Kissing Kaffe & Kissing Circles Crochet Blankets. Designed by Amanda Perkins

Transcription

1 Kissing Kaffe & Kissing Circles Crochet Blankets Designed by Amanda Perkins 1

2 Kissing Circles blanket is the result of an experiment to see if I could make a blanket that was just made of circles and nothing else. It is named after a geometric theorem by Descartes, he states that for every four kissing, or mutually tangent, circles, the radii of the circles satisfy a certain quadratic equation. I find the written theory very difficult to understand but the visual impact is identical to my inspiration. Kissing Kaffe is a variation of Kissing Circles, it was inspired by the colours that Kaffe Fassett uses in some of his work; I love the combination of orange and pink together. Both the blankets have been created from the following pattern, the only difference is Kaffe is bigger and has a different colour scheme YOU WILL NEED Recommended Yarn Cascade 220 Superwash (200 metres per 100 gms) Cascade 220 (200 metres per 100 gms) Note: you can use any DK yarn you wish just as long of the yarn meterage is the same. These colours do not need to be from the same dye lot, as it adds an extra dimension to the look of the finished blanket if they are slightly different shades Circles 1100 gms of DK yarn (200 metres per 100 gms) in various rainbow colours Kaffe 1300 gms of DK yarn (200 metres per 100 gms) in various rainbow colours The colour placement is not as random as Kissing Circles and so you will need following colours and quantities. Centre colours 600 gms of rainbow colours Background colours 700 gms of orange and pink Crochet hook in size 4.5 mm, or size needed for your tension. Please note the Cascade 220 is works up slightly thicker to the Cascade 220 Superwash, so you may need to use a 5 mm hook. A tapestry needle for sewing in ends. THE COLOUR SCHEME Follow the charts on pages 9 (Circles) and 10 (Kaffe) for colour placement. Circles The colour placement of the blanket is completely random, so you will need a collection of colours rather than specific colours. Kaffe The last round of each circle motif is either pink or orange. All the border circles are also made with pink and orange. Circles and Rounds 1 to 5 Rounds 1 to 5 of the big circles and rounds 1 and 2 of the medium circles in the centre of the blanket are entirely random. The best way to choose colours in a random way is put the balls into a bag or basket and pick them out without looking, this removes the stress of what colour to choose next and you will be surprised which colours work together without you thinking about them. SIZE & TENSION Both blankets are made with 3 different sized circles - Small, Medium and Large. 2

3 The circles are joined by the join as you go method and then completed with fillers between all the circles. Kissing Circles measures approx. 44 x 50 inches. The approx. diameter of blocked circles measure as follows Large circle = 5 inches Medium circle = 3 inches Small circle = 2 inches Kissing Kaffe measures approx. 54 x 60 inches. The approx. diameter of blocked circles measure as follows Large circle = 5.5 inches Medium circle = 3.5 inches Small circle = 2.5 inches Everyone has a different tension, so before you start your project you will need to measure your first large circle. Experiment with a few hook sizes to get the effect you want and then block the finished motif. Once it is blocked you can measure it. If it is too big try again using a smaller hook, if it is too small try again using a larger hook. SEWING IN ENDS Some people like to tuck the ends in while crocheting, but I prefer to sew because sewing in firms up the motifs and seams, making the motif more solid. To ensure the ends don t pop out, sew the end in one direction, turn the needle round and sew back over the end. This may leave a little bump but it will smooth out and become unnoticeable when the blanket is washed DO NOT leave sewing until the end or you will end up spending days and days sewing in ends. 3

