In Part 20 of Sophie’s Universe, I am going to tell you how to make the optional border. Before I do that, though, I am quickly going to talk about “growing” your Sophie if she isn’t big enough for you yet.
Update: I have had a few queries about the border. You do not have to add the squares in Part 19 to be able to make this border. Below Materials you will see bullet points that tell you how to adapt the border if you have added the squares.
“Growing Sophie”
If you would like to make your Sophie even bigger, I suggest purchasing a copy of Jean Holzman’s Stitch Sampler pattern (available HERE as an electronic download).
I wanted this pattern so badly that I purchased the book it was originally published in, Afghans for All Seasons, from Amazon. I paid quite a bit of money for it too, especially considering that it still had a $5 sale sticker on it when I received it Wednesday morning! Literally 3 hours after I purchased it, Leisure Arts announced that they had released it as a stand-alone e-pattern “due to popular demand”. I have now bought that as well. The pattern costs $6.99, and I think it is a valuable investment for anyone wanting to grow future projects.
Stitch Sampler has 81 glorious rounds, 62 of which are usable as growing options (because the first 19 rounds are used to create a square and won’t work on an existing square if that makes sense).
This blanket contains many stitches we have already used (Crossed Doubles, Popcorn Stitches, Clusters, V-stitches) as well as some we never got to use, making it perfect to continue your “learning journey”.
If you DO want to grow Sophie using the Stitch Sampler pattern, I suggest starting with Round 31. To make Round 31, you will need a multiple of 6 stitches in the last round of Sophie, and it just so happens that you do! If you have added squares to two sides of Sophie, you will need to add two stitches to these “short sides” somewhere to get back to a stitch count of 216 (not including corner spaces), as the squares have a stitch count of 214 (not including corner spaces).
If you want to start with any other round, I suggest that you “fudge” the first round you choose to make it work with the last round of Sophie. Once you have “made” the first round work, the rest will be fine.
Sophie’s Universe Part 20 – Betty’s Beautiful Border (BBB)
©Betty Byers 2014. All Rights Reserved. Tutorial for BBB ©Dedri Uys 2014.
Resources
- Add this CAL to your Ravelry Queue
- Sophie’s Universe CAL 2015 Information
- Use the Print-friendly button at the bottom (right) of this post to print/save this tutorial. Don’t know how? Find out HERE.
- **Betty’s Beautiful Border Video Tutorial** by Esther Dijkstra from It’s All in a Nutshell
Translations
- Dutch Translation by Dianne Baan
- German Translation by Maja Heidingsfelder
- Spanish Translation by Lynda Hernandez
- French Translation by Sandra Larvin (with Video Tutorials by Géraldine Cymer)
- Danish Translation by Tina Poulsen
- Russian Translation (with Video) by Natalie V. Alimpieva
- Swedish CAL Information by Emma Vingqvist, Agnetha Magnusson, Åza Karlsson, and Ulrika Larsson
Materials
For the purposes of this tutorial I am using Scheepjeswol Cotton 8 (available from Deramores) and a 3.25 mm Clover Amour Crochet Hook
- I have supplied estimates for the yardages you will need to complete Betty’s Beautiful Border. These estimates are only applicable if you are going to use BBB with the optional squares. If you would like to grow your Sophie some more before adding the border, you are going to have to play it by ear.
- To be able to make the first Round of BBB, you will need a multiple of 3 + 1 stitches along every side (not counting corner ch-2 spaces). The last round of Sophie’s Universe has a multiple of 3 stitches (216). You can either add a double-crochet base round, which will add 4 stitches to this stitch count, or you can skip Rounds 1 and 2 of the border completely (they are both just dc rounds anyway) and start with Round 3.
- If you have added squares to two sides of Sophie, the “short sides” will no longer be a multiple of 3, but rather a multiple of 3 + 1. {214 stitches (not including corner spaces) = 3*71 + 1}. You will need to skip 1 extra stitch somewhere along the short sides to make the stitch count for the border work out. Esther has done this by skipping 2 st’s at the end of each short side in Round 3 of the border, rather than one.
