A Year of Stitches Week 12

A Year of Knit Stitches and A Year of Crochet Stitches have sadly fallen by the wayside after a new baby then a family emergency with an elderly family member having a stroke.  So here are two new stitches for you to try. 

A year of stitches is a challenging thing to work on long term.  Some people find it very hard to do an actual project after so much swatching.  "I can do a swatch but really don't know if I can handle a whole sweater in that stitch" is one of the comments I've heard repeatedly. Do you like them?  Do you try the stitches?  Do you have any ideas what to do with some of them?  This is why I also created the what can I do with the swatches series.  I'll start with some of the more complicated ideas to give more instruction.

Double Linen Stitch

Multiple of 4 stitches + 2

Cast on 26

R1:  *k2, sl 2 wyif.  Rep from *, end k2
R2:  *p2, sl 2 wyib.  Rep from * end p2
R3:  k2, *k2, sl 2wyif.  Rep from *, ending k4
R4:  P2, *p2, sl 2wyib.  Rep from *, ending p4

To vary this even more, change colors every 2 rows or every row.

Waffles

I don't know too many people who don't like waffles.  This stitch is a multiple of 3 stitches plus 1.  To make it extra cushy,  use  a hook 2 sizes larger than usual for the yarn being used.

Ch23. 

 DC in 4th ch and each ch.  The ch3 counts as a Dc now and throughout. Turn.

**Ch3,  * bptr in next 2 DC,  fptr in next st. Rep from * across. Turn

Ch3,  * fptr in next 2 sts,  bptr in next St. Rep from * across.  Turn**

Rep these 2 rows until you have a square or rectangle of desired size.  

This would be great as a warm baby blanket  for a gift.

Swatch! Swatch! Swatch! There's so many Swatches!

Moving right along with what to do with them all, we come to what to do with more than a dozen at a time.  The obvious idea that we can all see is...........AFGHANS!!!!  These can use from 2 dozen up to 9 or 10 dozen.  You decide how many based on how big you want it to be and how big the blocks/squares are made.

OK.  Now that that has been said.  Let's come up with more ideas.

1. Bathmat:  Take a dozen in a 3 x 4 pattern of swatches/blocks that are 6 - 12 inches each in cotton.  
2. Welcome Mat:  Take another dozen in a 3 x 4 pattern of swatches done in jute, clothesline, rope or twine.  These fibers will stand up to some abuse.  The swatches/blocks should be at least 9 inches.
3. Heating Pad Cover:  Take 24 blocks/swatches in a 4 x 6 pattern.  Fold in half.  Seam along 2 sides.  Put buttons on half of the third open side and crochet along the other half of the open side and add some chain loops to fit over the buttons to act as button holes.  Insert the heating pad and button.  
4. Slippers:  With a dozen swatches/blocks you can make 2 slippers 6 swatches each that resemble booties.
5. Jacket or Coat:  With another 4 - 6 dozen blocks/swatches, you can make a coat or jacket of any size.  With tiny 2 inch granny squares you can make a baby cardi.  See this post for the basic layout.  To make this a longer coat, add more rows to the body.
6. Poncho:  With three and a half dozen (that's 42) swatches/blocks, you can make a poncho.  You can line them up in a diamond pattern or a very long rectangle to make the poncho.  It's up to you.
7. Rocking Chair Back:  With another two dozen in a 4 x 6 pattern and a couple of ties, you can make a wooden rocker back more cozy and comfy or cover a worn back.  Be sure to measure your rocking chair so you know your back will fit.
8. Contoured Bath Rug:  With a dozen more swatches/blocks that are 9 inches each arrange in this configuration.   Make it from absorbent cotton so it's easy care and can be warm to your feet in the middle of winter.
9. A variable number of squares or rounded grannies to fit your window, make a chevron shaped valance to add interest to a window that doesn’t need to be fully covered.
10. With 19 squares and some lining fabric, you can make a rectangular tote bag, 6 on each side and the rest are the gusset (sides and bottom to make it more usable).  Line for stability.  Add purchased handles or strap.
11. With 30 tiny thread squares sewn together into a long ring, you have a fancy lanyard for a convention name badge or scissors.

Now that's another 20 dozen or more swatches or granny square blocks used.  Leave comments with other ideas.  I'd love to hear them.

