Sweet Nothings Crochet: INIMITABLE MINION GRANNY SQUARE

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INIMITABLE MINION GRANNY SQUARE

IN THE ROUND - 11

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. PCC is an on-going project that makes blankets for people battling cancer. They put together the squares that we send (knitted or crocheted) and give this loving anonymous blanket to patients undergoing chemotherapy at the hospital. How lovely is it to spread smiles – come along, make a few too. For more details, please find them on Facebook or Google them.

Today we will make the inimitable minion. I’ve only made these two, but there are ideas on how to make the girl minions as well. Read through all my notes to see how you can make a minion motif as well as a minion blanket. Enjoy.

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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 e ; 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

Sizing chart for blankets : https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279839582572/

Stitches used :

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

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : To refresh your skill on the fsc, please view this video https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

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

Double Triple Crochet : dtrc : wrap yarn three times around hook, insert hk into st ; yo (4 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] three times. One trc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/XyPrnAtOs3U

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

Instructions using U.S terminology

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1 turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for free video tutorials of all the stitches used in this pattern.

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

As you know, our requirement for Project Chemo Cancer is for 9” x 9” squares, so I’ve needed to tweak the pattern a little bit to get it right for my donation.

I have made minion caps recently – get inspired. Check it out at https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2018/06/preemie-caps-19-minion-caps.html

So here’s 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 animal or character you are working on.

Once you are done with Rounds 1 – 5 for creating the centre circle (or face of the animal / character), you will start creating the granny square and making the ‘border’, still working in rounds. Keeping this in mind, here are my tweaks.

As I mentioned before, girl and boy minions use the same basic ideas. Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook to decide what you are going to work on today.

My tweaks :

1. I started with a centre (yellow for the minion) circle and then worked the off- white as my border.

2. When working for the off-white square / border, work as instructed in the original pattern. Just ensure you have a total of 12 ch-5 sps all around.

3. I worked 5 dc in each ch-5 sp of Round 2 of the granny squares (in off-white, as against 4 dc as instructed by designer) ; and (3 dc ; ch 3, 3 dc) for each corner ch-5 sp.

4. I then worked 1 dc in each dc till end, 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 the basic square is done with yellow and off-white (or whatever colour you want for your border), we need to add in the features for the minion.

Do take a look at my blog for minion caps to take a look at different boy and girl minion creations and ideas.
If you want to just make a minion motif, work the yellow (face) rounds and do not work the off-white border rounds. Voila! You have yourself a minion motif!

For the eyes :

Round 1 : (Using white) : Start with a magic circle and 10 dc in that circle.

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st st. (10)

Round 2 : dc in the 1^st dc and in each dc all around.

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st st. (20)

Fasten off and leave a long tail for attachment.

I used a 0.75 cm black button for the centre of the eye.

For around the eye : work the rim of the spectacles with grey yarn, either with a tapestry/embroidery needle or working (as Ashleigh suggests) in the tambour way.

Note : In some of the minions, there is a bit of blue or a bit of yellow and it’s only part way. You can switch grey and yellow or you can just work grey all around and then using a tapestry needle work in the yellow for that little section along the top and bottom of the spectacle / eye.

For the spectacle finishing : There are two black straps that lead off the grey spectacle border. For this I worked a fdc chain that went from the grey spectacle outline to the end of the yellow border. Just work as many stitches as needed.

In case you are not happy with fdc, work a regular chain, and then work dc in the 3^rd ch from hk, and continue with dc all the way to the end of the chain.

Leave a long tail for attachment. Place the black straps on either side of the spectacle lens and attach neatly.

For the mouth : Use a tapestry / embroidery needle to sew in a smiling mouth as desired.

For the girl minion : There are a few girl minions and if you decide to make them, you basically use this same technique / idea to make the face and eyes. I would then add on hair on the top.

How do you add on hair ? Decide how long you want the tresses and cut double that length in whatever colour yarn you want the hair. So say 6” hair length in black, then you’d cut 12” per tress in black. Then fold this piece of yarn in half and weave it into the top of your yellow circle (which you should imagine as the top of the head). I’d say about 3-4 strands per stitch (on top of head) depending on how thick you want the hair tress. Also depending on which girl minion you are making, weave the hair all the way down the circle. One of the minions has a pair of plaits along the two sides – so make longer yarn lengths, and then weave them into plaits, holding it together with a bow at the end.

You not only get an adorably cute lil girl minion, you also get some ‘play-able’ 3D stuff on your blanket.

May I suggest though that you weave these tresses really well, and sew them down well(especially when using longer lengths of yarn for the girls). One does not want them unraveling in wash or when the child is fiddling with them. Such elaborate 3D work may also justify a backing for your full blanket (or lining for the blanket from behind).

How do I make this into a blanket ? If you want just minions, then look a the minion range and make a whole set of them. Use one of the joining techniques given above to make your own inimitable minion afghan.

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Here are some of my older creations.

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/02/b-is-for-crochet-motif.html