Cape Breton Tartan Blanket

Cape Breton Tartan

 Materials 4.5 mm crochet hook
700 g of green
400 g of light gray
200 g of black
200 g of yellow
all worsted weight.   I used Redheart Ss

 Chain 174 stitches. Double crochet in 4th chain from hook , chain 1 and skip next stitch now double crochet in next stitch repeat from chain 1 across you should have 86 spaces .

 Work base of blanket using the following colours

 12 rows green
  6 grey
  4 yellow
   2 black
    6 grey
4 black
2 grey
2 green
3 grey

Repeat twice for afghan ending with 12 rows of green

Weave starting from the right hand side.  Weave over under over, first row, then under over under and repeat across following above colour sequence

Add a nice fringe to bottom of each row.  I used five strands 10 inches long all the way across both ends.

This is not my pattern, it is a passed down pattern developed to replicate in colour only this beautiful tartan, and this pattern and picture are not to be sold.

3 grey

Newfoundland Tartan # 2 finished.

Newfoundland Tartan

Newfoundland Tartan crochet and weave pattern

Newfoundland Rug adaption of Newfoundland Tartan

This is a passed down version and to my knowledge and the knowledge of the lady who gave it to me years ago, is exactly that. If there is a problem with a copyright, I will certainly remove this.

My personal variation is:- 

Materials:= 5 mm crochet hook for afghan 6 mm crochet hook for woven chains.

Yarn - 4 200 gram balls of green

3 200 gram balls of dark brown

1 100gram ball each of red - yellow - white

Using smaller hook and brown chain 201 stitches. Double crochet in fifth chain from hook, skip one single crochet and double crochet in next single crochet. Repeat across for a total of 99 spaces. This is very important. When you are changing colours chain four to move up.

2 brown

9 green

1 yellow

9 green

2 brown

1 white

4 brown

1 green

2 red

1 green

4 brown

1 white

2 brown

repeat above from top to bottom twice, then end with

9 green

1 yellow

9 green

2 brown

This is the mesh background of the afghan, you can either weave strands of yarn through or do as I do and crochet a chain that is the length from top to bottom and add four inches for wiggle room. I personally change to a larger hook as stated above and chain 200 stitches. You will need one chain for each row.

Weave over under on first row, then under over and repeat the weaving in this form, this is what fill it in so nicely.

I have also found that crocheting in the ends as you go along is a great time saver. If you do not want fringe, weave in each chain strand on the top and bottom and work a row of single crochet around the afghan, working three single crochets in each corner. Then go around with a half double crochet followed with a round of single crochet to finish.

Start weaving in the same order as crocheted from the extreme right towards you. Mark right side.

I lock on top and bottom of each chain with crochet hook pull through, and then add a five strand fringe cut at least ten inches long to match the colour in each of the woven strands. It will go as illustrated. I have used Red heart in this particular afghan and love bright colours.

Beautiful tartans

Canadian Maple Leaf Tartan

WILSON Scotch tartan  my mother's tartan.

James tarta my mother in laws tartan

Black Watch tartan in bright blue rather than the darker navy and bottle greens.

Moore Scotish tartan.

Book that started it all and is now outrageously priced when one can find a copy of the original.  

This is another of Jenny Kings beautiful books on tartans, a ltof detail.   There are several others and all worth their mimimal cost as the directions are second to none.

Jenny King designs beautiful book to work from with a lot of hard work gone into this.  It is different from the patterns I had passed down and crocheted and I prefer her intellect and beauty in working these large blankets.

Wilson Tartan my mom's maiden name and this is Wilson scotch tartan.  I plan to work my rendition of this one out and crochet.

Work in progress pictures.

 Weaving more than one cord at a time and being confident that they will not come undone until I need to shorten or lengthen them.

Weaving being done with single safety pin, later reverted to safety pins in each cord being woven though, it moved along quicker.  Nova Scotia tartan.

Newfoundland tartan displaying how the weave looks like all woven using a crochet cording rather than three strands of yarn woven through.  My personal preference.

Weave of Cape Breton tartan showing white tv tray/table used underneath.

Never To Old To Lean

I have been crocheting the chains for the Nova Scotia tartan afghan and muddling, if there is such a word, over the distraught New Brunswick pattern that I purchased from Scotland.  I notice that they state it can be used for tapestry work as well and a light went on.

I decided to play with an old Pattern Maker program that I had for cross stitch design work, and now know after only working on this for a short period of time I can do this by importing a picture of the tartan and decreasing the amount of colours.  I just have to chose how large I want to make it now and it will be an original pattern. one

For those who have a cross stitch program you can also import charts for crochet and knit into this program as well and set the number of colours you want to use.  I have done this in the past.  I also used to design simple sock patterns and colours. 