Knit Popcorn, Bobbles, Nupps, and Puff stiches

What are the differences between popcorns, bobbles, nupps or puffs?  Is there a difference?  Yes, there is a difference.  Let's see what they look like. Let’s see how they are worked. There is one thing that you need to be sure of when working with them.  Be watchful where they are placed.  Many a garment has been ruined by misplaced bobbles and popcorns, not so much nupps and puffs.  These textural details can be used in columns to separate other stitch patterns, to replicate a charted design, in rows to separate other stitch patterns, and most dangerously as an allover detail.

If the above seems familiar, you are not wrong. It's nearly word for word from the Crochet Popcorn, Bobbles, and Clusters.  Why??  I'm not that lazy.  The information applies whether we are working with knitting or crocheting.

Let's start with Bobbles.....

This is the largest of all the textural bumps.  Start by knitting to the point in the pattern where a bobble is to be made or where you determine a bobble should be. In the stitch, you k, yo, k, yo, k.  Five to nine stitches are the norm for a bobble.  Turn the work, purl back, turn.  K5tog.  Continue with the rest of the row.  If you use seven stitches, add another k row and p row before knitting all the stitches together.  If you use nine stitches, add two more rows of stockinette stitch before k9tog.  This keeps it symmetrical.  If you don't like this look, you can make them wide and short or slender and tall.  Experiment to see what you like.  Nine is about the most you want to use.  Beyond that it becomes unwieldy.

Let's look at popcorn and nupp next.  One is a one row "bump".  The other is a two row application.  Do you know the difference?  The popcorn is one row.  Popcorn is four to seven stitches.  Kfbfb.  Sl the 2nd st of the four over the first (count from the left to the right).  Sl the 3rd st of the four over the first.  Sl the 4th of the four over the first.  Continue with the rest of the row.  

Now the nupp.  This is an Estonian technique.  It's pronounced like soup.  I learned about this from the Knitmore Girls Podcast Interview with Galina Khmeleva.  Nupps are always seven stitches as I understand.  Nupps are a two row operation.  Kfbfbfbf.  Continue with the pattern or as desired.  On the return row,  p7tog.  This will be challenging.  Don't work the knit stitches on the right side tightly.  And that is the nupp.  

The knit puff stitch is an anomaly.  There is no increasing or decreasing.  It is a series of short rows worked over 5 stitches.  It is a 10 stitch repeat plus 4.  It is worked over a  whole fabric or in a panel that meets this requirement.  Let's cast on 24 sts.  Knit a row, purl a row.  Repeat these two rows.  

***k 7, *turn p 5, turn, k5 *. Rep from * to * 3 or 4 more times.

k7,  rep from * to *.

k7,  rep from * to *, ending with a k 2.

P a row, k a row, p a row.***

Rep *** to *** for desired length.

What do you think of these?

The crochet bobble, popcorn, puffs and clusters plus the knit popcorn, bobbles, nupps and puff stitch will take our year of stitches from week 11 to week 15 which is the week after Easter on April 1.

See you April 15 with the next installment of A Year of Stitches

A year in stitches Week 9

Week 9 

Something easy yet not so much.  Log cabin stitch pattern  It works well for both knit and crochet.  This can utilize all those leftover bits and bobs of yarn and partial balls.  All that is really necessary is that they be of similar weight and you use a hook or pair of needles that is compatible with that weight of yarn.  I'll use worsted weight and H hook or 8US needles

Here's the how to for knit stitch week 9

Cast on 10 sts.

In color A, Knit in garter stitch 10 ridges (20 rows).

In color B, knit 10 more ridges (20 rows).  Bind off loosely.  Rotate the work so the bound off edge is on your right.

In color C,  Pick up and knit along the edge 20 sts.  Knit 10 ridges (20 rows).  Bind off loosely.  Rotate the work so this bound off edge is on your right.

In color D,  pick up and knit along the edge 20 sts.  Knit 10 ridges (20 rows).  Bind off loosely.  Rotate the work so this bound off edge is on your right.

In color E, pick up and knit along the edge 30 sts.  Knit 10 ridges (20 rows).  Bind off loosely.  Rotate the work so this bound off edge is on your right.

In color F, pick up and knit along the edge 30 sts.  Knit 10 ridges (20 rows).  Bind off loosely.  Rotate the work so this bound off edge is on your right.

Continue in this manner until the desired size is reached. 

