It's a wrap...

After the ten stitch blanket that took me ten weeks to knit, I needed a quick crochet project.  Sue of SIBOL requested some shawls for the elderly in care homes, so I spent a week making one.  Yes, crochet really is quicker than knitting!

My crochet skills are still fairly rudimentary.  This is what I did:

dk yarn and 5mm hook

chain 200

crochet 39 rows of trebles (UK)

That produced a shawl or shoulder wrap measuring 172cm x 47cm.

To finish the ends, I did 58 double crochets (UK) which became the foundation for 14 shell stitches. The pattern I was following for the shells called for skipping 2 stitches between the shells.  But mine turned out very sloppy.  So I skipped only 1 stitch and have ended up with some strong edging shells.

This blanket had a definite right side and a wrong side which surprised me.  To mark what I considered to be the right side, I added a practical granny square pocket.  I made it nice and roomy.  It will be useful for holding tissues, glasses or anything else bigger than the holes in the granny square.

This was the fifth granny square I have ever made (who's counting?!), so I was pleased with it.  There are a zillion online tutorials for making a granny square and I eventually followed this one which is very clear.  It is aimed at beginners and shows how to crochet a granny square that does not twist.  

The 5mm hook and the trebles (UK) made a soft and cosy wrap, though  I used a 4mm hook for the granny pocket because I wanted it to be a bit firmer.

I love the colours in this wrap.  I won't say what they remind me of because it is still mid-summer!  The red yarn came from a huge ball that I bought at a Boot Fair for £1. The green and cream yarn was either free or very cheap.  I still have enough of these colours left to make another shawl one day