Granny Bunting for Yarndale

Isn't this knitted bunting completely, absolutely amazingly lovely? The photo was taken at the 2011 knit and stitch show at Alexandra Palace and was part of the Woman's Weekly Centenary year celebrations attempt to break the world record for the longest line of bunting ever made (8,982ft!).

 This fantastic image has stuck in my mind since I came across it at the start of the year, and I knew without doubt that I would love to help create lots of woolly bunting for Yarndale.

As one of the members of the Yarndale team, I immediately put my hand up and volunteered myself for the Bunting Cause. Yes I can make bunting! Yes I would LOVE to hook up a colourful bunting storm! And that is precisely what I have been doing during the past four days. I have been a Bunting-making Machine. Well, kind of. I am quite a speedy hooker, and I have been doing my very best to get this creative endeavour off the starting blocks.

I sampled various methods of triangle making which mainly involved rows of double crochet with either increase or decrease rows to create the tapering triangle shape. But it was all quite time consuming, and damn it, it involved counting. I kind of got a bit peeved about counting rows, and so began to search for another way....and that's when I remembered the granny bunting I made a few years ago. Yes of course! Granny bunting! So easy to work in rounds instead of rows and there is no pesky counting to be done.

These triangles are super easy to make, and ridiculously speedy and addictive. I have worked them up in seven rounds of random colours using leftover odds and ends of Stylecraft Special DK (100% acrylic yarn that I've used for various blankets, see here, here and here).

I also had a play with some variations which used one, two, three and four colours. Even easier and quicker than the seven-colour-change triangles, but perhaps not as much fun for a colour addict like me.

I also whipped up a quick flower to add a little extra flourish.....

....it was simply stitched in place on top of the plain one-colour triangle. Cute eh?

I've made this many triangles during the past four days, working on them whenever I could. My bowl of yarn has been sitting permanently on the table with my hook, scissors and darning needle, ready to to picked up in an instant. It's been fun and I've loved seeing such great results come off my hook so quickly.

Now then, I'd like to use this opportunity to chat a little about steam blocking. Oh I know, how riveting and thrilling, how can we stand the excitement?! Seriously, if you have Stylecraft yarn in your possession (and I know many, many of you do), then you will love this info. Follow carefully. See the above picture? This shows you what we are dealing with :: the before (crumpled and curly and a weeny bit down-and-out looking) and after (so perfectly flat, with beautifully pointy corners!)

This is the method :: you need an ironing board, tape measure and pins. Turn the triangle over so that the right side faces downwards. Stretch out the top edge and put a pin in both corners, making sure this edge measures 18 cm/ 7 inches. You are pinning directly into your ironing board cover, putting the pins at an angle so's they don't ping out.

Pull the bottom corner downwards until the triangle looks straight and even, and put a pin in the bottom corner.

Now set your iron to the LOWEST heat setting, and make sure you have STEAM.

Now HoVeR!!!! This is VErY ImPorTaNt....The Iron Does Not Touch The Crochet. You hover it very, very close, about a centimetre above the surface of the yarn, and you simply allow the steam to do the work. No contact, no pressure. Just the pfffffffffffffffff of the steam. Concentrate on the corners. It does not take long, maybe ten seconds is all. And the results are absolutely miraculous.

Take out your pins, and hey presto, the crochet stays exactly as if it were still pinned!

It remains all flat and neat and beautifully shaped, with the most marvellously perky-pointy corners.



Ahhhhhh. I love to see a sweet little pile of Grannies. So satisfying.

Now then...........I have something to ask you, a Big Request. As you can no doubt tell, I am having heaps of fun making these triangles, but I also have a serious amount of other things going on with Yarndale (see my Yarn bombing post on the Yarndale website). So I have decided to put out a call to all the wonderful hookers of the world and ask if you would consider working up some Granny Bunting triangles for me, for Yarndale? Do you think you might like to join in with me? I would SO love it if you would. I would be hugely ever so grateful.

I'm thinking you could use up your own odds and ends of yarn to make up some Granny Triangles, and send them to me here in Yorkshire. Use whatever yarn you have, in any colours. Use loads of colours or just single colours, with or without flowers. It doesn't matter. All I would ask is that you consider the size :: I've used a DK weight yarn on a 4mm hook, and have worked up 7 rounds, but the important thing is that when stretched/blocked, the sides measure approx 18cm / 7 inches.