Do you see what you are doing each time you add a stripe?  You are adding 10 sts to the width

For added interest, you can plan out your colors.  Keep all the darks on opposite sides and lights in between.  Keep all the darks on 2 touching sides and the lights on the opposite sides.  Like the quilt block this is named for, there are almost an infinite number of ways to put them together if you choose to make the blocks only so big.  Or you can make an entire afghan for an adult.  Just be aware the stripes will start to seem much thinner on the edges.  They aren’t.  It’s only an optical illusion.

 Here's the how to for crochet week 9.

In color A, Ch 11.  Sc in 2^nd ch from the hook and each ch to the end. Ch 1, turn and sc in each across.  Repeat this row 8 times more. 10 total rows.  Fasten off.

In color B, join the color to the square and ch 1.  Sc in each st across.  Work 9 more rows.  Fasten off.  Rotate the work so this edge is on the right.

In color C, join to the work on the right top corner.  Sc in the end of each row across.  (20 sts).  Work 9 more rows.  Fasten off.  Rotate the work so this edge is on the right.

In color D, join to the work on the right top corner.  Sc in the end of each row and each stitch as you go across.  (20 sts)  Work 9 more rows.  Fasten off.  Rotate the work so this edge is on the right.

In color E, join to the work on the top right corner.  Sc in the end of each row and each st as you go across. (30 sts)  Work 9 more rows.  Fasten off.  Rotate the work so this edge is on the right.

In color F, join to the work on the top right corner.  Sc in the end of each row and each st as you go across.  (30 sts)  Work 9 more rows.  Fasten off.  Rotate the work so this edge is on the right.

Continue in this manner until the desired size is reached. 

Do you see what you are doing each time you add 2 stripes?  You are adding 10 sts to the width. 

For added interest, you can plan out your colors.  Keep all the darks on opposite sides and lights in between.  Keep all the darks on 2 touching sides and the lights on the opposite sides.  Like the quilt block this is named for, there are almost an infinite number of ways to put them together if you choose to make the blocks only so big.  Or you can make an entire afghan for an adult.  Just be aware the stripes will start to seem much thinner on the edges.  They aren’t.  It’s only an optical illusion.

A Year of Stitches week 7

Week 7

Knit stitch

Crochet stitch

This is a relative of the stitch from week 6.  In week 6 the bump was more vertical.  Week 7 will be horizontal.

Ch 21.
R1:  sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across.
R2:  ch 1, sc in first st, *sk 1, trtr in next st,  sc in skipped st working behind the trtr,  ch1, sc in next st. Rep from the * to the end, ending with sc in the last st.
R3:  ch 1, sc in first st, * sk 1, trtr in next st,  sc in skipped st working in front of trtr, ch 1, sc in next st. Rep from the * to the end.  The last 2sts are sc.

Repeat R2 and R3 for desired length.

Knit stitch

I  came across this stitch pattern and am enthralled.   It is simplicity.  It works with any number of stitches.  Who doesn't love that.  It's almost enough to be a welt.

Double garter stitch

Cast on 20 stitches.

R1: knit
R2: purl
R3: purl
R4: knit

Repeat these 4 rows to the desired length.

A Year of Stitches week 8

Playing catch up still. 

Let's start with the knit stitch for week 8.

Week 4 we worked nupps.  This week is knit popcorn.  Popcorn stitches are between nupps and bobbles.  They are usually worked on stockinette fabric.

So cast on 20 stitches. Work a few rows of stockinette. On a knit row, knit 5 sts, in the next st, kfbfbf, drop this st off the left needle.  Now pull the 2nd st of the popcorn over the first, pull the 3rd st of the popcorn over the first,  pull the 4th st of the popcorn over the first.  Knit 10 sts and in the next st, kfbfbf, drop this st off the left needle.   Work the stitches off in the same way. Knit to the end. Knit a few more rows of stockinette fabric. 

Look at the popcorn. If they aren't sufficiently 3d, pull and push them into shape.  If you notice any gapping between the popcorn and the fabric,  try work the offensive spot tighter. 

Crochet week 5

Little clamshells

This is a stitch i came up with when I was working on the little pockets stitch from week 4.  It is again based on square mesh a dc high and 2 ch wide. It would work with ch 3 wide and tr high. 

Let's start with the ch for the mesh and work the first row of mesh.

Ch 21.
R1:  dc in 8th ch from hook,  *sk 2, ch 2, dc in next st. Rep from the * to the end.
R2 ch 3, * 2 dc in ch 2 sp, dc in dc, 2 dc around the dc post of prev row.  Rep from the * to the end. End dc in top of ch 3.
R3: ch 5, sk 2 dc, * dc in dc,  sk 4 dc.  Rep from the * to the end,  ending with dc in the top of ch 3.

