The Sunshine & Showers crochet along (CAL) project was
featured in the first 13 issues of Crochet Now magazine
between March 2016 and April 2017. Using the months of
the year as the design theme the crochet blanket project
was designed by Jane Crowfoot and was originally released
as a mystery crochet along – which means that the design
was not revealed completely until the end of the project.
Each month of the year saw the release of a new pattern
within the magazine.
The Sunshine & Showers crochet along project was very successful over it’s first year of release so, now that the patterns revert to us here at Janie Crow, we have decided it would be a good idea to do it all over again!
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| Yarn Stories Version |
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| Stylecraft Version |
If you would like to join in the project you simply need to look out for the pattern releases each month and then you can choose whether to follow the blog posts free of charge or download a pattern for a minimal fee. You also have the option to choose to purchase a dedicated yarn pack (we have a pack that uses Stylecraft Special DK and a pack that uses Yarn Stories Fine Merino DK) or, as this is a great stash busting project you could choose to source the yarn shades yourself.
The following blog post contains all the advanced information we think you will need to work through this project - the images and yarn information on the blog is for the original Stylecraft Special DK version. You can access a free download of this information by following this link and you will find a download for the Yarn Stories version by following the same link.
If you would like to follow the project (as it featured last year) within Crochet Now magazine you will need to source back copies. Magazine issues 1-5 have sold out, but you can purchase a brochure with these patterns in via our web site.
What is a CAL?
It seems that the
concept of mystery blankets or ‘make along’ projects originate within the
patchwork and quilting craft sector, where ‘block a month’ or ‘Mystery
Blankets’ have been common place for more than a decade, however, I first came
across the idea in relation to knitting when my friend and accomplished hand
knit designer Debbie Abrahams released her knitted equivalent in 2007. There
are many KAL (Knit Along) and CAL (Crochet Along) projects around these days
and many of them are free to join in.
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| Lily Pond CAL 2015 |
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| Frida's Flowers CAL 2016 |
The beauty of a
CAL project is that a design is broken down into bite size pieces. It can feel
really daunting being faced with a large project, with many different stitch
sequences or techniques to learn as you progress through the design and
crocheters can often feel a bit demoralized or lost along the way, especially
if they think they are not progressing fast enough. Dividing a large design
into doable pieces makes the whole process so much easier and, with the invent
of CAL groups on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and of course
Ravelry, crocheters can also now feel less isolated whilst still carrying out
the solitary (yet incredibly therapeutic) craft from the comfort of their own
homes.
About this project:
Unlike all my
previous CAL designs, this one is worked as a sampler so that you will be
working lots of different stitches and techniques in rows of crochet. To get an
idea of sampler style crochet blankets take a look at the following links:
Spice Of Life CAL
blanket by Sandra at Cherry Heart which is pictured below.
Rainbow Sampler Blanket by Kirsten Ballering who is also the designer of the lovely Hygge CAL project currently being run by the yarn brand Scheepjes.
As-we-go Stripey Blanket by Hannah Owens
When I design a
new project I almost always do so with a theme in mind. There are quite a lot
of sampler style blankets already in existence, so I wanted to design something
that had a recognizable design element carrying through the whole project. I
decided on the idea of making it a seasonal sampler blanket.
The CAL runs over
the course of the year and so each section of the blanket will have a theme
that relates to the month in which you will be making it.
What level of expertise do you need?
I have designed
the blanket so that it starts pretty easy. To complete the first part of the
design you will need to know how to make a chain, how to work double crochet
stitches, half treble stitches and treble stitches.
This project is not aimed at complete beginners and there is an assumption that you know your basic stitches and terminology. When an unusual or slightly complicated technique is featured the patterns include step bt step images and short written tutorials. For basic stitch terms and tutorials we advise you to look on Youtube or a crochet techniques book or publication.
Getting Ready:
Yarns:
The Sunshine &
Showers blanket is made using Stylecraft Special DK in a range of 15 shades. The project uses 1 x 100g ball of
each shade.
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| Special DK shades |
The yarns pictured above are as follows (Left to Right - Top to Bottom)
1711 Spice
1067 Grape
1023 Raspberry
1241 Fondant
1080 Pale Rose
1709 Gold
1065 Meadow
1712 Lime
1820 Duck Egg
1005 Cream
1063 Graphite
1027 Khaki
1078 Petrol
1722 Storm Blue
1068 Turquoise
You can find the shades and yarn amounts for the Yarn Stories Fine Merino version within the download version of 'Getting Ready'.
Crochet Along projects are a wonderful way of using up yarns from your stash, and the fact that we have used a true DK weight of yarn for our blanket means that you can easily make yarn substitutions, but just make sure you are using yarns with a similar length to the Special DK (295 meters per 100g ball), other wise you could run out of yarn.
