The Traveling Crochet Afghan - Square 4 - free pattern

The Traveling Crochet Afghan

Welcome to the Lottie and Albert blog, and to the free pattern for square number 4 in the Traveling Crochet Afghan!

If you haven’t heard of the Afghan before, it is a year-long crochet along in conjunction with Lion Brand Yarn and the ‘My Life in Yarn’ campaign, and it is bringing together over 49 knit and crochet designers from 7 different countries! Each designer will create a 10”x10” square, add it to the blanket, and then publish the pattern for you to join in with, before sending it on to the next designer.

Starting in January 2020, the traveling afghans (a knit and a crochet version) began in New York with the first squares designed by Alexa of @twoofwands. The crochet afghan has since travelled to Spain and then on to The Netherlands, before reaching me in Gloucestershire, England! You can find full details of the CAL here, including a FAQ section.

If you have come across this later in the year, there is no strict start or finish date, so feel free to join in now! You can find links to the previous (and I’ll add future squares as they are released) here:

#1 - 11/1-1/13 - New York City, USA - Alexandra Tavel of Two of Wands

#2 - 1/15-1/28 - Barcelona, Spain - Cecilia Losada of Mamma DIY

#3 - 1/29-2/11 - Utrecht, The Netherlands - Wilma Westenberg of Wilmade

#4 - 2/12-2/25 - Gloucestershire, UK - Lindsey Newns of Lottie and Albert

#5 - 2/26-3/10 - New Brunswick, Canada - Kimberley Giggie of Lakeside Loops

#6 - 3/11-3/24 - Ontario, Canada - Lee Sartori of Coco Crochet Lee

#7 - 3/25-4/7 - Alberta, Canada - Janine Myska of Knits n' Knots

#8 - 4/8-4/21 - Alberta, Canada - Abigail Ellazar of Knits and Knots by AME

#9 - 4/22-5/5 - California, USA - Arica Presinal of Skeinsnsticks

#10 - 5/6-5/19 - California, USA - Meghan Ballmer of Meghan Makes Do

#11 - 5/20-6/2 - California, USA - Nicole Riley of Nicki's Homemade Crafts

#12 - 6/3-6/16 - Arizona, USA - Bailey Williams of Hooked on Tilly

#13 - 6/17-6/30 - Colorado, USA - Jess Coppom of Make & Do Crew

#14 - 7/1-7/14 - Kansas, USA - Emily Davies of Hooked Hazel

#15 - 7/15-7/28 - Michigan, USA - Jennifer Pionk of A Crocheted Simplicity

#16 - 7/29-8/11 - Michigan, USA - Melissa Fisher of Woods and Wool

#17 - 8/12-8/25 - Ohio, USA - Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Crafts

#18 - 8/26-9/8 - Georgia, USA - Vincent Williams of Visuvio's Crafts

#19 - 9/9-9/22 - North Carolina, USA - Tia Edwards of Simple Things Crochet

#20 - 9/23-10/6 - North Carolina, USA - Ashleigh Kiser of Sewrella

#21 - 10/7-10/20 - North Carolina, USA - Rohn Strong of Rohn Strong

#22 - 10/21-11/3 - Pennsylvania, USA - Jessica Benvenuto of Fly the Distance

#23 - 11/4-11/17 - New York, USA - Brianna Iaropoli of Life and Yarn

#24 - 11/18-12/1 - New York City, USA - Teresa Carter of Debrosse

#25 - 12/2-12/16 - New Jersey, USA - ChiWei Ranck of 1 Dog Woof

My square design

If you made Two of Wands first crochet square, you’ll see that this design uses the same front and back post stitches, but by placing them in a different order you get a completely different pattern! If it looks daunting, don’t be fooled, it’s basically just the same pattern that moves by one every row to create the herringbone pattern.

If you’d like to read more about my design and why I chose this pattern, please do come and find me over at @lottieandalbert on Instagram.

Materials

• 1/2 skein Lion BrandWool-Ease (weight 4/medium, 197yds/180m, 3oz/85g), or approx 100yds/90m of another worsted weight yarn
• 6mm crochet hook (J/10) 
• Wool needle
• Scissors

Gauge

10cm (4in) x 10cm (4in)  = 12sts x 9 rows worked in pattern

This stitch pattern is a grower when blocked! So Make sure you block your swatch before sizing your hook up or down

Abbreviations

US terms used

ch        chain

dc        double crochet (UK treble crochet)

fpdc     front post double crochet (UK fptc front post treble crochet)

bpdc    back post double crochet (UK back post treble crochet)

rep       repeat

st(s)     stitch(es)

Notes

• This pattern uses US terminology
• Turning chains counts as stitches throughout
• The square is worked flat, turning at the end of each row
• The final square is reversible

 

The Pattern

Using a 6mm hook and worsted (or Aran) weight yarn, Ch34

Row 1  Starting in 4th ch from hook, 31dc in each chain along. (32)

Row 2 ch3, *3fpdc, 3bpdc. Rep from * until 1 st left, dc into top of ch3, turn. (32)

Row 3 ch3, 2fpdc, *3bpdc, 3fpdc. Rep from * until 5 sts remain. 3bpdc, 1fpdc, dc into top of ch3, turn.

Row 4 ch3, 2bpdc, *3fpdc, 3bpdc. Rep from * until 5 sts remain. 3fpdc, 1bpdc, dc into top of ch3, turn.

Row 5  ch3, *3bpdc, 3fpdc. Rep from * until 1 st remains, dc into top of ch3, turn.

