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Part 3 of the Spring Crochet-along – finishing the main square

May 1, 2020 by Annie Leave a Comment

Part 3 starts here…

If you missed the first parts, head back here to begin. And to recap on part 2 (rounds 6-9) see here.

There are just three more rounds left to go to complete the main square and Part 3 tells you how to work these – don’t forget, you need to make two of these. And if you want the standard written instructions, they’re here.

Here’s what the completed square will look like… Again, don’t worry that it’s not exactly square at this point.

The next round is a normal granny square round for anyone who’s made a granny square before – it’s worked with groups of 3 trebles in each space across the sides, and 3 trebles, 2 chain stitches and 3 trebles in each corner.

Round 10: Join yarn in a corner, work 3 chain stitches [this counts as a treble here], 2 trebles, 2 chain stitches and 3 trebles.

* Now work 3 trebles in each space between the groups of trebles on the row below until you get to the next corner,**

in the corner 2-chain space, work 3 trebles, 2 chains, and 3 trebles.

You need to repeat the last bit, from the asterisk * twice – you’ll now have worked 4 corners and 3 sides. To complete the last side, work from the single asterisk * and stop at the double asterisk **. To finish, join with slip stitch to the 3rd ch. Fasten off.

Round 11: Join yarn in corner and work 3ch [this counts as a dc and 2ch], then work a double crochet.

*Now work (3 chain and a double crochet in next space)

*And here’s the bit you repeat across the side – 3ch and a dc*

repeat this step (ie 3ch and a dc in the space) until you get to the next corner,

then work 3 chain **and, in the 2-chain space work (1dc, 2ch, 1dc).

Now go back and repeat repeat from the single asterisk * twice, then from the single asterisk * to the double asterisk **. Finally join with a slip stitch to the first ch. Fasten off.

Now for the last round – hurray! This one works a double crochet edging all the way round. You’ll be working both into stitches and through the chain spaces on the previous round.

Round 12: Join the yarn in a corner space, work 3 chain [counts as dc, 2ch], and a double crochet.

Now you need to repeat the same thing all the way across the side – *a double crochet in the double crochet stitch on the row below,

*You need to make a dc in the next dc stitch – here’s the hook going through the top of the dc*

*And this is what it looks like when you’ve done the dc*

and 3dc in the 3-chain space,

when you get to the corner you’ll do a double crochet in the stitch before the corner space ** (Remember that where you joined the previous row together, there’ll be a ss into a chain stitch, and this will be counted as a dc, so don’t forget to work a dc into that)

*Don’t forget to work a dc in the last stitch before the corner space*

then in the corner space work (dc, 2ch, dc). Now repeat from the single asterisk * twice, then go back and work from * to **. Finally join with ss to first ch. Fasten off.

You should have 35 dc on each side with a chain (at the corners) at each end, so altogether a side is 37 stitches wide.

Next week we’re going to make the small squares that sit across the top of this square and and side panels of the front and back, and the gusset that goes round the bag so make sure you’ve completed your main squares by then…

The next part of the pattern – Part 4 – can be found here . And meanwhile, I’d love to see some of your squares on social media with the hashtag #SpringBagCAL

Don’t forget if you get stuck, just get in touch with me on facebook, email or instagram and I’ll try to help.

Part 2 of the Spring Crochet-along – next few rounds

April 28, 2020 by Annie Leave a Comment

Part 2 coming up

It’s Part 2 of the crochet-along. Hopefully, you’ll all have finished Rounds 1-6 on at least one of the main squares (you need two of these to make the bag). Don’t forget you can use any colour on any round, so the two squares don’t actually have to match. If you haven’t made Part 1 (the main squares rows 1-6) yet, head here to catch up. And if you prefer to just follow standard written instructions, head here instead.