Crochet Along projects are a wonderful way of using up yarns from your stash, and the fact that we have used a true DK weight of yarn for our blanket means that you can easily make yarn substitutions, but just make sure you are using yarns with a similar length to the Special DK (295 meters per 100g ball), other wise you could run out of yarn.
Yarn Usage:
It is my advice that you keep hold of all your yarn until the end of the project – by this I mean all the pieces you might undo and any pieces that look a bit frayed. Don’t be tempted to use any of the yarn for any other project until you have completed this one and make sure you keep everything in a safe place.
Hooks:
You will possibly
a combination of the following hook sizes:
3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm
& 5mm hooks
The hooks you use
will be dependent on the tension you achieve – please read further on for more
information about tension.
Other Accessories:
Along with the
crochet hooks, you will need a few extra pieces of equipment when working
through this project.
Stitch Markers:
In order to help
you through the making up process of the blanket and so that you don’t unravel
your stitches between each pattern release it is a good idea to use a few
stitch markers. I tend to use small locking stitch markers – these look like
little nappy pins and are really safe as the stitches cannot escape.
Knitters Sewing Needle:
You will have a
lot of yarn ends to sew in as you work through the project. It is my suggestion
that you sew in all your ends as you go along so that you don’t end up with a
massive making up job once you have completed all your crochet. I really like bent tip needles, but if you don't have one of these just make sure you have a needle which is not too sharp and that the eye is large enough to accommodate the yarn without splitting it.
Scissors, tape measure and bag:
You will need a
sharp pair of scissors and a tape measure.
You might also
want to sort out a dedicated bag for your project. I like to make sure that I
don’t muddle up my yarns with other things or misplace any of them. Canvas bags
or baskets are great for this.
Abbreviations and Stitch Conversions:
The patterns are written using UK terminology. You will find a conversion chart and information about abbreviations and terminology within the free 'Getting Ready' document that you can download by following this link. This document is designed to give you a taster of what the download versions of the patterns will be like - download versions of the patterns will be available at a cost of 95p each from the beginning of the project in May and will be available for both yarn versions of the project.
Tension:
Crochet is by
nature an organic and creative process – it is wonderful to pick up some yarn
and a hook and create motifs and decorative pieces that eventually make up a
larger project. Many crocheters are used to doing just this without thinking
too much about how big their pieces come up and whether things are being worked
to the correct tension.
Before you start
work on your crochet along project I urge you to check that you are working to
the correct tension, that is the number of stitches and rows measured over 10cm
(4in).
If you achieve a
tension tighter or looser than the suggested tension you will find that your
project will differ in size to mine, that you will use a different amount of
yarn and possibly that your pieces will fit together properly in the making uop
stages.
The look of the
crochet stitches can also differ – a looser tension is not as neat as the
standard tension, whilst a tight tension can make your work stiff or cardboard
like.
Working a tension piece:
If you already
have your yarn and the correct hooks then you are ready to work your tension
pieces.
Spending an hour
or 2 to work these blocks can seem like a waste of time, but it is REALLY
important that you are sure you are working to the same tension as the tension
the patterns are written for. As I have said at least twice already, a failure
to work to the correct tension will mean that your project will come out a
different size and that you will use a different amount of yarn.
If you are using
Special DK and have full 100g balls you should have enough yarn in almost all
of the shades to work your tension pieces and still have enough to complete
your CAL project, but to be safe I worked my pieces using a couple of colours I
already had.
Before you start
your tension piece have a think about whether you consider yourself to be a
tight, loose or ‘middle of the road’ crocheter in relation to tension. If your
work tends to be a little stiff or you have trouble getting your hook through
your stitches, then the chances are that you are on the tight side of ‘normal’,
however, if your work tends to be a little floppy and your stitches are quite
open then the chances are that you are a loose crocheter.
Special DK is a
standard DK weight yarn, however I tend to use a size larger hook for it that I
do for other DK weights (I use a 4.5mm instead of a 4mm)
When working a
tension piece it is a good idea to work on more stitches and rows that the
suggested tension. I used 29 stitches for both samples.
