Bunting Time!

Hello!!!!

Happy Sunday to you all!  As you know by now, Sunday’s are my absolute favourite day of the week and despite the freeeeeeeeeeeezing cold weather, today is no exception!  It’s freezing I tell you… snow is forecast for Wellington tomorrow… it’s spring.  It won’t snow in the central city of course, just on the hills, but still.  Icy winds galore.  I took my bunting outside just before to photograph it and wow… my fingers froze, I had goosebumps, the lot!  Brrrrrrrr!

But joy of joys, today is bunting tutorial day and I’m so excited!  First let me show you the white bunting… I posted a pic of it in the early morning when it had the light sky behind it the other day, did you see that shot?  Well here it is in full white glory…

It really is quite festive isn’t it!  I used 8ply gorgeous Ashford Tekapo wool and it came out brilliantly.

So shall I get on with showing you what to do to make your own?  I think so…..  First though, do you know what?  I completely forget that I’m a lefty until other lefties comment on how cool it is to see a lefty tutorial!  I hope that it’s not too confusing for righties, and as I understand how difficult it is to follow a tutorial backwards, I suggest you don’t look at the pictures, just read the words!!!!  Aaaah!  Thinking about crocheting backwards makes my brain stop and say “duuuhhh huh?”

First, make a magic ring… do you remember how to do that?  If not, click here and a photo tutorial will pop up, along with instructions on how to do dc2tog.  Also, click here for a tutorial on how to do dc3tog. ….  To begin, ch3, dc2tog (counts as 1 dc3tog), ch2, dc3tog, ch2…. until you have 6 dc3tog each joined with 2ch.  Join with a slst to 3rd ch of original 3ch.

Join next colour into one of the 2ch spaces, ch3, dc2tog (counts as 1 dc3tog), ch2, into the next space *dc3tog, ch 4, dc3tog* (you just made one corner space) ch2, dc3tog into next space, ch 2, repeat ** to make next corner space… continue around until you have three corner spaces separated by 1 dc3tog and 2ch between each cluster.

To make the third round, join the next colour to one of the side 2ch spaces, ch3, 1hdc (counts as 1 dc2tog), ch1, into the same space, dc2tog, ch2, into the next space *dc2tog, ch1, dc2tog* ch2, into the corner space, dc3tog, ch4, dc3tog, ch2 into the side spaces repeat ** and continue around the circle until all spaces are filled and separated with 2ch.

And now for the edging… I love this, it’s so pretty and ruffly!  This edging has a right side and a wrong side, so working with the right side of your bunting facing you, take a new colour- it’s best if it contrasts…. and join to one of the corner spaces with a slst.  Slst into next stitch, ch3, slst into next 2 stitches or spaces, ch3….. until you reach the next corner space.

When you reach that corner space, into the space, make 1 slst, hdc, dc, ch3, dc, hdc, slst, ch3, slst into next 2 stitches, ch3, slst into next two stitches and so on and so on until you reach the last corner space.  Fasten off.

So there you have it, one completed bunt!

Make five or however many you are planning to make!  I’ve been making mine in sets of five, with one colour in the centre, then two of each combinations at the sides and I quite like the symmetry!

Block them!  They look way better afterwards…

And single crochet them together!  I usually ch10, join with a slst, ch 10, sc along the top of bunt number 1, ch5, sc along next bunt, ch 5……..

Voila!

Bunting love….

Beautiful bunting blowing in the icy wind….

Where was Raymond during this photoshoot you may ask?

While he normally loves a good outdoors photo shoot, I found him curled up fast asleep in his bed…. he’s not braving the elements today and I don’t blame him…

OK Lovelies, I hope you enjoyed and understood that…. Let me know if not and I’ll try to explain myself a bit better!  Thank you so much for popping by, have a beautiful day…

I’m off to drag the heater out of hibernation and put on a second pair of socks!

Lots of love from Alice and Raymond XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX