Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog

Colourful Crochet, Craft, Cooking, and Contemplations

Tuesday 22 August 2017

RAR Blanket CAL: Part 8

Hello Rainbow CAL-ers and welcome to Part 8 of the Rainbows After the Rain Blanket CAL (which I am hosting with Andrea of Kokopelli.

While reorganizing my craft room two weeks ago I pulled out a few odds of  DK blended yarns to make a blanket based on the RAR layout.


Yarns used:   Stylecraft Batik, Stylecraft Life;  Elle Rustica;  Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed and Elle Classic Wool (acrylic / wool blends) and Elle Cotton Fleck (acrylic / cotton blend)

Hook size 4mm.

Colours:   Reds, Browns, Camel, Teals, Black, Grey, and Blues 

I replaced the Some Days Are Diamonds squares with 4 round traditional granny squares;   the Bring Me Flowers Squares with 4 round solid grannies;   and the Over the Rainbow squares with large granny squares.


As long as the replacement squares are the same size and have the same end stitch count it is very easy to fit them into the design.

Part 8 is the penultimate instalment of the Rainbows After the Rain Blanket CAL.   This week we will be completing the centre panel (Over the Rainbow Squares and stripes) and joining all the panels together.  


Link to Andrea's Post:  PART 8

Still to follow:   Part 9 (Final) -  5 September 2017.   Border and edging.

NOTE:  Links to all CAL-related posts can be found in the "Files" on the Zooty Owl Crochet-a-long FACEBOOK GROUP

(Please join the Crochet-a-long Facebook Group if you are participating in the CAL.    Share your photos, ask questions, help fellow CAL-ers and make some new crochet friends!)

It is not too late to join in - the patterns will remain on my blog.

Happy hooking!!!

HORIZONTAL STRIPES & JOINING

PATTERN TERMS:    US

YARN:  Elle Charity Chunky (12 ply).   Stylecraft Special Chunky is an excellent quality / great value alternative yarn.

HOOK SIZE:  5.50mm (I/9 US or 5 CANADIAN)

NOTE:  Gauge is not too important with this project. Yarn thicknesses vary somewhat from brand to brand as do the tensions of individual crocheters.  The most important thing is that your tension remains even throughout the project. 

COLOURWAY:   Each crocheter may choose his / her own colour layout - colour changes / breaks are suggestions only.

STRIPES are worked alternating right side and wrong side of your work.

IMPORTANT:  Read through pattern before starting to crochet. 

Step 1:

Following the Rainbows After the Rain Blanket Layout decide on the placement of your two Over the Rainbow Squares.    We will refer to the two squares as “top square” (TS) and “bottom square” (BS).   This distinction is particularly important where you have a specific colour placement.

2 sets of stripes are crocheted onto each Over the Rainbow Square, giving you two short panels which are then joined together to form the centre panel.

To obtain a straight border each corner space counts as 1 stitch

Stitch Count :  (1ch, 2dc) corner + 33dc (side) + (2dc, 1ch) corner = 39sts

Onto the top and bottom of each square work Rows 1 to 8 in your own colourway

Row 1:  Join yarn in 2ch corner of WS with a standing dc.  1dc into each of next 37sts; 1dc into corner 2ch.  Fasten off.   Turn work

Stitch Count:  39dc

Row 2:  Join yarn in 1st dc on RS with a standing dc.  1dc into each of next 38sts.  Fasten off.  Turn work.

Rows 3 – 8:  Repeat Row 2 (continuing to alternate between RS and WS).

NOTE:  If you are not changing colour do not fasten off but use 3ch to count as 1st dc at beg of next row


Step 2:

JOINING:  We will be using my VISIBLE JOIN METHOD which is explained in more detail HERE.  The VISIBLE JOIN is a very forgiving joining method, which gives you a pretty “stitched” look on the right side of your work.  (This join is especially useful when joining squares with uneven stitch counts or for crocheters with uneven tension).

With RS of panels facing inward and working on WS join Row 8 of top stripe of BS to Row 8 of bottom stripe of TS (i.e join the middle stripes)

Join yarn with a standing sc through the first dc of both panels.  3ch; skip next 2dc, 1sc into next sp between dc, 3ch;  *skip 3dc posts, 1sc into next sp between dc, 3ch* repeat *to* 10 times more;   skip 2dc, working final sc into last dc of both panels of 8th row.


Step 3:

It is important to ensure that your centre panel lines up exactly as follows:

1st 8 horizontal stripes – line up with 1st 10cm square

Over the Rainbow Square (BS) – lines up with 10cm squares 2, 3 and 4

8 top horizontal stripes on BS – line up with 10cm square 5

8 bottom horizontal stripes on TS – line up with 10cm square 6

Over the Rainbow Square (TS) – lines up with 10cm squares 7, 8 and 9

Last 8 horizontal stripes – line up with 10cm square 10.

To obtain a stitch count equal to that of the side panels, we will crochet a single crochet foundation row along both sides of the centre panel.

NOTE:  In the foundation row as well as working into the sts of the “Over the Rainbow Squares” you will also be working along the sides of the horizontal stripes panels.   The sc will be worked around the “dc post” stitches at the end of each row.

Foundation Row:  Join yarn with a standing sc around dc post of 1st horizotal row.   *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post;  *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more (14sts)

1sc into each of next 39 stitches

1sc around dc post of next horizontal row.   *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post;  *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more (14sts)

*2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post;  *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post (14sts)

1 sc into each of next 39 stitches

*2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post;  *2sc around next dc post* repeat *to* twice more;  1sc around next dc post (14sts)

Stitch count:  14 + 39 + 14 + 14 + 39 + 14 = 134

*Repeat on opposite side

Step 4:

With RS of panels facing inward join the Some Days are Diamonds Panel to the centre panel, Join yarn in 1st sc of foundation row with a standing sc through both panels.  *2ch; skip next sc, 1sc into next sc* repeat *to* to end, working final sc into last sc of foundation row.

Step 5:

With RS of panels facing inward join the Bring Me Flowers Panel to the centre panel, Join yarn in 1st sc of foundation row with a standing sc through both panels.  *2ch; skip next sc, 1sc into next sc* repeat *to* to end, working final sc into last sc of foundation row.

Step 6:

With RS of Panels facing inward join the foundation row of the Vertical Granny Strip to the foundation row of the Some Days Are Diamonds strip.   Join yarn in 1st sc of foundation row with a standing sc through both panels.  *2ch; skip next sc, 1sc into next sc* repeat *to* to end, working final sc into last sc of foundation row.

Step 7:

With RS of Panels facing inward join the foundation row of the Vertical Cobbled Pathways Stripe to the foundation row of the Bring Me Flowers strip.   Join yarn in 1st sc of foundation row with a standing sc through both panels.  *2ch; skip next sc, 1sc into next sc* repeat *to* to end, working final sc into last sc of foundation row.

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