Monday 6 August 2018

APPLE GRANNY SQUARE : FOOD SERIES - IN THE ROUND - 34


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APPLE GRANNY SQUARE
FOOD SERIES  - IN THE ROUND - 34

Welcome back to my next set of granny squares in the round.
This series is all food and more yummy food and this is the fourth in this series. 
I am going to try and use the centre round of the granny square as the main idea for the food we’re creating, whenever possible.  That’s what’s we’re doing here today – the centre round is the apple and we will have 3D little stem and a set of leaves coming off the top. Cool idea, huh?

I have made some interesting food squares .. so keep an eye out for this blog.

As you may know, I am making these squares to donate to Project Chemo Cancer.  Their requirement is for 9” x 9” squares.  So all the squares I am making here will be of that size.  You can make it to any size, using any yarn with a suitable hook.  Just adjusting the hook / yarn size, will change the size of your square.

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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 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



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 

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               

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 


Instructions using U.S terminology

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For our project today, we will use this free pattern from https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puppy-dog-granny-afghan-square

As you know I am making these squares specifically to a size of 9” x 9” and I found that I managed that easily without too much of a tweak. 

I just worked till Round 10 and got to the size I needed.
So I worked the first five rounds (using red for our apple today) per pattern, till I had 60 dc. 
I then changed to white (which is my border colour) and worked per pattern till I had the required 72 sts ; and the square of the size I needed. 
Got it?  So go on ahead and visit the pattern sheet now.   


To get the apple shape :
As I said before, I worked the first five rounds in red and then changed to white yarn.  Just as I changed colours, we need to shape the apple. So pass the red yarn around the front of your work and through the centre of the magic circle (round 1) and pull tight. Just this one small thing and you will cinch that last round and get a shape.  Your work bunches up a bit, but it pulls that last round and gives it the inimitable shape of the top of an apple.
Attach white yarn and work Round 6 till you have 72 sts and then work the last 3 rounds as given in the pattern. 
For our 9” x 9” square, I only needed to work till Round 10. 

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Once you have completed the square pattern, come back here and we’ll work in the stem and leaves for our little apple.


Apple stem & leaf :
We will work the stem first and then work the leaf off the stem.

For the stem : Start with 5 fsc. 
Turn and work 1 sc all the way down the fsc chain. Turn (5).


Now we will work on the leaf.
For the leaf : sl-st in the 1st 2 sc ; ch 7.  
Turn and sc in the 2nd ch from hk ;
hdc in the next ch ; dc in the next 3 ch ; 
2 dc in the next ch ; 
join with a sl-st onto the stem.

Fasten off and leave a long chain for attachment.

Attach your leaf / stem onto the centre of the apple. 
Decide if you want to attach it all down flat, or leave the leaf flapping around for a 3D effect. 

Sit back and enjoy the really cute apple you’ve created.

Now in case you want to work that apple slice, check out Sarah of Repeatcrafterme and her beautiful pattern for an apple pouch. http://www.repeatcrafterme.com/2014/08/crochet-apple-pouch-pattern.html

I used this idea to make a piece, and then folded it in half, but did not attach the zipper etc…  Just made an apple slice. 

I worked Sarah’s pattern all the way to round 4 (50 sts) and then changed to my red yarn and worked Round 7.  Instead of working a dc in each st all around, I chose to work a hdc, but it does not matter which st you choose.

I kept a long tail of my white yarn to sew down and keep a long tail of your red yarn too to join this edge in a bit.

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Using my embroidery / tapestry needle, I then embroidered 3 pips (apple seeds) onto my apple slice using the French knot embroidery stitch.

I then folded the apple circle in half and neatly joined the edges to make it a slice, using the red yarn we’d kept earlier.

Fasten it onto the apple circle using the white yarn and neatly weave in all ends.
At this point, you can decide if you want to make your slice a little soft and squishy – in which case you may use a bit of poly-fill.  May I suggest that if you use polyfill, make a small stocking net ball for safety. 

What is a stocking net ball?  When stuffing crochet toys, I suggest stuffing a small piece of stocking net with your poly-fill stuffing and making a small ball.  So first measure how much net you’d need by holding the net across your work (that you need stuffed) without stretching.  Cut that length and then sew up one edge.  Then stuff with poly-fill and sew in the other opening as well.  It is safer to do it this way, and if you use the same / similar colour net as the toy you are stuffing, then it is neater too.

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

Aren’t you just thrilled with your cute creation?
Spread smiles.

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Here are some of my older creations.