A Granny for Gran (Ripple Granny Tah Da!)

I'm excited to present my version of the Ripple Granny throw.  

Two weeks, less than10 100 gram balls of Marvel acrylic.  It is approximately 3 feet by 3 feet.  Enough for Grandma to cover her lower body down to her feet and tuck around herself when she sits in her chair.  About the size of a cot blanket.

Here is a peek at the colours.  A dusky mauve, mossy green, dusky pink, chocolate brown and cream.  Not the bright colours I generally use but definitely Grandma colours.

58 rows of Granny clusters.  108 stitches on a 5mm hook.

I adapted the pattern I found by doing a colour set and then counting in on the clusters to start in the same place so the first row of the mauve in each colour set is 5 cluster sets.  That is how I managed to get the zig zag sides 

The edge is just 3 rows of single crochet because I thought the zig zagginess was pattern enough.  I think I mentioned it was acrylic rather than wool in case it gets put in the residential care driers.  Now I just need to label it with Grandma's name, wrap it in a ribbon and I'm ready to go.

I will write up the pattern if anyone is interested.  It's a mixture I adapted from a number of different Granny ripple patterns that I googled to work out how to do it.

Now I have to get my a into g and start cooking for the party this weekend!!!  Have a wonderful day!

Basic Granny Bucket Bag Pattern

This is going to be a two or three part Tutorial.  I under estimated how much time it would take based upon the ease of the flat circle.  So far I am onto day two, yesterday was something of a washout with just a couple of rows made.

So without further ado, here is the body of the bag.

I used 4 balls of Moda Vera Gelato 50% cotton, 50% acrylic mix.  A 3.25 mm hook.  The bag is 30cm across and 22cm deep so it's quite large.  The cotton/acrylic blend will stretch a little so I didn't want to make it too large to begin with.

Create a flat circle:

Chain 4

Row 1: 3 sc into the circle to equal one treble (dc) 11 trebles and join with ss to create a circle with 12 tr.

Row 2:  3 sc to equal 1 tr.  1 tr into the same stitch.  2 tr into every stitch = 24 stitches, join with ss to 3rd stitch of first tr 

Row 3:  3 sc to equal 1 tr. 1 tr into the same stitch. *1 tr into next stitch, 2 trebles into the following st, repeat from * to end. join with ss to 3rd stitch of first tr = 35 stitches

Row 4,  3 sc to equal 1 tr. 1 tr into the same stitch. *1 tr into next 2 stitches, 2 trebles into the following st, repeat from * to end. join with ss to 3rd stitch of first tr

Row 5,  3 sc to equal 1 tr. 1 tr into the same stitch. *1 tr into next 3 stitches, 2 trebles into the following st, repeat from * to end. join with ss to 3rd stitch of first tr.

See the pattern? Every row you increase the number of single tr stitches between the 2 tr into 1 stitch to increase the size of your circle.

I finished on row 12 with 10 tr between each 2 tr into one stitch, with 149 tr.

Row 13:  single tr in each stitch.

Row 14:  3 sc to equal 1 tr, *skip 3 stitches, 3 tr into next space, skip 3 st, 3 tr into next space* repeat from* until the end, there should be 3 tr between the last granny treble (3 tr into 1 st) and the first post consisting of 3 sc.  2 tr into the same st and join with ss to 3rd sc of the post.  You should now how a row of 35 granny trebles.

Row 15, ss into the gap, 3 sc to create first tr, 2 more trs into the gap, 3 trs into each gap.  (at this point I changed colour to make it easier and more obvious to photograph but there is no requirement to do this.)

Keep doing this until you reach the desired height, for me it was 27 rows of granny trebles.  In the middle I did two rows of straight trebles then turned back to granny trebles by skipping 3 and doing 3 tr into the next space.  But you don't have to do that if you don't want to.

I did two rows of dc to provide the top edge of the bag.

*******update********

Granny stich handles:

Chain 100

Row 1:  using the last chain of the foundation ch as your first stitch, crochet a row of dc

Row 2: ch 3 as first tr, two more trs into the first dc, *skip 3, 3 tr into the next dc, repeat from * to end.  1 tr into last dc turn.

Row 3: ch 3 as first tr, two more trs into the gap, 3 tr into the next gap repeat 3 tr into gap to end, 1 tr into last tr in row, turn.

Row 4: repeat as for row 3

Row 5: dc to end

Row 6 dc to end tie off.

Make two handles, it goes without saying but I said it anyway.

Sew them on securely! I used the white cotton I used in the last two rows of the bag to hide the majority of the stitches.  Don't worry though, we'll cover that up with our decorations!

So this is the finished bag:

Now I just need to work on the lining!

Back to school at last

This weekend signified the end of the summer holidays.  One last weekend to prepare for the buying of stationery, ironing of uniforms, finding of p.e gear and polishing of shoes for the man child.  For the wee girl it was all about choosing first day clothes and hair styles.


The man child started year 11 (known as fifth form in my day) Tuesday.  The wee girl started her last year of Primary school as a year 6 today.


I'm working so the husband has the week off to get everyone back to reality.  The wee girl is thrilled to bits with her hairbands and ties.  I have been playing with african flower hexagons.

I have made a dozen or so out of the gelato acrylic/cotton mix so far.  I'm not sure yet where that is going.

I've also been inspired by Lucy from Attic 24 again.  She's crocheting covers for her trash.  


