Learn to Crochet Granny Squares and Flower Motifs E-Book

Nicki Trench

• Herausgeber: CICO Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Granny squares are the perfect crochet project for beginners. They are easy to learn and quick to complete. With full instructions for all the techniques you will need at the start, followed by 25 lovely patterns to put your newly-learned skills to use, Learn to Crochet Granny Squares and Flower Motifs is the perfect book for beginners, and near-beginners who want to expand their repertoire. The repetition of stitches and patterns within granny squares is perfect for mastering the basics, and the squares can then be made up into all sorts of useful and beautiful things, from scarves and blankets to bags and cushion covers. Once you've got the hang of squares, branch out into hexagons and triangles, and then into flower motifs – the combinations of shape, colour and pattern are almost endless. Best of all, you can use up all sorts of yarn from your stash as you practise until your squares are perfect.

Leseprobe

Learn to crochet

GRANNY SQUARES & FLOWER MOTIFS

Learn to crochet

GRANNY SQUARES & FLOWER MOTIFS

25 PROJECTS TO GET YOU STARTED

Nicki Trench

Published in 2018 by CICO Books

an imprint of Ryland Peters & Small Ltd

20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London WC1R 4BW

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Nicki Trench 2018

Design, illustration, and photography © CICO Books 2018

Patterns in this book have previously been published in the titles Crochet Basics, Crocheted Scarves and Cowls, Cute and Easy Crochet, Cute and Easy Crochet with Flowers, Cute and Easy Crocheted Baby Clothes, Cute and Easy Crocheted Cosies, or Geek Chic Crochet.

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978 1 78249 567 3

eISBN: 978 1 78249 769 1

Printed in China

Editor: Marie Clayton

Pattern checker: Jane Czaja

Designer: Alison Fenton

Photographers: Caroline Arber, Terry Benson, James Gardiner, Gavin Kingcome, Martin Norris, Penny Wincer

Stylists: Alison Davidson, Nel Haynes, Sophie Martell, Rob Merrett, Luis Peral-Aranda, Jo Thornhill

Art director: Sally Powell

Production controller: Mai-Ling Collyer

Publishing manager: Penny Craig

Publisher: Cindy Richards

Contents

Introduction

Equipment

Techniques

Chapter 1FOR THE HOME

Bunting

Wash cloth

Camellia blanket

Crown-edged cushion cover

Sweetheart blanket

Baby cloths

Hexagon flower throw

Buggy blanket

Oven cloths

Vintage-style vase coaster

Hexagon blanket

Intarsia heart cushion

Triangle blanket

Chapter 2TO WEAR

Child’s granny square sweater

Crop top

Circles cardigan

Daisy scarf

Stars scarf

Jewel cowl

Triangles scarf

Chunky squares scarf

Chapter 3TO CARRY AND COVER

Patchwork bag

Sunglasses case

Multicoloured laptop cover

Patchwork sewing machine cover

Suppliers

Index

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Learning to crochet may be one of the most satisfying skills you ever learn. It’s creative, very fulfilling, relaxing and been proven to lower your blood pressure too! Making granny squares and motifs is uniquely special to crochet and a really great way to learn stitches and shaping. It also means that you can go wild with your colour choices.

In this collection we have chosen a wide variety of projects to inspire you to crochet. There are projects for a variety of skill levels from beginner to more intermediate, so once you’ve achieved some of the simpler projects, there are others to choose from that will take you to the next level.

When first starting out, I always recommend you choose a project that you love. That way you’ll be motivated to drive yourself forward and finish – never give up! In this book you’ll find a comprehensive Techniques section to guide you through the techniques and stitches, and we also have a list of all the equipment you need, as well as a Suppliers list which includes places where you will be able to buy all the yarns and hooks you need to start.

For the complete beginner, try something for your home – the Crown-edged Cushion Cover has a lovely and easy pattern to follow, or something in a very similar pattern is the Traditional Square in the Baby Cloths project. One of my favourite projects to wear is the Chunky Squares Scarf – this crochets really quickly and is a very easy project to make.

Once you have moved off the beginner’s stage, there are some great projects to move on to. Try the Multicoloured Laptop Cover, the beautiful Hexagon Flower Throw, and the Child’s Granny Square Sweater. For those more advanced, there is the gorgeous Sweetheart Blanket, the colourful and bright Buggy Blanket or the beautiful silk Triangle Blanket.

Whether you are just starting out in your journey into the world of crochet or you are a more seasoned crocheter I hope you enjoy the inspirational and interesting projects in this book. There is something here for everyone.

Equipment

You don’t need a lot of equipment to make the projects in this book, but if you are new to crochet, the information here will help you make sure you’ve got everything you need before you begin.

YARN

The yarn type and shades used are listed for each pattern. For projects which only require small amounts of yarn you may choose to use some from your yarn stash instead. If you want to use a different yarn from the one in the pattern, use the information given about the yarn (weight, material, length per ball, weight of ball) to find a suitable substitute, or ask at your local yarn store.

