Vintage Inspired Flower in a Square

I just made this square motif for fun, I used a 2mm hook and 4 ply cotton. I was inspired by a square motif my mother gave me, I think my great-grandmother made it. I like how there is a little heart in each corner, isn't it cute? Let me know if you would like the pattern, and I'll write it out.

this square motif was inspired by a sample my great-grandmother made

this sample is very old and has started to fall apart

Blue and Green Cushion

This project has been underway for a couple of years, I picked it up again last month and attempted to finish the back which failed dismally as it turned out all wonky. I unravelled the back to start it again. Then I found a photo tutorial on how to turn granny squares into a cushion and followed that, and had a bit more success. I also found this page on cushion insert sizes to help work out the size of the insert. But I didn't use a proper insert for this cushion, I just recycled an old pillow with a new cover. I did a large granny square for the back, and had to make it a bit larger than I counted on, but it's turned out alright in the end. I just like the blue and green colours together, especially since when I was a little girl I was told blue and green should never be seen together without another colour in between! But I think they look good together, don't you?

blue and green should never be seen except with a colour in between!

the tiny granny squares took a long time to join together

one side of the cushion is made up of 64 tiny granny squares

the wonky back I unravelled

the back of the cushion ended up being one large granny square

Frangipani Square, free pattern

I've turned my frangipani flower into a square! Now this can be used as a block for rugs and other projects using squares! First you make a frangipani flower following my free pattern, there is also a photo tutorial that hopefully helps a little bit.

you can now turn the frangipani flower into a square for making rugs and other projects that require squares

Round 1 to 3 Make a Frangipani Flower

4. attach yarn to outside of wheel of round 1, 2 ch (counts as 1st st) 3 dc into ch sp, 4 dc into next ch sp of wheel of round 1, repeat to end, sl st to 2nd ch (20 sts)
5. 2 ch (counts as 1st st) dc into sl st, 2 dc into next st, repeat to end, sl st into 1st st (a circle of 40 sts)
6. [sc into next 4 sts, hdc into next 2 sts, (3 dc) into next st, 3 ch, (3 dc) into next st, hdc into next 2 sts] repeat to end, sl st into 1st sc

Star Granny Square, free pattern

I've made my star coaster into a square, maybe if I was inclined I could make a bunch of these and join them up into a blanket. Using the cotton I bought from Bendigo Woollen Mills, it would make a beautiful rainbow rug. But something like that would be very time consuming and fiddly to do, we shall see! Here is my pattern for the star granny square.


Here are six rounds of the star granny square

Star Granny Square by T. S. Murphy
4mm hook, 8ply yarn

For star ...
1. 3 ch, 9 dc into 1st ch, sl st into 3rd ch
2. [(2 hdc 2 ch 2 hdc) into next st, sl st into next st] repeat to end, fasten off

For circle ...
3. attach yarn at star point ch sp, [sc at star point ch sp, (2 dc 2 hdc 2 dc) into sl st of prev round] repeat to end, sl st into 1st sc
4. sl st into next dc st, (3 ch (counts as 1st dc), dc into same, dc into next 2 st, 2 dc into next st, dc into next 2 st, sk sc) repeat to end, sl st into 3rd ch, fasten off

For square ...
5. attach yarn at any st, [4 sc, 2 hdc, (3 dc) into next st, 3 ch, (3 dc) into next st, 2 hdc] repeat to end, sl st into 1st sc
6. (change colour if desired) 3 ch (counts as 1st dc), dc into next st to ch sp, (3 dc 3 ch 3 dc into ch sp) repeat to end, sl st into 3rd ch

this is the 5th round of the star granny square

3 Vintage Motifs

Here are some motif samples made by my mum, I'm not sure when she made them. These are made with fine crochet cotton and are about 40 years old.

two small square motif samples made by my mum

a small oblique shaped sample made by my mum

Granny Square Bunny Rug

I made these granny squares from baby yarn so long ago now I'm not sure when it was, it must have been sometime last year. I think the colours are perfect for an Easter themed bunny rug, so I recently joined them together to make this baby blankie!

