Mixing up Motifs

Choosing a crochet project with motifs has many benefits. You can make a motif when time is short and you can crochet on the go when travelling to work or on long journeys. Crochet motif projects grow quickly and motifs work well for just about every crochet project you can think of from traditional throws and cushions to bags, jackets, hats and baby clothes and toys.

When you are designing your own crochet throw and cushions you can use the same crochet motifs throughout the throw and change the look with the way you use colour. However mixing up motifs adds interest to crochet projects and to the finished design. If you decide to mix up your design using different crochet motifs use 3 or 5 different motifs for a more easy on the eye look. Base your throw or cushion design on squares or rectangles.

Incorporate big motifs for impact. Big motifs give you more scope to use clever colour combinations for more impact and big motifs don't have to use a complicated design, I've made them using a standard granny square to good effect. From my experience whatever motifs you use simple designs always work the best. The clever use of colour and yarns is what will make your design something special and original to you.

How to do it?

1. Use one large and four small motifs that when joined together are the same size as the big motif. When you use this method join the four small motifs together before joining to the larger motif. Use the same colour yarn for the last row of your large and small motifs for a very pretty effect.
2. Make a panel the width of your throw or cushion. Doing this means you can incorporate small and large triangles and even hexagons. If you use this method you will have to make sure that your motifs will create a panel that makes a level edged rectangle. 
3. Make triangular motifs and join together to make squares
4. Make square motifs in the round and combine with textured stitched square motifs made side to side
5. Create large squares turn to make diamonds and create triangles for fillers

Super soft ripple stitch crochet scarf

I loved making this crochet ripple stitch scarf. I always find ripple stitch relaxing to do as soon as I get that first crucial row right! I start all my crochet designs with a visit to my yarn and wool room. I put together different colour yarns by choosing my favourite colours and watching trends in fashion and interior design.

One of the things I love about crochet is how easy it is to use up odd balls of yarn, left over from  bigger projects or purchases from the rummage basket in my favourite wool shop.

I had some Louisa Harding Aimee left over from a baby blanket and also some lovely Louisa Harding Willow which I had bought a year ago. This was just 2 balls which I found in the rummage box and I bought it knowing that at some time I would find a use for it!

Ripple Stitch Crochet Scarf

Last year I made a lovely ripple stitch cushion and it gave me the idea for a scarf. By making the scarf widthways I figured the scarf would be quite stretchy and luckily this worked out. I managed to grab some late summer sunshine sitting in the garden with the dogs and most of the scarf was made before an autumn wind made the garden too cold.

Ripple Stitch Crochet Cushion

I always use combinations of different yarns when I am making projects. It always makes the finished item look different and special. It does take a little care, but as long as you keep the weights the same you will be OK. I wanted a luxurious feel to the scarf and by sticking to my ‘use quality yarns’ when you can’ principle the result is just that. The combination of cashmere, alpaca, silk and Merino gives a beautiful soft plush scarf, perfect for Autumn and Winter!

It is strange how some unlikely combinations of colours look good together once you put them alongside each other or crochet up a sample and this was the case with this scarf. The two shades of pink Aimee always looked good together in my wool basket, but I wasn’t sure about the blue. Once I added in the Willow yarn they all look lovely together and made a subtle combination.

Never one to use a simple pattern I adapted a traditional ripple stitch pattern by adding some popcorn stitches and using double crochets and trebles. What do you think?

To order your ripple stitch pattern click here.....