Block #72: Seville

Today's block, from Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks...

Is block #74: Seville.

This block let me learn a new skill: the lace features you can see that are in a cross shape, are in fact lengths of chain from each round and gathered together with a dc in a higher row. I quite like how it works. 

Errors in Patterns

I was working up a new square from "200 Crochet Blocks..." on Monday when I realised it was happening again. The pattern was misleading me.



I'd just finished working up #2: Tiny Textures, and had moved onto #10: Openwork Square. Straight away, there was something different. #10 starts with ch 34. #2? ch 32. That might not be too bad, I can hear you thinking. #10 might begin with a row 1 of TR & #2 might have begun with DC. Except it didn't. Both squares started off with a foundation row of double crochet. Which meant that by the end of it, #2 Tiny Textures had a base row of 31 and #10 Openwork Square had a base row of 33.

In any given world, if you work up these squares with the SAME yarn and the SAME hook, the square that has a base width of 33 stitches is GOING to be bigger than the square with a base width of 31.

Look:

The completed square is the one I featured on Monday: #2: Tiny Textures. The beginning-as-yet-unmade-square strip featured is the beginning of #10: Openwork Square. It's only up to row2, which means I've worked the 34 ch, turned, worked dc's along & ended up with 33dc. Then I worked row 1 (the treble lacey row) & row 2, which is where I really ran into the ... trouble.

Row 2 reads thus: 1ch, 1dc into first tr, 2dc into each 1ch sp along row, ending with 2dc into 1ch sp formed by turning ch, turn (33dc).

Which would work, if row 1 hadn't read like this: 4ch (counts as 1tr, 1ch), miss 1dc, tr into next dc *1ch, missing 1dc, 1tr into next dc; rep from * to end, turn.

The little pattern repeats itself along and works itself over 2dc's of the previous row. (1tr, ch1 missing a dc.) Row 2 has you working 3 (THREE) stitches into each of the 2dc space of that foundation row. This means you end up with a count that looks like this:

See how much LONGER the 33dc wide strip became with row 2? It ended up being 44dc wide with those extra dc's added in.

This is WHY, when you work up a new pattern or square, you do a quick trial run first. Does the square work up correctly? Is it the same size as the other one? I've talked about this before, last year when I posted about "blocks that should match, but don't" funnily enough about a few other blocks from 200 Crochet Blocks. It's not that this block is incorrect - in fact it's perfectly fine. It's just that it's size in relation to other blocks is different. If you make it up before hand and notice this sort of size error, it's then relatively easy to adjust the pattern to fit your other squares.

This book is terrific. I can't recommend it enough to people who like to crochet, and especially to learners. But don't open the book and expect to be able to work up every block to the same size. It's not going to happen. The best of intentions can sometime backfire, and even experts like Jan Eaton can sometimes end up with errors in their work.

Block #71: Tiny Textures

How 'bout this: starting off the new year with a new block :)

From Jan Eaton's "200 Crochet Blocks..." Block #2: Tiny Textures.

I kind of feel like I want to work this up again, in a plain cream yarn. I love this yarn. It's the same one I did my other block last week in: the 100% variegated cotton from Morris & Sons. But because it's beautifully variegated, you almost can't see the texture of the block. Almost.

Should be a good dishcloth!!

Block #70: Lemon Peel

So.. it's December 30th and there's only 1 more day in the year, so I think I can comfortably say that this is the last block for the year. And it's only #70. Still!

Block #70!
From Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks, # 52: Lemon Peel.

Ta da! It's worked up in Morris & Sons Avalon 4ply Pima cotton in "Granite". Which was BEAUTIFUL to work in. (So it should be at $8 pop! Available here through the Morris & Sons website  where it's currently on sale till tomorrow!)

It really is lovely to work in, which is why I bought a bit for an xmas gift to myself a few weeks ago.

The Lemon Peel pattern (simply a repeat of dc, tr, dr, tr) is actually really soothing to make up, and it works up very quickly.

Block #68: Meadow

From Eaton's 200...

#46 Meadow

Well this was real nice to work up. Easy and quick; you can see the shape & pattern emerge real quick smart. And there are little popcorns in the centre there, so there's a little 3D about the square, without being overwhelming.

A nice 4.5 stars I'd say :)

Block #67: Queen Anne's Lace

From Eaton's 200...

Block #47: Queen Anne's Lace

Had my eye on this block for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it before. Lovely and clean, this block is vaguely familiar to me. I've actually worked the centre circle many times before, deconstructed from the square around it, making it as a coaster. I'll have to take a photo for you :)

Block #66: Arcadia

From Eaton's 200..

Block #9: Arcadia

This was nice to do. Loosey goosey & lacey, it worked up quick too. Could be a bit more square in the middle, however this might sort itself out with blocking.

Block #65: Fretwork (v2)

From Eaton's 200...

Block #198: Fretwork v2

Already posted up the first version of Fretwork back in March and this one's quite different. I actually like it very much. The dark blue surrounds the interior like a window frame, which I might think it the purpose behind the square a little.

Block #64: Marigold v3

Another Marigold from Jan Eaton's 200 Blocks..

A cute little garden square!

