Crocheted Bangle Bracelet

Hello again blog world. I have been away too long. I'll get right onto the bracelet now.

I finally finished the crocheted bracelet that I have been promising you all. It isn't bad for my first attempt, but I am a bit disappointed in the size. I have very small wrists and the "bangle" made from the glass is a bit big on me...but the granny squares turned out great and I am very happy with them. I will be making another bracelet WITHOUT the plastic bangle insert. That is another blog, though.

Here are all the supplies I used for the crocheted part (the only other item used is the plastic "bangle" made from the glass-see previous blog:. Four different colors of size 10 crochet thread, and a size 5 hook.

I have a few granny squares started (sitting on top of the pink thread). I made a total of six granny squares for this bracelet, but you can make as many or as few as you choose to. Only one would look quite striking on a solid background.

Here they are after the second round has been crocheted. (Aren't they such cute little things?)

And this is after the third round has been added. Looks like a granny square now. (I just love these colors!)


Once the granny squares were completed, I started joining them with a sc (single crochet). I held two squares together with the wrong sides together, and I worked sc in each stitch from one corner to the other. Once I reached the corner, I opened the two joined squares and continued to sc along the edge of ONE square. When I reached the next corner, I placed another square wrong side to the wrong side of the square I just stitched and I worked sc in each stitch of BOTH squares from that corner to the next. I then opened those squares up and proceeded to sc along up the remaining "raw" edge of the middle square and then continued along the raw edge of the other "original" (the first two squares) middle square. Once I reached the far corner of the second original beginning square, I placed a fourth square wrong side to the wrong side of second original square and worked sc through them both from corner to corner. I opened those squares up and worked sc back down the last raw edge of the second original square. I now have four squares joined, with sc worked completely around the center two. I tied off and cut thread.

Now I attached the thread at the corner where I joined the first and third squares. I worked sc along the edge until I got to the corner, then I joined the fifth square to the third from corner to corner. Then I worked sc on the third square back to the opposite corner where I joined the first square to the third square. I now have squares one, two and three completely surrounded. I tied and cut thread. I repeated this step to add the sixth square to the fourth square on the opposite end.

After all the squares are joined, I have to finish the edging on the fifth and sixth squares. So I attached the thread at the corner where the third and fifth squares are joined and worked sc around the fifth square, tying off and cutting thread at the opposite corner where the third and fifth squares join. I attached thread again at the corner where the fourth and sixth squares are joined and worked sc around as I did before.

Whooooo...Now the hard part is over! From here on out, I just worked sc back and forth on one end until the bracelet was long enough to go around the plastic bangle. (If leaving the plastic out, make it long enough to fit comfortably around your wrist...remembering to take into consideration the method you will use as a fastener.) * Do NOT cut thread.*

Once it was long enough, I started working sc down the long edge of one side to make the bracelet wide enough to wrap around the inside of the bangle. I worked sc back and forth until it was wide enough, then tied off and cut thread, leaving a tail long enough to lace or stitch the crocheted piece around the plastic piece.

So now I whip stitched the ends together, slid the plastic bracelet into the crocheted sleeve and proceeded to whip stitch the edge together around the plastic. Tie off and weave in loose ends.
NOTE: some of the loose ends can be hidden under other sc stitches as you crochet and/or hidden when you sew the crochet onto the plastic.

And FINALLY here is the finished product!

As I said, it's a bit big for my wrist but it fit my Mom perfect. :-)

I am now working on a crocheted stuffed baby elephant for my oldest niece's baby boy. He will be here in April (her birth month also!) so I have a bit of time to finish it. It is REALLY easy though, so I will be done with it WAY before then. I got the pattern from redheart.com. Instead of using boring ole gray yarn like they did, I'm using some pretty variegated blue/white/mauve yarn. I think Cole will love it. (Babies do like colors!) I will post pictures when it is finished. I will be writing a blog with pictures of all the stuff I made for baby Cole!