Deciphering A Granny Square

Wow! It’s been a LONG time since I’ve shared an update! I’ve been keeping busy with my husband, two kiddos and a pup… and of course, my Etsy shop, so life has been really good!

So, this morning, my friend Tanya from HodgePodge Crochet posted about a square she had seen shared, but wasn’t exactly certain on how to tackle making it. I won’t post that photo here, because I have no idea who it belongs to and I wouldn’t be able to give them proper credit, but if you were following along in her group, you know which square it was. She couldn’t find any details about it, so we didn’t have a lot to go on. Just a pretty rainbow of colours and a different take on the granny! I happened to have a skein of Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn in Grass sitting right beside me, and a Bates J hook and accepted the challenge.

I’m not going to lie – I think I did a pretty good job! I promised everyone who was following along I would type it out, and I apologize for the crude photos that go along with it, but it will probably make life easier if you decide to tackle it yourself!

Materials

J 6mm hook (you can probably use anything, the J is just my go-to for everything)

#4 Worsted Weight (I used Impeccable)

Scissors

Needle for weaving

Gauge

I don’t think gauge is terribly important for this one.

Stitches

ch – chain

dc cluster – 3 dc stitches together in same st

ss – slip stitch

st – stitch

sk2st – skip 2 stitches

Pattern

Row One – Ch 3, 3 dc cluster in 3rd ch from hook, ch 2, 3 dc cluster in same ch. Turn.

Row Two – (ch 2, 2dc) in first dc st, ch 2, (dc cluster in ch 2 space, ch 2, dc cluster in same space), ch 2, sk2st, dc cluster in last st. Turn.

Row Three – (ch 2, 2dc) in first dc st, ch 2, dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2, (dc cluster in ch 2 space, ch 2, dc cluster in same space), ch 2, dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2, sk2st, dc cluster in last st. Turn.

Row Four – ch 2, ss into 1st dc, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, (dc cluster in ch 2 space, ch 2, dc cluster in same space), ch 2, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, sk2st, ss in last st. Turn.

Row Five – ss to 1st dc, ch 2, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, (dc cluster in ch 2 space, ch 2, dc cluster in same space), ch 2, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, sk2st, ss in last st. Turn.

Row Six – ss to 1st dc, ch 2, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, ss in next ch 2 space, ch 2, *dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2*, repeat * * one more time, sk2st, ss in last st. Turn.

Row Seven – ss to 1st dc, ch 2, dc cluster in next ch 2 space, ch 2, ss in next ch 2 space, ss to ch 2 space from row 5, ss to next dc, ch 2, dc cluster in ch 2 space, ch 2, ss in last dc, fasten off, weave in ends.

And, that’s it! You’ve (hopefully) made a granny from this! Please let me know if you find anything funky – I did whip this up pretty quickly, and mistakes happen! If you’ve successfully followed along and made a square, please share a picture of it to my blog post share on my page (I’ll update with the link as soon as I’m finished typing this!)

Thanks for checking this out and happy hooking until next time!

Michelle

#HPShowdown2 | The Competitors!

This week has been a bit crazy! My husband was away from work, and between the kiddo, the pup, the garden, orders and the house… I have been a bit overwhelmed! I meant to do this earlier this week, but time certainly got away from me. (Sorry ladies) As promised though:

The lovely ladies I competed with in #HPShowdown2!!!

River Rose Pillow

First up, we have the lovely Heather from Keep Calm & Crochet on UK! She designed her River Rose Pillow. It is so pretty! She used a square motif which means more sewing, but the end result is gorgeous! Her sample pillow reminds me of poppies! Isn’t it fantastic?

Mamta Motiyani | Lace Mandala Pillow

Next up, we have the Lace Mandala Pillow by Mamta Motiyani. I love the simplicity of this design. This is a nice big pillow you could snuggle up with!

Simply Knots | Secret Jewels Pillow

The Secret Jewels Pillow by Dreanna of Simply Knots is up next! This is a pretty cool design! It reminds me a bit of the larksfoot stitch, and I love the bright colours against the black look in this photo!

Brandylynn Creations | Blooming Peony Pillow

I love the Blooming Peony Pillow by Brandylynn Creations! I imagine it is so soft and snuggly. I could definitely picture myself cuddling up to this pillow on my couch.

Trifle N Treasures | Teen Dreams Pillow

Finally, we have the Teen Dreams Pillow by Tera of Trifles N Treasures! This is definitely a pillow any teenage girl would love to have on her bed! I took my not quite teen niece shopping and she asked me to get her a fur rug for her room, so this pillow would be a lovely matching accessory!

There you have it! The competition I was up against in the #HPShowdown2! Which pillow was your favourite design?

#HPShowdown2 | We Have A Winner! Classic Lace Bolster – New Pattern Release

So, here’s the thing… a couple of months ago, I was asked to take part in a mini-competition with my peers. I was so excited, but then reality took hold… I was going on a ten day trip during creative time and thought I would not be able to complete my design.