CROCHET HOOKS

Crochet hooks come in a variety of sizes and you’ll be guided by the pattern and the thickness of yarn as to which size you need. If you find that your stitches are too loose or too tight, try experimenting with a slightly smaller or larger hook. If you are purchasing your first hook for practise, then use a double-knitting weight yarn and a 4mm (US size G/6) crochet hook. Whichever type of hook you choose, it’s important that it has a good smooth tip, and it’s worth trying out different brands to see which you like best before making a purchase. I keep my hooks in a hook holder so I don’t lose them, or in an old-fashioned wooden pencil stand where they are easily accessible.

OTHER EQUIPMENT

STITCH MARKERS

These are used to mark the first stitch of every round. You can buy different types, but I find that a length of contrasting crochet cotton or thin yarn also works really well – it is easy to weave it in and out of each round and it doesn’t get in your way – or try using a safety pin. At the end of a completed round, loop the stitch marker through the loop on the hook thus marking your first stitch of the next round. Counting your stitches after each round helps to make sure you are completing the correct number.

YARN SEWING NEEDLES

These come in various sizes, but all have large eyes for easy threading of yarn, and a blunt end which will not split the stitches when you are sewing up your work.

SHARP SCISSORS

You will need these for cutting yarn after finishing a piece and when sewing up. It is tempting to break yarn with your hands, but this can pull the stitches out of shape.

TAPE MEASURE

A tape measure is an inexpensive and essential tool for a crocheter. You will need it to measure your crochet pieces and your tension squares.

PINS

I always pin my crochet pieces together before I sew them up or make a crochet seam. Rustproof, glassheaded or T-headed quilter’s pins can be used to pin crocheted pieces together. Bright-coloured tops make it easy to spot the pins against the crocheted fabric, so you don’t leave any behind!

Techniques

In this section there are instructions for all the basic crochet techniques you will need to make the projects. If you can’t find the recommended yarn, you can substitute a different yarn of the same type – so another Aran (worsted) to replace an Aran (worsted), or a DK (light worsted) to replace a DK (light worsted) – but you will need to check the tension carefully.

Holding the hook

Pen position Pick up your hook as though you are picking up a pen or pencil. Keeping the hook held loosely between your fingers and thumb, turn your hand so that the palm is facing up and the hook is balanced in your hand and resting in the space between your index finger and your thumb.

Knife position If I’m using a very large hook and chunky yarn, then I may sometimes change and use the knife position. I crochet a lot and I’ve learned that it’s important to take care not to damage your arm or shoulder by being too tense. Make sure you’re always relaxed when crocheting and take breaks.

Holding the yarn

1 Pick up the yarn with your little finger in the opposite hand to your hook, with your palm facing upwards and with the short end in front. Turn your hand to face downwards, with the yarn on top of your index finger and under the other two fingers and wrapped right around the little finger, as shown above.

2 Turn your hand to face you, ready to hold the work in your middle finger and thumb. Keeping your index finger only at a slight curve, hold the work or the slip knot using the same hand, between your middle finger and your thumb and just below the crochet hook and loop/s on the hook.

Holding your hook, yarn and crochet

Keep your index finger, with the yarn draped over it, at a slight curve, and hold your work (or the slip knot) using the same hand, between your middle finger and your thumb and just below the crochet hook and the loop/s on the hook.

As you draw the loop through the hook, release the yarn on the index finger to allow the loop to stay loose on the hook. If you tense your index finger, the yarn will become too tight and pull the loop on the hook too tight for you to draw the yarn through. Some left-handers learn to crochet like right-handers, but others learn with everything reversed – with the hook in the left hand and the yarn in the right.

Yarn round hook (yrh)

To create a stitch, catch the yarn from behind with the hook pointing upwards. As you gently pull the yarn through the loop on the hook, turn the hook so it faces downwards and slide the yarn through the loop. The loop on the hook should be kept loose enough for the hook to slide through easily.

Making a slip knot

The simplest way is to make a circle with the yarn, so that the loop is facing downwards.

1 Make a circle in the yarn, as shown above.

2 In one hand hold the circle at the top where the yarn crosses, and let the tail drop down at the back so that it falls across the centre of the loop. With your free hand or the tip of a crochet hook, pull a loop through the circle.

3 Put the hook into the loop and pull gently so that it forms a loose loop on the hook.

Chain (ch)

1 Make a slip knot and put it on the hook. Using the hook, wrap the yarn round the hook ready to pull it through the loop on the hook.

2 Pull through, creating a new loop on the hook. Continue in this way to create a chain of the required length.

Chain ring

If you are crocheting a round shape, one way of starting off is by crocheting a number of chains following the instructions in your pattern, and then joining them into rings, or a circle.

1 To join the chain into a circle, insert the crochet hook into the first chain that you made (not into the slip knot), yarn round hook.

2 Pull the yarn through the chain and through the loop on your hook at the same time, thereby creating a slip stitch and forming a circle. You now have a chain ring ready to work stitches into as instructed in the pattern.

Chain space (ch sp)