Beachcombing Blanket – Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of my ‘Beachcombing Blanket’ crochet along! Another week goes by… 😊❤️ And this is the final week in which we crochet a square! From next week we’ll be joining the squares together and will then move onto the next part of our blanket journey… 🙂

I enjoyed filming another video for you which was on a grey and overcast day… so the beach looks very different to all the previous sunny videos! Enjoy…

And I was also really happy to see that my Beachcombing Blanket CAL gets a mention in the latest issue of Inside Crochet magazine… 😃

This week we have a square inspired by sea glass… 😊💙 But before I share all the inspiration behind this weeks square, here’s the roundup of last weeks squares from photos shared in the Facebook group and on Instagram… they are all so wonderful and the grids look particularly good this week! Thank you to everyone who has shared their progress… I love how creative so many of you are being with your photos!

For those of you who have purchased the PDF pattern on Ravelry it has now been updated to include Week 5 in both UK and US terms…

Ravelry Pattern for Beachcombing Blanket

Seaglass is such a beautiful beachcombing find… like finding jewels in the sand and amongst the pebbles!

I’ve written about seaglass here on my blog a few times over the years because it really is so special… how something manmade which has ended up in the sea can be turned into something so very beautiful by the sea itself…

How the action of the waves over many many years can turn broken glass into such fine smooth jewels really fascinates me…

Here are a few blog posts I’ve written about seaglass in the past…

Coastal Living…Searching for Sea Glass

Crocheting around Seaglass…

Searching for Sea Glass in Seaham… (and a little crochet too of course)

And here are photos of the seaglass I found in Seaham a few years ago – it was amazing…

I have really enjoyed combining my love for seaglass with my love for crochet. Here I crocheted around a piece I found in Corfu last year… a perfect holiday souvenir!

Very fine cotton thread and the tiniest of hooks can create these delicate pieces… I wrote a simple pattern for these a few years ago and it can be found in the links above… 🙂

And there were the Seaglass inspired wrist warmers I designed for Inside Crochet magazine…

We get mostly green pieces of seaglass on our local beach but the occasional blue and even red piece is a real treat!

This weeks square is inspired by those tiny flashes of seaglass colour but there are also some ‘Pineapple Cluster’ stitches which is inspired but the more exotic beachcombing finds… the very occasional pineapple or coconut that I have found washed up on our shores!

So let’s get crocheting!

BLOCKING

This weeks square is our final square and when two of these seaglass inspired squares have been crocheted, together with all the previous weeks, there will be 9 squares in total. So next week we’ll start to join them. 😃 Your squares may benefit from blocking ahead of this. I didn’t block my squares… they were all a similar size and I didn’t feel mine needed it. But if your squares are quite different in size then blocking can really help to ease them to the same size and it can really help to set and neaten some of those stitches.

There are lots of different ways to block your crochet and cotton yarn responds best. This is the way I do it… I completely wet my piece in cold water. I then very gently squeeze out excess water and wrap or roll it carefully in a towel to absorb more of the water. I then lay the piece onto a foam mat adjusting it to the desired shape and size. You can really shape it at this point. I then pin the piece in position and leave it to dry for at least 24 hours. Good luck! 😊

The full written pattern with lots of photos and links to YouTube tutorials is below in UK crochet terms. At the very end of this blog post I’ve provided the pattern in US terms too.

PATTERN IN UK CROCHET TERMINOLOGY.

Abbreviations

ch: chain

ch-sp(s): chain space(s)

dc: double crochet

dtr: double treble

htr: half treble

mm: millimetres

RS: right side

RtrB: Raised treble back (see below)

RtrF: Raised treble front (see below)

ss: slip stitch

st(s): stitch(es)

tr: treble

WS: wrong side

yoh: yarn over hook

Bobble: Complete all the following in the same stitch: with contrasting colour yarn, *yarn over hook (yoh), insert hook into st, yoh, pull contrasting yarn through to front, yoh, pull through 2 loops, repeat from * 4 times more (you should now have 5 contrasting colour loops and 1 main colour loop on hook), pull main colour yarn through all the loops on the hook (1 bobble made), continue with main colour, push bobble towards front of work, carry contrasting colour yarn along behind work and crochet next stitches around it to carry yarn along invisibly behind the work.

Pineapple Cluster: (yoh, insert hook into st, yoh, pull up a loop) 4 times, yoh, pull through first 8 loops, yoh, pull through remaining 2 loops.

