Rainbows after the Rain CAL: Part 5

Previous Posts

Introduction and Layout

Color Inspiration
Color Inspiration 2
Part 1 Traditional Granny Square
Part 2 Dreamcatcher Square and Wheel of Time Square

Part 3 Over the Rainbow Square

Part 4 Bring me Flowers Square/Sunflower Motif Square

It's time for part 5 of the Rainbows after the Rain CAL, I'm co-hosting with my lovely friend Zelna from Zooty Owl. I've seen so many beautiful crochet work during the last weeks and it makes me happy to be part of this CAL. Today, as the squares for my blanket are all finished, I would love to tell you a bit of my method of joining the squares and stripes of my Rainbows over the Namib Desert Baby Blanket. It's a bit different from how the bigger RAR blanket with chunky yarn, designed by Zelna, is joined. Since all the squares for my blanket are done, my part 5 is "only" joining the squares into strips with the method you like. I'll describe below how I did if for the Namib Blanket.

 For the Namib Blanket I joined all the squares into strips using Zelna's visible join. I used this join for the first time and have to say I really like it. For my Namib Blanket I have four rows of squares and three stripe patterns, which you can see above. When all squares a joined into strips, I add a row of sc to one long side of the first strip of squares. For the exact placement of the pieces, check the layout chart.

The sc row is the base row for the following stripe pattern. Then I add the stripe pattern directly to the sc row. After I finished the stripe pattern I take the next strip of squares and join it to the stripe pattern. Here you can use any method you like. I mostly use the sc join method. When you finished this step you add a row of sc to the square strip and continue with the next stripe pattern. When you joined the complete blanket you can add a border you love. In my case I used border #25 from Edie Eckman's book "Around the Corner Crochet Borders". Simple but lovely.

 

During my crochet "career" I already made several joined blankets and also some "groovyghans", afghans which consist of several patterns joined together to make a colorful and interesting blanket. Below you can see my version of Wade's Blanket I made during the Zooty Owl CAL 2015. This one now belongs to my youngest niece.

Another groovyghan I already made back in 2014 is the one shown in the photo below, created after a pattern by Tracy St John. I'm still in love with those colors and have that groovyghan sitting on my sofa since then. This groovyghan was all joined using the sc join and finished with a block stitch border.

 

When making a groovyghan, it really doesn't matter, how you join the single parts and what you add as a border. You don't have to follow the pattern, if you don't like a certain part. Change it, let creativity run freely, make the crochet piece your own by adding or leaving out parts. It's yours! 

And now have fun with part 5 and don't forget to share photos in the Zooty Owl Crochet-a-long FB group.