Granny Wrap in Rico Melange Chunky, shade 083 Summer Fruits.
The pattern is available for free at Annaboos House Blog. You can also see other people's projects on Ravelry.
I am not much of a crocheter. I think I've probably only made a dozen things - some I haven't even finished! However, every so often I see something that I must make.
I found the Granny Wrap pattern on Ravelry when I was looking for ideas for a shop sample in Rico Melange Chunky. We have 3 new shades to show off.
I loved the simplicity and boldness of the Granny Wrap. It starts at the top with a 'ring' and you increase it at both ends and down the centre to create a large triangle.
{photo credit: Annaboos House Blog}
The original design uses individual colours and the designer has striped then together to give defined bold stripes.
Rico Melange Chunky is a self striping yarn with a thick and thin stripe. I knew that working it over more and more stitches would produce blocks of colour rather than defined stripes and I was excited to see how the iconic granny stitch trebles would look.
They turn out like Tooty Frootie sweets!
This is a straightforward crochet wrap. I think it's great for beginners:
- You start with a small amount of stitches, so you can practice as you go and rip back if you make a mistake or want neater stitches.
- As it's the same row every row you'll naturally get better through repetition.
- It uses basic stitches - treble crochet and chain stitches.
- It grows quickly in chunky yarn.
- It's very addictive so it won't languish in your WiP pile.
- It's a popular style of crochet shawl so there's plenty of help online. Check out this tutorial on YouTube for a similar style. AnnaBoos House wrap does not have the scallop edging shown on the video.
If you are a more experienced crocheter I'd also highly recommend it as a mindless but productive make:
- You can work through your thoughts whilst your hands are busy.
- You can feel busy whilst relaxing.
- You can focus entirely on what you're making - the treble 'clusters' act like little bricks and they grow quickly and feel very satisfying.
The wrap measures 178cm across the top and 81 cm down the centre spine. As a loose crocheter I used a 6mm hook. The designer suggests 8mm. In total I used 7 balls of yarn or 595m of chunky yarn.
You can easily use this pattern with a thinner (or thicker) yarn. Just change your hook to reflect the thickness of the yarn and the fabric you want to make. It's easy to start and work a few rows then rip back and redo if you're unhappy with the feel of the fabric.
I handwashed my finished wrap in Eucalan and then spun it in my washing machine to remove excess water. Normally I'd squish out the water in towels but this was a big heavy wrap, spinning in the machine was much more efficient and quicker. I then laid it out flat to dry. I did not stretch or pin it out, I just made sure the edges were as straight as possible.
I found the shawl really softened and relaxed after washing.
And if you're thinking you don't need another shawl... trust me, this is perfect as a sofa/office shawl. It looks amazing and is easy to pull over your shoulders when you feel a chill.
To recap
To can see the free pattern for the Granny Wrap at the AnnaBoos House blog.
You can buy Rico Melange Chunky here. I used 7 balls of shade 083. You can use another chunky or indeed any thickness of yarn (just change your hook size).
I used a 6mm crochet hook (I am a loose crocheter).
