Wednesday 6 February 2019

A IS FOR .. CROCHET MOTIFS


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A IS FOR .....

If you have been following my blogs you’ll know that donations and charities are a big feature of Sweet Nothings Crochet.  Every year I try to work in at least one major donation.
I have sent donations in the form of 9” x 9” squares to the Project Chemo Crochet charity for the past two years.  This year, I thought I’d send in motifs that they PCC team can easily attach onto the toddler blankets.  Read all about the wonderful charity on their webpage or Facebook page of the same name – and see how you can join in and help spread a small smile.

You too can make these motifs and attach them onto plain squares to make a beautiful alphabet blanket or lovey for your lil baby. Have fun.

From today onwards, we will be working on a set of alphabet motifs.
And obviously as we’re starting today , we start with A is for… and work five motifs for the Letter A.  
Come along, let’s see what we can do with this set.

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Materials used : Today I’ve used our lovely Oswal 4-ply acrylic yarn with a 3.5 mm crochet hook
For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red ros ; Red rose metallic or  unbranded  knitting cotton as well as Vardhaman acrylic yarns

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.
You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
International yarns :  Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, 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.

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 


Abbreviations used :
sc : single crochet           dc : Double crochet
ch : chain                        ch-sp : chain space
sp : space                       rep : Repeat
hk : hook                         lp (s) : loop(s)
yo : yarn over                  sl-st : slip stitch     


Instruction information

1)      A is for AIRPLANE 


Difficulty level : Easy to Intermediate

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2)    A is for ANCHOR

 Difficulty level :  Intermediate

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3)    A is for ALLIGATOR

 Difficulty level :  Intermediate

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The alligator is worked in two parts.  We will first work the Letter “A” and then add in the eyes and teeth to make it look like the alligator.


Once you have finished that, let’s now work on the teeth and eyes.

If you want the eyes and teeth to appear like they are coming from inside the letter “A”, you will work with the right hand side of work facing you but work in the back loops only.
You can work with right side facing you and work through both stitches too, and it will still look cute.
Whatever suits you will work best 

Alligator teeth : (Make on both legs of the letter “A”)
Attach white yarn to the left leg of the Letter “A” at the bottom.
To get each tooth, we will be working a dc 3-tog. Please check the top of this blog for a ‘how to’.
Now we will work the basic dc 3-tog stitch, but we will work it over three stitches.  This means that you will start the dc on Stitch #1, then continue with Stitch #2 and finally pick up Stitch # 3, and then end all three sts together to form 1 dc 3-tog. 

Finally we’ll work a picot at the top of each dc 3-tog. 
his will give you a pointed tooth form.  We will work a ch-2 picot
Picot : (sc, ch 2, sl-st in same sc) all in the same st or ch-sp. 
Got it?  Great let’s get to it.

How to work a picot stitch : Traditionally for a ch-3 picot, you work (ch 3, sl-st in 3rd ch from hook).  For a ch-5 picot, you will do (ch 5, sl-st in 5th ch from hook).  
Here’s a great video https://youtu.be/8s3zVaBcn4s

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

Double crochet 3-tog : dc 3-tog :   Here is an easy video tutorial at https://youtu.be/qlnqXDB3OUM

Start : with ch 3, dc 3-tog + picot over the same 1st st and the next 2 sts ; 
ch 3, and sl-st in the same last (3rd) st [one pointed tooth made] ;
{ch 3 from the same last (3rd) st ; 
dc 3-tog + picot over the same (3rd) st and the next 2 sts ; 
ch 3 and sl-st into the same last st (which is now the 5th st)} ;
rep {to} once more to get the third tooth on this side.

Fasten off yarn for this side, and re-attach yarn on the 7th st of the other leg of your letter “A” to mirror the teeth that side too. 
As we’re mirroring, you will be working down the leg, so from that horizontal bar of the letter “A” down to the base.  
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Alligator eyes : (Make two on the right hand side leg of the letter “A”)
Re-attach white yarn in the fourth stitch from the top of the letter.  
We will work the first eye and then work the 2nd eye working towards the top of the letter.

