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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Romantic Rendezvous Introduction

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Contents Crochet-Along ................................................................................................................................... 3

What is a crochet-along? ............................................................................................................... 3

Romantic Rendezvous CAL ............................................................................................................ 3

Yarn Kits ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Materials ........................................................................................................................................... 5

ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 ply ............................................................................................... 5

Finished Size ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Gauge ................................................................................................................................................ 6

ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 ply ................................................................................................ 6

Hook Size .......................................................................................................................................... 6

Difficulty ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Yarn................................................................................................................................................... 7

USA to UK Conversions ...................................................................................................................... 8

Terms of Use ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Care Instructions ............................................................................................................................... 8

Why Block? ................................................................................................................................... 8

Setting Colors ................................................................................................................................ 8

Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................... 9

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 10

Testers ........................................................................................................................................ 10

Blog and Website Support ........................................................................................................... 10

Yarn ............................................................................................................................................ 10

Resources.................................................................................................................................... 10

Inspiration ................................................................................................................................... 10

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Crochet-Along

What is a crochet-along? A crochet-along (CAL) is a crochet project that multiple people participate in simultaneously. A pattern is generally released over a period of time, e.g. weekly, monthly, etc. The time period would be largely dependent upon the size and complexity of the item being made. CALs are fun, because there is always someone in the group that is willing to assist those who are less experienced. Those who participate are encouraged to post pictures of their Work in Progress (WIP) as this encourages and motivates others in the group. It is also a good way for beginners to learn new stitches and stitch combinations.

Romantic Rendezvous CAL This design celebrates romantic love. My wish for you is that you have been blessed to have known a special love, or maybe this is still in your future? The initial overwhelming attraction. The excitement and anticipation of things to come. Remember, or imagine, that incredible feeling of romantic love;

The breath-taking thrill of meeting that special person. The realisation that this meeting is no coincidence but a serendipitous moment in time. A moment that establishes a deep connection that merges two into one;

The love of your life sends you a beautiful bunch of flowers. An unexpected treat with a beautifully crafted message of love attached;

Starlight walks on a deserted beach with just the moon and stars to accompany you. Warm waves lapping at your bare feet. Your hands joined in perfect harmony. All is good with the world;

The moment you see your love across a crowded room and your heart skips a beat. You walk towards each other and you are enfolded in a warm and loving embrace. You feel safe and cherished;

The celebration of your commitment to each other. The popping of champagne and the clinking of crystal glasses raised in a toast. The tingling of the bubbles as you take a sip. Eyes meeting, gazes filled with the promise of great things to come.

I have incorporated some of these feelings and elements of romantic love into Romantic Rendezvous. Romantic Rendezvous is a companion pattern to my Dearly Beloved. Dearly Beloved comprised of squares joined together. Romantic Rendezvous is worked in one piece. If you are familiar with Dearly Beloved, you will recognise some of the pattern elements.

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Subscribers - CAL Participation

o This CAL (to be released in 6 Parts) is available to all subscription members of The

Neave Collection. Login and click or tap here to access the pattern page on the

website.

o The complete file (the introduction and all 6 parts combined into a single PDF file)

will also be available to subscribers at the end of the CAL.

o Subscription Options

6 Month Subscription – unlimited access to ALL patterns.

12 Month Subscription - unlimited access to ALL patterns.

Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled by the subscriber.

Non-subscribers - CAL Participation

o If you do not wish to take out a subscription, you may purchase the CAL as an

individual item. Click or tap here to visit The Neave Collection online store. This

option will give you full access to the Romantic Rendezvous CAL parts as well as

access to the complete file (all 6 parts combined into a single PDF file) at the end of

the CAL.

o The CAL is also available through Ravelry. Click or tap here.

Complete Pattern

o At the end of the CAL, approximately 2 weeks after the final part has been

published, the complete pattern (the Introduction and all 6 parts combined into a

single PDF file) will be available to purchase from The Neave Collection online store

and through Ravelry.

This CAL will be administered from a Facebook Group called The Neave Collection as well as

from my blog.

