Borders and Time

I keep being asked how long it takes me to make a single size throw. The answer is I don't know! I fit it in around everything else. I tackled the latest one very methodically. I worked out the colours for the granny squares and each day I did 1 row in 1 colour on 5 squares. I sewed in the ends on 5 squares a day and when joining them it was 1 row a day. I did 1 row of border a day and the final border all at once. If I achieved more than that it was a bonus!

 

I used the scallop border for the first time. You first do one row of double crochet going into the gap between the trebles then the two holes in the treble. In the next row you do 5 trebles into one stitch, miss a stitch and single chain to bring he scallop back down then miss a stitch and back to 5 trebles.  

 

 

 

 

Stitchers

Here is a photo of the textile group I have joined. We are hard at work on our projects.

 

 

 

Stitch WIP's

I have two more sea pictures in progress so I don't get bored!. The beach huts will probably be smaller and both pictures need lots more details. French knots on the hydrangeas?

 

 

 

Stitch Stash

I need lots of fabric for my new obsession. I hunted in the charity shops in Connemara and came home with some treasures. Sky is always difficult to do so a transparent scarf was a useful find. The others suggest bogs and moorland and gardens to me.

 

 

 

Continuous Join

I decided I couldn't face sewing my granny squares together so thought I would try the continuous join method. I used the tutorial on the patchworkcrochet.co.uk blog and Lucy's blog at Attic 24. It is easy enough to do but one of those things it is difficult to get to grips with initially. I used silver grey for the joining row and I will use the colours and more grey in the border.

 

After you have joined the first row of squares together you go along the bottom of the first row. I slipped stitch into the beginning of the corner, did another slip stitch across the middle and slipped stitch into the beginning of the corner in the next square. I found this was the best way to make the corners sit neatly.

 

Here is a photo taken halfway through. I have now finished joining and I just have to do the border now.

  

 

  

 

 

Sherkin Shore

I have wonderful memories of my first visit to Sherkin Island. It was lovely to be out on the water and to see Baltimore and the Beacon from the sea. We walked down to Silver Strand and took our time about it. The air was cool, the sea and sky were a true summer blue, the hedgerows were filled with wildflowers and butterflies.

I could picture it in my mind when I was doing this stitched work. We spent happy hours there with the kids and Ryan promised to buy the island for me when he grew up. He is working now so I might call him on that promise.

 

 

 

 

Hydrangea Throw

Back to granny squares now and I am making a throw in my favourite colours. The 63 squares are complete and I have just sewn in 630 ends! I just have to use the continuous join method (see Lucy at Attic 24) to finish each square in dark purple and then do the edging. I think I will use 7 of the colours.

 A bit of work to do yet.