The Island Stroll CAL 2022
SistersInStitch + Yarn and Colors
“Come away with me and take a stroll by the sea and listen to the song of the ocean on the
docks. Lets saunter in the sunlight and feel the summer slowly arrive, and take a walk in the deep woods of the island. Let’s exhale and take some time to simply be, to relax and create. Let’s travel in the mind to the Swedish archipelago and all the beauty it has to show.”
Part 11: The Joining
whoop whoop!
The final week has arrived and I’m trying to wrap my head on how quickly these past weeks, and months, have passed. What began as a simple granny square blanket idea three years ago is now ending as a stunning organically shaped blanket and amazingly textured pillow, both equally beautiful and loved.
Thank you so much for being part of our Island Stroll CAL. We hope you have had lots of fun and will enjoy these last joining steps that invites you to contemplate and reminiscent about the journey that we have been on for the past ten weeks together.
Let’s begin..
A little note before we begin:
For this week we will be using different patterns for the blanket and pillow, if you are making the pillow you’ll find the pattern here.
Below you will find the downloadable pattern files: one in color and one as a printer friendly version. As we only know how to speak English (and Swedish) here at SistersInStitch: the pattern are written in US-terms and the comprehensive stitch by stitch tutorials will be shown in that too.
In the Island Stroll CAL: Stitch Guide you will find techniques, abbreviation and terminology lists to help you out a long the way, and they are including UK and Swedish shortenings!
Downloadable recourses
If you wish to view the pattern on your device: this is the file for you.
If you wish to print or just read the pattern without colors, this is the file for you.
All the tips, tricks and stitch descriptions that you’ll need throughout the CAL.
And as always, when the CAL is finished; the pattern and tutorials will all stay available here on SistersInStitch so that you can crochet whenever the time is right for you.
Now grab your yarn, scroll on down and let’s begin the crochet fun..
The Video Tutorial
The Written Pattern
Part 11: The Joining
Colorways: (Sunlight/Sea/Woods)
The final week is upon us and it’s time to join all of our beautiful octagons, squares and triangles together to form our Island Stroll Pillow. We are starting our joining process with Step 1 and joining our octagons and four of our Thumbelina squares to the Island Lily octagon. For step 2 we will be joining the aligning short sides to the pieces two together. Step 3 is to then join our four triangles to the top short sides of the Thumbelinas and the octagons. For step 4 the last four short sides of the octagons will be joined two together. Then we will close our pillows up by attaching the final Thumbelina square for step 5.
The placements
Begin by placing the Island Lily octagon as seen in the picture below: with the square shape leaning to the right.
Then place the L.A. Sunflower octagon in the same leaning pose next to the top right side; and then the Ponding Lily octagon to the bottom right in the same way. These three octagons should now all be leaning in the same way, see the orange marking.
Continue by placing the A Little Something octagon as seen in the picture on the top left of the Island Lily octagon, and the Oh I Adore octagon to the bottom right: both with the square shapes leaning to the left as seen in the green marking.
Lastly you will place four of your Thumbelina squares in the squared spaces between the octagons. After that you are ready to begin the centre join! Use stitch markers to keep them in place, or leave them on the surface and simply pick them up one by one as you go.
Note! Work with your Island Lily octagon facing towards you during the entire joining; whilst adding every other Thumbelina square and Octagon at a time facing away from you.
Check point: the 5th and 10th sc, made after a corner, should fall in a FPdc of the octagon.
Step 1. Centre join (Mustard/Denim/Pea Green) Working all stitches through both pieces; begin with a standing st in a top right ch2-sp of your center octagon and a bottom ch2-sp of a Thumbelina square:
1 sc around both ch2-sps, ch 1, *(1 sc + ch 1 in the next st, skip the next st) x 14 times, 1 sc + ch 2 of the ch2-sps of same two pieces, 1 sc around the octagon and the ch2-sp of the next piece + ch 1; rep from * til end, close with an invisible join to the second st
– Per repetition: 16 sc, 1 ch2-sp, 15 ch1-sps
Note! We are now about to join all the short sides together (the light pink in the first illustration). Keep going counter clockwise for all eight short side joins to make sure that the stitch heads leaning toward the same side.
The order to join:
1 and 2 together (Thumbelina to A Little Something) ,
then 2 and 3 together (A Little Something to Thumbelina),
then 3 and 4 together (Thumbelina to Ponding Lily),
then 4 and 5 together (Ponding Lily to Thumbelina),
then 5 and 6 together (Thumbelina to Oh I Adore),
then 6 and 7 together (Oh I Adore to Thumbelina),
then 7 and 8 together (Thumbelina to The L.A. Sunflower),
and then finally 8 and 1 together (The L.A. Sunflower to Thumbelina).
