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Zeens & Roger Crochet Podcast/Vlogcast Episode 26

March 2, 2018March 31, 2026crochet, vlogging6 Comments

Happy March!! We’re supposed to be thinking about spring, but it’s most definitely winter outside!! Brrrr, maybe keep warm whilst watching episode 26 of my crochet podcast!? As usual, click on the pic above to go to the episode or go to my YouTube channel HERE. Ta very much.

Here are some links to stuff I talk about. I wasn’t concentrating, so I hope I have it all. If not, please give me a shout, and I’ll give you extra info.

March Meet the Maker – A month-long Instagram challenge

My Easter Eggs. HERE is the link to the blog post about the latest additions to the family.

Blacker Yarns. This is lovely yarn that I’m going to get more of. I used Tamar Lustre Blend. A real woolly wool from just across the border in Cornwall.

Inside Crochet magazine

Simply Crochet magazine

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Some More Crochet Easter Eggs

February 21, 2018March 31, 2026amigurumi, crochet, free pattern40 Comments

Decorative Crochet Easter Eggs

Am I too early for crochet Easter egg shenanigans? Eh, I don’t think so. Do you remember the pretty little crochet eggs from a couple of years ago? They’ve gone and got themselves some new mates!

A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from Hobbycraft asking if I was interested in trying some yarn so that I could tell you about it. Seeing as spring is on the way, I thought it would be a nice idea to choose some yarn to make my amigurumi Easter eggs with. However, I didn’t want more eggs of the same size, so I’ve upped my game. I’ve gone large.

Yarn For Making Crochet Easter Eggs

This is the yarn I decided to try, The Women’s Institute acrylic dk. I wanted big Easter eggs this time, so I also chose the Soft & Chunky in Cream, which is an acrylic mix and has 30% merino. It’s lovely stuff to work with, I think merino is my favourite yarn in the world at the moment.

I also got some dk yarn in pretty spring colours to embroider the eggs with. A lighter yarn makes the embroidered decorations more delicate.

With two 100-gram balls of the chunky cream yarn, you can make three small eggs and one large. I weighed them before I added the embellishments, and a small one was 27 grams of yarn, whilst the large was 89 grams. I used exactly the same crochet pattern; I just doubled up on yarn for the biggy. By that, I mean I held the yarn double when working with it.

I’ve not used this yarn before, but I have used plenty of other DK acrylics. Mostly, I’m left unimpressed, and I have a thing where I don’t like mixing brands because the quality varies so much. Usually, they don’t pass muster, but I don’t think I’d have any qualms about mixing this with the likes of Stylecraft Special or Paintbox acrylic DK yarns (both of which are excellent to work with). This is one of the good ones. I have quite a bit of the dk left, so I might make a crochet blanket along with some other brands to really get a good feel for it (but not anytime soon, as I have got a massive list of other projects to do! Bah).

Anyway, on to the Easter Egg Crochet pattern…

Eeehh, look at the family all together!

Crochet Easter Egg Pattern

This pattern can be used with any weight of yarn, just make sure you use a hook size that will achieve nice, tight stitches (ie go down a couple of sizes than is recommended on the yarn label).

Notes & Things Needed To Crochet Easter Eggs

Women’s Institute Premium Acrylic Yarn DK in Yellow, Lime, Teal, Pink and Light Pink.
Women’s Institute Soft & Chunky in Cream x2 100g balls. This amount makes 1 large and three small eggs.
Polyfibre fill stuffing
Large eye darning needle
Fading ink pen (optional) – it helps to draw out where to put the flowers and leaves before you make the stitches.
For the small egg (approx 11cm tall) use a 4.5mm hook. For the large egg (approx 17cm tall), use a 7mm hook and two strands of the chunky held together.
Use two strands of the dk together for embroidering the large egg.
US terms are used in the pattern.
An Inc = increase. i.e., working 2 stitches in the same stitch.
A dec = decrease. Worked over 2 sts.

