Our last stop at the colourful craft village of Umnini marked our last stop along the lovely Kwa Zulu Natal South Coast.
For me, putting a blanket together is like building a scrapbook page (one of my favourite things to do)! The squares are the photos (the happy memories gathered along the way), the border is the pretty paper used to showcase them and the edging is the embelishment!
The VISIBLE JOIN my Great Grandmother taught me many decades ago has always been my go-to join for blankets of different square patterns with a definite right side. The join is very forgiving and displays as a pretty "stitch" on the right side of the work. It does not demand expert and precise crocheting for a neat result!!
In order to obtain visual balance with the border we will start with three foundation rounds before moving on to the eight round border pattern.
If you would like a narrow, simple border crochet only the foundation rounds and 1 x the eight round pattern.
Should you require a more dramatic border, crochet the foundation rounds and repeat the 8 round pattern twice or more.
SOUTH COAST BORDER (1)
PATTERN TERMS: US
Foundation Round 1: Using the same colour used for your visible join, join yarn with a standing sc in any 3ch corner of your assembled blanket; 2sc into same 3ch sp; 1sc into top of each dc until you reach the next corner of your assembled blanket. (when you reach a corner on a block 1sc into 3ch corner of that block, 1sc into loop of join, 1sc into 3ch corner of) next block.
(3sc into next 3ch corner sp; 1sc into top of each dc to next corner) 33. Sl st into standing sc at start of round to close. Break off yarn.
Note: when you reach a corner on a joined block 1sc into 3ch corner of that block, 1sc into loop of join, 1sc into 3ch corner of) next block.
Foundation Round 2: Using same colour used for the square's border rounds, join yarn in 2nd sc of any corner 3sc. 3ch (counts as 1dc: 4dc into same sc. 1dc into each sc until you reach the 2nd sc on the next corner;
(5dc into 2nd sc of corner 3sc; 1dc into each sc until you reach the 2nd sc on the next corner) x3. Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Do not break off yarn.
Foundation Round 3: 3ch, 1dc into next dc; (2dc, 3ch, 2dc into next dc); 1dc into each dc until you reach the 3rd dc on the next corner 5dc;
[(2dc, 3ch, 2dc into 3rd of corner 5dc); 1dc into each dc unti lyou reach the 3rd dc on the next corner 5dc] x3. Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
The sides of your blanket may or may not have an even stitch count at the end of Foundation Round 3.
Pattern Round 1 also serves as a "correction" round. If you have an even number of stitches this round will work out exactly. If, however, you have an odd number you will be left with 1 extra (odd) stitch. In this case treat the single stitch as two stitches in accordance with the pattern. Should you be pedantic about the appearance of stitch count, I suggest crocheting Pattern Round 1 in the same colour as your last two foundation rows as this will make the stitch correction "invisible"
Pattern Round 1: Join yarn in any 3ch corner sp. 3ch (counts as 1sc, 2ch), 1sc into same 3ch sp as join; [skip 1sp between dc (2dc posts), 1sc into next sp between dc; 2ch] repeat until you reach next 3ch corner sp.
{(1sc, 2ch, 1sc into 3ch corner sp); (skip 1sp between dc (2dc posts), 1sc into next sp between dc; 2ch] repeat until you reach next 3ch corner sp} x3. Sl st into 1st of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Pattern Round 2: Join yarn in any 2ch corner; [3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same sp as join]; 2dc (2dc group) into each 2ch sp until you reach next corner;
[(2dc,3ch, 2dc into 2ch corner sp); 2dc (2dc group) into each 2ch sp until you reach next corner] x3. Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Pattern Round 3: Join yarn in any 3ch corner sp. [3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc, 3ch, 2dc into same 3ch corner]; (2dc into sp between each 2dc group) repeat until you reach the next 3ch corner sp;
[(2dc, 3ch, 2dc into next corner sp); (2dc into sp between each 2dc group) repeat until you reach the next 3ch corner sp] x3. Sl st into 3rd of start ch to close. Break off yarn.
Pattern Round 4: Repeat Round 3
Note: The border should lay flat. If you find your border "ruffling" you may have too many stitches. Extra stitches are usually picked up over a join - make sure that you only have 3 stitches at each join - 1 in the first corner space, 1 into the join and 1 in the 2nd corner space. Skip the first stitch after working into the 2nd corner space. Switch to a smaller hook - if you used a 4.00mm try a 3.50mm or a 3.00mm
PS: The official CAL has ended but you can still join in at your leisure. The links to all the patterns for the CAL can be found in the pinned post of our Seaside Winter Blanket Group
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