Once you have finished the whites of the eyes, add in a black dot in the centre with black yarn, your embroidery needle and a French knot stitch.
Hope this was fun for you too ;)


4)    A is for APPLE

 Difficulty level : Easy to Intermediate
For one set of apples, I found a free pattern –  and one only had a chart .. so for the second one, here are my notes here.  Enjoy

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For the first set of apples, get the free pattern at https://nanascraftyhome.com/apple-granny-square-free-crochet-pattern/


5)    A is for APPLE - 2
Difficulty level : Easy to Intermediate

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Now here’s where you can make two different ones – just like the one above.  
You can work the first few rounds in white and then work the last round in red and that will be a slice of apple. Remember to add in the pips / seeds in this case. 
OR you can work the whole thing in red and that’s the half apple turned over.  So go a little crazy and make a few – decide on the colors..
Oh, for the green apple, you will work green in the last sc round and / or the whole apple in light green for your lovely Granny Smiths.. Enjoy

Start Round 1 : with a magic circle and work 6 sc in it. 
Pull lightly to close 
and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

In the following round we will use a dtrc (double treble).
Double Treble /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 

Round 2 : ch 5 ; 2 dtrc in the 1st sc ;
(2 dtrc in the next sc) ; 
rep (to) once ;
ch 3, rep (to) 3 times 
and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Triple Crochet : trc : wrap yarn twice 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/A0y4BbgDTbs

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 

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

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 

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 

Round 3 : sc in each of the 1st 5 ch ;
hdc in the next dtrc ; dc in the next 5 dtrc ;
(2 dc in the next ch- 3 sp ; 
[trc, ch 3, trc in the same ch-3 sp] ; 
2 dc in the same ch-3 sp) ; 
dc in the next 5 dtrc ; 
hdc in the last dtrc ; 
sc in each of the last 5 ch ; 
and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

Round 4 : ch 3, sk the 1st 3 sc ; 3 dc each in the next 2 sc ;  
dtrc in each of the next 5 sts ;
3 dc each in the next 2 sts ; 
(trc in the next st ; ch 2, dc in the same st) ;
[hdc in the next st ; sl-st in the next ch-2 st ; hdc in the next st] ;
{dc in the next st ; ch 2, trc in the same st} ;
3 dc each in the next 2 sts ; 
dtrc in each of the next 5 sts ;
3 dc each in the next 2 sc ; 
ch 3, sk the last 3 sc and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.

In case you have worked in white or off white till now, you will use an apple colour (red or green) for this last round.
Note : You will work a sl-st in the sl-st in the centre bottom of your apple and sc in all other sts.

Round 5 : work one sc in each ch-sp and st all the way around and join with a sl-st to the 1st st.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Leaf and stem
We will work the stem and leaf which we will work in one continuous movement.
Attach your yarn in the centre sl-st.

Before we head off, lets visualize what we are doing.  We will start with a chain and work our leaf first halfway down the chain.  Once we finish the leaf, we will continue to work a chain for the stem – and then come back down these unworked sts.
It is a little confusing, so just remember that we will basically use all sts, and you are working two things using one chain. 

We will work also be working a ch-3 picot for our leaf.
Picot : (sc, ch 3, sl-st in same sc) all in the same st or ch-sp. 
Pl view instructions at http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-crochet-a-picot-stitch.html for a refresher of what a 3-ch picot is.

Row 1 : ch 11, (Turn and work 2 dtrc in the 6th ch from hk ; picot ; 
2 dtrc in the same st ; ch 6 and sl-st in the same st) ; 
sl-st in the next st [leaf complete] ;
Ch 5 ; Turn and work a sl-st in the 2nd st from hk ; 
sl-st in the next 6 sts for the stem till end ; 
sl-st into the starting st and into the ‘flesh’ of the apple to finish.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

D..O..N..E !
Now go ahead and make this lovely filigree apple in several colours.
Have fun – create something unique.
Remember to tag me and share this blog post when you show off your creation.  Cheers.

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Check out my earlier jewelry (that uses small motifs) and home use miscellaneous patterns  below
Have a great day and see you soon. 



































































































































































































































































































These motifs will be used on blankets.  So here are my blanket patterns