We’re going to do three rounds in this part, which turns your circle into a square – magic! By the time you finish these three rounds, your crochet piece should look like this… It won’t necessarily look square yet – don’t worry that’ll happen right at the end when all the pieces are blocked out…

Off we go…

For Round 7, first take a look and you will see that there are 8 groups of stitches which form points with groups of double crochet stitches in between. To start with look at the double crochet stitches, and find a space between 2 groups of 2 dc…

Where to start on part 2 of the crochet-along

Round 7: Join yarn in a space between two pairs of double crochet stitches – in the picture below I’m working in a space at the top – and work 3 chain stitches [counts as a treble here],

then in the same space a treble, a double treble, and 2 more trebles.

Now a bit to repeat 7 times – each makes a row of chains plus a ‘fan’: work 2 chain stitches to sit behind the pointy group of stitches (like you did on Round 3),

and in the next space between pairs of double crochets work 2 trebles, a double treble and 2 trebles.

*This is what it looks like at the back*

Once you’ve done all that seven times, work 2 more chain stitches and join with a slip stitch to the 3rd of the chains you did at the beginning. Fasten off.

Round 8 is a bit more complicated, but, don’t worry, I’ll break it down into sections. This is the round where the circle begins to turn into a square.

First, you need to look at a ‘fan’. Find the double treble in the middle of one of the fans. You will start in the space just before the double treble, next to one of the trebles. Found it? Then you’re good to go for Round 8.

Round 8: First, we’re going to make a corner. Join the yarn in the space before a double treble on a ‘fan’ and work 4 chain stitches [this counts as a double treble here],

now work 2 double trebles in the same space, work 2 chain stitches then work 3 double trebles in next space [between the double treble and the next treble]. This will look like this and forms a corner of the square…

*Next on to one of the chain stitch sections behind the next point – this is where Round 8 attaches to Round 7. [Make sure you’ve noticed that asterisk as you’re going to have to come back to this point a bit further on.] First work a treble in 3-chain space,

*The first treble just goes through the chain space*

then for the next treble, you need to work it through the treble in the middle of point on round 6 – however, instead of inserting your hook through both loops of the treble like you normally would, just put it through the back loop only – then at the same time insert it through the 3-chain space – this is what links the two rounds together,

*Put hook through back loop of the yellow treble and through the pink chain space*

*Here you can see how the stitch joins the two rounds together*

Finally on this section, work a treble just through the 3-chain space.

*The third treble just through the chain space*

Next onto a bit that’ll form the side of the square. You’re going to be working through spaces between stitches on the ‘fan’ again. First work 2 half trebles in the space between first two stitches of the ‘fan’, a double crochet in next space [ie between a treble and the double treble], then 1chain, a double crochet in next space, 2 half trebles in final space on the fan. That’s the side done.

*A chain stitch in the middle then a dc in the next space*

Now work the trebles in the chain space behind the point as before, remembering to link the middle treble.

Now you should be back to the corner, so you’ll work 3 double trebles in the space between the treble and double treble on the fan, then 2 chain stitches, then 3 double trebles in the space between the double treble and the treble.

*Here another set of trebles and another corner is complete*

You’ve completed two corners and one side, so now repeat the whole part again from where I’ve put an asterisk * twice more and you should have all four corners. Now just work another linking section (ie tr, tr through stitch and loop, tr) , a side section (ie 2htr, dc, 1ch,dc, 2htr) and another linking section (ie tr, tr through stitch and loop, tr) and finally join with slip stitch to the fourth of the chain stitches you made at the beginning. Fasten off.

Well done for completing that epic round. You’ve now just one more to go to complete this part of the square. This round consists of groups made up of three treble stitches.

Round 9: You first need to join the yarn in one of the corner spaces and work 3 chain stitches [this counts as a treble], now 2 trebles, 2 chain stitches and 3 trebles – one corner completed.

*For the side, you’re going to work 3 trebles in the space before the next 3 trebles, then 3 trebles in the space before the 2 half trebles, 3 trebles in the 1-chain space, 3 trebles in the space before next 3 trebles, 3 trebles in the next space before the 3 double trebles – you’re now back to a corner, where you’ll work into the 2-chain space in the middle with 3 trebles, 2 chain stitches and 3 trebles. This is that bit in pictures…

Now you need to head back to the asterisk in this round again and work that side and another corner. Repeat this once more. Now you just have one more side left where you work across with groups of three trebles as before. Join with a slip stitch to the third or the chain stitches you made at the beginning. Fasten off.

