Time off!

I had some time off free-styling and free-forming to follow a pattern!

This was a birthday present for a friend of RW Jnr!

 The easy to follow pattern can be found here:

As my big fingers found the arms rather fiddly I adapted that body part!

He was well received...and I have had another couple of orders! 

Will be giving my stitch counting a break first!

Birds nests and a posh washcloth!

Spring is well and truly springing round here..blossom is bursting, sunny daffodils are beginning to bloom and the crocuses have been and gone! 

The birds are in fine voice - particularly first thing in the morning!! 

Interestingly during the solar eclipse, the blackbird's evening melody was well tuned!

One day last week I saw two seasonal methods for using short ends to provide some material for nesting birds.

As I had the equipment for one of them at my fingertips I hurriedly hooked a version and it was out waiting for the birds the next morning!

 The easy pattern, which I modified slightly (I thought the birds wouldn't mind some stitch counting anomalies!)   can be found here on the amazing String Theory Crochet blog, where a very creative mother and daughter hook an incredible mix of inspirational, colourful and quirky crochet, well worth exploring..

 A week later and the ball of strands is still there - the squirrels have not squandered it, yet!

The base yarn, a Rowan cotton acrylic mix, was given to me by a friend who works in a charity shop...she has passed on some amazing finds in the past few weeks, for which I am very grateful.

I used some more to make this posh dishcloth for my friend!  

It is hooked with Back Raised Treble from Sarah Hazell's  200 Crochet Stitches...

 and has the most amazing ridged texture..

.... finished with crab stitch.

I have been freeforming too - and creating other birthday makes, so will have plenty more to share soon!

Hope you are finding some of the joys of  Spring!

Granny Pocket Heart Pattern

Here's a quick run through of my pattern for the Granny Pocket Hearts sent to heartsease.

It is written in UK terminology:

UK dc : US sc

UK tr : US dc

I have made the two parts in contrasting colours to show some of the steps more clearly.

It all starts with a humble straightforward 2 rounds granny square.

I use a five chain method like Tamara's pattern on Moogly.

Then another modified row is added to one side:

 slip stitch into the corner space;
chain 3, 1tr in corner space;
chain 1;
3tr in middle space;
chain 1;
finally 2 tr in next corner space.

Turn.

Chain 2;
6tr in middle stitch of 3 treble group of previous row;

Chain 2;
slip stitch into the top stitch of the 3chain of the previous row.

Finish off.

Make two of these half heart shapes,
one with a short end of wool and one with a long strand for sewing the two parts together.
Weave in the starting thread of yarn.
 Place the half with the short end at an angle with the wrong side up.

Place the second half on top, right side up, with the long tail towards the right.
The points should line up.

Sew the two shapes together down towards the point and then up the other side
(I have used a tapestry needle and an over stitch taking in both loops on both sides).
You may need to thread the strand through a couple of stitches before you start, as the place where you finished off is a little higher than the first stitches where the two shapes meet.

The next part probably sounds more complicated than it actually is - once the two parts are partly sewn it should happen naturally  - but here goes!
The third edge to be sewn is where the side edge of the top shape (multi-coloured) meets the top edge of the second granny round of the bottom shape (pink).
The modified extra granny row of the bottom shape stands above the join.

Some of the stitches are straight forward to join:

 for others I threaded through the treble loops of the row above:

Finish off at the end of the row and thread the end through the stitches you have just made, hiding the end inside one of the trebles.

Finally thread the short end from the first shape down the side seam towards the point.

The fourth side of each shape forms the opening!

So in summary (or the short version!)

Hook a two round granny square, ss into corner space then
Chain 3 1tr in corner space; ch1; 3tr in 2nd space; ch1; 2tr in 3rd space.
Turn
Ch2; 6 tr in middle tr of previous row; ch2; ss in top pf ch3 of previous row. FO.
Make 2 - one with a short final thread and one with a long one.
Weave in starting ends.
Place the half with short end wrong side up on the bottom, put the other half, right side up, on top lining up the points. Join two of the sides by sewing down to the point and up using a tapestry needle.
Stitch the third side, finish off and weave in ends.

Hope it all makes sense - my patterns are usually scribbled in my own code and tweaked as I go along!

I have already started making more for the heartsease project

Owl Pattern

Huge 'Thank You's to everyone leaving such encouraging comments on my relatively new crochet  skills - I can't believe its only 8 months since I started hooking - once I got a rhythm I have had such fun! Please keep giving it a go if you would like to try..one day it might click!

