Hello and welcome to Patchwork House . . . . .
my little corner of the world in England, where you will find me addicted to colour and playing with yarn!


23 June 2018

Gingham blanket C2C JAYG Tutorial

Corner to corner creates the most wonderful texture for a blanket.
Combine this with a fabulous colour recipe
 and you have the makings of a stunning blanket!
A multi coloured blanket is also perfect for using up scraps.
 The c2c squares are irresistible,
 with perfect corners and parallel sides,
 making it look like a patchwork quilt!


I was inspired by the amazing mathematical blankets made by Pat at
 Indigopobble on Instagram 
Indigopobble on Facebook.
She used the tutorial on You Tube by Twilight Taggers
and this is where my journey began.
I owe a huge thank you to Bali at Twilight Taggers
as it is her 4 tutorials that have set me off on this wonderful technique.


After 2 patchwork blankets, I then progressed onto the simple idea
 of using just 3 shades, to create the appearance of gingham


and soon became addicted to these simple colour recipes.


My followers on
have been enjoying these too!


I have had great fun playing with my yarn pegs
 and have designed 16 colour recipes here for you in
 To make the baby blanket, 60cm square, you need

less than 100g white/cream (1 ball)
less than 100g deep shade (1 ball)
just more than 100g pale shade (2 balls)

so you may well have enough in your stash!





I was addicted by the patterns in these blankets,
 appealing to my mathematical brain, 
but to begin with I was tearing my hair out,
 puzzling with where to start
 to get each square facing the right way.
Eventually I came up with a simple method
 where I begin each square in the same place.
 I have had so many pleas for help,
 that it seemed a tutorial was needed!

There will be many different ways of making this pattern,
this is just how I have had success.

Tutorial
(UK crochet terms)

This tutorial is to teach you
 how to use the corner to corner join as you go technique. 
It is quite tricky and requires the knowledge
 of how to do corner to corner stitch.
 I first learnt how to do this from a free pattern on Ravelry by 
 and suggest beginners spend some time practicing this first.


For the tutorial I have used 12 different colours,
 so that the reader will find it easy to identify which squares I am working on
 and which way the work is facing.

I use a 3.5mm hook with Stylecraft Special DK,
you should use whatever suits your tension.


Before we begin you must have a good look
 at the patterns in this blanket. The joined up
 squares must continue on the patterns in the texture,
 as if it is a whole blanket made in 1 colour.


There are groups of vertical trebles and groups of horizontal trebles.
The vertical groups in this piece all have the wrong side facing
 and all have the stitch the correct way up.
The horizontal groups all have the right side facing
 and are all lying left to right.


In the photo above I have outlined a diagonal line
 of wrong side vertical trebles. Make sure
 you can see that this continues across the different squares.

In the photo below I have outlined where 4 squares meet.
 Have a good look at the corner groups,
 diagonally opposite corners are the same, but neighbours are opposites.
You must never have 2 groups the same next to each other,
 they always alternate. So a vertical group of wrong side trebles
 must be next to a horizontal group of right side trebles.

 There are 2 patterns going on ...
vertical - horizontal
and
right side - wrong side
you need to be able to recognise these
 to ensure your work is correct.


Lets begin. I have labelled the squares as follows to help.
We always begin the blanket 
and in fact every square
 in the bottom right corner.


1a
Start with a stitch on your hook and make your first square.
It can be any size but must have an even number of blocks on each side.
 I have used 4 blocks for my baby blankets made in gingham
 and 6 blocks for the patchwork blanket. 
For a larger adult sized blanket I would use 6 8 or 10.


When you have finished square 1a it must be facing this way.


Notice the final end is in the corner after the 3 chain to complete the square.


Look for the diagonal pattern of vertical trebles wrong side facing.


When you are confident you have square 1a facing the right way round,
 attach a stitch marker to the front. This doesn't have to be anything posh,
 a safety pin will work, or a loop of different coloured yarn threaded through.
 Just something that will not come out, to help you see easily
 that your work is the right way round.

So when you begin any new square, your stitch marker
 will always be at the bottom right of your work.


1b 

Start every new square in its bottom right corner.
I always start with a stitch on my hook
 then slip stitch into the bottom left corner of 1a.
You are now ready to begin 1b.


Now look at the group of trebles we are working above.
They are vertical right side facing.
So we need to create the opposite which is
 horizontal wrong side facing.
To get wrong side facing we need to work from the back and
to get horizontal we need to do the swivel.

 Make 6 chain.


Make 3 trebles into the first 3 chains made.


Swivel them round and attach with a slip stitch.
Check they are opposite to the block underneath.


Make 3 chain and slip stitch into the next space.
You have created a loop to work into.


Make 3 chain 


flip your work round 


then make 3 trebles
 into the loop you have just formed.
Slip stitch into the top corner of the previous group,
chain 3 and 3 trebles into the top of the first group.
So its like climbing stairs, you are building a staircase!


