Flower Cowl

This stitch pattern was taken from this free website that offers beautiful free crochet patterns.  Those who are interested to know more about this web site, please click here.  I bought 3 skeins of medium wt (4) "Love" Red Heart Yarn, 152 yds/139 m each.  I only used about 5 yards of the third skein of yarn.  The finish dimension of the cowl is 56 circumference by 14 1/2 wide.  I made five flowers for the first row and 4 flowers for the second row.  The rows alternate between 5 (odd row) and 4 (even row) flowers.  At this moment that I'm writing this blog I cannot locate this pattern from the website.  

I used crochet G/6-4.25mm.

The Cowl:

I still have to hide the tails of yarn after I connected the two ends of the finished crocheted work.

I found the link to the free pattern. Please click here

How To Crochet From A Diagram -- Crochet Symbol, A Universal Language of Crochet.

In order to crochet from a diagram, one must learn the crochet symbols used.
In this crochet tutorial, I am using letters to indicate beginning/ending of each round.  Not every round begins with the same stitch.  In the chart,  I'm using letter "B" next to the stitch to indicate where each round begins and the letter "E" to indicate where each round ends.

Once you understand all the crochet stitch symbols and know how to do them, it is easy to crochet any pattern diagram you see on the internet.  One will be able to do crochet designs from other countries because crochet symbol is almost a universal language of crochet with some minor differences in some countries.  Example,  US vs UK.  American or U.S. crochet symbol is what I use.

The above motif and diagram looks complicated but it can be simplified by following the chart and instructions one round at a time.  But first one needs to be familiar with the crochet symbols, abbreviations and what they stand for as well as some crochet terms and their meaning.

Flower Baby Afghan

Total number of blocks = 49;  7 blocks accross and 7 Blocks down; each block measures 5 1/2 inch.  Measurement of Afghan without the edging = 38.5 x 38.5 Inch.

Tools And Materials:

Bernat Baby yarn, 1 big ball of 1256 yds/1148 m and 1 small skein of the same yarn for edging.   Crochet hook - size 3.75mm; yarn needle for hiding tails.  For information about this yarn, click here

Pattern Instructions For Flower Baby Afghan

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE AFGHAN IS DONE IN A "JOIN AS YOU GO" METHOD, WHERE EACH SQUARE IS JOINED TO THE REST OF THE SQUARE MOTIFS DURING THE LAST ROUND.  The advantage of this method is that there is less yarn tail to weave in and hide after all the squares are connected together because each square is already attached to the rest of the square motifs at the end of the round completing each square motif and before breaking the yarn to start another square motif.

Foundation Ring: Ch5, Slst on 5th ch from hook to form a ring.

   Instructions for Right Handed Crochet:

    

           

Instructions for Left Handed Crochet:

R1:  Note:  Foundation ring is in color pink; R1 is in color blue.  Optional:  See  tip on how to hide yarn tail within foundation ring here.  Note:  Click here to learn how to make tr3tog stitch. Ch3, count this as 1 tr.  Make tr2 tog over ring.  One flower petal made. (Ch3, tr3tog over ring) 7times.  Ch3, Slst on  top of next petal, see diagram below.   8 petals made.

Right Handed Crochet

For Left Handed Crochet

R2:  Note:  On the Crochet Diagram below, Round 1 is colored in blue and Round 2 is colored in orange.  Refer to Crochet Symbols.   (Sc next sp. Ch5, Sc on same sp, ch3, sc on next sp,ch3, sc on same sp. Ch3).  Repeat  (  ) around.   Finish round with slst on next sc.

Diagram for Right Handed Crochet

Diagram For Left Handed Crochet

R3:  Note:  In the diagram below, round 2 is shown in color orange and round 3 is shown in color green.  Slst on next 2 sts, sc on same sp, *ch7, sc on same sp; (ch3, sc on next sp)4 times.*
Repeat *  * around.  Finish round with slst on next sc.

Diagram For Right Handed Crochet



Diagram For Left Handed Crochet


R4:  Note: Round 3 is shown in color green and R4 is shown in color purple in the Diagram below.  Slst on next 3 stitches, ch4, 5dc on ch-7 space, sc on next space or loop.  *(Ch3, sc on next sp)3 times.  5 dc on next ch-7 sp, ch2, 5 dc on same ch-7 sp, sc on next sp.*  Repeat *  * 2 more times.  (Ch3, sc on next sp)3 times, 4dc on next ch-7 sp.  Finish round with slst on 2nd ch of next ch-4.


Right Handed Crochet




Left Handed Crochet



R5:  Note:  If this is the second or subsequent motif, see instructions "How To Join Two Motifs while doing R5."  If this is the first motif, follow instructions below.

