Pretty Picot Paisley

 

There's a fun project going on over in the International Freeform Forum Group on Ravelry.

It's called Sensational Spirals and Pretty Paisleys...

Each week there is a new instruction for you. Then at the end of the season, you join together all your pieces to make - well, whatever you fancy!

The whole idea of freeform is that you don't follow a pattern. You just meander your way along, working whichever stitches most inspire you - until you've created a masterpiece...

Sometimes though, people don't really know where to start. Even experienced freeformers sometimes lose their mojo and need new inspiration.

Which is where a challenge like this comes in handy. If you don't know where to start, then just follow the instructions. And if half way through, you feel like you want to head off on your own tangent - then go for it.That's what freeform is all about.

Even if you feel like you need the safety net of a pattern all the way through... you'll end up with a bunch of pieces at the end of the season. And the way you choose to join them will be in your own unique style... You will have successfully completed your own UNIQUE one-of-a-kind piece!

And once again - that's what it's all about.

Oops.

Got distracted for a minute there.

I wanted to tell you that I was chosen to design this weeks instruction piece.

So here it is, my Pretty Picot Paisley:

(Instructions are below the photo)

• The sample uses 4 colours of 8 ply/DK weight yarn and a 4.0 mm hook.
• The sample one I made measures 18.5 cm (7 1/4 in) by 13 cm (5 in).
• Change yarn colour at the beginning of each round.
  
• Join each round with a slip stitch into the top of the beginning stitch of the round, and fasten off.
  
• Make a slip knot on your hook with the new yarn to begin each round.
  
• Picot – ch 4, sl st into 4th ch from hook.
  

Start: Using Pink yarn make an AMR.

Round 1 (Pink): Ch 3 (acts as first dc), 11 dc into ring, tighten tail; join – 12 dc.

Round 2 (Blue): * hdc, ch 1; repeat from * around; join – 12 hdc, 12 ch-1 spaces.

Round 3 (Apricot): * hdc into ch-1 space, ch 2; repeat from * around; join – 12 hdc, 12 ch-2 spaces.

Round 4 (Green): * 2 hdc into ch-2 space, ch 1; repeat from * around; join, but do not fasten off; ch 13, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 2 ch, [hdc in next ch, ch1] 3 times, dc in next 6 ch; sl st into next ch-2 space – 24 hdc, 11ch-1 spaces, plus paisley tail.

Round 5 (Pink): Begin in the first sc at the end of the paisley tail. 2 sc in next 3 sts, 12 sc along remainder of tail; sc in each hdc and 2 sc in each ch-1 space around; 12 sc along the underside of the tail; join – 74 sc.

Round 6 (Blue): Work all sts through BACK LOOPS ONLY. [2 sc in next st, 4 sc] 3 times, 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, [2 sc in next st, 4 sc] 8 times, [sc2tog] 2 times, 3 sc, [sc2tog] 2 times, 2 sc – 75 sc, 4 hdc, 2 dc.

Round 7 (Apricot): [2 dc, ch 2, skip 1] 23 times, 2 dc, skip 2, [2 dc, ch 1, skip 1] 2 times, 2 dc, ch 2; join – 54 dc.

Round 8 (Green): [2 sc, 2 sc in ch-2 space] 23 times, [sc2tog] 2 times, [sc in ch-1 space, sc2tog] 2 times, 2 sc in ch-2 space; join – 100 sc.

Round 9 (Pink): [4 sc, picot] 4 times, [4 sc, picot, skip 1] 15 times, [sc2tog] 4 times, picot, 2 sc, 2 sc into same st as beginning stitch of the round, picot - 21 picots.

ENJOY!