Make 6 chain


then do 3 trebles into the first 3 chain made.


Swivel this around and attach with a slip stitch.


Work along climbing the staircase
and attach with a slip stitch when you meet 1a.


Make 3 chain, slip stitch into the corner of 1a
and flip your work round.


Again make 3 chain


climb the staircase again to complete the left side of 1b.


Check your square is 4 blocks tall and 4 blocks wide.
It is very easy to have turned too soon and have 3,
 especially when you are chatting or watching tv!


Now when decreasing there are 2 methods,
 you can do either whichever you prefer.
 Some people slip stitch into the tops of the trebles
 to get them to the corner, others do chain 3.
I am using chain 3 as I think its neater and faster too!


Flip your work round 


chain 3 and climb the stairs again


chain 3, flip your work round
keep going till you finish off the square


Notice where we end up.


We must end each square in the corner
so chain 3 and slip stitch into the corner of the square.

Leave good length ends about 6 inches / 15cm 
for weaving in with a darning needle later.


When you can see the stitch marker 
I am referring to this as the front of the blanket.
(In actual fact the blanket has 2 identical sides
 as we work from both front and back.)

Now another pattern is emerging!
Look at the slip stitches where 1b is attached to 1a.
From the front they look like V shapes.
From the back they look like straight lines.
We will refer back to this pattern later on.

1c

Now we are ready to start our 3rd square.
Before you do just check that 1a and 1 b are identical.
The top left corner block is wrong side vertical.


To begin 1c make a stitch on your hook


We are starting at the bottom right corner of our new square
 so this attaches to 1b at its bottom left corner.


Repeat what you did for 1b to make 1c.
Keep on going adding new squares in this way,
 until you have reached your desired blanket width.

For the gingham blanket I choose to make an odd number of squares,
 as the pattern fits better this way. For a patchwork blanket it doesn't matter.


Check that you can see the pattern, of the ridge
 made by the groups of wrong side vertical trebles.


Now its time to weave in those ends using a darning needle.
Be disciplined is my advice, do it after every row!


There now, that looks so much better!

2a

So now we begin the 2nd row.
Stitch marker facing you.
We always start at the bottom right corner of our new square.
This attaches to the top right of 1a.

Make a stitch on your hook and slip stitch into the top right corner of 1a.
Make 3 chain.


The group beneath where we are working
 is horizontal right side facing.
 So this means we need vertical wrong side facing.
We need to work from the back and make 3 trebles.

Slip stitch into the first space and make 3 chain.


Flip your work around and make 3 trebles into the loop
followed by 6 chain.


Make 3 trebles into the first 3 chain made.


Swivel this around and attach with a slip stitch
followed by 3 chain.


Make 3 trebles then 
attach to 1a with a slip stitch in the next space.


Make 3 chain and slip stitch into the next space.


Make 3 chain, flip your work around
 and continue making the new square,
 till you reach the desired width.
It's now time to decrease and complete the 2nd half of our square.


Check the patterns on 2a are identical to 1a
 and that neighbouring blocks are opposites.
Every square should be identical
 with trebles facing in the same directions.


2b

 This is now the final part of the tutorial.
Make a stitch on your hook and slip stitch in the gap between 1a and 1b.


Make 3 chain.
Look at the block we are working above.
 It is horizontal right side facing.
This means we need to make vertical wrong side facing.


So slip stitch in first space to the left.


Chain 3 and flip your work round to work from the back.


Make 3 trebles in the loop
and slip stitch into the first space on 2a.


Chain 3 and slip stitch into next space.


Chain 3 and flip work around.


Now you are ready to begin building the stair case.
Keep going till your square reaches the desired size then decrease to finish it off.


Its time to look at patterns again!
Notice all the slip stitch joins in a vertical line are V shapes.


Then see that horizontal line of joins are straight lines.


Flip your work over and you will see the opposite on the back.



2c

Continue in the same way as you made 2b
 and complete all your squares for row 2.



Sew in your ends and there you have it!
You now have all the skills you need to make a c2c jayg blanket!


Every blanket needs an edging to finish it off.
I have tried several and here is the simple geometric edging that I like to use.

1. Make a foundation row around your blanket.
 Start in the corner with a dc,
chain 2 , dc in next space.
 Continue all round the blanket and slip stitch to finish off the round.
2. dc in the dc then 2 dc in each loop,
3dc in a corner dc,
 continue all round the blanket and slip stitch to finish off the round.
3. Geometric edging - chain 3, treble in next stitch, half treble in next,
 dc in next, slip stitch in next. Repeat and slip stitch to finish off. 
This border works fine around the corners.


This tutorial has taken so much work
 but I am happy to do this to help and encourage others.
 The excitement on Instagram and Facebook is wonderful 
and I hope that many of you will enjoy learning this technique.