Just one more part to go and you’ll have finished the main square, so check out Part 3 here.. and keep sharing your pix on social media with the hashtag #springbagCAL

Don’t forget if you get stuck, just get in touch with me on facebook, email or instagram and I’ll try to help.

Helpful Notes on the Spring Bag CAL

April 28, 2020 by Annie Leave a Comment

I thought I’d add some (hopefully) helpful notes here, to explain how you can prepare each section of the Spring Bag CAL so that they’re ready for joining together eventually, then tomorrow, Part 2 of the instructions will be here…

Helpful notes 1 – Darning in the ends

As there are lots of colour changes in this pattern, guess what?! That means loads of ENDS!!!!! You’ve probably already noticed if you’ve done the first Part. And each one will need darning in, so that your work won’t unravel as soon as you begin using the bag. Make sure you leave a long enough end when you start each new colour and when you cut off the colour at the end of the round, to make it easier to darn in.

A useful technique

If you can manage it, a useful thing to do is to crochet over each new end as you go along, then at least it’s partially darned in automatically. It only works on rounds where you’re working a number of stitches in the same place though…

Here’s an example – it’s the second round. I’ve joined in my yarn and done the initial 2 chain stitches. You can see that I’ve placed the green loose end along the top of the lilac stitches on the first round.

Now, when I insert the hook through the space for the first treble, I’m also putting my hook under that loose end.

Once I finish my treble, it’s secured that end in place.

I do that again with the double treble and treble.

Here’s what it looks like on the back…

Now it’s quite secure, so I can leave the loose end at the back. To be on the safe side, I usually still darn the yarn back the opposite direction once I’ve finished the round, read on for how to do this…

Get your darning-in needle out

Once you’ve finished each piece of this CAL, it’s easier if you darn in any loose ends. That way, when you come to join the pieces together, there won’t be so many ends getting in the way.

You’ll be darning in on the back of the work so it isn’t visible on the front.

Thread that needle and look for some handy stitches that you can weave the end through… Here I’ve found some brown treble stitches to weave my pink thread through.

I put my needle through the middle of the stitches – here I’ve gone through 3 stitches.

Now I turn back the other way, miss the first stitch and thread the needle through the middle of the stitches going in the opposite direction.

This should be secure now, but you can turn and go back the other way, missing the first stitch if you prefer. Now you can trim the end off completely, safe in the knowledge that it won’t unravel.

Notes 2 – Blocking

Blocking is a step that you do to set the crocheted piece into it’s final shape. So only do this stage once you’ve finished the whole of a main square (that’ll be after Part 3 on Friday). Then block out each completed piece as it’s finished.

Get yourself a pile of towels, or fold one up so you have several layers. Using rustproof dressmaking pins (if you have rustproof ones), place your square on the towel and pin the corners so that piece is exactly a square. Don’t stretch it too much, just ease the corners slightly so that each side is straight. Now you can add a few more pins along each side.

If you have a mist spray bottle (like a plant spray), just lightly spray the square with tepid water. You don’t want to make it soaking wet, just slightly moist. If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can just cover the square with a damp cloth till it’s damp. Now leave the square until it’s completely dry.

Sometimes with acrylic yarn, an extra boost is necessary. I very carefully use my steam iron. VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT TOUCH THE CROCHETED PIECE WITH THE IRON (if you do touch acrylic yarn with a hot iron, it will ‘melt’ or fuse in place, or even stick to your iron which is not what you want at all!). I hover my steam iron a couple of inches above the pinned-out crochet piece and give it a short burst of steam. Once I’ve done this to the whole piece I leave it till it’s completely dry before taking out the pins.

So now you know all about the finishing touches, you’re ready for the next few parts of the CAL.