Tips & Tricks
Materials
- Scheepjes Merino Soft (50% Superwash Extra Fine Merino Wool, 25% Microfibre and 25% Acrylic, 50g/105m) OF Scheepjes Colour Crafter (100% Premium Acrylic, 100g/300m)
- All hook sizes from 4 mm – 6 mm for Merino Soft
- All hook sizes from 3.5 mm – 5.5 mm for Colour Crafter
- Tapestry needle
Notes
There will be a total of 14 weeks in the CAL. The first 12 weeks will include a pattern for one of twelve different squares, and then instructions will be given for joining them together and making the border in the final two weeks. You will need to make four squares of each pattern in the same colour for the first 12 weeks, making a total of 48 squares. For each square there will be the option to work in either Colour Crafter or Merino Soft yarn.
Samenstelling
Rond elk vierkant haak je een rand met een vast bepaald aantal vasten. Op het einde van de CAL krijg je de instructies om alle vierkanten mooi met elkaar te verbinden en zo je deken samen te stellen. Vervolgens krijg je ook de instructies om de rand rondom de deken te haken.
Construction
Each square will have a double crochet border around it of the same number of stitches. At the end of the CAL, there will be instuctions for joining the squares together and adding a border to make a blanket.
Contrast Thread
On completion of each square, attach a small piece of contrast thread (a piece of scrap yarn in a contrasting colour, NOT from your kit yarn) through the middle stitch of each corner.
Blocking
It is important to use wet blocking (not spray blocking) for this project, especially when combining light and dark colours.
Measurements
A completed blanket made in Merino Soft will measure approximately 130 cm by 160 cm if each square is 19 cm square. A completed blanket made in Colour Crafter will measure approximately 115 cm by 150 cm if each square is 18 cm square.
Tension
A blocked and finished square in Merino Soft yarn measures 19 cm square using a 4.5 mm hook or size needed to obtain correct gauge.
A blocked and finished square in Colour Crafter yarn measures 18 cm square using a 4 mm hook or size needed to obtain correct gauge.
Gauge is very important in this project as different textured stitches can make the squares contact a little. In order to determine your hook size, please work a gauge swatch as per the pattern below. You are aiming for each square to be the size stated above, but it is important that all your squares throughout the CAL are an even size, than the exact size stated above. Blocking will even out minor differences in size, but alter your hook size if the size of the squares varies considerably. Each square is worked with a border of the same number of dc stitches around the edge. Please keep in mind when you begin each square that it will be slightly larger when the border is added.
Important information
- Make sure not to work the double crochet stitch borders too tight. A nice stretchy border will make joining the squares much easier to join.
- It is important to work the correct number of stitches for the edging round of each square (26dc on each straight side and 3 dc in each corner.
Begin with the following hook sizes: Merino Soft 4.5 mm, Colour Crafter 4 mm. However, you will find (because of the range of stitches) that on many squares you will have to go up or down up to 3 sizes to achieve the correct square dimensions.
Colour use fort the Gauge Swatch
Dancing in the Sea: Merino Soft Turner (610) or Colour Crafter Urk (1304)
Dancing in the Rain: Merino Soft Malevich (600) or Colour Crafter Weert (1001)
Dancing under the Stars: Merino Soft Seurat (637) or Colour Crafter Hoorn (1067)
Gauge Swatche Pattern (UK terms)
Ch30.
Row 1 (RS): Htr in third ch from hook and in each ch to end, turn. [28 htr]
Rows 2-22: Ch2 (does not count as st), htr in each st to end, turn.
Edging
Round 1 (RS): Ch1 (does not count as st), work 26 dc evenly along each side of the square, with 3dc in each corner st, ss to first dc. Fasten off and weave in ends.