Learn to crochet?

First block of Dad's lapghan. the next 11 are in progress. Each will be unique but will have some colour placements in common (centre, dark blue petal surround in the middle, pale blue triangles and the inner white / pale blue scallops (well that is at the moment!) I am busy with the round of triple sprigs, half of them done.

I'm not too keen on the corners as they are but I may add surface interest once all 12 blocks are complete and I can see how much yarn I have remaining.

The pattern needs care but isn't difficult as such - because it is a South African pattern with US terminology it's more a question of interpretation. The first block was a bit of a learning curve but the follow on blocks should be a bit easier - little things like the bobbles need to be worked from the back to make them pop - which isn't in the instructions. Also instead of working through the stitches as it says in the instructions I am doing a "round the post" where that appears to be more logical.


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Hi everyone,

Having a catch up on what everyone’s been up to.

Love your squares for the lapghan Puddleduck Bold colours that look great.

Mark and Mindy These days I always see/weave my ends in as I go along with squares or every couple if they are smaller quicker ones. Learnt that the first time it did a project, it drove me mad doing then all at the end.

I’ve come back to my dream catcher blanket after some other projects.

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Offagain said:
Are you making the same bits of them all at the same time? If so that makes sense. See, I wouldn't have thought of that and would have done one entire square then move on to the next.
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I made one just to see how I got on with the pattern. That turned out okay so for the remaining 11 I am doing them one or two rounds at a time (some rounds follow on from the previous - which sounds more complex than it actually is) so I now have one block completed and 11 blocks done up to round 10 (I think it was round 10 last night).

denisejoe said:
Are you going to have a go?
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Captain Pants said:
Too complicated for a man!
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Not at all ...... the basics of crochet are straight forward and once you have the basic chain stitch mastered it's a question of how many times you wrap the yarn round the hook, where you stick the hook in and how many wraps you take off at a time.

Ven said:
Love your squares for the lapghan Puddleduck Bold colours that look great.

Mark and Mindy These days I always see/weave my ends in as I go along with squares or every couple if they are smaller quicker ones. Learnt that the first time it did a project, it drove me mad doing then all at the end.
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Thank you. Dad has cataracts so bright colours are great for him. I think the bright orange is what attracted him to the crocodile stitch square I took to show Mum - and then he loved the textures. Anyway I "lost" that square as he kept it :) and with a bit of persuasion from a few people here I started on the Pondoland Lapghan as it has so much texture and I am using vivid colours. He spends most of his time in an armchair dozing so it is something he will use - and the tatty blue-grey blanket he has at the moment can be retired.

I am also weaving in the ends as I go - as I finish a round I weave in the ends from the previous round or the round before that depending on the stitches of the next round as sometimes it is possible to work over them. When I am doing a round of chain that will be worked over sometimes I leave a long tail to work over and that will make the chain foundation thicker (if that makes sense). It all depends on what you are making. Although I don't mind working in ends I hate having 100 or more to do at the end of the project!
 
Puddleduck said:
... I am also weaving in the ends as I go - as I finish a round I weave in the ends from the previous round or the round before that depending on the stitches of the next round as sometimes it is possible to work over them. When I am doing a round of chain that will be worked over sometimes I leave a long tail to work over and that will make the chain foundation thicker (if that makes sense). It all depends on what you are making. Although I don't mind working in ends I hate having 100 or more to do at the end of the project!
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I have weaved in the starting one on the chain ring, and when I do the 3 treble 3 chain 3 treble starter in the corner on a colour change I also weave in both the old and new colours, but wondering if that is enough or whether I should perhaps weave them in through the trebles slightly higher up to give a little extra "hold", then its just the one at the very end to deal with but thinking that could be woven in when joining the squares.

However, the best thing ever (for me at least) is that I am the proud owner of 208 granny squares, just doing the underarm gussets and then can start on that little bit of weaving plus the joining... seems to have taken forever, and I'd even got it down to 1 square every 15 minutes.
 
I'm having a bit of a problem working out exactly what I'm supposed to be doing in the gusset of the sleeve. These are the instructions:

"SLEEVE GUSSET:
Work a piece with tr shaped as a gusset to be sewn under sleeve so it is wider at the top than the at bottom. Replace first tr on every row with 3 ch.
Work 7-8-8-8-8 ch on hook size 3 mm with off white. Turn and work 1 tr in 4th ch from hook, then work 1 tr in the remaining 3-4-4-4-4 ch = 5-6-6-6-6 tr. Continue back and forth with 1 tr in every tr until piece measures 10 cm.
READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING SECTION BEFORE FINISHING!
On next row inc 1 tr in each side by working 2 tr in next to last tr in each side. Repeat inc every 3-2-2-2-2 rows a total of 9-12-12-12-12 times. NOTE: In size XS/S continue with 1 tr in every tr until piece measures 33 cm. In sizes M and XXL divide the piece in the middle when it measures 30 cm, then work each side separately with 1 tr in every tr until piece measures 33 cm. In sizes L/XL and XXXL divide the piece in the middle when it measures 26 cm, then work each side separately, when inc is done, with 1 tr in every tr until piece measures 33 cm.
The piece is divided in the 4 largest sizes because of dec for armholes. This is not done in the smallest size.
Work another sleeve gusset."

The first part is easy enough, and I've got as far as it measuring 10cm, however its the next section which I don't understand - I did read it all by the way - I understand how to do the increase, no problem there, but I don't quite understand the next part - if I increase that 1 treble by working 2 into the next to last treble and then repeat the increase every 2 rows wouldn't that mean that the gusset is only increasing on one side and the other would be straight?