RtrB: Raised treble Back: complete a treble st as normal but insert hook around the stem of the st inserting hook from right to left going from the back to the front and then round to the back again.

RtrF: Raised treble Front: complete a treble st as normal but insert hook around the stem of the st inserting hook from right to left going from the front to the back and then round to the front again.

Pattern Notes

It may help to put a stitch marker into the top of the starting/ turning chains at the beginning of each round or row making it easier to identify them as a stitch and the correct place to insert your hook at the end of the round or subsequent rows.

Week 5 – Seaglass Square

This square is inspired by seaglass and some other exotic finds that are washed up onto our shores such as coconuts and the occasional pineapple!

8 colours are used: Yarns A, B, C, D, F, G, I and J.

This square is made with the right side (RS) facing at all times.

MAKE TWO OF THESE SQUARES.

Here’s a tutorial for Rounds 1 – 6.

Using Yarn F, make 4ch, ss to first ch to join into a ring.

Round 1 (RS) 3ch (counts as first tr here and throughout), 11tr into the ring, ss to top of first 3 ch to join, fasten off. [12 sts]

Round 2 Join Yarn I to any st, 3ch, 1tr into same st at base of 3 ch, 2tr in each st to end, ss to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [24 sts]

Round 3 Join Yarn G to any st, 3ch (counts as 1 dc and 2 ch), miss next st, 1dc in next st, (2ch, miss next st, 1dc in next st) ten times, 2ch, miss final st, ss to first ch of beginning 3 ch, fasten off. [12 sts with 12 x 2-ch-sps]

Round 4 Join Yarn J into any 2-ch-sp, 2ch (counts as first htr), 2htr in same 2-ch-sp, (miss next st, 3htr in next 2-ch-sp) to end, miss final st, ss to top of first 2 ch, do not fasten off. [36 sts]

In Rounds 5 and 6 insert hook into the back 2 strands of the htr sts, leaving a front strand/loop to the front of the work.

Round 5 2ch, 1htr into same st at base of 2 ch, 1htr in each of next 2 sts, (2htr in next st, 1htr in each of next 2 sts) to end, ss to top of first 2 ch, fasten off. [48 sts]

Round 6 Join Yarn I to back 2 loops of any st, 4ch (counts as first dtr), (1dtr, 2ch, 2dtr) in same st, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, 1htr in each of next 2 sts, 1dc in each of next 3 sts, 1htr in next 2 sts, 1tr in next 2 sts, **(2dtr, 2ch, 2dtr) all in next st, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to top of first 4 ch, fasten off. [15 sts on each side with 4 x 2-ch-sps]

Here’s a tutorial for Rounds 7 – 10.

Round 7 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1 dc and 2 ch), 1dc in same corner ch-sp, *1dc in next st, 1 bobble with Yarn F in next st, (1dc in each of next 3 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn F in next st) three times, 1dc in final st of side, **(1dc, 2ch, 1dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to first ch of beginning 3 ch, fasten off. [17 sts on each side including 4 bobbles]

Round 8 Join Yarn B to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same corner ch-sp, 1tr in each st to end of side, *(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, 1tr in each st to end of side, repeat from * two times, ss to top of first 3 ch, do not fasten off. [21 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Round 9 1ch (counts as first dc, you may want to put a stitch marker in this ch making it easier to recognise as a st at the end of the round), 1dc in next st, (1dc, 2ch, 1dc) in corner ch-sp, *1dc in each of next 2 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn D in next st, (1dc in each of next 3 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn D in next st) four times**, 1dc in each of next 2 sts, (1dc, 2ch, 1dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to first ch, fasten off. [23 sts on each side including 5 bobbles]

Round 10 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp and repeat Round 8, fasten off. [27 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Here’s a tutorial for Rounds 11 – 13.

Pineapple clusters – It is important not to pull up the loop too high when working the pineapple cluster stitches, otherwise the square will become too big.

