Final Update - Mixed Stripey Border

I worked hard to crochet my ends in during the project.  I still had a few to contend with at the end, but not too bad.  To me, weaving them in as I go is really essential. It's the worst part of the project - very tedious - and feels overwhelming if left to manage all at once.  But that's just me!

The border: 
2 rounds half double crochet - shrimp, 3 hdc worked in each corner stitch.
3 rounds hdc - aster

3 rounds granny stripe - wisteria, saffron, aspen.
*Work each corner like a regular granny square: 3 dc, 2 chain, 3 dc

Bobble stitch stripe - turquoise background and plum bobbles.

Final - Edie Eckman's Around the Corner Crochet Borders, #133 - fondant and lipstick.  I did a round of single crochet in fondant before beginning the special stitch.  Because of copyright, I can't give the directions, but border #133 is very simple - a series of chains looped and sc in place.  If you don't have this book, it's worth getting.  It has lots of great inspiration.

And that's it!

On Ravelry, there is a Crochet Along (CAL) that will be open at least this year - maybe longer - for people who are making their own version of the mixed stripe blanket.  If you've been thinking about making your own version of Little Woollie's awesome design, I encourage you to join the group.  I am one of the moderators, and know you will get lots of encouragement.  It's a nice group of hookers!  You can work at your own pace - share your progress - and get support and ideas from other people who are working on this project.  It's a lot of fun! 

Bobble Edge Tutorial

This make the cutest edging ever!  After completing a round of half double crochet for a base, I added the bobble edge.  If you are changing colors, slip stitch the new yarn in place.  The bobble is basically made by crocheting two clusters of DCs together into a little ball.  Each cluster makes half the bobble. Chains create the V shape.

Chain 5, then chain 3.  The 3 create the first DC in your cluster.
Cluster - chain 3 (already done) plus 3 DC together. This is basically doing the first part of a DC, and not finishing it, but going on and making all the first halves, until all your DCs are on the hook, waiting for the final half of the DC, which pulls them together into one cluster stitch.  (I hope that made sense!)

Anyway, here are instructions for the  DC together:  yarn over (yo), insert the hook back into the chain, yo, draw the yarn through the stitch, yo, draw the yarn through 2 loops on the hook.

Repeat the DC together stitch until you have 4 loops on your hook. Yo, pull through all the loops. Cluster completed!

Repeat the cluster - 3 DC, 3 DC together.  Now you have two clusters next to each other. Slip stitch into the top of the first cluster, pulling the two halves into a little ball.

Chain 5. Slip stitch into your project.  I like to make mine 4 stitches apart.

Repeat from the beginning - chain 5, chain 3, cluster, chain 3, cluster, slip stitch the clusters together, chain 5 slip stitch to the project.

I find this time consuming - but very gratifying! Hope the directions made sense to you, and you give it a try!

 

Ponchos are Cool!

I've been thinking about making ponchos for little girls for ages.  My Pinterest boards prove it - lots of pictures of cute little ponchos pinned - waiting and providing inspiration.  Took me a while to decide whether I'd go the stripe route, or with squares. I chose to make it from squares - but then how many?  Since I just finished the big blanket of little squares, I was ready to make a few large ones and be done.  These ponchos are made with just 4 squares each, plus borders.  I intentionally made each square different.  Pictures show both sides.  

About the edging...  when looking for inspiration, I saw a lot of fringe.  Fringe is good - but not the way I wanted to go.  I had visions of girls playing with it and accidentally pulling it apart.  Bobble edging seemed like the answer - and I LOVE the results!  

These are going to twin 5 year old girls.  I wanted similar but different.  One loves pink, the other loves purple, so there you go! 

Each square has 11 rounds of color... then one round of white.  I used a modified Join As You Go method to connect them.  Instead of connecting in each of the DC stitches, I simply used a slip stitch between each of the granny clusters.   I love the clean edge this gives.  

The neckline has one round of half double crochets to finish it off.  The bottom edge includes: one round of granny clusters in white, a round in the color, a round of half double crochet in color, and then the bobble stitch.  I will be posting instructions and pictures of the bobble edging soon.  It's definitely become one of my favorite ways to finish off a project and was quite simple.  Just chains and dc clusters. 

Ta-Dah!

And it's finished!  I'm absolutely in love with the final results!