Rep R2 and R3 for desired length ending with R2.

A Year of Stitches week 4

Due to illness in my family,  I've fallen behind. I hope no one else has been sick.

Knit stitch

A texture stitch is this week's choice.  This is an Estonian thing and adds a lot of interest to both the laces of that country and the knitting of those items.

Nupp (pronounced like soup)

Incorporate these into a stockinette based fabric.

When you reach the place you want to add a nupp, knit the stitch but keep the stitch on the needle,  yo, knit the stitch again, keep it on the needle,  yo, knit the stitch again,  keep it on the needle,  yo, knit the stitch again and drop it.  Continue working across the row.   On the next row, purl to the location of the nupp.  Insert the needle into all 7 loops of the nupp and purl it. This could be challenging. If it's too much, try doing a few loops at a time.  Continue working across the row.  

Crochet week 4

Little pockets

Last week we did a mesh of ch 2 dc to form a square mesh.

Let's start with the ch for the mesh and work the first row.

R2:  ch3, * 2dc in ch 2 sp,  2dc around the post of next dc, dc in dc. Rep from the * to the end. End with dc in top of ch 3.

A year in stitches week 3

Knit week 3

This is a study of the most basic lace stitch pattern. Faggotting. It biases terribly to the right until blocked.  Do you see a difference when the yarn over is after the decrease?  Do you see a difference when row 2 is purled,  knitted, or is a repeat of row 1?  The photo shown is with r2 purled as written.

This is a multiple of 2.

Cast on 20 stitches.

R1: k1, * yo, k2tog. Rep from * to the end of the row.  End k1.
R2: p.

Do you want this to bias left instead?  Try yo, ssk. This variation is called the Turkish stitch.

Crochet week 3

Let's do another basic.  Plain mesh. Many types of stitches are based, in part, on mesh.

Ch 20.

R1:  dc in 8th ch from hook,  * ch 2, sk 2, dc in next st.   Rep from the * to the end.

R2: ch5,  * dc in dc,  ch 2. Rep from the * to the end. End dc in 3rd ch.

Rep r 2 to the desired size.

Another option is to make the mesh larger or smaller.  

For a smaller mesh, use hdcand ch 1 space.

For a larger mesh,  use tr and ch 3 space.

A year of stitches 2018 and other updates

Yes! I'm doing it again.  It's been a lot of fun in 2017.  We will be exploring laces, cables, colorwork,  texture.  More importantly,  we explore ideas for using the swatches we make.

My goal for this year's year in stitches series is one a week.  One post a week will be a stitch either written or charted for knit and crochet. One post each month will be ideas for using the swatches we make.   I'm unsure at this point if these will be ideas or actual patterns.

I will also give updates on my progress with level 1 of master crochet program.  As of Halloween 2017, I had the written answers done and about a dozen of the swatches.   It's been decided,  I have to redo some of my written work.   I have to check swatches and finish those needing to be done.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!  Many celebrate some form of this holiday.

a Year of Stitches Week 52

Well, we made it to the end of the year.  Here is our last post in 2017 for a year of stitches.  Let's use these.  There should be something fabulous to meet your fancy here.  Enjoy these.  They offer a variety of looks.  The traditional winter and Christmas specific motifs and then things that can stand the test of time for the whole year.  Done in heavier yarns, there are afghans and pillows.  Done in finer yarns, sweaters or accessories.

This is only a quarter of the pattern.  Mirror image in each direction to form the whole.  This would be stunning worked in silver or gold thread in filet crochet or as a pillow.  For the pillow, sew the pocket for the stuffing in line with the points where the two scallops meet.

A Year of Stitches Week 51

Let's try something easy this week.  You see the charts to make a vest.  Instead, let's use the deer to make a pillow.  Use knit or crochet.  Use color or texture.  As a joke, present this to a hunter who didn't get his deer during hunting season.

A Year of Stitches Week 50

Holidays are coming.  What do you do to get ready?  Share your family traditions.

Here is a chart for your pleasure.  This can encompass the year if you choose or you can make them all be autumn/winter related.  Notes about this chart:  Each block shown by a dark grey line is really 10 small blocks.by 10 small blocks.  I have enlarged it as far as possible.  The background of some charts are not white.  You can choose to change them as you desire.