Note:  In the diagram below, round 4 is shown in  color purple and round 5 is shown in color dark blue.  *Sc on next sp, to begin this row, see letter B next to + sign in diagram below.   Ch5,
sc on same sp.  >>Ch3, skip next 2-dc; sc next st.  (Ch3, sc next sp)3 times.  Ch3, skip 2-dc, sc on next st; ch3, skip 2-dc.*  Rep *  * around.  Finish round with slst on next sc, See letter E next to bold dot on diagram below.  Fasten off by making ch1 then pull this stitch tight to close the round.  One flower square motif is completed.  Cut yarn leaving a 6 inch or more yarn tail for weaving in the yarn tail with the use of a yarn needle.  See "How To Weave In Yarn Tails" here

Diagram For Right Handed Crochet

Diagram For Left Handed Crochet

How To Join Two Motifs While Doing R5:

See the photo and diagram below.

O = Old motif or first motif represented by a pink and black line;    N= New or subsequent motif represented by dark blue color.  Sc on next sp of N.  Ch2,  hold the ch-2 loop of new motif over the ch-5 loop of the old motif O with wrong sides facing together.  Sc on O; ch2, sc on same sp of N, ch1, sc on next sp of O; ch1, skip next 2 posts of N, sc on next st of N, (ch1, sc on next sp of O, ch1, sc on next sp of N) 3 times.  Ch1, sc on next sp of O, ch1, skip next 2 dc posts of N, sc on next st of N.  Ch1, sc on next sp of O.  Ch1, skip next 2-dc of N, sc on next ch-2 sp of N.  Ch2, sc on ch-5 space of O, ch2, sc on same space of N.  Photo below shows the two flower motifs joined together.

Complete Round 5 of the new motif following the instructions given for R5 beginning at this >> symbol.   

Diagram For Right Handed Crochet

Pink + means sc on old motif; blue + means sc on new motif.

Diagram For Left Handed Crochet

How To Join A Square Motif To Two Motifs That Are Already Joined Together:   I used two different color of finished flower motif to show how the two or more squares are joined together.

The method is the same as the instructions given above " How To Join A Square Motif To Two Motifs That Are Already Joined Together", the only difference is that when joining at the Ch-5 corner loops, the sc after making ch-2 on N, is done on 2 loops of the sc that joined the 

ch-5 corner loops together, instead of on the Ch-5.   See where the hook is inserted on photo below.

The hook is inserted on the two loops of the sc that joins the two old /O square motifs together on  photo above.

A sc is made on the joining sc, ch2, ready to make sc on same ch-5 loop of N.  See photo below.

Three Square motifs are joined together as shown on photo below.

Continue to finish the N or new motif as per prior instructions on R5 beginning at this >> symbol.

How To Join A Square Motif To Three Old O Motifs That Are Already Joined Together:

Starting on ch-5 corner loop follow the same instructions given above, "How To Join Two Motifs While Doing R5".  After making ch2 on ch-5 loop of N insert hook on 2 loops of the sc of O, see photo below

Study the four conjoined corners of the four motifs in photo below

Continue to join the new motif to the next old motif following the same instructions given, .  Photo below shows the new N motif completely joined to the rest of the motifs.

Continue to do R5 following instructions given for R5 beginning at this symbol >>.  Photo below shows the completed New motif at end of R5.

The finished baby blanket is shown above.

Thank you for taking the time to look at this pattern, any questions or comments to clarify the pattern is welcome and appreciated.

Crocheting From a Diagram

I-phones or tablets are not just for taking selfies.  These gadgets can help crocheters to enhance patterns for better reading.  Most of the written or graphed patterns in the market are very hard to read because the letters, characters or symbols are very tiny.  With written instructions, the words and sentences run together in one continues string and it is very easy to get lost while reading them because most of the sentences are so similar that it is easy for your eyes to wander off away from where you are working when you shift your focus away from the instructions to look at your work.

With graphed or charted instructions, the characters or symbols or open or closed spaces in filet crochet are too small, that if you have to count the spaces or stitches as you follow a pattern, it is also very easy to get lost or very hard to do accurate counting. 

At this age of technology, no one should struggle with these kinds of problems while crocheting or knitting.  Use your i-phone or tablet with touch screen functionality to take a photo of the pattern you are working on.   If your i-phone or tablet has a photo editing tools, use these tools to enlarge or focus on the part you are working on so that you can see clearly where you are in the pattern.  Using the touch screen of your iphone or tablet you can scroll from left to right or up and down the pattern page.

Another way is to make a hard copy of the enlarged pattern then you can use different colored highlighter to mark where you are on the pattern page.

Hats

Now that it is cooler weather, it is time to think about winter accessories.  One of my favorite crochet project is making berets.  I made three hats for adults; one for toddler and one for infant.

Happy Crocheting to all!

Crocheted Flower Shawl

I started this shawl yesterday.  My only regret is the yarn I'm currently using is Red Heart.  I want a softer yarn for a shawl so I may turn this into an afghan instead and buy some Caron Simply soft for a shawl.  I got the idea from Pinterest but I'm not able to find a written pattern except a photo of the finish shawl and a diagram.  Here's how my version looks like: