Whilst working on hat patterns I have been doing other things, including a fair bit of crochet. This has included digging out some small crochet squares that I made last year whilst on holiday. The idea had been to make a blanket from squares crocheted at different stages of our travels through France, Spain and Portugal. As it was I got sidetracked by othe knitting projects I’d taken with me and didn’t have enough squares for a blanket. As a result they’ve sat in the bag in the corner ever since.
I did think I’d use them to make a skirt, inspired by Paul Smith’s Granny square dress, or then a jacket modelled on an adult surprise jacket that I’d knitted which is modular, and would give me the basis for the pattern layout. But neither happened. The idea is still there though…
Then as we’ve been redecorating, we decided to replace the uncomfortable Ikea dining chairs we have with some old chairs which needed re-caning that I’d been collecting. I thought when I started out as self employed that I would have more time to do things as I built up work. I really wanted to learn how to re-cane chairs as I like them so much and often you find them in a poor state of repair needing revival. It hasn’t quite worked out that way as I’ve been busier than I expected, so after 18 months Paolo decided to put wooden boards on the seats in such a way that I can come back and re-cane them later, but we can still use them in the meantime. However, this meant a need for cushion pads and so my pile of squares have been added to and new cushion covers made.
I’ve just crocheted them together and then trebled around the edge to make them fit the size of the cushions I had. Then the the two panels were crocheted together on three sides. I did 4 rows of doubles to sew the buttons onto on one of the open sides,and on the other side, a row of doubles, a row of double trebles and a another row of doubles. The gaps between the double trebles are the button holes. I’ve selected some vintage black shanked buttons from my rather large button collection and then crocheted ties so the cushions secure to the chairs.
This is the first one completed:
This is the panel for the second one with top and bottom made of the same arrangement of colours:
These were made completely from vintage yarns bought in charity shops, the plum, blue and black are all Sirdar Superwash wool and the other colours are just odds and ends including and odd ball of Sirdar superwash in white which I’d hand dyed with koolaid.
So very much a project that rose form the ashes of other intentions but I love how the cushions look and I took the Ikea chairs off to the charity shop. Hopefully the person who buys then is 6 ft tall as they seem fine for tall people but not for me, and I’d best get on with the rest of the cushions!
fibrefables 