Introduction to Cars and Trucks CAL

Introduction

Several years ago I created a large road mat blanket for my kids when I participated in a CAL (crochet along) by Happy Berry Crochet. At the time, there were several small car patterns around that fitted the road mat (including a Happy Berry Crochet car pattern). However, there weren't any other types of vehicles that were small enough to fit the road mat. Therefore, I decided to create my own designs. I shared a few photos of some of my creations in a Facebook group about 3 or 4 years ago and someone suggested that I run a crochet-along with my patterns. It has taken me quite a while to get the patterns tested with many improvements to the designs (and to the photography of the designs) along the way. However, I'm proud to offer my first every CAL - Cars and Trucks.

This CAL is being hosted on Facebook by the CAL - Crochet A Long group. 

In this CAL you will be creating a concrete mixer, a dump truck, and two small race cars.

The concrete mixer has a patterned mixer.

The dump truck has a tray that can tip and open at the back.

The two race cars are similar in size. However, they use a different main stitch and construction. The first is constructed using single crochet with a change in direction at the end of each round.  In contrast, the other one is worked in continuous rounds but uses the waistcoat (aka "knit" or "centre post" stitch). The difference in the construction of the race cars gives them a different shaped bonnet - the first is squarer and the second looks more rounded (at least in the versions that I've made).

CAL schedule

NB: All pattern parts will be released at 7 am NZST on the dates listed below

Notions

For all vehicles you will need:

3.5 mm crochet hook

Yarn needle 

Scissors

Fibrefill or other suitable stuffing material (I used leftover yarn tails whenever appropriate)

Small scraps of yarn (40-50 cm)  to create headlights (white or yellow) and tail lights (red or orange). Alternatively, you can use small buttons (10 mm wide for the bigger vehicles, you may need something smaller for the race cars) 

Yarn quantities (DK weight yarn) for each vehicle are listed in the table below:

While I have specified using DK yarn and a 3.5 mm hook, feel free to use whatever yarn and hook you wish. If you choose a different size hook and yarn when making the dump truck you may need to change the size of the button you use for the back.

The smaller vehicles in the photos above were created using 10 g DK bonbons and a 2.25 mm hook. Each vehicle used less than 1 bonbon per colour with the exception of the concrete mixer (2 bonbons of white) and the dump truck (2 bonbons of orange). 

General Instructions

The ch 1 at the beginning of each row or round does not count as a stitch.

Where a row or round states ‘BLO’ or ‘FLO’ all the stitches in that row/round are worked in the back loop only or the front loop only, respectively, unless otherwise stated. In the next row/round all stitches are worked in both loops again.

When changing colour, yarn over with your first colour and pull through a loop then yarn over with your new colour and pull through to finish the stitch. The photos below show an example of this (from a green version of this pattern that I made).

When making the windows, I usually use 2 skeins of white yarn and carry the yarn I’m not using behind the stitches as it shows through if you carry it in the stitches. This can get a little messy looking on the inside but thankfully you don’t see it in the final product. The photos below show some of the mess inside from carrying the yarn behind my stitches. 

The parts of the vehicles are mostly worked in rounds. However, at the end of each round you close with a slip stitch, chain one and change direction as if you are working in rows (except in a few parts where you work all of your rounds in the same direction, it will be clearly written in the instructions which way a section is to be worked). Because you are changing direction at the end of each round, the first stitch you crochet into for your new round is the last stitch from the previous round. It is important to make sure you start each round in the correct stitch or some of the later parts of the pattern will be in the wrong place. The patterns also have some short rows to add the windscreens and the front and/or rear portions of some of the vehicles.

French knots

I use French knots (an embroidery stitch) to create headlights and tail lights for all of my vehicles. To avoid repeating this in every single blog post for the CAL, I am outlining how I make them here:

To make a French knot you will need a small length of yarn (I usually cut a 30-40 cm length of yarn but you could probably get away with using less) and your yarn needle. Thread your yarn onto your needle and make a knot at one end. Insert the needle through from wrong side to right side where you want your knot to go. This will secure your yarn in the right place.
With your needle pointing up slightly above where the yarn is coming out, wrap the yarn around your needle about 3 times. Please note if you wind the yarn on with the needle pointing downwards to where the yarn came out of your vehicle body then the knot will not work.
Point your needle down into your vehicle body close to (but not in the exact spot) where you came out at the beginning and carefully pull through to the wrong side without losing the loops on your needle until right at the end.
Pull the yarn through tightly and tie off at the end to complete your knot or insert it through where you want to make your next French knot. At this stage, you can either trim your yarn on the wrong side or leave it in as extra stuffing. Because I tend to use more yarn than required for making my French knots (I am always worried about having too little and ending up with too much) I tend to trim the yarn and then use the rest for adding French knots to my next vehicle until the leftover yarn gets too short.

Social Media

Facebook: This CAL is being hosted on Facebook by the CAL - Crochet Along group. Join the CAL - Crochet A Long group on Facebook if you have any questions or to post progress photos

Instagram: If you are on Instagram, you can find me HERE. Please add your photos to Instagram using #carsandtruckscal2020

Testers

I would like to say a very special thank you to Aprille Collar and her team(s) of testers from the CAL - Crochet A Long group for testing the first two patterns. And also to my other testers Leah, Jessica and Ling

Other vehicle patterns

While my Cars and Trucks CAL is running you can purchase my "truck and trailer" and "multifunctional tractor" patterns on special. Read more about the patterns here