granny square bunny rug

My mother gave me a large bag full of small balls of baby yarn, in lots of white with some pink, blue and yellow. There was also a tiny bit of purple and variegated yarn. I didn't know what I would do with it all so I started making simple granny squares thinking I would make a large rug. But I've recently decided on another project for the left over baby yarn so I lay the squares out and I had enough to make a 6 x 7 bunny rug. Only 2 squares didn't get used.

detail of corner and joining of granny square bunny rug

These granny square rugs are pretty simple to make, I'm sure you don't need me to explain how to do it! I chose to join the squares with sc, and then edged the finished rug with 3 rounds of sc. I kept the edge plain so as not to distract from the simple squares. I couldn't remember which hook I used for the squares, it might have been the 3.5mm so I used that for the joining and edge.

I like this one, I think I'll use it as a pram or cot rug for my baby boy <3

Large Purple Granny Rug

I finally finished this rug yesterday morning, after I first bought this yarn in July 2009! So that's 2 and a half years from start to finish, a very long term project indeed!

For this I used my 5mm hook, a bigger hook makes the rug go faster and for this one it needed all the help it could get. This is the largest rug I've done and it doesn't even cover my queen sized bed! It's only slightly larger than my other 'therapy rug'. I don't think I'll be doing many of these, they are kinda boring. I just did a bit when watching TV. I find smaller projects that finish quicker much more satisfying. Also, considering there is almost $20 worth of acrylic yarn in this rug I'm thinking it's not really worth it. You can pick up a nice cotton blanket for less and it's larger, you can also get polar fleece blankets for less and I think they're warmer. So, not many more of these rugs from me! The pattern is a simple granny square, with 3 rows of dc at the end. The corner has an extra 7 dc in it.

I'm not sure where this rug is going, maybe on the single guest bed as it's too small for the big bed. I'm just so glad it's finished!

Colourful ABC 123 Cube for a Baby

Here is an upgrade of my first attempt at a baby block. This one is for a gift, as we are part of a Kris Kringle this year. This cube has numbers and letters on it, as well as a bell inside to make it jingle!

I find our culture of gift giving at times very challenging. I'd rather give gifts as a matter of course, when things arise that someone needs or wants, then you give it to them if you can. I don't like having to wait for a special occasion, then there is this culture of having to give a gift,  giving gifts the receiver does not need or want. This, in turn, increases the consumerism and rubbish that piles up on our planet. But unfortunately, I am a social creature, being a mammal and all, so I'm compelled to participate in this ritual and not cause offence to my friends and family. But sometimes I just wish we would get more practical with this gift giving thing! I think even gift vouchers are better than an unwanted gift, but for some people this is not in the spirit of it, and they don't like it. I just loathe to see people on modest incomes waste their money on expensive gifts that are not needed.

A month or so ago we had a hail storm here in Brisbane, which caused some damage to the roof of my friend's house. She lost her potted basil plants, so a perfect gift for her (I think, anyway), is a new basil plant! I took a cutting from my youngest plant, and put it in a vase on my kitchen sill. Now it has lots of nice new roots and is ready to plant in a nice pot. I just have to get some more potting mix and it will be ready for its new home.

Yet another Christmas, here we come!

Colourful Crochet Baby Cube

I was going to make a set of these soft baby blocks, and did this first one last year before Thomas was born. If you like this crochet cube, checkout the 2nd one I made in November, it has numbers and letters on it, I've added photos here below Colourful ABC 123 Cube for a Baby

the 1st baby cube I mad

I simply made 6 x 10cm squares of various colours in the same thick cotton I used for the drink coasters. They were fairly quick to make up, then I started joining them up into a cube with the black. I chose these colours because these were the brightest colours I had at the time, and the contrasting black is attractive to the eyes of babies. I then packed the inside with stuffing consisting of scraps of material saved from my sewing projects. I was unhappy with how the cube shape came out. If I packed it too much, it started to resemble a sphere! So I had to remove some stuffing, then the cube was a bit sloppy. So if I make any more cubes like this, they will need a firmer stuffing in the shape of a square, and the cube will have to be made to fit the stuffing. Hence why I probably won't make any more, as I don't have any stuffing material like that on hand, and I don't want to buy it as I think it's too expensive for what it is!