I've written up the pattern with a picture heavy tutorial for those of you who appreciate the visuals. At the end of the tutorial I've also written out the pattern in words so that you can copy/paste and print it. FIND THE PATTERN HERE!

I've not managed to sort out a mailing address yet, but will let you know in the next week where you can send them. I am SOooooooo excited about this project, and am more than happy to put in the considerable work to join all the triangles together. It's going to be spectacular. Thank you in advance (and excited anticipation) for your help, especially to those of you who have already offered your hooky services for the Bunting Cause.

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Comments

[salome viljoen]

Can u e mail the pattern to me please?

[mj]

I like this idea very much! Are you still receiving triangles? Am I too late to join the bunting bandwagon?

[Tammy Chrzan]

Would I be completely shallow if I said I love your shoes?? How cute!
Thanks for this, I'm a new crocheter and I need all of the tips and help I can get, I have a girly date tomorrow night with my mom and we are crocheting together, she's going to show me how to do a flower and a triangle... I'm really looking forward to it!
Tammy

[Kerry Goose]

Hi there i was introduced to your blog by a lovely lady who has set up a craft group here in Sunny Brunei. I will be sending small donation to your yarnbomb sometime mid August. I hope that the package will make it in time.

Kind regards
Kerry

[Aunt Becky]

Mine are 7 1/4 inch. Is that close enough? I am just getting back into crochet after years of not doing it.

[andy de indomitotorbellino.blogspot.com]

espero llegar!

[andy]

wow!!!! estoy totalmente emocionada y me encantaria participar. lei en tu ultimo post que hay tiempo todo agosto.... espero desde argentina poder enviar algo... sos mi fuente de inspiracion muchas veces y adoro tu casa rodante... perdon pero I don't speak english...

[Caroline]

Hi Lucy

I've just been trying to find a postal address for the bunting triangles I need to send over but can't find one. I remember you saying somewhere the deadline was the end of July. Please could you let me have it if you have a moment? Many thanks!

[Sandra]

Have I missed your mention of where to send our bunting to you?

[Robin]

Do you have an address where to send these too yet?

[Val C]

Is there an address to send the bunting to yet?

Can't seem to find one.

[Karen Walker]

Have I missed the address where to send the bunting as I can't find it?

[Angela]

Dear Lucy, I wish your hurting finger all the best. Perhaps there is a big help in using a medicine called KYTTA-Salbe in germany, it helps me very much while I had big pain in my schoulder from doing to much crocheting.
I love your blog and I follow you over one year, thank you so much for all your inspiration.
Best wihes fom bavaria
Angela

[Erin]

I will be making some to ship across the pond. Would love to make it to Yarndale , a bit far from Illinois, USA. Anxiously waiting for the mail address.

[Joanne]

yes I will make some granny bunting, I hope to make it to Yarndale too. will you be putting the mailing address on your blog X

[Laura]

I won't be able to be part of Yarndale in person, so will send some granny triangles instead! These are so addictive - thanks for the inspiration (yet again!) :)

[Sarah]

Lucy, these are adictive. I now have a growing pile waiting for an address to send them to. Please let us have one soon otherwise I may get carried away!!!!

[isabella]

Maybe...if I can...I will do 6 triangle for you!!!
I think in green and pink, my favourite colors!!!
Bye
Isabella

[karen]

FYI, if you don't have an iron, you can wet your squares (or triangles, in this case) and then pin them and let them dry; they'll be nice and squared-off and flat. It's the only method I've ever used.

[Angel]

How fun! I will be sending a few, your granny triangle pattern is awesome!

[Vicky]

I'm in too. One done and plan to learn the blocking in the morning. Great tutorial.

[Claire]

Fabulous idea Lucy. We're hooked on the idea @Knitandpurlgarden : my 10 year old daughter wants to make some too :). Good luck with it all xx

[Gemma]

Thanks for the steam tip, I've been wondering for so long how to get my work straight. I thought you had to have real wool to do the whole blocking thing. This is great, I can't wait to give it a go.

[Marion]

yes Lucy. I am in too x

[Françoise Donzelot]

Bonjour Lucy... Moi aussi, je serais heureuse de participer à votre projet pour Yarndale....
Please, I would like to know how many triangles do you envisage for one line of bunting?
Looking forward to all the wonderful colour ideas we are all going to come up with!...
Françoise xx