4 CIRCLE MOTIF PATTERN 4

5 All the circles are made using the same pattern, using a new colour for each round. Large circlce - crochet rounds 1 to 6 Medium circle crochet rounds 1 to 3 Small circle crochet rounds 1 & 2 Round 1 Make a 6 ch foundation ch and join into a ring with a sl st. Into the foundation ring, crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr), 11 htr. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (12 htr in total) Round 2 In this and all following rounds work into the gaps between sts from the previous round and sl st into the first gap to position your hook in the correct starting place. Crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr) and 1 htr into the first gap, then crochet 2 htr into each following gap around. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (24 htr in total) Round 3 [Crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr), 1 htr] in first gap, (1 htr in the next gap, 2 htr into the next gap) 11 times, 1 htr into the final gap. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (36 htr in total) Round 4 Crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr) in the first gap, 1 htr into the next and all the subsequent gaps. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (36 htr in total) Round 5 [Crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr), 1 htr] into the first gap, (1 htr into each of the next 2 gaps, 2 htr into the next gap) 11 times, 1 htr into each of the last 2 gaps. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (48 htr in total) Round 6 [Crochet 2 ch (counts as 1 htr), 1 htr] into the first gap, (1 htr into each of the next 3 gaps, 2 htr into the next gap) 11 times, 1 htr into each of the last 3 gaps. Join to the 2 nd st of original 2 ch with a sl st. (60 htr in total) 5

6 FILLERS There are fillers in the gaps between circles within the blanket, these help pull the blanket and circles into shape and lie flat. The fillers are crocheted from the back of the blanket. For Kissing Kaffe, the fillers are made in pink or orange. For Kissing Circles, the filler colours are random. Each filler has 2 dc on each circle and 2 ch between each circle. Where 3 circles meet the filler is one round (just the ch sts and dc) and is a triangle. Where 4 circles meet the filler is two rounds and is square: the first round is the ch sts and dc and the second round is worked inside the first round and is 12 dc spread evenly around the square. Just make sure your place the dc centrally on each circle you are joining. Refer to the photographs to help you. STEP BY STEP CONSTRUCTION The blanket starts at the centre and works outwards Step 1 Crochet a 6 round circle. Sew in the ends, it s much easier and far less stressful to sew in the ends as you make the blanket rather than leave them to the end. This is the starting centre circle, which is slightly off centre of the blanket for both variations. Step 2 Crochet and join eight 3 round circles around the centre circle. Join the circles on the last round of crocheting each circle, at each of the touching places of the circles join with 2 sl sts, the positioning is shown in the diagram to the right. Insert the fillers into the gaps Sew in the ends. Turquoise dots = join sts Blue numbers = number of join sts Burgundy numbers = gap stitches Purple crosses = filler dc Purple dots = filler ch 6

7 Step 3 Crochet eight 3 round circles and join while crocheting the last round in the positions shown in the diagram Insert the fillers Sew in ends Turquoise dots = join sts Blue numbers = number of join sts Burgundy numbers = gap stitches Purple crosses = filler dc Purple dots = filler ch Step 4 Crochet four 6 round circles and join while crocheting the last round in the positions shown in the diagram, joining as you did before. Insert the fillers Sew in ends Turquoise dots = join sts Purple crosses = filler dc Purple dots = filler ch 7

8 Step 5, step 6 and onwards The numbers and filler placements for these two and subsequent steps are the same as the first 2 steps. The diagrams for Steps 5 and 6 are just a guide for you to see where the next set of circles go and how to continue for the rest of the blanket. Sew in ends EDGING and FINISHING Follow the construction method until you reach the edge of the blanket. Insert the 2 round circles into the spaces as seen below in the diagram and connect them with fillers, this forms straighter sides to the blanket. Edging is optional I edged Kissing Kaffe as follows: crochet 3 rounds of dc around the whole of the blanket, on the first round you will need to crochet 2 dc into each on the filler chains. In each of the corners I left a 2 stitch gap between the dc edging on the 2 corner circles. 8

9 Turquoise dots = join sts Blue numbers = number of join sts Burgundy numbers = gap stitches Purple crosses = filler dc Purple dots = filler ch Copyright Amanda Perkins 2015 This pattern is intended for personal use (that is, you may use the finished items for yourself or for gifts). It is not to be distributed, for free or for money, in any format, without the permission of Amanda Perkins. For more information please contact Amanda Perkins by at amandasart@hotmail.com 9

10 Kissing Circles Colour Chart 10

11 Kissing Kaffe Colour Chart 11