Wednesday 18 July 2018

BERT - SESAME STREET GRANNY SQUARE IN THE ROUND – 18


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BERT - SESAME STREET GRANNY SQUARE
IN THE ROUND – 18

Thank you for joining me again today as we make my original Bert mitered granny square inspired by ideas and patterns.  If you have been following my blogs, you’ll know that we’re creating some really cute 9” x 9” squares for toddler blankets for Project Chemo Crochet.  Read all about their fantastic efforts in spreading smiles to little children battling cancer on their Facebook page or website.  See how you can help spread smiles too.

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I’ve just made the set of Sesame street characters as caps for donations, and if you missed that, here goes https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2018/06/preemie-caps-23-sesame-street-character.html
Working with these same inspirations, here are my granny squares for this series.
Oh, and I’ve made a few of the sesame street characters before this one, so if you missed those, you know where to look ;)

Thanks for coming along and spreading smiles.

Materials used : Today I’ve used a 4-ply acrylic baby soft yarn with a 4 mm crochet hook ; embroidery needle ; fabric glue to seal ends 

This yarn is not specific for this project.
You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
For this project (squares for Project Chemo Crochet), the squares need to be 9” x 9” squares.

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red ros ; Red rose metallic or  unbranded  knitting cotton as well as Oswal or Vardhaman acrylic yarns

International yarns :  Among the international yarns I have used, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.

Abbreviations used :
sc : single crochet         dc : Double crochet
ch : chain                      ch-sp : chain space
sp : space                     rep : Repeat
trc : Treble / triple crochet
dtrc : Double triple crochet



Stitches used : (Using US terminology)
Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot.  https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw 

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot.  https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs 

What is a slip stitch : Here is a neat video tutorial at https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

What is a chain stitch ? Here is an easy video tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXx5ukBjKkY

Magic circle : To refresh your skill, please view this easy video https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro 

First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M 

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps.  One sc made.  Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

Half Double Crochet : Hdc :  yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ; 
yo, draw through all 3 lps.  One hdc made.  
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8 

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk); 
[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice.  One dc made.  
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo 

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc. 
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0      


Instructions using U.S terminology

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I am, once again, using the basic square pattern from the free pattern at http://www.sewrella.com/kitty-cat-crochet-granny-square/

As you know by now, I need to make a few changes for my requirement for Project Chemo Cancer (which is for 9” x 9” squares).  So here are the basic ideas of what I’ve done. 

I have used the general idea from Ashleigh – the centre that you start with will be the face colour of the character you are working on. 
So yellow for Big bird & Ernie, red for Elmo, orange for Bert and blue for cookie monster.
Once you are done with Rounds 1 – 5 (with orange for Bert today), you will start creating the border granny square, still working in rounds but working with either off white or white for the border.  These rounds need to be in another colour to accent the character you have worked on in the middle.  Keeping this in mind, here are my tweaks.  

As I've said before, if you want to just make a Bert face motif, then you just work the first four or five rounds to make his face in orange, then go off to make the face features and you're done.

If you want to make a full Sesame street characters blanket, then check out the earlier squares that you've missed, and hang on for the few more that follow.  Make this full set and put them together to make your own individual and extremely cute blanket.  Spread smiles.


Tweaks that I’ve done for these squares :
1.        I started with a centre (orange for Bert) circle and then worked the off- white as my border.
2.      I worked the first four rounds per pattern – so 60 sts in dc as instructed.
3.      I then worked a round of hdc, mainly to ensure that I get my granny square a little large faster J
4.     We now work the ch-sps round in off-white or white. When working for the off-white square, work as instructed in the original pattern.  You need a total of 12 ch-5 sps all around.
5.      I worked 5 dc in each ch-5 sp of Round 2 of the granny squares (in white) ;  and (3 dc ; ch 3, 3 dc) for each corner ch-5 sp.
6.     I then worked 1 dc in each dc, and then the (3 dc ; ch 3, 3 dc) in each corner ch-3 sp. I just continued till I had a 9” x 9” square.  Easy enough, right?

Once this basic square is done, we need to add in the special facial features.  So go off and work this basic square first and we’ll work on the features together.


For Bert eyes  : Make two
Round 1 : (Using white) : Start with a magic circle and 10 hdc in that circle. 
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (10)

Round 2 : (Using white) : 2 sc in the 1st hdc ; 2 dc in each of the next 3 sts ; 2 sc in each of the next 2 sts ; 2 dc in each of the next 3 sts ; 2 sc in the last st. 
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (20). 

Fasten off and leave a long tail for attachment.  You should have an oval shaped eye.  Repeat for the other eye.


For the centre black of eye : I used a 0.75cm button.
If you want to crochet it in, work a magic circle with 6 hdc.  
Fasten off and leave a tail for attachment.


For Bert’s tongue  : (Using red) : Start with a magic circle and 10 dc in that circle. 
Do not join. Leave as a semi circle.  Fasten off and leave a tail for attachment.


For Bert’s nose  : Using red
You can either use a tapestry / embroidery needle, and work a circle in red and then fill it in with a few straight stitches. OR
You can make it a 3D one as I have

Round 1 : Start and a magic circle.  Work 6 sc in that circle. 
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (6)

Round 2 : 2 sc in the 1st sc ; sc in the next sc ;
(2 sc in the next sc ; sc in the next sc) ;
rep (to) all around.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (9)

Round 3 : Rep Round 2. (12)

Rounds 4 – 5 : sc in the 1st sc ; and in each sc all around.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (12)

Fasten off and leave a long tail for attachment.
You could stuff Bert’s nose with a little poly-fill. I have opted not to do so.


For Bert’s ears :
Make two (using yellow)
Row 1 : Start with a magic circle and 10 dc in that circle. 
Pull the circle tight but Do NOT join.  Turn.

Row 2 : sc in the 1st dc and in each dc till end.  Turn.
Fasten off and weave in ends.  Attach on either side of Ernie head


For Bert’s hair : Using black
I just cut little bits of black yarn and tied it to the centre top of my yellow circle for hair.


Finishing and assembly : I am not going to waste your time telling you this – as its really obvious. Just keep Bert’s photo in front of you, and have fun.  More hair is more fun.. but ensure that you tie (and glue down) each little bit of hair well, so it does not tease free when the child is playing with it, or when it is being laundered.  Have fun.

Once you have made as many squares as you want for your blanket, use one of these joining methods for a neat join.

Whipstitch to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the whipstitch at https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the embroidery needle and whipstitch to get an invisible join at https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the single crochet at https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

I am sure you enjoyed this!  I know I did.
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