I almost turned this down.

After giving it some thought and checking out the deadlines, I realized that if anyone COULD do this, it was me, so away I went…

I wanted to do something a little different and had two ideas floating around in my brain. Both were the same pillow shape, but different stitches.  I tried out my first idea and really liked the look of it, but didn’t care much for the yarn I used. This pillow was originally designed using Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable, but I found it was a little too stretchy on the pillow form and the yarn was really fuzzy.

Not bad… but not quite what I wanted.

So, I went back to the drawing board. I had come home from our vacation at this point, and received a package of Knit Picks Chroma Worsted I had ordered… and I was sold.  I went with Fog Bank, and got to hooking. This yarn was perfect for the job. It didn’t stretch as much as the RHBU, and it wasn’t quite as fuzzy. And, silky… so silky feeling!

The end result was my Classic Lace Bolster:

Isn’t it pretty?

I loved the feel and the look of this bolster! The yarn is so soft. And, it is so comfortable! I could lie on my couch reading my favourite book for hours on this pillow (okay, I HAVE done this).

Grumpers loves it too!

I am excited and proud to announce that my pillow won! I had some tough competition and I admit, I was really worried. A big, big thank you goes out to everyone who voted (even if you didn’t vote for me… I forgive you) and tomorrow, I will post links to all of the competition! They worked really hard on their designs, and I would like to give them their props!

While you wait, you can pick up my pattern on Ravelry. It is on sale for $2.50 until Sunday, August 16, when it will bounce up to the regular price of $4.

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Tanya Naser of Hodge Podge Crochet and Kimberlie Goodnough of ShopKimberlie for all of the work they have done running this competition! It was an honour to be asked to participate and I look forward to seeing the next one!

Hodge Podge Crochet Design Challenge! #HPShowdown2 | (and where I have been hiding)

Goodness! It has been WAY too long!

Once the nice weather hit, I pretty much went MIA. I also have a lovely suntan, a fabulous garden, and a lot of memories with my family to show for it. 😉

I haven’t vanished entirely though. I am still keeping busy in my Etsy shop, I have taken on a new business venture selling Jamberry nail wraps, and I have been working on a top secret project for a little competition I entered in my favourite Facebook group, Hodge Podge Crochet!

The idea is simple. A handful of designers are given a theme, create a design, have it tested, and our peers will vote on their favourite design! It’s also secret! No one knows who designed which pattern!

Our challenge was… pillows! This one was interesting to do because I have not made a pillow before, but it was a ton of fun for me!

We have finally reached the voting part of the process, and I admit, I am a little nervous. The voting takes place on Pinterest. Likes or repins count as a vote! And, the winner will be determined next weekend! Because my design is still “secret” I can’t tell you which is mine, but if you’d like to head over and cast a vote for your favourite, that would be awesome! Note: you must only vote for one design, otherwise your votes are cancelled out. You can repin others after the competition though. 🙂

Here’s the link to vote! Hodge Podge Crochet Design Challenge

Designs will go on sale after the competition ends (this way it STAYS anonymous) and I will share with you where you can find each of the designs next week!

I can’t wait to see who wins!

From Home Is Taking A LONG Break From Crochet

My first square design

To those of you reading this, April Fools!

I am not quitting. I love my yarn and hooks so very much. (and, if I did quit, and didn’t use up the five hundred trillion skeins I have stashed away, my husband would kill me) 😉

Have a fab day friends! ❤

KCACO-UK CAL – Square Six

Two weeks have passed since the release of my Larksfoot Inspired 12″ Granny Square, which means it is time for a new square!

This week, we are heading to Moogly blog to dazzle us with the Magic Spike Mandala Square! This was the first square I actually planned my colour placements on, and I love how mine turned out!

Magic Spike Mandala Square

Head over to https://keepcalmandcrochetonuk.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/kcaco-uk-cal-2015-block-6/ for more information on how to find the Magic Spike Mandala Square pattern!

NatCroMo 2015!

Good morning and welcome to all of the people who have found me via Crochetville‘s NatCroMo designer tour!

I am so excited to have been included, and would love to share some of that excitement with you! I have a coupon code that I will post for you here, good for one FREE pattern in my Ravelry Shop!

In addition to the freebie, all patterns in my Ravelry shop are 20% off for the month of March!

One more bonus for my Facebook followers; I will choose some winners on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/fromhomecrochet who will each win another freebie! I know, I am crazy, right? All you need to do is tell me what the three truths about me are from the Crochetville blog post! Winners will be chosen randomly.

Make sure you get notifications on my Facebook page so you don’t miss the winners!

So, how about that freebie? Head over to Ravelry and use code: NatCroMoFree to take one free pattern from my shop. The code is active today only, so don’t miss out!

Thanks for stopping by, and please share the good news!