Tuesday 9 June 2015

Wrapping Up

So I am now finished a scarf and a blanket and I am very excited and proud of my work. My passion project for school is coming to and end but that is not going to stop me from crocheting and possibly continuing on with my blog as well. I didn't end up getting to a third project in this semester but I am hoping to start one once exams and school are all finished. (Any suggestions for what I should make?!). I am very thankful that I had Jen as my mentor for this project. I had to text or call her a few times when I didn't understand what the videos she sent me meant. She was also my inspiration for this project because before I decided to do this she had shown me a few blankets she made and she also made me a scarf just because she wanted to. She was a huge help in picking out yarn and starting my projects.
Also something I wanted to mention on here was that sometimes people will say to me "isn't it boring just sitting there doing the same thing over and over?" and honestly as boring as it looks I find it extremely relaxing. It provides a time where I can sit down and relax and not be on my phone yet still be accomplishing something. I found, and I was expecting this much, that it was a great time to just think about things and to even connect with God. It gave me a time to be working on something yet also be thinking about my faith and who I am as a person.
Anyways, to wrap it all up I really enjoyed this project a lot and it is something I will for sure be continuing to do for a long time hopefully and I am very excited that I have learned something new and have an awesome new hobby.
Thank you for reading my blog!

The Blanket


Here is the finished blanket! As you can see it very long and narrow. Also on the bottom left corner it looks a bit off. This is because it is where I started and I originally inserted my last double crochet of the row into the wrong spot. But I fixed this problem so the rest of the edges don't look as bad. I really love the colour and am extremely happy with it.

Finished Blanket!

I finally finished my blanket! I only ended up using one more ball of yarn (5 in total) and it is still a bit long and narrow but I think it looks better. I am very excited to finally be done.

Here are the steps I used to make this blanket:
1. I started with a slip know and then chained 90 stitches. On the video she chained 42 but I wanted to make mine bigger so I did 90 which was way to long. I would suggest choosing something around 66 stitches. You can chain as many as you want but you must make sure it is a multiple of 6 (not to sure why but that is what the instructions I followed said).
2. When you are finished your chain place 2 double crochets in the 4th chain from the hook/
3. Skip a chain and place 2 double crochets. Continue like this all the way down the foundation chain.
4. When you reach the end only place 1 double crochet in the last chain.
5. Chain 3 and then flip your work*
6. Place 1 double crochet in the first chain, skip 1 chain, and place 2 double crochets and repeat all the way down the row. The 2 double crochets should be in between the "v" stitches which means they are in the bigger holes (see video for a visual).
7. End with a slip knot and weave in or cut off all ends that are sticking out.

*flipping your work just means you turn your project around because you always want to be working from right to left

This seems like a lot of instructions and steps but when you follow along with the video and master the double crochet stitch it isn't hard at all. Jen sent me another video for this project as well to follow along with.
Here is the video:



This blanket actually was not hard to make at all, just took a lot of time. One mistake I made was making the foundation chain way to long which made my blanket very long and narrow. I really enjoyed making this blanket because it was a big project and when it started to get bigger it kept me warm as I was crocheting :) It was a fun project that I will definitely try again sometime in the future.

Double Crochet Stitch

To make this blanket I used a double crochet stitch (dc). I started with a foundation chain as my first row and then used a double crochet stitch for the rest of the blanket.

Here is an example of me doing a double crochet stitch:


Double Crochet Stitch:
yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, yarn over, pull through first two loops only, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook

Friday 8 May 2015

Progress Report

So I have finished my four balls of my yarn and sadly it isn't finished. I originally made the blanket too long with my foundation chain. What I am doing now is making the blanket longer width wise and after four balls it is still too long and narrow. I went to Michael's Craft Store again and bought another ball and I will re-evaluate if I will need yet another one when I am finished this fifth ball.

Here is a picture of the blanket after the first four balls of yarn:


As you can see it is very narrow and very long.

Saturday 25 April 2015

Project #2 - Blanket

For my second project I decided I am going to make a blanket. This is what I originally wanted to make. I went to Michael's Craft Store again with Jen to get my yarn. I got four balls of the Bernat Blanket yarn. I chose a burgundy colour which I think will look really nice. I have already started my project and have finished one ball of yarn. It is starting to look really good. I didn't realize how long it would take me but I am determined and excited to see the finished product. I am actually happy that I made a scarf first because it was a lot faster than a blanket and it was a great way to practice for my blanket which I hope turns out a bit better.

Here is a picture of what it looks like so far:


The Scarf


As you can see the scarf is very big and heavy. This is because I originally bought the yarn for a blanket so it is a little bit too thick and heavy for a scarf. I am still very happy with the finished product especially with it being my first project!