A Year of Stitches Week 49

At this point we are headed into December with a vengeance.  For those who celebrate Advent before Christmas, you will find this year a very short 3 week Advent because of where Christmas falls in the week, Monday.  For those who celebrate other holidays in December, tell us about your traditions.  The days are getting shorter with a culmination on December 21 with winter solstice, at least here in the Northern Hemisphere.  Those of you down under let us know about your summer and holiday traditions.

For this week let's delve into some more complex charts

Here is a flower that can be transformed into a doily, a scarf, a blanket, a poncho, a sweater, the sky is the limit.

ch 5, join with a sl st in first ch to form a ring.

Rd 1:  ch 3, dc in ring, ch 2, * 2 dc in ring, ch 2.  Rep from * 4 times more.  Join in top of ch 3.
Rd 2: sl st to ch 2 sp, ch 3, dc in ch 2 sp,* ch 7, sl st in 4th ch from hook, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 2 sp.  Rep from * around 5 more times.  Join with sl st in top of beginning ch 3.
Rd 3: * 6 dc, ch 2, 6 dc in ch 4 loop.  Rep from * around.  Join with sl st.  Fasten off.

They can be joined by a sl st in the final round by working a ch 1, sl st in next flower, ch 1 before finishing petal.

The finer the yarn, the more delicate.  Use a slightly smaller hook than usual to keep this compact.  Work rd 1 in yellow and the rest in red to resemble a poinsettia.

For the knit stich let's try this Japanese lace stitch.  Make a note.  The chart only shows the right side stitches.  All return rows are purled and not shown.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US.

A Year of Stitches Week 48

As we move into even colder weather, hopefully snow too, it brings to mind election day and the eternal sea of signs proclaiming each candidate to be the best choice.  Some signs have been out since Labor Day. Some waited until October arrived.  The party supporters who were so eager for their candidates to win seem to be very slow with removal.  Other slow things recently in my world include growing babies (ok, we all know they outgrow their clothes overnight), the bear and the turkey flock that have taken up residence in the local park.  (it's closed once mid October arrives).  The bear is usually a newly out on his or her own looking for their own spot.  Game commission officers will tranquilize it and move it off to the local mountains where it will be hopefully able to find a corner of it's own.  The turkeys?  Well, they just keep doing whatever it is wild turkeys do, in this particular area, stopping traffic while they cross the road is one of their talents.

Here is are charted designs for you that tie into this theme....  I'm thinking of doing the bear in loop stitch.  Two blocks knit, two blocks crochet.  4 bears.  I might also do the rest of the blocks in colorwork and choose tree colors for the trees and maybe a nice gold for the scrolls.

For some reason since I've grown up, we have a rush to get to Halloween and then a rush to get to Christmas and jump right over Thanksgiving.   This is a cross stitch chart.  I suggest taking out the shading and working on it in a simpler fashion.  The solid black lines, can of course be done in back stitch, outline stitch, or similar.  Don't forget Thanksgiving.  It's a great holiday for family.

A Year of Stitches Week 47

This past week was my husband's birthday.  I always try to cook a favorite of his for dinner.  Some years it's lasagna, others it is liver and onions.  When he was growing up his mom always made the kids' favorites for supper.  Hubby's was liver, onions, spinach and mashed potatoes.

It was also election day recently.  I wish the political signs were removed once it's over quickly.  The signs were put up over Labor Day in some cases.  Bears seem to move as slowly as the government does.  By now even if the signs are not down, the bears should be getting ready for their long winter's nap.  Worked in worsted weight yarn this makes a nice sized pillow or 1/4 of an afghan.

Will you choose pattern or color or both?  I'm thinking that doing the bear in loop stitch could be cute. Then give this as a baby present?

Weeks 17 to 33 of A Year in Stitches

I am going to offer a bunch of different charts and stitches in  this post to finish the catch up from the spring to mid summer weeks when I was working on a wedding and a carnival.

The charts will be for both knit and crochet.   There will be color work charts, cable charts, and lace charts. 

There will be written stitch patterns.   These are harder to use universally without a lot of creativity and thought behind them.  However, I'm sure everyone will have fun with at least some of these.

Week 17

For knitting, work in stockinette/reverse stockinette or colorwork.  For crochet, work in fair isle or tapestry.  If you choose color work, you can do bands of colors or keep it 2 colors throughout.

 Week 18

As for week 17, the same applies here.  Have fun with this.  Can you make it a lace?

Week 19

Enjoy the weather with some fun spring/summer motifs.  Color work is the way to go for these.  The brighter the better.