I recently came across a rather beautifully shaped iced tea glass bottle and on pintrest a tutorial for cutting glass using string and nail polish remover.  A friend drinks the iced tea and is saving the bottles for me.


When the children are back at school properly and the husband is back at work. I have some plans in mind to up cycle my own trash.


My mind is exploding with different ideas for this straight sided bottle!

I'm still working on my top and my blue and white china inspired granny stripe.  I'm finding as the weather alternates between almost chilly of an evening or stinking hot during the day, having a variety of projects means I can do whatever suits.  Chilly evenings see the blanket grow, quiet times see me working on the top and hot days mean more flowers.


Days off are coming up and a trip to Wellington for work looms in the not too distant future.


Today however, is housework day!  I have a nightshift to work tonight, and this day is always the big clean up prior to days off.  This year I am trying to be organized!  I want to divest us of a lot of the clutter we have and hopefully start turning the jungle outdoors into a garden over the autumn/winter months that will explode into beauty next spring!

The collection

The not so little people are back tomorrow, I'm heading northward early tomorrow to meet up with them in Whangarei.  I'm excited to have them back although the eldest is returning under a cloud.  I got his cellphone bill today.  We have an agreement where instead of allowance/pocket money I have a secondary number off my cellphone which is his phone on account, it's a system that has worked well for over a year and it's about teaching him to handle money/responsibility.  Well he went over his account limits in December by $500!!!  Yes you read that right!

We've had some communications about how disappointed I am in him and how he plans to make restitution.  He is very, VERY lucky that I keep my account in credit and that the amount still owing is something I can afford to pay, well not so much afford to, I am able to but I can think of a lot better things to spend that amount of money on than his phone bill.  I'm thinking he is going to be very, VERY busy when he gets home.  Far to busy to talk to his friends.  At least I have some time to think up suitable ways for him to make this up.

On to happier thoughts, the collection of exciting little things I have made for the Wee Girl while she has been away. 5 bracelets, 3 headbands and a hair tie.

The hair tie was easy and took about 20 minutes, I just crocheted slip stitch around a plain hair tie and then crocheted a single, a double and 4 treble stitches, then a double and a single, then started again to get the petal effect.  When it's on hair it looks like a double row of petals.

The pink hairband is a thinner version of the rainbow pattern in my accessorize post, with 8 instead of 12 rows.  The green head band is a crocheted ring of single and a row of trebles.  A little fiddly as you have to be very careful not to twist the foundation chain when you join it.

That consists of a foundation chain of 100, joined with a slipstitch to make a circle. A row of single crochet, a row of treble crochet and a row of single crochet then a row of slip stitch to finish.

I hope you are having a better day than me :)

Bracelet Tutorial

It takes me about an hour to make up one of these bracelets.  It's child sized, but you could easily make it adult sized by making a foundation chain large enough to fit your wrist and add a chain for turning.

I think it would be fab for a stall at a school or craft fair, you can turn them out fairly quickly if you know your crochet basics.

You will need:

Crochet cotton,  two colors. I am using 2 ply Milford Satin and the bracelet is about 8mm wide.

Crochet hook size 1.9 mm or 2mm if you prefer.

Strung beads.  I got a 2 metre string for $4 and I've made 3 of this kind of bracelet with plenty left over for more.  See picture.

A tapestry needle

A button






Chain 51

Row 2
start at the second chain from the end, double crochet to the end.

Row 3
Slip stitch to the end.

Chain 6 to 8 stitches to fit your button and join with a slip stitch to create your button loop on the end of the bracelet and tie off.

I hope that makes sense, I'm getting a kick out of my sparkly shatter nail polish in the loop picture LOL.

Ok back to business, now you need to weave in the ends and make it all tidy so that you can add the beads and button.

Thread the needle with your other colour.

Cut a length of bead to fit the bracelet leaving room at the opposite end to the loop for your button.

Line up your bead string in the centre of the bracelet on the right side.

Bring your needle up from the underneath (wrong side) of the bracelet and sew over the string in the space between the beads.  I only needed one stitch, you may need more if your beads are further apart.

Carry on to the end and secure on the wrong side.

Sew the button on the end.

et voila! One perfectly formed bracelet.

Between projects

Having finished the granny striped blanket and it being Christmas break, I find myself with time on my hands.  It's also a little hot and humid to be playing with wool quite frankly.


So I've been doing this...

With 2 ply crochet cotton and a 2.5mm hook.  I've decided to make a flower scarf.  I've seen a number of them on line including Lucy's at Attic24.  I found a flower tutorial here  at Revving it up,designed by Revlie Schutte and modified it slightly as follows.

Do the first three rows as per the tutorial, 

chain 6, sl stitch into ring
Round 1: chain 4, dc1, ch1, dc1, ch1 around, slip stitch to join (12 dc)
Round 2: chain 5, dc1, ch2, dc1, ch2 around, slip stitch to join (12 dc)
Round 3: chan 3 + 3dc in 1st loop, 4 dc in each loop around, slip stitch to join

Then my modifications 

Round 4: *chain 4, skip 4, slip stitch to join, continue between * around, slip stitch to join

Round 5: *1 sc 8 dc 1sc in each loop, slip stitch to join* around finish with a slip stitch. 

Crochet together with a slip stitch by placing flowers with two petals matching and right sides together.   I've done a dozen flowers so far and this is how it looks.  This one is going to be a lightweight summer version single row, but I will make a woollen version with three rows or maybe four for winter.