As promised here's the pattern for the A5 size standard diary : a week per 2 pages to view.I hope you all had a good New Year celebration: we did but more of that another day, more recipes to share . I will limit the exclamation marks because although I do feel them, my sister says they are booooring.
PATTERN DETAILS:
4 mm hook
Approximately 150 g of DK cotton or yarn : the finished cover weighs 122g but thta's after working in all the ends and 2 of my colours are a bamboo mix not 100% cotton.
YARNS used:
King Cole BAMBOO cotton: 1 ball lime green and one ball turquoise.( 230 m to 100g)
ROWAN handknit cotton: one ball dark red and one ball bright orange.( 90m to 50g)
Sirdar DK cotton: dark navy blue.( not labelled as from a market)
Wendy DK Supreme cotton : golden yellow ( looks like a pale orange)
Stitches used:
Chain: ch
Double crochet: dc ( USA : sc)
Crab stitch or revere dc ( USA :reverse sc)
It was made in 3 pieces and then crocheted( badly) together but could be sewn together or crocheted in one piece.It is made slightly ( 1- 3 cm) smaller than the diary size so it fits snugly.
Gauge: approximately 15 dc stitches and 20 rows to 10 by 10 cm.
MAIN OUTSIDE COVER PIECE:
Foundation and row 1: ch 33 and then work dc in third ch from hook, dc to end: 32 sts.( in turquoise)
Change colour when about to work last dc in the last ch: choose a new colour and work it in when there are 2 loops on the hook, pull new colour in and turn.
Row 2:*Ch1 and work 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, continue in dc with the last one into the top of the turning chain, this is also where you change colour again.
Row 3-32 Repeat row 2. ( last colour change was from golden yellow to turquoise)
Row 33 Having changed to the colour choice for the spine( in my case turquoise) ch1 and work a dc in third stitch from hook in the BACK loop only, work dc in BACK loop only for remaining 31 sts.
The BACK loop is the one furthest away from your body when crocheting.
This creates a natural fold line.
Row 34 and 35 : repeat row 2 but keep the same colour. ( turquoise) Change colour at the end of row 35 in the usual way. ( from turquoise to navy)
Row 36 : CH1, work dc in the front loop of the third st from hook and then 1 dc in every stitch using only the front loop to the end of the row. Change colour on the end of the last stitch as usual.
Row 37-68 Repeat row 2, changing colour on every row, maintaining 32 sts.
Ending on a row to match the spine if you so wish.
INSIDE COVER : MAKE 2Foundation: 33 ch.
Row 1 as row 1 for outside cover.
Row 2 : as row 2 for front cover except colour changes now take place after 2 rows of a colour with an occasional single row in a colour.
Row 3-32 as row 2 for outside cover ; ending on row 32 with the colour for the spine.
row33: Reverse dc or crabstitch in the colour that matches the spine.
MAKING UP:Work in all ends neatly.
Lay the inside covers on the outside cover- matching sides and edges and leaving the spine uncovered- and work a dc using the spine colour all the way around working through the 2 thicknesses. ( a good place to start is one corner at the spine)
Where you are working a dc into the end of a stripe as at the top or bottom edges, try to make the dc into the end of each row and at a consistent depth. At the corners: work 3 dc in one stitch to create the turn and then work one dc into each stitch at the left and right- hand edges.
Hold the outside cover facing you when you work this dc edge.
Optional: finish with a crabstitch row all around.
To insert the diary: holding diary by the middle pages insert half of each card cover side into the crocheted ''pockets'' stretching and adjusting as you ease the diary fully into it's new ''coat''.
Colour sequence used- as guidance only:
Turquoise = A
Orange handknit cotton = B
GOLDEN YELLOW=C
Navy = D
Lime green = E
Red= F
Rows as per number for outside cover:
1, A
2B
3C
1, A
2B
3C
4D
5E
6C
7A
8F
9D
10B
11E
12A
13C
14D
15B
16F
17E
18C
19A
20B
21D
22A
23F
24E
25C
26B
27E
28D
29A
30F
31B
32C
33,34,35 A
33,34,35 A
Pippa on 27 February: such a very very BIG tummy....