Double Crochet – dc (US single crochet – sc)
Using 4mm or 4.5mm hook make 30ch,
Foundation Row: skip 1ch, 1dc into each ch to end, turn (29sts)
Row 1: 1ch (does not count as a st) 1dc into each st to end, turn (29sts)
Repeat last row
until a total of 32 rows have been worked (including foundation row)
Lay your sample on
a flat surface. Using a tape measure place pins 10cm (4in) apart along a
central row (horizontally) and count the stitches between the pins
Stitch Tension =
20 sts
Using a tape
measure place pins 10cm (4in) apart along the central point of the swatch
vertically and count the rows between the pins
Row Tension = 22
rows
Treble Crochet – tr (US double crochet – dc)
Using 3.5mm or 4mm hook make 31ch,
Foundation Row: skip 3ch (counts as 1tr) 1tr into each ch to end,
turn (29sts)
Row 1: 3ch (counts as a 1tr) skip st at base of 3ch, 1tr into each st to end,
working final st into 3rd ch of 3ch made at beginning of last row
(tch), turn (29sts)
Repeat last row
until a total of 15 rows have been worked (including foundation row)
Lay your sample on
a flat surface. Using a tape measure place pins 10cm (4in) apart along a
central row and count the stitches between the pins
Stitch Tension =
18 sts
Using a tape measure
place pins 10cm (4in) apart along the central point of the swatch vertically
and count the rows between the pins
Row Tension = 10
rows
Please note the
hook sizes above – a smaller hook is used to achieve the treble crochet (US
double crochet) tension
The tension is
taken from unblocked swatches.
There is a slight difference
in stitch tension between the 2 pieces. A small difference (1 or 2 sts) will
not affect the appearance of your piece as repeated rows are rarely worked for
more than a couple of rows, however, if you find your work is getting wider
when working the rows with long post stitches (such as treble and double treble
crochet) the try using a hook another size finer.
Factors that can affect your tension:
Many things can
make a difference to the tension you achieve; I have listed 5 of the most
common below:
1. Your level of expertise:
If you are a
newcomer to the craft of crochet you may well find that your crochet tension
will change as your ability improves. When launching into a project like this
it is worth making sure you have put in enough ground work to ensure that you
are working in the right way and that you have the ability to work
consistently.
2. Your mood or situation:
If you are a bit
stressed or have had a bit of a tough day you may find that this will have an affect on your crochet tension. Equally, having a few
glasses of wine or watching a funny or enthralling movie whilst crocheting can also
cause your tension to differ. As a general rule try to crochet in the same kind
of situation whenever possible to ensure that everything stays as it should.
3. Number of stitches:
It is quite common
to achieve the correct tension on a swatch only to find that it is not correct
over a larger piece. This is because tension can change as we relax into the
rhythm of a repetitive crochet action.
Make sure that you
measure your tension at all the places I ask you to within the pattern just to
be sure you are continuing to work with the correct tension
5. Measuring your tension swatch too soon:
It is really
important that you measure your tension to at least 10cm – if in doubt measure
over a larger piece, say 15cm or even 20cm just to be sure. Putting the ground
work in at this stage can save you a lot of unpicking later on.
If you have achieved a different tension to the
tension in the pattern:
If you have done
your tension pieces and achieved more stitches and rows to 10cm this means you
are working too tight. Rather than trying to change your crochet method (by
consciously crocheting looser) simply change up to a size larger hook. If you
are still too tight then try another size larger. Make a note of how many sizes
you have had to change by so that you are sure to make the swap for each of the
hook sizes.
If you have done
your tension pieces and achieved fewer stitches and rows to 10cm this means you
are working too loose. Rather than trying to change your crochet method (by
consciously crocheting tighter) simply change down to a size smaller hook. If
you are still too loose then try another size smaller. As above, make a note of how many sizes you
have had to change by so that you are sure to make the swap for each of the 3
sizes.
Having trouble with your tension over treble crochet
(US double crochet)?
Look at the way you work the stitch
Because of the
nature of a treble crochet (US double crochet) it is common to find variances
in stitch length and width even if the correct hook has been used in relation
to the one used to achieve the correct tension over double crochet (US single
crochet)
When we make a
treble crochet (US double crochet) we wrap our yarn around the hook first and
then work 3 movements drawing yarn loops through others to create the stitch.
The tension achieved over each of these movements and the angle at which we
hold our hook can have an impact on the tension of each step of the stitch.
There is a video
link to Youtube here that explains yanking, riding & lifting.
Pattern Launch Dates:
The patterns will be launched very 4 or 5 weeks (depending upon the month) and you will find a list of dates below:
The patterns will be launched very 4 or 5 weeks (depending upon the month) and you will find a list of dates below:
Pattern Set 1: Tuesday 9th May 2017
Pattern Set 2: Tuesday 6th June 2017
Pattern Set 3: Tuesday 4th July 2017
Pattern Set 4: Tuesday 8th August 2017
Pattern Set 5: Tuesday 5th September 2017
Pattern Set 6: Tuesday 3rd October 2017
Pattern Set 7: Tuesday 7th November 2017
Pattern Set 8: Tuesday 5th December 2017
Pattern Set 9: Tuesday 9th January 2018
Pattern Set 10: Tuesday 6th February 2018
Pattern Set 11: Tuesday 6th March 2018
Pattern Set 12: Tuesday 3rd April 2018
I hope you will enjoy this project and have my fingers crossed that the forth coming year brings more sunshine than showers!
Janie x