Friday 21 February 2014

STORMY WEATHER and mitered crochet squares !!




Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky





Have to CROCHET to keep it together
Keeps rainin' all the time

Life is bare, gloom and mis'ry everywhere
Just can't get my poorself together,
I'm CROCHETING all the time
So CROCHETING all the time
When the SUN went away 
the CROCHET ADDICT walked in and met me.
If the SUN stays away 
old CROCHETING chair will get me.

Keeps rainin' all the time......  

JUST LOVE LENA HORNE'S SIGNATURE SONG


I am sure lots of you will agree here in the UK, the USA and EUROPE the weather this winter has really been something else.  On one hand many are flooded and displaced from their homes, others have been house-bound with the snow, and many have had no electricity or heating, let alone other essentials of normal every day living.  I feel for all those people who are suffering and have suffered this winter.

On the other hand, those of us fortunate enough to just be stuck indoors because the weather outside is dismal and preventing us from getting out and about as normal, there is no better excuse than to CROCHET to our hearts content.  Which is precisely what I have been doing to keep from going STIR CRAZY!


Being confined to indoors is a hard one for me, I love to get out daily for a good walk and fresh air, helps me get motivated and creative.  When it's been impossible to get out for a few days, I get fidgety and restless, and need things to do, anything, bake, cook, eat, clean, sort out cupboards, whatever.... anything which will take away the boredom and seem to be constructive or productive.


AND you know what?  Rummaging and sorting through my yarn stash is really great for grey days... and the fabulous coloured yarns start to brighten up my mood and the ideas start to surface again.  Thankfully!

Here is what I have been making this past week.... using odd balls and remnants of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn.  I forged ahead with some mitered crochet squares, and ended up making a cushion cover using the mitered squares. What do you think?

Do you like mitered crochet squares?  
and what are your favourite ways of using the mitered squares?

crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor


These colours  have definitely brightened up my day and complement my decore. 

I used 5 colours to each square, following a sequence, and dropping the first colour of  the square on each consecutive square and ended up with this.

crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

There are NO pattern instructions for this COLOURFUL FOUR (4) SQUARE crochet cushion, BECAUSE - the squares are not exactly squares, I used half double crochet and ended up with pointy corners.

On the back of the cushion I did a simple square using the same colours, with the remainder of the yarn, and left one side open for cushion removal, so you can wash the crochet cover, and I had these lovely shell buttons with which to finish the closing.


In the meantime, here is my version of the basic instructions for mitered crochet square.


crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

HOW TO Mitered Crochet Squares using single crochet:

1. Decide what size square you wish to make.
2. Start with a chain double the length of one side of the square.
3. For a 3in square, length of chain needs to be 6in.
4. Even number of stitches plus one stitch for centre.

Simple Crochet Mitered Square

ABBREVIATIONS:  USA (American) Crochet Terms
ch = chain, st = stitch, sc = single crochet, sc3tog = single crochet 3 stitches together.

Row 1:  Ch25.
Row 2:  Ch1, sc in 11ch, sc3tog, sc in next 11ch. Turn. (23sts)

crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

Row 3:  Ch1, sc in 10sts, sc3tog,  sc in next 10sts. Turn.  (21sts)
Row 4:  Ch1, sc in 9sts, sc3tog, sc in next 9sts. Turn.  (19sts)

Keep decreasing in same manner for each row as follows:

Row 5:  Ch1, sc in 8sts, sc3tog, sc in next 8sts. Turn.  (17sts)
Row 6:  Ch1, sc in 7sts, sc3tog, sc in next 7sts. Turn.  (15sts)

crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

Row 7:  Ch1, sc in 6sts, sc3tog, sc in next 6sts. Turn.  (13sts)
Row 8:  Ch1, sc in 5sts, sc3tog, sc in next 5sts. Turn.  (11sts)
Row 9:  Ch1, sc in 4sts, sc3tog, sc in next 4sts. Turn.  (9sts)
Row 10:  Ch1, sc in 3sts, sc3tog, sc in next 3sts. Turn.  (7sts)


Row 11:  Ch1, sc in 2sts, sc3tog, sc in next 2sts. Turn.  (5sts)
Row 12:  Ch1, sc in 1sts, sc3tog, sc in next 1sts. Turn.  (3sts)
Row 13:  Ch1, sc3tog.
Fasten off.
crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

You can change colour after every 2 or 3 or 4 rows.

You can make your mitered squares individually or "join as you go" depending on the pattern you intend to create.  In the crochet cushion above I "joined as I went" whereas with these aran mitered squares I am going to decide on how I will arrange them once I have all my mitered squares made.

Numerous ways of laying them out will create intriguing patterns.  Have a play, and have some fun!

Keep checking back for when the Mitered Crochet Cushion pattern will be available, and do check back to see what I have made with my aran mitered squares.  I am going to have me some fun!

crochet mitered squares cushion pillow home decor

ciao, ciao!

















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