Week 20

This would be great as a pillow, purse, or in an afghan as panels.

Week 21
Lots of fun motifs here for gearing up for the colder weather that is sure to come or simpler items.  All these can be done in texture or color.  Use fingering weight yarns or lace weight and make these into bookmarks or book covers for those books that you read over and over.

 Week 22

Play with tapestry crochet and make change purses, make up bags, pencil pouches.  Play with texture and have even more fun now that you know the charts better.

 Week 23

Week 24

I can see the potential for coasters, mug rugs, cup cozies and napkin/flatware holders in these.  Who wouldn't love a picnic when these beauties are on the table with yummy food.  Don't forget to put the picnic table's feet in bowls of water to deter ants from joining you and hang a red ball covered in sweet smelling sticky in a tree away from you to deter flies and bees.  The bowls of water can be pie tins for wider feet and the balls can be washed off.

Week 25

This could be an early gift made up when we don't even want to dream of hot cocoa or fireplaces.  The markings on the side look like yarn color names.  However, I don't know which company this came from to give credit.  Anyone know?

Week 26

Here is a lovely little block from Japan.  It's Crochet, done in one of the join as you go methods.  For Knitting here's a lovely Russian lace stitch.

Week 27

Here is a granny type square.  Imagine this in the colors of the summer!  That would be one smart tote bag.  This knit stitch pattern on the other hand reminds me of roses in summer.  This could be a beautiful baby blanket or a made into a sweet dress for your little girl.

Week 28

Here are a bunch more square and hexagon motifs.  Mix and Match them unifying them by color choice or pick one or two and go crazy with the patterns.

Week 29

Here's a fun little crown for the prince or princess in your life.    It's crochet.  Try in worsted weight yarn and you can do fewer repeats.  Glue "gems" around the band for a really regal look.

The Knitting stitch reminds me more of a flower I see growing along roadsides, Queen Anne's Lace.  But this isn't the name of the stitch.

Week 30

Architecture has given us some beaurtiful knit and crochet patterns.    This arches pattern is crochet.  I can see it as a pillow cover, afghan, baby gift.... What can you see it as?  Meanwhile the seersucker knit stitch pattern just sounds like summer.  Done in a light weight cotton, linen, hemp or silk yarn it could be a beautiful shell.

Week 31

Interlocking crochet has fascinated me for quite a while.  It shows a different stitch to each side.

Meanwhile the knit stitch below it is a fake Entrelac stitch pattern.  This is done with a trick of the eye and is in a fair isle type of knitting.

Week 32

Mitered, Ribbed, handy as can be for dish cloths, hot pads, potholders.  Do them in cotton for good heat protection.  Chain an odd number of stitches plus 1 for turning or cast on an odd number of stitches.  Mark the center stitch.  Using Garter stitch or single crochet, work to the stitch before the marked one.  Dec3tog or k3tog.  Continue to the end.  Turn.  If you are crocheting, crochet in the back loop only. Work even to the stitch before the marked one.  dec3tog or k3tog.  Continue to 1 stitch.  Bind off.  Weave ends.  Can be done in 1 row stripes, 2 row stripes with unused color carried up the side or almost anything.

Week 33

One of my other loves is quilting.  I happen to live on the outskirts of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, which has a rich history in quilting and frugality.  This is the Trip Around the World Quilt Pattern Or Sunshine and Shadow Quilt Pattern.  It depends on what you do with it.  Trip Around the World uses a variety of colors, where the Sunshine and Shadow uses shades of one color similar to what is shown.  The trip around the world is symbolic of travel. something most Amish don't do.   However, the Colonials, way back when, would trade fabrics or sometimes piece a quilt top for a friend who was leaving to pioneer either in the New World or out West.  One ring of fabric or even just a quarter of a ring symbolized that friend.  

In Sunshine and Shadow, the colors are kept to 3-5, going from a very pale to very dark (black or as close to as you can get) and starting over or fading back to very pale.  It symbolized that we can't appreciate the sunshine without the shadows, just as we can't appreciate life without death or separation.

Choose to do these in granny squares, mitered squares, or something completely different.  Start at a corner and work one block. Working in the join as you go, continue adding blocks in the colors your choose.

If you don't like the color choice given below, get your own 4 squares to the inch graph paper and a box of crayons or colored pencils and draw out what you want yours to look like.  Just remember, the colors need to be in concentric rings for this pattern.