Round 11 Join Yarn A to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same corner ch-sp, * (1ch, miss next st, 1 pineapple cluster in next st) to final st of side, 1ch, miss final st of side, **(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [13 pineapple clusters on each side with 4tr in each corner ch-sp]

Round 12 Join Yarn J to any corner ch-sp, 5ch (counts as 1 tr and 2 ch), 1tr in same corner ch-sp, *1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in first st of side, miss next st, (1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in next 1-ch-sp) to final 1-ch-sp of side, 1ch, miss next st, 1 pineapple cluster in final st of side, 1ch, **(1tr, 2ch, 1tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to third ch of beginning 5 ch, fasten off. [16 pineapple clusters on each side with 2tr in each corner ch-sp]

Round 13 Join Yarn F to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same corner ch-sp, *miss next st, (1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in next 1-ch-sp) to final 1-ch-sp of side, 1ch, miss final st of side, **(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [17 pineapple clusters on each side with 4tr in each corner ch-sp]

Here’s a tutorial for Rounds 14 – 16.

Round 14 Join Yarn B to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same corner ch-sp, *1tr in each of next 2 sts, (1tr in next 1-ch-sp, 1tr in top of next pineapple cluster) to final pineapple cluster of side, 1tr in next 1-ch-sp, 1tr in each of next 2 sts, **(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [43 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Round 15 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same corner ch-sp, *(1RtrF around each of next 3 sts, 1RtrB around each of next 3 sts) three times, 1RtrF around each of next 7 sts, (1RtrB around each of next 3 sts, 1RtrF around each of next 3 sts) three times, **(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, ss to top of first 3 ch. [47 sts on each side]

Round 16 3ch, 1tr in next st, (2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, *1tr in each st to end of side, (2tr, 2ch, 2tr) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * two times, 1tr in each st to end, ss to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [51 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Weave in all ends.

Happy crocheting Everyone… 🙂 🙂

 

PATTERN IN US CROCHET TERMINOLOGY.

Abbreviations

BPdc: Back Post double crochet (see below)

ch: chain

ch-sp(s): chain space(s)

dc: double crochet

FPdc: Front Post double crochet (see below)

hdc: half double crochet

mm: millimetres

RS: right side

sc: single crochet

sl st: slip stitch

st(s): stitch(es)

tr: treble

WS: wrong side

yoh: yarn over hook

Bobble: Complete all the following in the same stitch: with contrasting colour yarn, *yarn over hook (yoh), insert hook into st, yoh, pull contrasting yarn through to front, yoh, pull through 2 loops, repeat from * 4 times more (you should now have 5 contrasting colour loops and 1 main colour loop on hook), pull main colour yarn through all the loops on the hook (1 bobble made), continue with main colour, push bobble towards front of work, carry contrasting colour yarn along behind work and crochet next stitches around it to carry yarn along invisibly behind the work.

BPdc: Back Post double crochet: complete a double crochet st as normal but insert hook around the post / stem of the st inserting hook from right to left going from the back to the front and then round to the back again.

FPdc: Front Post double crochet: complete a double crochet st as normal but insert hook around the post / stem of the st inserting hook from right to left going from the front to the back and then round to the front again.

Pineapple Cluster: (yoh, insert hook into st, yoh, pull up a loop) 4 times, yoh, pull through first 8 loops, yoh, pull through remaining 2 loops.

Pattern Notes

It may help to put a stitch marker into the top of the starting/ turning chains at the beginning of each round or row making it easier to identify them as a stitch and the correct place to insert your hook at the end of the round or subsequent rows.

Week 5 – Seaglass Square

This square is inspired by seaglass and some other exotic finds that are washed up onto our shores such as coconuts and the occasional pineapple!

8 colours are used: Yarns A, B, C, D, F, G, I and J.

This square is made with the right side (RS) facing at all times.

MAKE TWO OF THESE SQUARES.

Using Yarn F, make 4ch, sl st to first ch to join into a ring.

Round 1 (RS) 3ch (counts as first dc here and throughout), 11dc into the ring, sl st to top of first 3 ch to join, fasten off. [12 sts]

Round 2 Join Yarn I to any st, 3ch, 1dc into same st at base of 3 ch, 2dc in each st to end, sl st to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [24 sts]

Round 3 Join Yarn G to any st, 3ch (counts as 1 sc and 2 ch), skip next st, 1sc in next st, (2ch, skip next st, 1sc in next st) ten times, 2ch, skip final st, sl st to first ch of beginning 3 ch, fasten off. [12 sts with 12 x 2-ch-sps]

Round 4 Join Yarn J into any 2-ch-sp, 2ch (counts as first hdc), 2hdc in same 2-ch-sp, (skip next st, 3hdc in next 2-ch-sp) to end, skip final st, sl st to top of first 2 ch, do not fasten off. [36 sts]

In Rounds 5 and 6 insert hook into the back 2 strands of the hdc sts, leaving a front strand/loop to the front of the work.

