels if I fettle this. I love that blanket and am oh so tempted by it.
I think so – I’m fairly new to crochet and it’s much easier than it looks.
Would it work to have 4 wee rounds to place in each corner, to help with the squaring off? It’d be nice to have small co-ordinating ones, I think. I like your chunky round, but I’m so not a crochet expert!
It’s good to have someone who doesn’t crochet look at it, especially as you spend a lot of time balancing blocks. I like the idea of small rounds, and shall give it serious thought. One day I might be able to crochet a blanket without having to shout Help all the time.
Asking for help is what friends are for… sometimes it takes another eye and another suggestion to clear the way, especially as you spend such a lot of time so close to your work.
That’s it exactly! And I love being able to come here and ask for help and receive it.
shouting help is half the fun! ;o)