Today I hope to weave the Nova Scotia Tartan, fringe it and then decide on whether to take apart the new Brunswick tartan or try and add to this one, time will tell.  It will mean pulling out almost a hundred weaves.  Dh loves this one as it is different, and I agree that it is different, but not a true tartan.  Perhaps I will fringe it and he can use this one in his recliner.

I am also in knit mode and hope to start some quick little children's items for charity.  I will share my results.  Little blankies with bears and bunnies etc., from the Craftsy site are looking real appealing to me right now as I have the overpowering urge to do some aran knitting and hope this passes. 

Newfoundland afghan is on hold until more yarn in Lt. Sage is in.  I normally over purchase, but did not this time.  Have a great day knitting or crafting on the net.

Second Nova Scotia Tartan mesh completed.

Last night I finished crocheting the mesh for the replacement Nova Scotia Tartan that my daughter has in her home now.  I also have a lot of the cording crocheted to put through and hope to start putting them in today.

A word to the wise, lesson learned.  I have been purchasing yarn only as needed and decided to buy the extra I would need to do one more tartan, in other words two different shades of green.  In a slight of a moment I reached for the wrong skein and some 100 grams later of crocheting I have to remove this from the Newfoundland mesh as it is far to dark. 

From now on I will take a piece of labelling and write the name of the afghan on it, when there is another one to do I can always know exactly what green or blue I used. 

I also have the first ten rows of the Stewart Tartan done and another mistake.  I picked up a smaller hook than I normally use and live and learn.  I will take my spare hooks and leave them with the work at all times.

On a brighter note I am also almost finished my first leg of the highland hose that I am working on.  It is not a difficult pattern, but one that has a topper of what I call trinity stitch, followed by cables turned every seven rows, almost ready to decrease.

Have a great day, it is very cold here, windy and a winter storm is threatening to come.

Pineapple Elegance

It was a long cold winter here in Nova Scotia and thanks to Mother Nature or Father Winter, I spent a creative time.  I also created the beautiful crochet afghan from worsted weight wool known as the hospitality afghan or Pineapple. I purchased the lovely pattern on line and it was very easy to follow.

Jenny King Designs Tartan Books

Arrived home this morning after a cold trip out in our good old Nova Scotia weather and was soon warmed gently when I opened a parcel from Jenny King Designs. 

I had ordered the three books and was so impressed with the compactness of them, the simplicity and the colours.  For those who love tartans this book is a definite must. 

I finished my own version of Nova Scotia Tartan, the mesh part, last night, worked on the Newfoundland tartan while watching television,  but not before working in the afternoon on the Stewart tartan from Jenny's book.   I can hardly wait.

I get to try our the new weaving tool today as I have the thread cords crocheted for the Nova Scotia tartan.

In, her Footy Rugs book there is also a pattern for scarves and a beanie.

I may even be able to unweave and fix my New Brunswick tartan.  My husband feel he like it just as it is, so may leave and start from scratch at a later time.

Tartans Crocheted and woven this winter.

 

Above Murdoch large tartan by Jenny King Designs

 

Newfoundland Tartan Adaption

Nova Scotia Tartan Adaption

 

 

Holiday Tartan  Jenny King Designs

 

Cape Breton Tartan Adaption

Tartan Memories

M

Above is a picture I found on the internet of the tartans of the Atlantic Provinces, in Canada and I have chosen to make each of their tartans and eventually go right across Canada with them.

The first tartan I crochet and wove was the Nova Scotia tartan and I am in the process of doing it again as my daughter decided it should go to her home instead.  I loved working the bright colours and weaving in chains later, the least favourite but most important part is the fringing.

I have also made the Cape Breton Tartan and it is another favourite, the home province of my husband and my greatest love of the island and all that it entails.

I also did the Newfoundland Tartan and gave it to my brother in law as a gift for his and dh's sister for their kindness shown at all times.  I am also in the process of redoing this one as well.

I also did the New Brunswick Tartan from a paid pattern and it has to be redone as the pattern is way off course.  Only one quarter of the pattern was charted so I ended up with a quarter tartan and do not like it at all, so it is not fringed.

I will do the new Brunswick Tartan and then move onto the Prince Edward Island Tartan and that will give me the Atlantic Provinces.

I have also done two by my favourite tartan designer Jenny King, one was Holiday Tartan, and the other was based on the Muroch tartan.

I will add pictures when I get them moved over to the computer.



Needless to say, I am hooked.