Sunshine and Showers - Part 9

January is a hard month in terms of the weather and the light here in the UK, so we tend to spend quite a lot of time wrapped up inside trying to keep warm and cosy. Here in London it seems that the first 2 months of the year are when we are most likely to get snow – rarely the picture postcard fluffy white type, but more often the sludgy sleety kind that goes grey and mucky really quickly! We had quite a lot of snow in early December and it was white and pretty and was melted and gone quite quickly, but since then it has been a fair bit warmer. This week however, the weather has turned much colder here, so perhaps a dusting of snow is on the horizon?

I thought this month I would try my best to convey the idea of little snowballs by working a repeated puff stitch. This is an easy stitch that you have worked already when making the pretty pink flower pattern back in June.

This month there is quite a lot of hook changing – I have marked in bold the hook you should be using for each row and have also written the instruction to change hook before each row to reinforce the need to change!

Last month left you with the wrong side facing. If you are unsure of which side is which take a look at the bobbles that you made in October and check that they are on the side facing away from you. 

If you want to purchase a download copy of the patterns for just 95p you can access the Stylecraft Special DK version by following this link and the Yarn Stories version by following this link - please note that step by step images in all patterns are from the Special DK version.

Yarns used this month:

Stylecraft Special DK 100g balls

1063 Graphite

1005 Cream

1722 Storm Blue

1078 Petrol

1067 Grape

Yarn Stories Fine Merino DK 50g balls

2500 Anthracite

2504 Cream

2535 Bluebell

2503 Cobalt

2518 Thistle

Equipment Special DK:

4mm & 4.5mm hook

Sewing needle

Equipment Fine Merino DK:

3.5mm & 4mm hook

Sewing needle

Dealing with yarn ends: Sewing yarn ends in as you go along makes the finishing process much easier and means that you are less likely to loose stitches or make errors with your tension.

Hook Changes:

This month there are quite a few hook chnages so make sure you take note of where they are.

Note: The pattern in written in UK terminology

Method:

Undo stitch from holder to the point where you can change yarn shade to Graphite (Anthracite) on the final step of the stitch, turn.

Row 49: (WS facing) Using Graphite (Anthracite) and 4.5mm (4mm) hook 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into next st, [1dc into next ch sp, 1dc into next st] 7 times, * 1dc into each next 2sts, [1dc into next ch sp, 1dc into next st] 9 times; repeat from * 6 times, 1dc into each next 2sts, [1dc into next ch sp, 1dc into next st] 7 times, working last st into 3^rd ch of 4ch made at beginning of last row, turn. (171sts)

Row 50: (RS facing) 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each st to end, changing yarn shade to Cream (Cream) on the final step of the last st, turn. (171sts)

Row 51: Using Cream (Cream) work as previous row, do not change yarn shade on the last st, turn.

Change to 4mm (3.5mm) hook.

Row 52: Using Cream (Cream) and 4mm (3.5mm) hook, 3ch (counts as 1tr), skip st at base of 3ch, 1tr into next st, 1htr into each next 2sts, * 1dc into each next 3sts, 1htr into each next 2sts, 1tr into each next 3sts, 1htr into each next 2sts; repeat from * 15 times, 1dc into each next 3sts, 1htr into each next 2sts, 1tr into each next 2sts, working last tr into tch on previous row, turn. (171sts)

Change to 4.5mm (4mm) hook.

Row 53: Using 4.5mm (4mm) hook 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each st to end, working last st into 3^rd ch of 3ch made at beginning of last row and changing yarn shade to Storm Blue (Bluebell) on the final step of the last st, turn. (171sts)

Change to 4mm (3.5mm) hook.

Row 54: Using Storm Blue (Bluebell) and 4mm (3.5mm) hook, 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each next 2sts, * 1htr into each next 2sts, 1tr into each next 3sts, 1htr into each next 2sts, 1dc into each next 3sts; repeat from * to end, omitting 1dc on final pattern repeat, turn.

Change to 4.5mm (4mm) hook.

Row 55: Using 4.5mm (4mm) hook 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into each st to end, changing yarn shade to Petrol (Cobalt) on the final step of the last st, turn. (171sts)

MP (Make Puff)

On the next row you need to make some puff stitches as follows:

* Yarn round hook, insert hook into stitch and pull up yarn loop; repeat from * twice so that there are a total of 7 loops on the hook (one loop was already there before you started the puff stitch), yarn round hook, draw yarn through all yarn loops on the hook.

Change to 4mm (3.5mm) hook.

Row 56: Using Petrol (Cobalt) and 4mm (3.5mm) hook 1ch (does not count as a st) 1dc into next st, 1ch, skip next st, * MP into next st, 1ch, skip next st; repeat from * to last st, 1dc into last st, turn. (84 puffs)

Row 57: 3ch (counts as 1tr) * MP into next ch sp, 1ch; repeat from * to last ch sp, MP into next ch sp, 1tr into next st changing yarn shade to Graphite (Anthracite) on the final step of the last st, turn. (86 puffs)

Row 58: Using Graphite (Anthracite) 1ch (does not count as a st) 1dc into next st, 1ch, skip puff, * MP into next ch sp, 1ch, skip next st; repeat from * to last st, 1dc into 3^rd ch of tch made at beginning of last row changing yarn shade to Grape (Thistle) on the final step of the last st, turn. (84 puffs)

Change to 4.5mm (4mm) hook.

Row 59: Using Grape (Thistle) and 4.5mm (4mm) hook 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into next st, 1dc into next ch sp, skip puff, * 2dc into next ch sp, skip puff; repeat from * to last ch sp, 2dc into next ch sp, 1dc into next st, place st on holder. (171sts)

Image Jan 7

Measurement: Each piece should measure approximately 38/38.5cm from bottom edge x 92cm wide.

Work another piece to match.

Sew in yarn ends.

The patterns for next month will feature little crochet heart shapes to honour Valentines day - there is an image posted below. The patterns will be live here on the blog on February 6th.

With thanks to the team at Crochet Now magazine.

Happy New Year!