The blue set has 4 of its 6 squares completed. Let’s look at the pattern square I just completed first. On the right is the original and below it is my adaptation.
I used the colors for this set and created a similar motif. I worked from the top and the bottom and found there wasn’t room for the little boxes in the middle so I had to improvise. Above the light blue sets, I used about half the number of little boxes as the other rows. For the dark blue, I filled in the entire area that was unstitched. In the areas where there was too much space, I divided the area into two sections of six stitches and then put a small straight stitch across the place where the two sets met. I didn’t like the canvas showing through.
I’ve also worked on the border. The border along one side is completely done and I’ve started the separation band before the next section. I’m hoping to get a lot done over the next few days and complete this blue section by Monday. We’ll see.
The last photo is a little dark, but I wanted you to see the whole rug as it is today.
I wanted to use what I had on hand, but did make a trip to the LNS to see if I could find a Petite Very Velvet in olive, which is one of the threads used by Laura. There is nothing even closely matching the olive colors I would be using. So back home to find what else I had that I could use. I pulled out everything I had in olive and then picked out the threads I would use. I had the dark olive Ribbon Floss so I didn’t need to substitute for that. I also needed a Petite Sparkle Ray and Fyre Werks in olive. I couldn’t find a Sparkle Ray that would work though I did have a Frye Werks. Then I tried the two shades of Neon Rays + (one light and one dark). I decided they worked well with the olive perle I would be using. I decided to use both of these instead of the Petite Sparkle Rays and Fyre Werks. That left a decision on what to use for the Petite Very Velvet. I ended up using Frosty Rays. I think it works well with the other colors. It was used in all three of the wider ribbons. The overdye is Watercolors – Prairie Grass. I like the way it turned out, using colors of my own choosing and a few change in threads as well.
The Anti Atlas were formed from the collision of two continents, Europe and Africa, about 300 million years ago. Erosion has reduced the range so that the heights average between 6,000 and 8,000 feet. As you saw in the photo from yesterday, the mountains can be very craggy. Rain is only about 8 inches a year, so the inhabitants tend to live on the north and west slopes, along rivers, and around desert oases. Herding is common. Since few crops can be raised here, the souk (market) is a way to sell and buy what is needed. The souk is common all over the Morocco. I shopped them when visiting around Beni Mellah. They are held on a specific day each week, so people can travel to the one closest to where they live.
In addition to the rugs I’ve shown here, they also use henna to dye patterns onto cloth. And there are silver workers found here in the south as well. The necklaces and bracelets are very popular. I have several myself, though my favorite bracelet is made of such soft silver that it can’t be worn anymore. 
Most of this information and the map were obtained from Wikipedia.
My adaptation was done with the dark brown as well, but I used a dark blue, a light brown and a dark reddish brown for highlights. I’m not using any red in this particular rug. I chose to do this set with blues instead.The grid is ecru and was filled in with Smyrna Crosses. The rest of the square is filled with Scotch Stitch done over 3 threads.
Anne from The Cape Stitcher asked for more information about where my rugs come from. I’ll do a post tomorrow about the Anti Atlas area, but will give a little taste today. The Anti Atlas Range lies in the south of Morocco, extending from the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the Sahara Desert to the south. Here’s a picture from the area.
I’ll post more information and a map tomorrow. Enjoy!
Then I started on the next set, which will be lots of blue and brown. I started the rectangular border with a much darker overdye. The second border is the darkest of the browns for this set. Since they take so long, I started on the first of the three basketweave squares using the lightest blue and a medium brown for the little border. All the borders in each of these sets will have Ecru as the lightest color in the overdye border and the basketweave borders. A little consistency throughout the rug.
We’re having company on Sunday, so housecleaning has taken over some of my stitching time. I’ll try to get these two squares done and posted on Sunday before company arrives, but I won’t make any promises. So far, this set appeals to me more than the first set. All that orange is typical of the area, but not my favorite. And the third set will be lots of greens. A very colorful project, to say the least.
The next six squares will focus on browns and blues. I need to decide which three patterns to use for this set. I think they’ll be a little harder to stitch, so it might take a little more time to get the first two squares completed and ready to show you.
I like how this one turned out. Three different shades of orange with touches of green. The Rhodes stitch in the center was done with the first half of the stitches in green and the last half done in ecru. It softens the dark colors through the middle of the square. I’m keeping up with the borders as I do the squares, They stitch up quickly and they are a nice break from lots of basketweave. Here’s the rug so far. 
There are two more squares in this set. They’ll be to the left of the ones shown above. I’ll be back with a progress report on in a few days.
Mine looks similar and will have the same feel, but there are several differences. The striped bands don’t touch like in the original version. They aren’t completely done at this point either. When the square is completed, I’ll go back and add white stitching above and below the striped band so that it looks more like the original. It should be finished tonight. Then I can continue to work on the next basketweave square. It’s partially done as well, as you can see in the next photo.
I should be able to post these two completed squares this weekend. Then I can get started on the last two squares in this set. I’ll also have to finish the double border around the set before starting the next set of six squares with browns and blues.
Then I decided to try out the borders for this section. I’m using the overdye for the rectangles on the inner border and a solid dark orange for the outside border.
I need to finish putting these two squares on the computer today before I start on the next square. The basketweave square will be repeated to the left of the step pattern and above the step pattern. The next pattern square will be above the basketweave square. I’ll start on that tomorrow. I’ll post when that square is done.