So here is an odd shape to throw into Tom's toy box. Maybe in future I can make a sphere and a rectangle to match ...

the 2nd baby cube I made

In other news, our little family has just got over colds that Thomas caught at a playgroup I took him to last week. That was the first time I've taken him to a playgroup and I won't be taking him back. All we got out of it was the cold! This is the first time Thomas has had a runny nose and only the second time he's been sick as the first time was a sore throat with fever. It was so awful listening to him breath through a runny nose all night! I know it's good for his immune system to start building up resistances to these germs, but I don't think he should spend his entire babyhood sick and uncomfortable. Getting sick only twice in 10 months is doing pretty well so far, considering how much illness is around!

6 pieces of ABC 123 baby cube

Three Small Things - apple sweater, dishcloth, square motif

>>> I first saw an apple sweater at Crochetspot and thought it was a fabulous idea. An apple is a great snack, but doesn't go very well in my handbag and always ends up getting bruised, but the sweater would protect it from that. More images of apple sweaters on google show different styles. I turned one of my baby beanies into an apple sweater by simply crochet a chain to go around the edge and sl st to join. This second one I made as an apple sweater from the start. It's my own pattern, it's like a baby beanie but with a chain threaded through the lip and sl st to join a ring. I used a 5mm hook and some more of the pink and blue mohair I had used for the hot water bottle cover. It now lives in our fruit bowl, waiting to be used!

<<< This aqua coloured flower dishcloth is a pattern I made up, turning over after every row to work in a ridge. The 5th round is some 5 treble flower petals. I ran out of cotton just at the end, so the last petal is 5 ch to form a handy hanging hook. For this one I used a 4mm hook and the last of the aqua cotton my mum gave me.

>>> I saw a lacey crochet square motif on a crochet blog, and I really liked it so I tried copying it. I didn't follow a pattern, I just tried to replicate the image. I used my 1.75mm hook and some fine lilac cotton mum gave me. When I was finished this tiny square I wet it and blocked it as it wasn't quite flat. I'm not sure where this square will live, perhaps it can be a dolly's blanket.

Three Small Things - soap saver, dishcloth, square motif

<<< I don't really understand why I woke one morning thinking I needed to make a soap saver for the laundry soap, but I did! I don't usually use these things, but the soap I have in the laundry at the moment was a gift and really needed one as it was making a mess. I didn't follow a pattern as it's a pretty basic shape, but I did look at crochetspot and google for some inspiration, and used my thick cotton and a 4mm hook. I got the idea of continuing the first round all the way round the bottom of the first row from the free pattern at crochetspot, there are also pictures and patterns of other soap savers there. I've tested it out, so far so good. The plan is, when you get the little shards of soap left over at the end you keep them in the bag so you don't waste them. Very thrifty, I like it!

>>> I have been working on a spiral dishcloth using the same aqua cotton as my first cotton dishcloth, but I'm not happy with it so it's currently in my pile of unfinished projects. I bought some 'amalfi' yarn from Lincraft for $4, which is 100% cotton. I think the choice of colours look 'dishclothy', if there is such a thing, so chose the aqua greenish one. This time I made a bigger version of the basketweave dishcloth, as David asked for a bigger one. This used most of the 50g ball, there isn't enough left to make another one this size. Consolation is that this cloth can be washed and reused for quite a while, so I can get my money and effort's worth out of it. This didn't take long to do, I used a new bamboo 3.5mm I thought to try for fun. I found working with the bamboo hook that it stuck a little, and is not as smooth as using a metal one. The final product measures 22cm x 18cm.

<<< I tried this square motif, I'm thinking of using it to make some baby play cubes. This coaster pattern is at crochetspot.