The written pattern is supported by video tutorials. These are available in both right- and

left-handed versions. Links to the videos are provided in the written pattern and on the

applicable page on my blog.

The CAL will be released in 6 parts as follows: o Introduction: Before 7 March 2020 o Part 1 20 March 2020 o Part 2 27 March 2020 o Part 3 3 April 2020 o Part 4 10 April 2020 o Part 5 17 April 2020 o Part 6 24 April 2020

With the support of the video tutorials, it is believed that even beginners would be able to complete the project. An understanding of basic crochet stitches is required.

Yarn Kits 100% Cotton Yarn Kits are available from ColourSpun. Tap or click here to view options and purchase a kit.

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Materials

ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 ply 3.5 Crochet hook (E4 in US size) Tapestry needle for sewing away the yarn tail ends Scissors Stitch markers Tape measure

ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 ply

(125m / 137 yards per 50g) Tap or click here to view kit options

Quantity*

Color 067 Venice

6 x 50g = 300g 6 x 1.8oz = 10.8oz

6 x 125 = 750 meters 6 x 137 = 822 yards

Color 068 Heather

6 x 50g = 300g 6 x 1.8oz = 10.8oz

6 x 125 = 750 meters 6 x 137 = 822 yards

Color 069 Mermaids Treasure

6 x 50g = 300g 6 x 1.8oz = 10.8oz

6 x 125 = 750 meters 6 x 137 = 822 yards

Color 070 Turtle

9 x 50g = 450g 9 x 1.8oz = 16.2oz

9 x 125 = 1,125 meters 9 x 137 = 1,233 yards

Color 071 Pine

6 x 50g = 300g 6 x 1.8oz = 10.8oz

6 x 125 = 750 meters 6 x 137 = 822 yards

Color 072 Sea Glass

6 x 50g = 300g 6 x 1.8oz = 10.8oz

6 x 125 = 750 meters 6 x 137 = 822 yards

*Yarn quantities are provided as a guideline only. Bear in mind that gauge differences and yarn differences may affect the size of the blanket.

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Finished Size

Approximately 155 x 155 cm / 61 x 61 inches.

Gauge

Whilst gauge is less important when making an item such as a throw, it will affect the quantities of yarn required. It is very important to work with a consistent gauge (tension). This is especially true when working with complicated mixtures of stitches and techniques. The best advice I can give is that you lay your work down after each round to ensure that it is lying flat. This is a good indicator that your gauge is correct. There will be times when I will indicate that the work may be a bit wavy/curly while working a section. When I specifically make mention of this, then there is no need to worry – subsequent rounds will correct the “wave or curl”.

ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 ply 11cm edge to edge at end of Round 8. You can also make a swatch if you prefer to check your gauge this way: Gauge worked in sc and measured over 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 inches) must be: 20 rows x 17 sts

Hook Size

If you have a loose tension, it is recommended that you adjust your hook sizes down from the recommended sizes in this pattern.

If you have a particularly tight tension, you may wish to adjust your hook sizes up.

Difficulty

I have given this pattern an Intermediate rating. With the assistance of the video tutorials, I believe that even beginners would be able to easily complete the project, however, you would need to have basic crochet skills, as this is not a “how to crochet” project.

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Yarn The preferred yarn used in this pattern sample is ColourSpun Pure Cotton DK / 8 Ply. ColourSpun is a South African brand, which we are justifiably very proud of for the following reasons:

ColourSpun yarn is created by hand; therefore, each skein is imbued with the artist's energy and will have its own unique characteristics.

Cotton is the most used textile fiber in the world. It is a non-allergenic cellulose fiber that doesn't irritate sensitive skin and is ideal for warmer weather.

ColourSpun Pure Cotton Yarn is ring spun, (a process that gives greater durability while maintaining softness, making it perfect for knitting and crochet) from the finest quality, locally produced, pure, natural cotton and Colored by hand in the ColourSpun studio using a chemical free, earth-friendly process. All the dyes used are GOTS approved and have excellent wash-fast and light-fast properties.

If you decide to use a different weight yarn, your throw will not be the same size as the sample made in this pattern. Refer to chart below for more information on yarn types.