Betty’s Beautiful Border |
||||||
| Yardage supplied supposes that you have made the optional squares from Part 19. | ||||||
| Small | Medium | Large | ||||
| Base Round | Moors | 62 | Cyclamen | 85 | Moonstone | 95 |
| Round 1 | Light Purple | 65 | Violet | 90 | Moonstone | 100 |
| Round 2 | Light Turquoise* | 68 | Light Blue | 95 | Moonstone | 105 |
| Round 3 | Light Green | 45 | Olive | 65 | Lemon Quartz | 72 |
| Round 4 | Canary | 88 | Canary | 125 | Corrundum Ruby | 135 |
| Round 5 | Light Turquoise | 38 | Light Blue | 50 | Moonstone | 60 |
| Round 6 | Turquoise | 75 | Dark Turquoise | 105 | Deep Amathyst | 110 |
| Round 7 | Light Turquoise** | 78 | Light Blue | 110 | Moonstone | 118 |
| Round 8 | Light Green*** | 80 | Olive | 115 | Canada Jade | 125 |
| Total meters | 599 | 840 | 920 | |||
I have had to substitute some colours due to user error. The user being me, and the error being not ordering my Light Turquoise on time. I have had to use shades of pink to make up for the fact that I couldn’t use Light Turquoise, but as soon as my Light Turquoise arrives, I will be frogging and redoing with the above colours. You can see the colours I used below.
- *Violet
- **Light Pink
- ***Fuchsia
Tutorial for Betty’s Beautiful Border
Once you have decided which approach you are going to take, head over to the tutorial for Betty’s Beautiful Border, which you can find HERE.
Esther has once again let me use one of her photos so that you can see the blanket completed with the squares and the border.
Next week I will go over the optional surface crochet and anything else that might still need chatting about. I hope to see you back here for the farewell party!
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Georgina Earl says
Hi Dedri, I am using the Scheepjes whirl but I have a question regarding the amounts needed to finish. I assume that 3 balls will be enough but would there be any over to do the squares and a bigger border? Perhaps I could use the whirlette to finish? I would value your opinion please on what to do.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Georgina,
You won’t have much left over. If you want to do a bigger border and the squares, I suggest buying an extra whirl and a whirlette or two. I would wait until you are close to the end so that you can gauge how much more you will need. Largely because it will be dependent on your personal gauge.
Have fun!
Dragana Mićanović says
Hi, Dedri! Your project is beautiful!! I’m making it for my nephew and I’ve started the round 1 of the border. Could you please tell me the exact number of stiches for the long and for the short side without ch-2 spaces ( I’ve added the squares) becouse I’m a bit confused :)
Dedri Uys says
Short Side: 214 sts (not including ch-2 corner sps).
Long Side: 264 sts (not including ch-2 corner sps).
Please note that the ch-2 corner sps ONLY refer to the 4 corners of the blanket, not the ch-2 sps between squares along the side, which should be counted as sts.
Note From Border: If you have added squares to two sides of Sophie, the “short sides” will no longer be a multiple of 3, but rather a multiple of 3 + 1. {214 stitches (not including corner spaces) = 3*71 + 1}. You will need to skip 1 extra stitch somewhere along the short sides to make the stitch count for the border work out.
Mill Løkke says
Thank you for this great pattern. Can you please help me. I dont know how to begin. What to store and what to print. Cant find all parts . The hook looks so very sad and lonely. Mill with messy pinboards.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Mill. If you scroll to the bottom of THIS POST, you will find all the parts for Sophie. No more lonely hook.
Lucy says
I have just finished my first, yes I’m going to do more, firstly let me thank you for creating such a beautiful masterpiece & also to Esther for her absolutely awesome videos, I take my hat off to you both.Being a complete novice this was my first attempt at anything like this & now my next challenge is going to be to enlarge her. The one I’ve just completed is somewhat “puckered” in the middle & while I’m not overly happy with that part I can deal with it being its my first, however do you have any hints for maybe avoiding that in my next one….thanks again.