Or is it saying that I should increase by 1 treble in each of the next 2 rows, and then repeat those 2 rows 12 times?

I really wish the explanation was better because I'm using masses of wool and will need another ball if I'm to make 2 of them plus the edging round the whole jacket and also make the neck ties.
 
Mark and Mindy said:
I have weaved in the starting one on the chain ring, and when I do the 3 treble 3 chain 3 treble starter in the corner on a colour change I also weave in both the old and new colours, but wondering if that is enough or whether I should perhaps weave them in through the trebles slightly higher up to give a little extra "hold", then its just the one at the very end to deal with but thinking that could be woven in when joining the squares.
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I usually weave in as you do and then make a little back stitch through a yarn strand and weave back towards the start. If there is a longish tail you can always tighten up again if needed. For garments it is worth weaving in, small back stitch through a yarn strand, back stitch through the bit you have just woven in and then work back toward the start of the weaving in. Or hide a knot under some of your stitches?

For your gusset I think you have to increase both sides :) - "Increase one treble each side in next to last each side" I would interpret as next to last being at both start and end of the row.

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Puddleduck said:
I usually weave in as you do and then make a little back stitch through a yarn strand and weave back towards the start. If there is a longish tail you can always tighten up again if needed. For garments it is worth weaving in, small back stitch through a yarn strand, back stitch through the bit you have just woven in and then work back toward the start of the weaving in. Or hide a knot under some of your stitches?

For your gusset I think you have to increase both sides :) - "Increase one treble each side in next to last each side" I would interpret as next to last being at both start and end of the row.
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Good, that's what I decided to do, but will definitely have to buy one more ball now as I won't have enough.

So far I've joined the squares into strips of 10 squares in a row, and then joining the rows together and so far joined 4 strips together and so now have a rectangle which is 10 squares long by 4 squares wide, its taking me about 45mins to join 10 squares together or join 1 strip to the main piece.

I did try with a crochet hook and although I could see fine what to do I've decided not to do it for this jacket and am just using a wool needle and sewing together. It took me 10 minutes to join 1 square to another and it wasn't right, probably 4ply for my first try isn't the best idea and as this jacket will hardly be seen by anybody else I'm not so fussed about it. In theory Mark will see it, but as I'll be wearing it tucked behind the washroom wall and not in his direct line of sight then its fine, plus I'm pretty sure he won't be looking at it that closely.
 
Sometimes I use a joining stitch with crochet hook. sometimes I join with a darning needle and the yarn I have used in the piece and sometimes I use a thickish matching sewing thread - whatever looks best at the time. My sister once joined blocks on a domestic sewing machine using a zig-zag stitch - or it might have been a fagoting stitch.
 
snailtrailer Hope you are feeling better soon. I just love the bunny, such a cutie. I am not a toy maker but admire the people who can and do make such lovely things.

I completed all 11 of the round 14 on the blocks last night as Martin was out at a community council meeting. There are 33 rounds in all but some of them are only part rounds (where the bobbles are) - although apart from the bobble rounds each round is getting longer of course. Still I find it easier to do the same round 11 times than try to remember what I did on a previous block - even with my cryptic notes of where to stick in the hook. I am not following the pattern 100% as some rounds I am starting with a "standing post" rather than with chain (I just think it looks better) and also rather than go through a stitch I tend to go round the post to add even more texture.

Just in case you don't know standing post starts are where if you need to start with (say) three chain instead of a treble (double in US / Continental terms) instead you start with a slip knot on the hook, yarn over hook, through / round or into stitch or space on previous round, yarn over hook and then work the loops on the hook as you would a usual treble. You end up with the starting yarn as a tail at the top of the work and a perfect treble rather than the working yarn at the base of the new round and a line of chain. Once you see how it is done you get a "duh" moment ..... I'm sure youtube will have videos.
 
Who did the virus shawl? you inspired me to do a virus blanket. The blocks I started earlier have been admired by granddaughters so I’m making them into little messenger bags... that’s the Crochet blocks not children lol
how big does a blanket (to throw over my knees in the van) need to be?
at this point it has used up one big 200g ball of sirdar acrylic - I have started on the next ball And think I need at least two or three more repeats (4 row repeat)
the yarn is nice but there are thick and thin lengths so I hope it doesn’t look like I can’t do tension ? the purple bits are soft and bulky, the orange and brown is thinner. But I’m pleased with it ?.
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Janine said:
Very nice but be warned - virus shawls are addictive! I love making them :)
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Thank you. You are right I am already thinking “ooh - I wonder what else I could .......”
I did start with a solid square but decided that would use too much yarn and/or be too heavy. Yet another item I don’t know what to do with (yet).
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Nice and flat though.???‍♀️
 
Sus3v I had never heard of virus shawls so a search on t'internet and I've found a whole new world of crochet. (y)(y)(y) Lots of videos on virus shawls and shell patterns so I guess I don't need to buy a pattern.

I was thinking of making a bedjacket but it appears that is soooo old-fashioned. Even on Ravelry the patterns seem to date from the 1940s. I was just doing tension samples for a couple of 4ply patterns I have but maybe a virus shawl with my cone of pale pink, lemon and mauve would fit the bill.

I don't have enough bright colours to make a mandala coverlet but I do find them fascinating.

I'm in quarantine for making octopus so to keep my hands busy I am making garden cushions from old curtains to go in our gazebo - roll on summer.
 
scousebird said:
I tried to find some bed jacket patterns but with no success.
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Wouldn't a loose cardigan but without the buttons do a similar job? I wear an old cardi when reading in bed on cold nights!!

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