Designed by Lucia Dunn of Lucia's Fig Tree, hosted in our magazine!  

Part 2 is out now in issue 28!  

Every issue, we are bringing you 2 squares to create your own beautiful and colourful sampler blanket, with each issue designed to challenge you with a new skill, and allow you to relax with, or build upon, a more familiar skill. This might be a stitch you are familiar with (such as regular double crochet), or it has you build on something you've done previously in the CAL.  

Because some squares are designed to challenge your skills, it does require some new techniques - so we hope this article will help you to understand some of the techniques needed, and every issue we will bring you blog posts and videos to help you master the stitches needed! If you haven't already, make sure to join our Facebook group for helpful hints, support, and a great place to simple chat to other readers about how you are getting on with the CAL! And if you have a specific question about the CAL or the magazine, please email contact@crochetnow.co.uk and someone will get back to you.  

Cross stitching on crochet

This month, the charming Birdie square instructs us to embroider a picture onto a base of double crochet, using the cross-stitch technique. This method looks striking, and much more complex than it actually is!

This is the cross-stitch technique that we have used for this square: below you can see how it works on your work. The numbers are showing you in which order you need to thread the yarn.

Before you start, you need to spot where the 'squares' are on your crochet. Your stitches will always be worked over square stitches. Look at the white box in the image above. Starting from the arrow, can you see that each dc actually leaves 4 little gaps in your work around itself? Think of these gaps as where you need to thread your yarn through when cross-stitching. Starting from the back, push your needle through to the front and bring your yarn through, leaving a small tail behind your work. This is point 1.

Now push the needle from front to back, into point 2, as above.

Bring your needle from back to front, in point 3.

Carry on in this way, until you fill all of the colours in that section/row in one direction, as above. You will then work back along the stitches in the same way, simply working in the opposite corners of your squares.

By working your stitches this way, you embroidery will be lovely and neat! Remember, in the CAL you will be working with the yarn held double, even in cross-stitch, and when you finish your embroidery, make sure your yarn is woven through, and cut, at the back of your work.    

Want to join in?

Join the conversation in our Official Facebook Group, and make sure to use the #riseandshinecal when sharing your pictures online so we can see how you are getting on.  

You can buy Crochet Now issue 27 (part 1) and issue 28 (part 2) online here, or subscribe digitally and never miss an issue here! And if you want to be the first to read Crochet Now, never miss an issue and always receive fabulous free gifts, why not subscribe today?

http://www.crochetnow.co.uk/2724/rise-shine-crochet-along-parts-1-and-2/