60 Million Trebles is a charity project where crochet blankets are made for refugees. A treble is the name of a stitch in crochet and as there will be 60 Million refugees worldwide this year, each stitch represents a person, so please think about joining with us and breaking a record.
I've had a refresher in what a treble stitch is having been taught as a child by mum and nanny (we called my grandmother nanny, I didn't have a Mary Poppins type nanny honestly). It didn't take long, and I was off, and so far I've made a start of several, these are just chain stitch and treble stitch. The project needs to be big and they need thousands of people to join.
Each person will be making blankets 36inches square and these will be joined together to make one record breaking huge one. The world record breaking blanket will become a yarn bomb in London by September 2017.
I am using up all my odds and ends stash, which is actually pretty large, so I hope to make many blankets. To learn to do this stitch and to make a blanket you only need to know how to do two stitches, which can easily be learnt on You Tube.
For technical information and, further down the line, drop off points for your blankets, there is a facebook group but in the mean time perhaps you can just get together with some friends, learn to make crochet squares and start on some 36 inch blankets.
I will be trying to organise a small get together myself, in Northampton in September so watch out on my Facebook and Instagram for information.
This blog has been shortlisted for an #IBA16 award, please vote for me by clicking on this link http://www.interiorblogawards.com/vote/janice-issitt-life-style/
When I was a youngster, way way back in time, my Mum and Nan used to crochet, I don't know why they preferred it to knitting, so I learnt to crochet, only teaching myself to knit quite recently. However, it was so long ago that I had completely forgotten how to form the stitches in crochet, so after a refresher on 'you tube', it came back to me, it was like riding a bicycle.
The reason for my renewed interest was a project by Nicki Trench as part of her Crochet Club. I've worked with Nicki a few times, as knitter and photographer, she is just so brilliant at making contemporary patterns, so far removed from the toilet roll dollies that my Nan made (oh the horror of them), they took the form of a crinoline lady, a barbie doll dressed in crochet costume, her skirt forming the cover for your unsightly toilet roll paper! Just too hilarious for words, but bang on trend in 1970.
The Crochet club lets it's members have one pattern a month, discounted yarns and special offers and events, well worth the 3.50 per month.
The stitches for the dreamcatcher uses chain stitch, double crochet and triple/treble stitch, plus some cluster stitches which Nicki explains how to do in the pattern.
Other than the yarn and hook you will need an embroidery hoop, some ribbons, feathers and beads.
I was fortunate to be able to use some treasured finds, feathers which I have collected when on rescues for the animal hospital (Swans and pheasant) and some picked up from the aviary which houses the Eagle Owls.
The beads were given to me years ago by my father, who worked in Cairo and collected wonderful things from the Souk. I was always making jewellery so he found me these silver ornate bedouin beads.
Im so pleased with the result that I may make some more, the crocheting was very enjoyable, although my first attempt wasn't brilliant I felt I had got in the rhythm the second time.
Have a look at Nicki's website for all the things she has to offer, including the crochet club, find her over at nickitrench.com
