happy to help

I often get emails with the subject line reading, help or question, or desperate to find . . .

I am always happy to help if I can! Most often or not an enquiry comes in about a crocheted blanket seen on a TV show, and usually I can point the person in the direction of the stitch pattern or if I have time I’ll quickly write up a pattern.

This weeks afghan in question is the one pictured below. It’s from the TV series, Breaking Bad. Now I’ve never seen this show but apparently it features quite a few afghans, so great to hear that crochet is showing up more and more on our TV screens!

Now, at first glance, to me, it seems it’s worked in rows, I think we can all agree on that one.  As for the colours, I’m seeing, black, lemon, biscuit, rust, black, tangerine, tomato, off-white, olive, repeat. Now for the stitch pattern, it goes by many names, in certain circles it’s known as the Harlequin stitch, the Star Shell, the Wheel stitch and also the Catherine Wheel. Whew!

I think it’s a pretty groovy stitch and if you’ve made the Wool Eater then you’ll find it’s kind of similar.

So, if you fancy giving it a whirl I’ve drafted the pattern so you can make your own Breaking Bad afghan, let’s get started!

Hooks at the ready!

Note, the ch 50 below is purely to make a sample piece, to hook a blanket then naturally work an amount of chain required for the width you’d like your blanket to be. Also use your preferred method of changing colours when required at the end of the rows.

* * * Pattern is written in Australian terminology. * * *

With black ch 50.

Row 1: Work 1 dc into second ch from hook, * skip 3 ch, work 9 tr into next ch, skip 3 ch, work 1 dc into next ch, rep from * across.

Ch 2, turn.

Row 2: (Lemon) Work 1 tr into each of the next 4 stitches (ensuring to leave the last remaining loop of each stitch on the hook) yarn over and draw the yarn through all 5 loops on the hook, * ch 1, ch 3, work 1 dc into next tr, ch 3, work 1 tr into each of the next 9 stitches (ensuring to leave the last remaining loop of each stitch on the hook) yarn over and draw the yarn through all 10 loops on the hook, rep from * ending with ch 1, ch 3, work 1 dc into next tr, ch 3, work 1 tr into each of the next 5 stitches (ensuring to leave the last remaining loop of each stitch on the hook) yarn over and draw the yarn through all 6 loops on the hook, ch 1.

Ch 3, turn.

Row 3: Work 4 tr into ch-1 sp, * work 1 dc into next dc, work 9 tr into next ch-1 sp, rep from * across ending with work 1 dc into next dc, work 5 tr into next ch-1 sp.

Ch 1, turn.

Row 4: (Biscuit) Work 1 dc in first tr, * ch 3, work 1 tr into each of the next 9 stitches (ensuring to leave the last remaining loop of each stitch on the hook) yarn over and draw the yarn through all 10 loops on the hook, ch 1, ch 3, work 1 dc into next tr, rep from * across ending with work 1 dc into top of turning ch-3.

Ch 1, turn.

Row 5: * Work 1 dc into next dc, work 9 tr into next ch-1 sp, rep from * across ending with work 1 dc into next dc.

Continue in pattern formation working Rows 2 – 5 and working two consecutive rows of each colour.

Once you’ve worked the length desired then finish with 1 row of black.

Here’s my sample that I worked! I didn’t have a nice biscuit colour in my stash so I threw in a neutral instead.

Next up, an enquiry came in . . . I’m searching for a pattern for lacy crochet socks, can you help? Well look no further!

You’ll find the pattern for the above socks in this Japanese crochet book.

Now of course if you’re going to hook your-self up a pair of these lacy socks I’d recommend you purchase some sock glue. I think you’ll need it. Yes, there is such a thing as sock glue. It will keep your socks up and show off that nice lacy pattern. Sock glue is available here should you require it!

Lots, and I mean lots of enquiries virtually everyday about the Flower Rug. I’ll contact the magazine and see what we can do about circulating the pattern. I know a lot of International readers are desperate for it. In the mean time for Australian residents why not try to track down a copy of the magazine via Trove, a library near you may have a copy.

I also constantly refer to Babel Fish and Google translate on a regular basis, emails arrive in many languages. I speak a little French and some German but that’s about it. It’s so fab to have translation tools online, so if you’ve been wanting to contact me but worried about your English then don’t be, I try my best to get a translation and respond.

So when the below email arrived I headed straight to Google translate. I must put learn Spanish on my list of things!

Hola sarah, me gustaria saber si el diseño este wool eater blanket con que clase de hilo se trabaja
y si tu lo tendrias ese hilo y el numero de gancho para hacerlo. Yo podria comprar en tu tienda
por online?. Gracias.

Hola Maria! consultar su correo electrónico, usted tiene un nuevo correo!

I also help out in the colour department too, sourcing certain colours and advising on colour combos that sort of thing. Hello Claire! the colour code is 1014.

Ok, I best get back to all things Crochet-a-Rainbow, thank you for all your lovely comments yesterday!

Hope to see a few Breaking Bad blankets being hooked in my travels!

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