My Spiky Granny Blanket – uk terms

Choosing colours

The Spikey Granny Blanket needs three values of yarn. Dark, medium and Light.

Value is determined by the relationship of the yarns you choose. Seeing Value can sometimes be a challenge. A trick for seeing the contrasting value of yarns is to take a black and white photo of your yarn selection.

In the yarn shop, take a black and white photo of your yarn selection.

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I work in UK/Australian crochet terms. 

It can be very confusing for new and older crocheters to understand the difference between US and UK crochet terms. I’m over 55 and learned to crochet when I was seven so for me the UK/ Australian terms are how I learned to crochet and the terms I am most comfortable with. When I learned to crochet there was not a lot of American pattern books available in Australia and most of our patterns came from the UK, via companies like Patons.

Today it is important for crocheters to be fluent in both the US and UK crochet terms, knowing their similarities and differences. 

Being a bit of a stubborn dinosaur I predominately work in UK terms, keeping alive the traditional way I learned. My own little fight against the Americanisation of the Australian culture.

Abbreviations used in this pattern

ch	chain
tr	treble
dtr	double treble
st, sts	stitch, stitches
sp	space
dc	double crochet

UK to US conversion

English	American
ch	ch
tr	dc
dtr	tr
st, sts	st, sts
sp	sp
dc	sc (single crochet)

For more detailed conversion charts visit:

https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/crochet-abbreviations#term-differences

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Working the swatch.

Working a swatch is always a good idea. 

• It gives you a chance to audition your colour choices and yarn. Better to see if you will like the colour combination and yarn choice before you spend the money and hours needed to make your blanket.
• It allows you to test the pattern, ensuring you understand it before commencing.
• It allows you to test out the hook, yarn combination and resultant fabric it creates. If you want a firmer fabric use a smaller hook, a looser fabric use a bigger hook.

The Spikey Granny stitch Pattern requires a foundation chain of a multiple of 4 plus 2 stitches.

Colour A = Medium

Colour B = light

Colour C = Dark

To make your swatch you want to make a chain approximately 20 cms long, that is 4 plus 2 chains long. This number will vary with the size of yarn and hook you choose to use.

The Pattern ..

Work foundation Chain (4 plus 2 sts) with colour A

Row 1	With Col A work 2tr into 6th ch from hook (ch1, sk 3 ch, 3tr into next ch) repeat (..) Ending last repeat with 2tr instead of 3tr, in last ch. Change to Col B in last st, ch2, turn
Row 2	With Col B (1tr into next 1 ch sp, dtr in skipped ch directly below row 1, 1tr in same 1 ch sp, ch 1) repeat (…) ending last repeat with 2tr in top of turning chain, change to Col C in last st, ch 2, turn.
Row 3	With Col C (tr in next 1ch sp, dtr in tr 2 rows below, tr in same 1ch sp, ch1) repeat (…) ending with 2tr in top of turning ch. Change to Col A*, ch 2, turn.

• * Repeat Row 3 alternating rows of colours. NO NOT BREAK YARN carry yarn up side of blanket. This will be hidden later by the border.

Finish last row with Col A, do not change colour at end of row and work ch1 to turn.

Break Colours B & C

Border

Work Border in colour A

Across the top Ch1, dc in each tr, working a tr over 1ch space into center tr below, 3dc in corner, work dc evenly down side, 3dc into corner, dc along starting chain, 3dc in corner, dc evenly up next side, 3 dc in corner. Slip stitch into first dc, break and finish.

Weave in ends.

Now you have your swatch worked…

• Do you like it?
• Do the colours work?
• Is the fabric loose or firm?
• Was the yarn nice to work with?

My blanket

Yarn: Ashford triple knit 100gm ball

• 3 balls of shade 814, 808
• 4 balls of shade 802

Hook: 5.5mm

Starting ch 130

Work as per swatch above. Until blanket measures 120cm