A while ago I introduced these little feathery friends...

and was quite amazed when someone requested the pattern! So Becky  - here it is especially for you! Its the first time I have written my scrawly notes into something coherent for someone else to follow  - so please let me know how it works!!

Random-Wooliness Owl pattern: UK terms

Start with a magic ring and chain 3. Now hook 14 Trebles into the ring and join with a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the 3 chain. Pull on the short end to gently close the hole.

Chain 3 and join to the body with a slip stitch into the same stitch.

Slip stitch into the next 4 stitches. Chain 3 and join to the body with a slip stitch into the same stitch (ie 4th slip stitched stitch).

Finish off - I tend to use the wrong side as it has different texture, by giving the finished stitch a good pull as you wrap it round the back (in my case the right side!) you can create a notch similar to the one you have on the other side.

I have embellished mine with needlefelted features although felt or buttons may be used.

You may have noticed I like to add a splash of colour - this one is worked with 2 yarns on a bigger hook! Although the way the contrasting colours have worked makes his 'ears' a little quirky

I did experiment a bit with the ear - like bits - you could try just 3 slip stitches across the top to adjust the angle. I also tried a picot style but that owl would need to be a long eared one!!

......seen from a different angle they seem to shrink!

I am hugely aware of issues of copyright around blog-land and I'm sure whilst swooping around your brain picks up lots of images as you are browsing. As far as I know I have not seen an owl with the pattern above, however as it is so simple there may be others out there...hoot if you see one!

I have been doing loads of  fiddling, with stitches, yarns, scribblings and patterns, learning a lot as I fumble about. I have always been a bit of a rebel when following instructions or counting (particularly in music) so its quite fun to make it up as I go along!!
 I realise lots of talented people are working hard creating patterns to make an income - but for me, with my fledgling crochet skills its an amazing form of procrastination!

Birthday Rainbows Revealed!

I have just had a lovely morning catching up with my friend and her family during which she opened her birthday present and immediately put it on.

She certainly wore it well

The Boho scarf pattern is by my very talented friend Tracey  - and can be found in Craftseller magazine issue 13.

The (Sombrero 315)  Sirdar Summer Stripes yarn made a beautiful pastel rainbow..

....I think my novice skills enabled more of a curve than there should have been.... but it straightened well after a soaking and pinning to the carpet!

Due to the self striping I could see that the end of the first ball of yarn was the same colour as the beginning so I made fewer rows than the pattern suggested and had coral borders....

....added some fringes...

..and a matching flower brooch...

The yarn was a little tricky to work with at times - I only realised when I moved on to my next project and the hook moved smoothly - but I think it was worth the extra work just for the colours!

The pattern was easy to follow and the open stitches were fun to hook.

Tracey had 2crochet  patterns in issue 13 ( I have made the other pattern too but that's for another post!) and has 2 in this months magazine (one featured on the front cover)..I gather there are more to come in future issues! Some of her knitting patterns are featured in other publications and she is currently working with one of her woolly friends on a book! I am so proud to have such a creative and talented friend and wish her all the best in her pattern producing and publishing.  

Whilst sharing the pattern love Emma has some amazing designs in the Debbie Bliss Fall magazine.

I am finding it great fun to search and try new patterns mostly with colourful variegated wools and cottons....(Becky I will write up the owl one soon...it is really simple)!
Isn't the internet fab..for finding friends and beautiful things to create?!

Yesterday I had a great afternoon playing with wet wool making pieces for this collaboration....

.hope to tell you all about it soon..

Eggstra helpings!

We've been enjoying a hectic Easter holiday...thought I'd add some more eggs to the mixture!

A while ago I looked for a flat egg pattern on Ravelry..as I was new to crochet it had to be simple (and as I haven't mastered the magic ring it had to be flat!)...I tried one...but mine didn't turn out anything like it...even having translated it into UK stitches. So I pottered around with a few stitches and came up with a pattern I was happy with! 

I made different sizes!

They were strung sideways....

...and long ways but didn't take a picture!

They appeared in nests:

....mostly needle felted

..one crocheted!

...a tray full of the colours of spring!

One afternoon RW Jnr and I wet felted these eggs -

We vaguely followed this tutorial using plastic eggs as innards. One has a pink and yellow striped middle and the other has green with a colourful strip of offcut yarn from the loomed flowers.

The intention was to make some more - and some fluffy chicks...but time ran away with us!

Whist on the eggy subject we had a lovely fluffy needlefelted surprise in the post from Tracey:

Hope you have an eggstraspecial weekend!