Week 1

Pine trees 

Story 

To get to the forest, we would first walk past the garden and through the meadow at the back of the house. The first part of the woods on the left was where the pine trees grew. You could smell them before you arrived in the woods. 

Their tall majestic appearance and the way they cancelled out all the other noises, the silence and the cooling effect they had. I always loved the combination of the smell, the colours, from dark greens and cool greens. 

If you stood still and it was quite windy, sometimes you could hear a pine cone drop onto the soft mattress of pine needles. I would always collect a few pine cones, the prettiest ones would have to come home with me. Some were still closed but they would soon open up in the warmth of the house. 

Often I would give my mum the pine cones as she would make an autumnal display with them in the house.

The colours and the stitch used in this first section of the blanket represent the pine trees and the wonderful different shades of greens and ooh did you see the fox?

Pattern  

Please note: consult the table for the colour changes! 

Row 1: SK, FHDC 197 stitches  (or CH197, CH2 turn, HDC from 4th CH from hook to end) (197)

Don't change colour just yet.

Row 2: CH2, turn, 1DC in next 2 st *sk2, 2DC 1CH 2DC in the 3rd st, sk2, 1DC in 3rd st*, repeat * - * to end, 1DC in the last 2 st. (32 repeats, 3DC at start, 2DC at end (this looks like 3DC but one is part of the repeat!))

First colour change is here!

Row 3: CH2, turn, 1 DC in the next 2 st, *2DC 1CH 2DC into CHSP of shell below, 1DC on top of DC in row below, repeat *-* to end, ending in 1DC in the last 2st. (32 repeats, 3DC at start, 2DC at end)

Row 4 - 27: repeat row 3 adjusting your colour according to the table below

Colours 

Did you spot the fox?

Multiples

6 plus 5, 197 stitches, 32 repeats

I hope that you enjoyed this part of the walk with me and my grandpa that you were able to have some crochet me-time along the way. 

Please don’t hold back posting your progress updates in the group Ophelia Talks Crochet on Facebook.

I am already looking forward to next week…

Anja xxx