It took
weeks of making blankets
 to learn the technique well enough to explain!
Hours taking step by step photos and more hours to edit them.
Another day to upload them to the blog
and finally a whole day for writing and another for checking.

If you have found this helpful
please consider making a small donation to
support my work and encourage future tutorial making.
You will find a Paypal donate button
 on the sidebar of the blog when viewed on a computer.



I wish you hours of fun and happy hooking!
Do share your makes on
 Instagram with the hashtag #inspiredbythepatchworkheart
and in the Facebook Group
then I can see all your blankets!

Heather
x x x




















23 comments:

Maryfairy said...

A great tutorial Heather. Thank-You for taking the time to help others understand this technique. I will be making one soon x

Cecilia said...

Fabulous tutorial, Heather. Thank you so much! ��

Unknown said...

This is awesome. You are so inspiring. Many thanks for your time and efforts put in making this amazing tutorial. I believe this will motivate lots of crocheters. And I'm happy I shared your blog and Instagram account to my colleagues, everybody needs to witness your amazing work.

I did few C2C blankets, but you convinced me to make many more.

(Sorry I can't enter my vote for you, I live in Canada) but I vote for you in my heart ❤️

kinderdi said...

Thanks so much for sharing this! I LOVE the gingham design and might have to give it a try. I've been following your projects on Instagram and love your work. ; )

Chris Parkin said...

Thank you for a superb tutorial. xx

Sandra said...

What a gorgeous blanket and beautiful stitch! You've explained it so well too. I love the multi-coloured one, but the gingham effect is wonderful too!
Well done for your excellent work!
The stitch is so original!

Cathy said...

What a wonderful blanket, and clear instructions. I really like the gingham effect.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic idea and tutorial, thank you!

Anonymous said...

I just love this blanket. I have done a baby blanket, 2 lapghans, a throw, 3 rugs. All of these are c2c. This will be my next throw. It is a great way to use up my scrap yarn. I will make lapghans to donate to my local cancer center. thank you. Crocheting in the Carolinas

Anonymous said...

I can't thank you enough for the fantastic tutorial. As a visual learner I appreciate the numerous photos and as someone who works with photos on a daily basis I'm extremely appreciative of the time and effort you put into this.

I'm making my first item now but I'll have to make a run to the yarn store this weekend as I'm out of a color already.

Anonymous said...

thank you so much for posting this! i love the join as you go and c2c is my new best blanket. wonderful

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing this tutorial. It’s extremely helpful. Can’t wait to get started.

Anonymous said...

This tutorial has been a real blessing to me. I've made one and have another on my hook plus another batch of yarn ordered for a third! LOL

Thank you for doing this and blessings to you and yours :)

Sangeetha said...

Hi Heather, Happy New Year :)
Thank you SO MUCH for this absolutely fantastic tutorial. Your attention to detail is remarkable. I was tired after just making two squares, this tutorial must have taken a long time to crochet as well as to photograph it!! I am determined to make at least one blanket with this tutorial, even a small one will satisfy me.
Have a lovely day.

Anonymous said...

Today happens to be my birthday and I'm counting your tutorial as my present. I promised myself I'd sit down and work through it so I can make some of these blankets for myself. I absolutely love the gingham look. I've got a first row done. I understand how to do the next rows. Thank you so much.

Vanderella said...

What a tour de force! It has taken me two days to understand the process. I must have taken you forever to photograph and explain. Thank you so much. I lead a crochet group at my local U3A and several members have been longing to learn how to do this but do not use the internet. Hopefully I am now equipped to pass on the techniques.

Thank you so much!

catherine said...

I really love this tutorial. Many thanks!!! I'm going to try it. Thank you again. Hugs and blessings from the Dominican Republic.

theknittingnurse said...

Absolutely beautiful! I can't wait to try this pattern.
So happy to have found your blog. I will be donating to you to keep you producing these excellent tutorials.
Thank you!!

Nazca said...

Just found your tut, what an amazing step by step CAL for the C2C squares. You made me love them even more. I must make them now, it was already cooking in my mind for my next project, to use the C2C technique. So thankful for the in deep instructions. You are truly generous.

Amina Yusuf said...

I have been wanting to learn C2C. Never got around to it yet. Your tutorial makes it pretty easy. I will like to make a blanket or a throw. Thanks for sharing

MiriamAlice said...

Very cool technique! I'm in love! Great tutorial and made it easy to understand. Been wanting to make a gingham blanket for a while, so happy I ran across this in a fellow Ravelry member's project folder. Thanks for sharing! Xoxo

janine said...

Dear Heather this is one of the most beautiful projects I have ever seen. The time you put in to share this with us is mind blowing! I woke up with a plan to find something new to crochet today and this was one of the first fb posts I came across. I'm in love with this method and will definitely start today. THANK YOU!!!!

Unknown said...

I started my first JAYG last night. I love it. Thanks so much for the tutorial. I am doing a Gingham Blanket. Bea

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