Crochet Motifs in White

Here are some more motifs I made using patterns in Jan Eaton's 'crochet basics' book that I borrowed from the library and had to return last week. It such a good book, I might have to borrow it again!

• 3 Lacey squares, on pages 68-69


• 3 simple shapes, triangle on page 76, wheel hexagon 74, flower hexagon page 75

Like my other motifs and false starts, these will go in my sample bag. I wonder if I'll be able to sew them altogether one day to make a big rug? Lol, not sure that will work with the lacey squares ... hahaha

Three Motifs in Navy Blue

It's time to return my library book as I've had it for nearly 2 months! I've got some fun ideas from it, here are some more. These three motives, which I've done here in navy blue craft yarn, are all from patterns on page 60 of 'crochet basics' by Jan Eaton.

<< Saint George Square

>>Harmony Square and Circle with Spokes, patterns all on page 60

These three will go in my bag of samples. I'm thinking that when I have enough, I'll stitch them all together to make a mish-mash rug of all different shapes and colours.

Pretty Pink and Purple Bag

Here is a small handbag that I made on an impulse a few days ago and am particularly pleased with how it turned out.

I really liked the look of a motif featured in Jan Eaton's book, crochet basics, but couldn't find the pattern anywhere within the actual book! So I guessed from the pictures what it was, and reproduced this motif. I liked it so much I made another, using some light yarn from my scraps bag in two pretty colours. They seemed to tell me they wanted to be made into a bag! I don't know why, I didn't ask them. I'm not so crazy to ask questions of crochet motifs, but there you have it. A cute and pretty little bag with a draw-string lip. I don't know if I'll ever use it, I wonder if anyone would like it as a gift?

My guess at the pattern motif
1. contrast colour (opt.), ch 5, sl st to form ring, ch 2, 15 trbl (US dc) into ring, sl st to join, (16 trbl)
2. main colour (opt.), ch 2, (trbl in next trbl, ch 1) in ea trbl, sl st to join (16 trbl, 16 ch sp)
3. ch 2, 2 trbl in same ch sp, 3 trbl in ea ch sp, sl st to join, (48 trbl)
4. contrast colour (opt.), (dc (US sc) in space between 2 sets of 3 trbl, ch 3) 3 times, (dc in next space, ch 5) in next space to form corner, repeat 3 times to end to form 4 corners, sl st into starting dc
5. ch 2, 2 trbl in same ch sp, 3 trbl ea in next 2 ch sp, (5 trbl, ch 1, 5 trbl) in corner ch sp,  repeat 3 times to end with 4 corners, sl st into starting ch, (67 trbl)
6. main colour (opt.), ch 2, trbl in ea trbl, (2 trbl in corner ch 1 sp), repeat around to end with 4 corners,

My pretty bag pattern
1. make 2 square motifs of same size
2. trbl in ea trbl of one motif on 3 sides only
3. sl st 3 sides of two motifs together
4. ch desired length for handle (90 ch), sl st to start of row 3
5. ch 2 sl st to same trbl, trb in ea ch of handle to start of row 4, sl st
6. ch 2, trbl in ea trbl across top lip of bag with 2 trbl in start of handle on ea side, sl st
7. ch 2, trbl in ea trbl around lip of bag, sl st, fasten off
8. contrast colour (opt.), ch length longer than lip of bag, thread in and out through trbls at top of bag lip, sl st to form ring, fasten off

Purple Pink Green Granny Square Baby Blanket

This rug is made the same way as another rug I've made, which is simply one very large granny square.

For this one I used some left over baby wool in purple and green, as well as some very pretty pink baby wool my mum gave me ages ago. The pink is so nice I just had to use it somewhere, even though we are expecting a baby boy early next year, but with these complimentary colours I'm sure it's quite ok as a rug! I really felt a need to finish off the purple and green, which is an acrylic/nylon blend of Patons baby yarn called 'Big Baby'. For this very simple rug, which took me just over a week of evenings while watching TV to complete, I used a 3.5mm hook and the end result is 70cm square.