Elizabeth says
OMGosh I about fell over when I saw the afghan book you have in this post!! I have it, it was my mother’s. When she passed away I took all her yarn I when I saw that pattern I knew one day I would make that blanket out of her yarn..and I DID!! It’s beautiful and is what began my love for crochet again!!!!
Dedri Uys says
What a beautiful tribute to your mom, Elizabeth. The Stitch Sampler is a gorgeous blanket :)
Sharon Wiggins says
Hi Dedri,
I was wondering if you had a photo of the “Cotton 8” completed blanket. I have printed out all the instructions and wanted a photo to put on the front of my binder. That is the one I am working on and wanted to show my in-laws what it is going to look like when I get done. We haven’t seen them in quite awhile and are going out to see them soon. Thank you.
Jenny says
Check out Dedri’s Instagram – barbertondaisy – for a pic of the ‘small’ Sophie.
https://instagram.com/p/1YQG1nPR5g/
Dedri Uys says
Sharon, if you look at the thumbnails at the start of part 18, you will see one for the Cotton 8 blanket. Clicking on it will bring up the large image.
Selly says
Dedri,
Im in love… with your blanket… with the patterns… I cant stop looking at them.
Its awesome!!!!!!
And your comments five me the confedent that I can do it too!
First I have to finish my other blanket, but than… Sophie it is!
Thank you so, so much!
Dedri Uys says
Selly, you are so welcome. Hurry up and finish your other blanket!
Carol says
This was and is my first crochet along afghan. Haven’t finished it yet but will surely do that. Thank you so very much for all your hard work and patience too. You are super woman!!
big hugs,
Carol
Dedri Uys says
Thanx, Carol xx
Charlene Boardman says
Dear Deadri,
Thank you for all your hard work, your inspiration, your dedication and everything you put into Sophie’s Universe! Although none of my 3 SU’s are nearly finished, I absolutely love this piece, and certainly will finish all three! I look forward to all that comes next from you! Oh and btw, big ups from South Africa to one of our own!
Charlene Boardman says
I am soooo sorry for the typo Dedri, I was on auto-pilot!
Patty Rogers says
Dedri, just a big thank you for sharing your Sophie’s Universe. I’m way behind but have saved all the info so I can continue when I have the time. Have enjoyed the time spent crocheting and reading all the comments from other group members. Have already gotten so many positive comments on the project. It’s lovely. Thanks again.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Patty.
You are so welcome. Thank you for taking the time to comment :)
Kari Longman says
Hi Dedri
I am a crochet-loving, full-time working mom of three living in Cape Town. I can honestly say this must be the most exciting online crochet project I have ever come across! I fit my crochet in generally in the evenings, whilst watching TV, and am currently on row 58. I generally only manage a row a night, if I’m lucky, especially as Sophie’s Universe grows! It is so exciting to look ahead to see what it will / can finally become (which is a thing of true magnificence).
My deepest thanks and appreciation for the fact that you have so generously decided to pen this whole beautiful creation down for so many of us across the world to share (and in such a comprehensive and detailed way). You are an absolute gem and I would love to meet you (a fellow South African) one day! In fact, we are in the UK from 26 June until 6 July, but I guess the chances of getting to meet you are slim!
Kindest regards,
Kari
Dedri Uys says
Hi Kari.
Thank you for your wonderful comment. Could you please email me using the Contact Me tab at the top of this page? I’d love to talk to you about meeting up,
Dedri
Sue Dennis says
Hi Dedri Just finished my Sophie today, I did an extra three rounds of trebles before doing BBB, 1020 stitches on the last round. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this project, you are such a clever lady. This brings crochet to a new dimension. I have only been crocheting for two years, so feel real proud of myself. xxx