Coasters and placemats

Crazy week ahead alert!

 

Hey Hey Crochet is taking off in big ways this week.

 

Yesterday morning I took my crochet to a local playgroup and introduced the world of crochet to busy mums. I had lots of interest in my crochet teaching parties and sold a couple of items whilst I was there. A really positive couple of hours. It's been a long time since I was at a playgroup though and I'd forgotten how hectic they can be with little people everywhere all vying for the same toys and desperate to be the person who operates the toy till behind the wooden shop counter. Priceless!!   

 

Yesterday evening I had my first crochet teaching party of the week - two more to go. A really busy party week :).

Although it was a small gathering, it was productive and granny squares were created by the end. I love the process of teaching the basic crochet stitches and listening to the group convinced they will never be able to make a granny square, only hours later to produce one. Amazing. A real buzz that I am proud to be a part of.

 

I've been thinking a lot about coasters and placemats recently; not because I'm a little weird but because my second party this week is going to focus on these items.

I began by looking at a traditional style similar to a granny square format -

 

 

These have come up really nice although the pictures don't reflect the vibrancy of the colours I used very well at all. Sorry about that - note to self, must update my technology! I was crocheting with Rico Creative Cotton yarn in Pistachio 41, Rouge 05, Yellow 63 and Orange 74. To create the larger placemat I increased the groups of trebles as it grew and with some trial and error managed to create the pattern I wanted.

 

 

It is so traditional and I really like it because of this.

The coaster is just a repeat version of the inner rounds of the placemat with the addition of a dc round to complete it. Together they look quite effective.

 



 

I then had a moment of self doubt - typical!

The group that my coaster and placemat is aimed at have completed granny squares at a previous lesson. How far removed is this from making a square I thought - not a lot is the answer. I want to challenge the group and further their crochet skills, so....I hunted through my crochet books and magazines for inspiration, and look what I found...

 

 

Isn't it fabulous? The pattern for the placemat comes from a pattern for a table cloth in Natalie Clegg's book 'Colourful Crochet for your Home' and I've just tweaked the pattern a little for the coaster.

Starting with the placemat, I decided to pick crazy colours that would just zing off your table - Rico Creative Cotton Cardinal 11, Pistachio Clear 44, Fuschia 13, Pink 64 and Tangerine 76. Apologies again for the poor presentation of the beautiful strong colours in my photography!

 

 

 

I adore the more contemporary feel of this placemat. It would look great on an indoor or an outdoor table and very chic using just one colour rather than five.

 

 

The flowery feel of the design is really clearly shown by this image. Just a lovely pattern which worked up beautifully using the Rico Creative Cotton.

For the coaster I took the cardinal coloured centre of the placemat and instead of making it all one colour I took the colours I had used on the placemat and did a round in each. As the centre only uses three rounds I then did a dc round in the pink, and again in the tangerine, finishing with a round of treble clusters to try and emulate the frilly tangerine round on the placemat. I think they look great together, although you could make the coaster more open by replacing the treble cluster round with a repeat of the tangerine round from the placemat. I prefer it a bit more enclosed as the bottom of glasses do need a firmer base so they don't topple over. And you really should use see-though glasses on these not mugs so that everyone can see your beautiful handiwork! 

 

 

 Just look at the colours - for once the camera hasn't let me down!

 

 

 I can't wait to teach them tomorrow. I think it will be a great challenge of my teaching and of their crochet skills and pattern reading. Should be fun.

So, back to my current works-in-progress!
I have a crochet bag part made, a crochet top very partly made, a granny square blanket project which is no where near as big as it needs to be (more a dolls blanket than a human one at the moment), and a whole host of things I want to crochet around our home. Phew!

One day I'll catch up with my crochet dreams...