Symbol Description

Fingering 10-count crochet thread

Sock, Fingering, Baby

Sport, Baby

Double Knit (DK), Light Worsted

Worsted, Afghan, Aran

Chunky, Craft, Rug

Super Bulky, Roving

Jumbo, Roving

Standard symbols and information sourced from www.craftyarncouncil.com .

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

USA to UK Conversions

USA UK

chain ch chain ch

slip stitch sl st slip stitch sl st

single crochet sc double crochet dc

half double crochet hdc half treble crochet htr

double crochet dc treble crochet tr

treble tc double treble dtc

double treble dtc triple treble ttc

Terms of Use Please note the following with respect to the use of this pattern:

1. You may use this pattern for your personal use only. 2. You may post a link to this pattern on websites, social media sites, etc. For example, if you

have made a version of this item and wish to post a picture on Facebook, you may not copy the pattern into the post, but you may post a link to the pattern which resides in the website www.theneavecollection.com .

3. You may not distribute or sell copies of this pattern without my written permission. 4. You may not submit this pattern, or any photographs linked to the pattern, to any

publication without my written permission. 5. You may make this item as a gift or a charitable donation; however, should you be selling the

item, please contact me first at debbie@theneavecollection.com . 6. I apologise for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or

missing information in subsequent versions of this pattern. 7. Please feel free to contact me with any queries or comments at

debbie@theneavecollection.com . Thank you for reading this and for honouring my terms of use. Many, many hours go into designing an item such as this, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Care Instructions

Why Block? It is my considered opinion that blocking of most projects is a very important step towards achieving a professional finish. If you would like to know more about this important process, please download the document I have prepared on this subject.

Setting Colors Please visit my blog for more information on this.

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Abbreviations Please note that my patterns always use US terminology. Listed below you will find the abbreviations used in my patterns, as well as the full wording. Where applicable, the abbreviation is linked to a right-handed video tutorial. Terms are listed alphabetically by the abbreviation.

Abbreviations Long Name

blo back loop only

bphdc back post half double crochet

ch/chs chain/chains

cr dc cross double crochet

dc double crochet

dc3tog double crochet three together

dec decrease

exdc extended double crochet

fpdc front post double crochet

fptc front post treble crochet

fpdtc front post double treble crochet

hdc half double crochet

hs hidden stitch

lsc long single crochet

rpt repeat

sc single crochet

sk st skip a stitch

sl st slip stitch

sp/sps sp/sps

st-dc standing double crochet

st-hdc standing half double crochet

st-sc standing single crochet

st-tc standing treble crochet

st/sts stitch/stitches

tc3tog treble crochet three together

tc treble crochet

ws wrong side

yo yarn over

Other Techniques and Special Stitches

Fasten off and Secure Ends

Half Double Crochet Join

Joining in the Corner

Invisible Join

Magic Circle

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ROMANTIC RENDEZVOUS© - INTRODUCTION • PO Box 2167, Rivonia 2128, South Africa • +27836599905 • www.theneavecollection.com •

Acknowledgements

Testers A huge thank you goes to the following lovely and talented ladies who tested the pattern for me:

Ingrid Rosendahl (South Africa)

Jenny Gamble (South Africa)

Kim Lategan (South Africa)

Paulina Smith Maraboli (Chile)

Sue Carrington (United Kingdom) They did this so willingly and with so much enthusiasm. I am truly grateful to them for their ongoing support.

Blog and Website Support Thanks go to Jarryd Long for all his hard work in keeping the blog and website in great shape.

Yarn Dana Biddle of ColourSpun has been a wonderful collaborator on most of my patterns. Thanks Dana for your ongoing support. I love your beautiful hand-dyed yarns. A really special treat to be able to work with these yarns.

Resources Thank you to The Craft and Yarn Council’s website www.craftyarncouncil.com, which has been a great resource.

Inspiration Most of the inspiration came from many, many years of crafting with crochet. I thank my late “Ouma” – Gertie Kaltenbrunn, and my mother, Beryl Kaltenbrunn, for their tuition over the years. My granddaughter Neave Weston inspired me to start to design and document my work. This pattern is dedicated to them.