Crochet Pillowcase Edging

Surfing blogs is a dangerous activity. An activity that results in  spending more time getting distracted by, than actually creating the projects that they inspire! You also end up with a list of "want-to-do" projects a mile long, and as I am  an unorganised blog follower/ bookmarker, I know I have seen an idea somewhere and when I come to find it even more hours are pleasantly wasted getting distracted by even more "must make" ideas!

In this case though, I knew I had seen an idea and I knew where it was. I was in the middle of a three year epic, making a flowery crocheted throw which will be the topic of another "catch up" post soon.  The pattern for the throw I had bookmarked, but in doing so I also spied the lovely pillowcases Beata sells in her Etsy shop on her Rosehip blog. Trouble is you then want to make them yourself and not buy them!  I know wanting is bad, but making your wants makes it OK, doesn't it? Back then I didn't have the time, or know about Ravelry, the most amazing and by far the best knitting and crochet resource on the web. You can find any pattern in the yarn world on Rav!

So I did a Rav pattern search for crochet on "pillowcase edging" and there was a perfect pattern from Cassie at You Go Girl, and Cassie had kindly posted free tutorials. I bought one ball of Rowan Hand Knit cotton, at vast expense, in a gorgeous light olivey green (Celery) shade to coordinate with the IKEA Cath Kidston Rosali pillowcases I had, from buying the material for the Sweet 16 quilt in my first post. Even better, Cassie also acknowledges the inspiration for her design came from the Rosehip Blog, and that is how the love in the blog world goes round!

So I am contemplating edging some pillowcases for said "Sweet 16 (sic) daughter.  

The worst bit by far was straightening out the 15 x "width of pillowcase" length of yarn for blanket stitching, boy did it twizzle. Fifteen times the width, for goodness sake that breaks all the rules of "no longer than half an arm's length" we were taught!!!! It probably took me a couple of hours to do the blanket stitching around the edge as the foundation for the crochet edging, using doubled yarn, and although I thought it was too loose it turns out it should have been looser again as it did pucker when finished.

The crocheting was fine, a lovely straightforward tutorial from Cassie, but I should have searched out a 3.75mm hook as she advised, I was lazy and a 4mm was what I had to hand! I made this on a hot summer’s evening watching the Eurovision Final.

So here is the not very perfect first one, that blanket stitch has to be positively baggy!

Practice makes nearly perfect, the second attempt was much faster and easier, isn't that always the case? I am trying!! The Rowan 100% cotton yarn I used is a bit stiff, I think a softer one would be easier to work, perhaps a bamboo mix as advised.

Back at the end of May the weather was nice..... so I could mess about outside trying to take a decent photo.

...and a close up

This one is better, and many apologies if daisies and buttercups on the lawn offend you, I love them and they are one of the few things that grow for me.

Crochet Pillowcase Edging

The family were rather bemused by the uselessness of my creation but so what..... a touch of "just because you can" every now and then is good for the soul.

...and finally..... I "just" managed 2 pillowcases out of an 85m hank of yarn with 1m spare, so it may be better to go with a slightly bigger ball and/or a slightly lighter weight to be on the safe side if you're after a pair.