Row 6  ch3, 1fpdc, *3bpdc, 3fpdc. Rep from * until 6 sts remain. 3bpdc, 2fpdc, dc into top of ch3, turn.

Row 7  ch3, 1bpdc, *3fpdc, 3bpdc. Rep from * until 6 sts remain. 3fpdc, 2bpdc, dc into top of ch3, turn.

Rows 8-19 rep rows 2-7 twice.

Row 20 rep row 2.

Row 21 rep row 3.

Row 22 rep row 4.

Row 23 ch3, dc to end of row, fasten off and weave in ends.

I’d love to see your finished squares and blankets! Please do tag me @lottieandalbert on Instagram when you have made yours up!

Lindsey x

#travelingafghans #lionbrandyarn #mylifeinyarn #travelingcrochetafghan

Soumak Colour Pop Weave - Free Tutorial

Soumak Colour Pop Weave

Let your colourful yarns shine with this fun soumak colour pop beginner’s weave  

Materials

• Rico Small Weaving Loom - I got mine from Hobbycraft
• YARN A - Women’s Institute Home Cotton Aran – 100g in White 
• YARN B - Selection of super chunky yarns – I used Plump by Mrs Moon
• Warping thread or strong 4ply cotton yarn
• Scissors

Set up your loom

Start by attaching the metal rods included in the Rico Small Weaving Loom to the outermost slots in the loom and tightening them. This will stop your weave from pulling in at the sides.

Using your warping thread or 4ply cotton, tie to the bottom or top of the loom, through the first of the slots, then wrap the thread over and under every other slot, keeping it fairly taught, until you get to the last slot. Tie off your thread. You should now have the thread (your warp thread) running vertically up and down the loom – and you’re ready to start!

Tip: you may want to only warp up half your loom for a small test weave if it’s your first weave. If you do, move your metal rod to the desired width and make sure you have an even number of warp threads.

Using Yarn A, wind off a piece that is a few arm lengths long. We are now going to tie this in knots to secure the bottom of the loom. Starting bottom left, tie Yarn A around your first warp thread. At the second warp thread, take yarn A over the warp, wrap it behind the same warp, and then bring it underneath to the front between the first and second warp threads, as shown in the picture. Repeat this process again on the same warp.

Now move across your loom to the right, wrapping Yarn A twice around each warp thread until you get to the end, tie off your yarn.

How to make tassels 

If you would like to add tassels to your weave, here’s how! Wrap Yarn A around your hand (or piece of card if you would like a longer tassel) several times. I wrapped mine approx. six times – the more you wrap, the thicker your tassel will be.

 

Slide the yarn off and cut through all lengths at the bottom. Holding all the lengths in the middle, lie the threads over two warp threads. Now pull all the threads on the right-hand side under one warp thread and through the middle. Repeat with all the threads on the left-hand side, pulling them under and into the middle, as seen in the picture.

Now pull your tassel down to the bottom to secure! You can trim your tassels at the end when the weave is off the loom. If you are using really chunky yarn, you may want to wrap the tassels over more warp threads.

How to soumak

I made all my soumaks first, so that I could plan my colours and check I was happy with the layout before I did the main body of the weaving.

Using Yarn B, start from the back of the weave and leave a long tail, which you will weave in later. Pull Yarn B from behind your weave, up and over the top of two warp threads. Loop Yarn B down and under the second warp thread so that Yarn B comes back out in between the first and second warp threads. Pass Yarn B over two more warp threads to the right, and repeat the process. Continue in this way until your soumak is the desired length – I made mine all around 6-8 warp threads wide.

To return your soumak and make the row underneath, the next time you wrap over two warps and bring your yarn underneath and in between them, repeat the above but wrap Yarn B over and under the warp threads back in the opposite direction, to the left, as seen in the picture.

 

When you reach the end, bring your tail end to the back of the weave and tie to the first Yarn B tail. Weave these in at the end.

 

How to tabby weave

Tabby weaving is the most basic form of weaving, taking the weft thread over and under the warp thread. When you reach the edge of the loom and work back in the opposite direction, make sure you are doing the opposite to the row before and weave under and over the warp threads that you wove over and under previously.

When you get to the edges and the metal rods, you will want to wrap your yarn around the rods – these will be removed at the end.

Take a few arm lengths of Yarn A at a time, and wrap them around the large wooden weft needle supplied with the loom. If you don’t have a wooden weft needle, try using large tapestry or yarn needle with an eye wide enough for your yarn.

When you reach the soumaks, carry the Yarn A you are tabby weaving with underneath the soumak on the back of the work. Keep an eye on your tension, you will want it taught enough not to sag behind the soumaks, but not so tight that you are pulling on the metal rods at the edges.

Continue tabby weaving and filling in around the Yarn B soumaks using Yarn A until you reach a few centimetres from the top, or your desired length.

Tip: use the comb included in the loom to push down your rows very now and again – this will help keep them neat and uniform.

Finishing

Using a few lengths of Yarn A, tie a series of knots along the top of your work, as you did at the base. Now gently unscrew and slide out the metal rods along the side of your work.

You do not need to cut the warp threads at the bottom of the piece – instead simply slide them off the loom.

At the top of the loom, you may want to use the warp threads to tie around a length or wood or stick, to hand your loom from. If you do, cut your warp threads at the top of the loops, and tie two together around your chosen hanger, until you reach the end.

Weave in any ends, and trim your tassels.

I hope you enjoyed this pattern! Find Lindsey and more free Lottie & Albert patterns at @lottieandalbert and www.lottieandalbert.blogspot.com

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