It really is kinda cute, isn't it :)

Block #63: Marigold v2

From Jan Eaton's 200 Squares...

Block #210: Marigold v2

Well, this is nice too :) Finished this up on the train trip home. Think I might like the centre of the flower with the deeper blue, and migrate the other colours around a little bit.

Block #62: Marigold

From Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks...

Block #209: Marigold (first version)

Well this was a surprise. I was halfway through the cream border around the flower when I began to think the pattern was a bit familiar. And sure enough, it's very similar to Block 13 of the Krista Spot-Sampler rug! I haven't actually gotten to week 13's square yet, which is why it took me until I'd just about finished it before I realised how similar it was. Check out Kim's version:

Are you can see, it's missing one of the dc border rounds, and the middle flower has a centre, is one round of petals less, and the flowers are made up out of 6 petals, not 8.

But anyway, the cream border around the flower is the same, which is what made me think "Hmmm.

Not too bad a square to work up actually.

Block #61: Chocolate Box v3

From Eaton's 200..

Block #145: Chocolate Box (sort of similar to the original one, which was in chocolate tones, so I'm going with that.)

This one, this one I like. I was super pleased with how it turned out, I really like the colour choices I made, and it came together real easy.

This one, is a keeper.

Block #60: Chocolate Box v2

From Eaton's 200..

Block #148: Chocolate Box v4.

But this is my v2, so I'm just being really confusing now.

This actually turned out better than I was thinking. I didn't like my first effort with Chocolate Box that much, but it's continued to grow on me. This colour scheme looks like it belongs in a side-show alley at a state fair/show or something though.

Block #59: Chocolate Box

From Eaton's 200...

#147: Chocolate Box (version 3)

Obviously this is not version 3 for the blog, since this is the first time I've posted up this square! But, in Eaton's book, there are 4 versions of this square (the first one has the dark colour as a dark brown, hence the name) and this is the 3rd version!

I've never liked this square, and wasn't intending to hook it up any time soon, but it's a granny square of a sort, so I thought I'd give it a go. And.. it's not too bad! This looks terribly skewif, but it's actually pretty square. I'm not too sure about the dark blue bits inbetween each round, but I'm working on another version (version 4) and I'll post it up and compare the two.

Block #58: Granny Stripes

From Eaton's 200..

Block #76: Granny Stripes

Well, it's the 28 May today, which means we're coming to the end of Granny Square Month. But we're not there yet.

This was GREAT. It's the perfect thing to make household prettiness out of (cushion covers, throws etc) but it's done the same thing that Half & Half earlier in the year.

For a square that's supposed to be of a size, it's too squat and too wide. A bit like my Granny! But I love her dearly! And let's face it, she's the BEST to hug. When I was a wee little thing and I used to spend my summers with my Mama (my Granny), she and I would split a bag of Violet Crumble (chocolate covered honeycomb) and we'd keep stealing into the kitchen over the next few days to sneak a few bits until there was NONE LEFT and we were SAD. And then we'd go to the store again, and get another bag. It was AWESOME. Summer at Mama's rocked.

And that's like this granny square. It's not neat and tidy, it's a big loosey goosey, but it'll split a bag of violet crumble with you any time :)

Blocks #52 & #53

Here is blocked #52 & #53 side by side. You can see I've improved on the bump on the top of #52 that I hated, which is where I joined the rows in the same side. I staggered the joined in block #53 so it's not as obvious.

Much more pleased :)

In other news, it's halfway through May and I'm only up to #52 of #200, which means I am behind in the schedule! Step it up girl!!

Block #53: Granny in the Middle v2

From Eaton's 200...

Block #118: Granny in the Square v2.

Like this one MUCH better.

:)

Block #52: Granny in the Middle #1

From Eaton's 200...

Block #117: Granny in the Middle.

Jan Eaton shows four different colour combinations for this block, so I'll be doing this block at least another 3 times this month. It's a block I did when I first got "200 Crochet Blocks..." out of the library 5 years ago. Whilst it's not a favourite, I still like it. It works terrifically well as a coaster, as the granny in the middle of loose enough to absorb any drips & drops from your cups, and the denser outer border keeps the coaster stable.

I do seem to add an extra stitch or two where it joins in the rounds, as you can see in the right-hand bottom corner (it's misshapen) so I need to work on that. Even joining rows in different spots might help.

I do NOT however like the colour combination I used for this. I'll be using the same colours, but in a really different pattern. This looks too wishy washy. Although, it reminds me of a day at the beach!

Block #51: Corner Granny

From Eaton's 200...

Block #7: Corner Granny.

Not especially fond of this block by itself, but only because the corner half of the block is such a tighter weave than the granny square. This block really needs to be placed with three others of it's type, to create a nice big 4-square block.

Block #49 Traditional Granny

From Eaton's 200..

Block #18: Traditional Granny

Ahhhh the traditional granny. Same pattern as yesterday's Plain Granny, this one shows the difference that colour can make.

This is probably THE most USED crochet pattern to make rugs. I would say most crocheters' have hooked a granny square rug at least once in their lives. I've done two :) (One lap rug, one throw-for-a-king-size-bed rug!)