SESAME STREET GRANNY SQUARE
BIG BIRD
BIG BIRD
IN THE ROUND - 16
If you have been following my blogs, you’ll know that we’re creating some really cute 9” x 9” squares for toddler blankets. I do hope you have checked out the Project Chemo Crochet page on Facebook and their website of the same name for all the stupendous work they have been doing over the years. Also check out the various ways in which each of us can donate.
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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.
I plan on making quite a few from this series, so watch this space !
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 ;
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 rose ; 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
hk : hook yo : yarn over
trc : Treble / triple crochet
dtrc : Double triple crochet
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
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
Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : To refresh your skill on the fsc, please view this video https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA
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.
I am using the basic square pattern from the free pattern at http://www.sewrella.com/kitty-cat-crochet-granny-square/
For my requirement for Project Chemo Cancer (which is for 9” x 9” squares), I needed some tweaks and here are my notes 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 for creating the character face, you will start creating the ‘border’ granny square, still working in rounds but working with either off white or white for the border (or a color of your choice). 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.
I made the square first and attached on Big Bird’s features afterwards.
Tweaks that I’ve done for my Big Bird square :
1. I started with a centre (yellow for Big Bird) 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
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 the basic square is done, we need to add in the special facial features.
Big Bird facial features
For Big Bird head feathers – 1 :
Using Yellow
Start : with 5 fsc. Turn ;
ch 1, and sl-st in the 1st fsc ;
sc in the next fsc ; hdc in the last 3 fsc (first orange feather done) ;
ch 7 ; Turn ; and sl-st in the 1st ch from hk ;
hdc in the next ch ;
dc in the remaining ch (second orange feather done).
Fasten off and leave a tail for attachment.
For Big Bird head feathers – 2 :
Using Yellow
Start : with 6 fsc. Turn ;
ch 1, and sl-st in the 1st fsc ; sc in the next fsc ; hdc in the last 4 fsc (first black feather done) ;
ch 8 ; Turn ; and sl-st in the 1st ch from hk ; hdc in the next ch ; dc in the remaining ch (second black feather done).
Fasten off and leave a tail for attachment.
To attach : Place the feather-1 on top of the feather-2 and sew them together first. Then place these feathers on top of the circle, right in the middle of the eyes. (Check my project for placement – it’s easy)
For Big Bird 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 dc in the 1st hdc and in each st all around.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (20).
Fasten off and leave a long tail for attachment.
Attach blue.
We will work half a row in sl-st to give a blue outline around Big bird’s eye.
Row 3 : (Using black) : sl-st in the 1st dc and in the next 11 sts. Turn.
Fasten off blue, and attach pink. We will work pink over the blue stitches only.
Row 4 : (Using pink) : sl-st in the 1st st and in the next 11 sts.
Fasten off pink and weave in ends.
Note : I opted to embroider in my pink row as I felt that it looked nicer. So you choose whatever suits you best.
I have then used a 0.75 cm black button for the centre of the eye.
For Big Bird beak :
You can either use a tapestry / embroidery needle, and work a small triangle in yellow and then fill it in with a few straight stitches. OR
You can make it a 3D one as I have
Round 1 : (with yellow) : Start and a magic circle. Work 8 sc in that circle.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (8)
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. (12)
Round 3 : Rep Round 2. (15)
Rounds 4 – 7 : sc in the 1st sc ; and in each sc all around.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st st. (15)
Fasten off and leave a long tail for attachment.
You could stuff the beak with a little poly-fill. I have opted not to do so.
And I am sure you will agree Big Bird just looks too cute.
I am thrilled to start with this cute bird as the first of this series – and that this square will surely spread smiles to a toddler battling cancer!
Warm hugs little one.. fight hard!
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
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