Round 5 2ch, 1hdc into same st at base of 2 ch, 1hdc in each of next 2 sts, (2hdc in next st, 1hdc in each of next 2 sts) to end, sl st to top of first 2 ch, fasten off. [48 sts]

Round 6 Join Yarn I to back 2 loops of any st, 4ch (counts as first tr), (1tr, 2ch, 2tr) in same st, *1dc in each of next 2 sts, 1hdc in each of next 2 sts, 1sc in each of next 3 sts, 1hdc in next 2 sts, 1dc in next 2 sts, **(2tr, 2ch, 2tr) all in next st, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to top of first 4 ch, fasten off. [15 sts on each side with 4 x 2-ch-sps]

Round 7 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1 sc and 2 ch), 1sc in same corner ch-sp, *1sc in next st, 1 bobble with Yarn F in next st, (1sc in each of next 3 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn F in next st) three times, 1sc in final st of side, **(1sc, 2ch, 1sc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to first ch of beginning 3 ch, fasten off. [17 sts on each side including 4 bobbles]

Round 8 Join Yarn B to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1dc, 2ch, 2dc) in same corner ch-sp, 1dc in each st to end of side, *(2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, 1dc in each st to end of side, repeat from * two times, sl st to top of first 3 ch, do not fasten off. [21 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Round 9 1ch (counts as first sc, you may want to put a stitch marker in this ch making it easier to recognise as a st at the end of the round), 1sc in next st, (1sc, 2ch, 1sc) in corner ch-sp, *1sc in each of next 2 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn D in next st, (1sc in each of next 3 sts, 1 bobble with Yarn D in next st) four times**, 1sc in each of next 2 sts, (1sc, 2ch, 1sc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to first ch, fasten off. [23 sts on each side including 5 bobbles]

Round 10 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp and repeat Round 8, fasten off. [27 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Pineapple clusters – It is important not to pull up the loop too high when working the pineapple cluster stitches, otherwise the square will become too big.

Round 11 Join Yarn A to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1dc, 2ch, 2dc) in same corner ch-sp, * (1ch, skip next st, 1 pineapple cluster in next st) to final st of side, 1ch, skip final st of side, **(2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [13 pineapple clusters on each side with 4dc in each corner ch-sp]

Round 12 Join Yarn J to any corner ch-sp, 5ch (counts as 1 dc and 2 ch), 1dc in same corner ch-sp, *1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in first st of side, skip next st, (1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in next 1-ch-sp) to final 1-ch-sp of side, 1ch, skip next st, 1 pineapple cluster in final st of side, 1ch, **(1dc, 2ch, 1dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to third ch of beginning 5 ch, fasten off. [16 pineapple clusters on each side with 2dc in each corner ch-sp]

Round 13 Join Yarn F to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1dc, 2ch, 2dc) in same corner ch-sp, *skip next st, (1ch, 1 pineapple cluster in next 1-ch-sp) to final 1-ch-sp of side, 1ch, skip final st of side, **(2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [17 pineapple clusters on each side with 4dc in each corner ch-sp]

Round 14 Join Yarn B to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1dc, 2ch, 2dc) in same corner ch-sp, *1dc in each of next 2 sts, (1dc in next 1-ch-sp, 1dc in top of next pineapple cluster) to final pineapple cluster of side, 1dc in next 1-ch-sp, 1dc in each of next 2 sts, **(2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [43 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Round 15 Join Yarn C to any corner ch-sp, 3ch, (1dc, 2ch, 2dc) in same corner ch-sp, *(1FPdc around each of next 3 sts, 1BPdc around each of next 3 sts) three times, 1FPdc around each of next 7 sts, (1BPdc around each of next 3 sts, 1FPdc around each of next 3 sts) three times, **(2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * three times ending final repeat at **, sl st to top of first 3 ch. [47 sts on each side]

Round 16 3ch, 1dc in next st, (2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, *1dc in each st to end of side, (2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in corner ch-sp, repeat from * two times, 1dc in each st to end, sl st to top of first 3 ch, fasten off. [51 sts on each side with 4 x corner 2-ch-sps]

Weave in all ends.