Those who know me well will know that somehow when following a pattern I usually do something that is not quite right or misunderstand it in some way, shape or form!
On completing the first square I measured it and discovered it was a cm or two larger than suggested dimensions, so after a spot of advice from my best friend Anthony via text I decided to go along and retry a square using a smaller hook (size 3).
The second attempt was still slightly over but was not too much bigger, so as it looked pretty, I set about mass production of squares. By the time I managed to crochet 8 squares, I took it with me to 'Stitch & Bitch' our little Wednesday wool craft group founded by Norah a friend of Anthony's and held at Anthony's house, usually once a fortnight. It was there Anthony watched me crocheting my ninth square and explained I was doing the wrong stitch!!!
After looking at the pattern he explained that it was written in English terms and I had made 9 squares using American Trebles! They looked neat enough and I had made 9 squares, so rather than pull them back, I decided to soldier on with the more tricky stitch and make the remaining 7 squares!
Sometimes you can be lucky and despite things going tits up, they come out right in the wash! On this occasion I was lucky and via default created my own custom cushion pattern! I persevered and completed the squares and acquired a plain blue cushion cover to attach them to and a cushion pad.
I fiddled about arranging the colours so that they were ordered at random and no two together would be the same. Very much against my usual eye for symmetry for those who know me well. I generally like patterns to be the same on both sides or include some kind of logical order, but the against my rules randomness suggested in the book very much worked on the cushion.
I began the slow process of stitching the squares together, they looked rather neat in between but at the edge where the squares tessellated they had shorter edges than the center edges of the squares causing a slight curving to my work.
I made a little dog in the meantime for my work colleague and then continued to attach the remaining squares. Once all the squares were attached I visited Anthony's and having sewn half way round in American trebles, he immediately said that he suggested I pull the stitches back and try doing English ones and use the longer stitch in between to try and straighten the curving in at the seams.
I took his advice to pull them back once more and use English trebles except for where the joins met and then used a longer American treble to even out the length. Despite the huff and puff I had at pulling back my work; it was good sound advice as ever as the results were a much more even square! As he would quote "I don't know why you doubt me, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to crochet!" He is undoubtedly correct!
I continued around the edge once more and it looked large enough to attach to the cover. Again on Anthony's advice I ironed the crochet upside down in between two towels before embarking on sewing it to the front. I managed to attach it quite well except for one edge where it had got folded when the manufacturers had ironed it and the edge was slightly out! As soon as Anthony spotted it I had to re pull it back and restitch as it bugged me straight away and I'm so glad I did.
Very pleased with the finished results! Finally completed at Anthony's house on the 23rd of July 2016!
