NATIONAL CROCHET MONTH BLOG TOUR

Happy National Crochet Month! 
              And Welcome to My Aunties Yarn Studio Blog!

As those who have been following the Blog Tour already know the lovely ladies at Crochetville have organized an amazing tour of designer blogs for you to enjoy during this auspicious month. The entire list and links to participants can be found on Crochetville’s blog at this link [BLOGTOUR]. 

 

We are also denoting 'Project NightNight' as our charity of the month. You can check them out at this link [NightNight]. If you are as blessed as I, and have warm beds to tuck your little ones into at night please consider donating to the comfort of a homeless child.

  

Here at M.A.Y.S. we hope to encourage you to bring out the big hooks or the tiny hooks and get your hands in some luscious yarn or beautiful thread and create something that makes your heart sing. March is indeed designated as National Crochet Month and the crochet world is crackling with ideas, demos, patterns, lessons, and give-a-ways to celebrate our favorite pass time. A quick online search will lay them all at your fingertips. We hope you like ours too:   A how-to and pattern for Baby Bullion Square 

Many think that a bullion stitch is way too difficult, and daunting to consider the repetition in making squares for afghan or garment. Here we have some short ‘baby bullions’ which your hook can glide through with ease.

A Couple helpful technique hints for drawing the thread or yarn through the bullion wraps:

1- Loose yarn- Make sure it isn't pulling roughly from the skein but has no resistance it  flows through your fingers

2- Warp – I let the hook do the work and twirl it around the yarn gathering up the number of wraps indicated. This keeps them loose. Push them down to the thickest part of the hook to loosen them up if you are not sure.

Pulling Through:

1- Using just the hook - After wrapping the strand around the thickest part of the hook, hold your index finger along the top, insert hook into designated stitch, draw up a loop, yo, and gently roll the strands forward with your index finger while you draw the hook through.

OR

2-Make yourself a bullion tool

a. Cover the hook with a short piece of plastic tubing, wrap around the tubing, draw your yarn through the tubing then remove the tubing from the hook.

b. Attach a darning needle to a hook with tubing or plumbers tape.

Demos of these are on youtube by Theresa Richardson

OK the Square-

Baby Bullion Square

How To Bullion Stitch - (BS)- lightly wrap (YO) yarn around hook 5 times, insert hook into designated stitch, yo, draw yarn through stitch, yo, draw yarn through all loops on hook, 1ch to lock stitch

Materials I am using – Plymouth Yarn ‘Dreambaby’ DK Pastel Multi; G-4.mm hook

Gauge – Let’s not worry about that today just try to stay consistent. Mine measures approximately 3.5” square

Rnd 1   In a ring- 1sc (this locks the yarn so don’t count it) YO, 8 hdc in ring, join with slip stitch in 1^st hdc.      (8hdc)

Rnd 2   Ch2, *BS in same hdc, 1hdc in same hdc, 1hdc in next hdc, repeat from * around; join with slip stitch in top of ch2.   (8BS, 16 hdc)

Rnd 3   Ch 5 (counts as 1sc and 4 ch), sc between next 2 hdc, ch 4, sc between next 2 hdc, repeat from * around; join with slip stitch in bottom of ch 5.   (8 ch 4 spaces)

Rnd 4   Slip stich into ch 4 space, ch3, [2 BS, ch2, 2BS, 1dc] in same chain space, 3 BS in next ch 4 space, *[1dc, 2 BS, ch2, 2BS, 1dc] in next chain space, 3 BS in next ch space; repeat from * around, join with slip stitch in top of ch3. 

[NOTE: the ch2 between 2BS will be a total of 3 as you make 1ch to finish of the previous BS]

 (7 BS, 2 dc between each ch2 space)

Rnd 5   Slip stitch in stitch and into ch space, [ch2, 1hdc, ch2, 2hd] in same space, 1hdc between each stitch across, *[2hdc, ch2, 2hd] in next ch space, 1hdc between each stitch across; repeat from * around, join with slip stitch in ch2.  (12 hdc between each ch2 space) 

Fasten off and weave in yarn.

I hope you enjoy making bullions now. 

I have a couple more free patterns that you can get if you go to my website:  http://myauntiesyarnstudio.com/  . There is a pineapple bookmark, a knitted scarf (my first knitting pattern attempt) and a Ladybug Teapot Cozy. I made this for my daughter several years ago. There was some interest in the pattern at that time but I was so new at writing that I could use some help in making sure this old pattern works well. So if you make it leave me some feedback ok.

Take a look at the pics of some of my designs as well - I hope they inspire you create something new.

I am still growing in this endeavor and I welcome all the help I can enlist in making My Aunties Yarn Studio a success, as I fulfill my largest goal of teaching this wonderful art/craft to future generations thereby keeping it alive.
Thank you for stopping by and be sure to keep up with the tour everyday in March.
Happy Crocheting
Annette - KairNettaS