Step 2. Short side join (Mustard/Denim/Pea Green) Begin around any given space of piece 1 and 2:
*1 sl st around the next ch2-sp of a free octagon join from step 1, 1 sc around the ch2-sps + ch 1, (1 sc in the next st + ch 1, skip the next st) x 14 times. Please note that we are not working in the last ch2-sp but ends on the last sc of the side.
– Per repetition: 1 sl st, 15 sc, 15 ch1-sps
Fasten off your starting end by going through the closest single crochet of the centre join and back through the chain stitch and down the centre of your last made single crochet. Secure on the backside and be carful so it dosen’t show on the front. The video tutorial is really helpful here. Leave your working end for now, we will fasten it during the next step.
Note! You now take your triangles and place between the short sides of two joining octagons and above a Thumbelina (see the first illustration). Make sure to keep the joining pieces facing towards you whilst crocheting; and the triangle facing away from you, to have the stitch heads leaning outwards from the triangle when finished.
The order to join:
The first triangle are to be joined firstly to the top Thumbelina (1), then to the short side of the A Little Something octagon (2) and then to the short side of the L.A. Sunflower octagon (8).
The second triangle are to be joined to the left Thumbelina (3), then to the short side of the A Little Something octagon (2) and then to the short side of the Ponding Lily octagon (4).
The third triangle are to be joined to the bottom Thumbelina (5), then to the short side of the Ponding Lily octagon (4) and then to the short side of the Oh I Adore Octagon (6).
The forth triangle are to be joined to the right Thumbelina (7), then to the short side of the Oh I Adore octagon (6) and then to the short side of the L.A. Sunflower octagon (8).
Note! Make sure to go through the head of the entire stitches of both pieces whilst crocheting and keep a “lagom”/”just enough” tension.
Step 3. Triangles join (Mustard/Denim/Pea Green) With the joining pieces placed with their backsides towards each other, begin around the right corner ch2-sp of a Thumbelina AND the ch2-sp of the triangle:
*1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the Thumbelina square AND the triangle, ch 1, (1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) repeat 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1.
First corner turn
1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both pieces, ch 1, leave the triangle and make 1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the Thumbelina Square and the of the ch2-sp of the next joining octagon, ch 1.
Leave the Thumbelina square, turn your work to the right and then continue joining the short sides of the octagon and the triangle.
(1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) repeat 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1.
Second corner turn
1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both pieces, ch 1, leave the octagon you just worked in and make 1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the next joining octagon and the triangle, ch 1.
(1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) repeat 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1.
Third corner turn
1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both pieces, ch 1, leave the triangle and make 1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the octagon you are working and the ch2-sp of the Thumbelina square, ch 1.
Fasten off with an invisible join to the second stitch of the step (i.e. the first ch made). Then fasten off your working end from step 2 by going through the closest single crochet of the triangle join and back through the chain stitch and down the centre of your last made single crochet. Secure on the backside and be carful so it doesn’t show on the front.
– Per repetition: 16 sc, 15 ch1-sps
Step 4. Short side join (Mustard/Denim/Pea Green) Begin around any given ch2-sp of two octagons placed above the top of a triangle join:
1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both octagons, ch 1, (1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) repeat 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1. Please note that we are not working in the last ch2-sp but ends on the last dc of the side.
Repeat for three short sides and then fasten off the ends. The working end is sewn to the back of its section, and the starting end by going through the closest single crochet of the triangle join and back through the chain stitch and down the centre of your first made single crochet. Secure on the backside and be carful so it doesn’t show on the front. The video tutorial is really helpful here.
Then place your pillow insert inside and use stitch markers to help keep the short sides of the last two octagons close.
Work 1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both octagons, ch 1, (1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) repeat 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, fasten off as for the other short side joins.
Step 5. The final Thumbelina Square (Mustard/Denim/Pea Green)
Place the Thumbelina square in the centre and use stitch markers through the ch2-sps and FPdcs to keep it in place. With the Thumbelina square facing you (and the octagon facing away from you); begin around any given ch2-sps:
*1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the Thumbelina square AND the joining octagon, ch 1, (1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1, skip the next st of both pieces) x 13 times, 1 sc in the next st of both pieces, ch 1.
The corner turn
1 sc around the next ch2-sp of both pieces, 1 sl st into the next sc of the short side join from step 4, leave the working octagon and make 1 sc around the next ch2-sp of the Thumbelina square and around the ch2-sp of the next octagon, ch 1; rep from * til end, close with an invisible join to the second stitch and then you are done!
– Per side: 15 sc, 14 ch1-sps, 1 sl st
Well done!
Your Island Stroll Pillow is now finished!
We hope you have had a lovely time making it and will treasure it for years to come. Thank you for joining our yarn adventure. If you share on social media: please use our official hashtag #IslandStrollCAL cause we would love to see it!
Until next time..
xxx
Tess & the Yarn And Colors-team
We Are All: SistersInStitch
© 2022 Eghult Consulting AB Limited