This pattern below is also found on my original blog post HERE. And last year, I recorded a video tutorial showing how to make and embroider the eggs.

Amigurumi Easter Egg

Round 1: 6sc into a Magic Ring.
Round 2: Inc in each stitch around. [12 sts].
Round 3: *1sc in next stitch, inc in next; repeat from * around [18].
Round 4: Sc around. [18]
Round 5: *1sc in next 2 sts, inc in next; repeat from * around. [24].
Rounds 6-7: Sc around [24]
Round 8: *1sc in next 3 st, inc in next; repeat from * around [30].
Rounds 9-15: Sc around. [30]
Round 16: *1sc in next 3 sts, dec; repeat from * around. [24].
Round 17: *1sc in next 2 sts, dec; repeat from * around. [18].
Round 18: *1sc in next st, dec; repeat from * around [12].

Fasten off, leaving a long tail, 40cm should be plenty.
Add embroidered flowers using simple stitches. French knots make the flower centres, and the chain stitch makes petals, leaves and stems.
Stuff firmly.
To close your Crochet Easter Egg, thread through the front loops and pull tight to gather the stitches together.
Stitch in and out a few times to fully secure and then snip the end neatly.

Here is a picture of the original Crochet Easter Eggs with embroidery made with DK yarn.

crochet easter eggs, an easy pattern for egg decorations

Please do let me know if you make some, I really would love to see. They make such cute spring decorations, and you could even tie pretty ribbon through the top to hang them in places!

And if you enjoyed making them, take a look at some of my other free crochet patterns.

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Happy Easter! X

How I Became a Crochet Designer (& How You Can Become One Too)

January 31, 2018March 30, 2026crochet23 Comments

How I Became a Crochet Designer

I’ve had “write blog post – How to become a crochet designer” on my To-do list for months. I’d been procrastinating, as I knew it would be a long one. Today is the day. I have put some time aside, especially because sometimes, you just have to do the thing you’ve been putting off. I’d like to share some of my thoughts and tell you a little bit about how I started my small creative business as a crochet designer.

EDIT: I thought you might be interested in this YouTube video for my process on how to get crochet designs published. and Publish your Crochet Designs, part 2!

Laying the Yarny Foundations

Before I begin, here’s a little bit of background about me. Three moments in my crafty past have really stuck with me and led me to where I am now:

1 At eight years old, my Nanna told me, “You won’t learn to crochet if you hold the hook like that.” Hmm, nothing quite like turning you off a craft by setting unnecessary rules. Truly, I believe Nanna’s intentions were to create a solid foundation of learning, but in reality, it had the opposite effect. I also think it had something to do with the way Queen Victoria and polite “ladies” held their hooks, but my memory is foggy now. Anyway, I’m no Lady. I’m a woman who eventually learned how to crochet. Via YouTube, on my own terms, twenty years later.

2 Just over halfway through that twenty year break (sometime in my early twenties), I saw my artist friend crochet cups and saucers out of plastic tubing, and I casually sighed, “I wish I could crochet.” Her breezy reply was “It’s easy! Go for it”. I didn’t go for it. I really should have. Much like writing this blog post, I put it off.

3 The birth of my first baby. Nanna crocheted him a giant granny square blanket, and I just knew I had to make him one too. So I did. Sort of. It was actually a ripple stitch blanket, and it wasn’t the first thing I made, but you know, same difference. That was just over seven years ago, and with the flick of a switch, I became obsessed with crochet.

Then I Was a Craft Blogger

The first real step I took towards taking my crochet hobby more seriously was to set up this creative / lifestyle blog. Admittedly, it took me about five years of just thinking about it. I was daft to delay, but it’s about confidence, and I didn’t have any. I had very few crochet designs under my belt at first and was constantly fretting that no other pattern ideas would come to me. So not true!

I have written many crochet blog posts now, but if you are a long-time reader, you will know that I also used to blog about other things too. I wrote about my garden numerous times (I’ve since deleted most of them), typed up records of when we’ve been on our summer hols, and I have shared other creative ventures (some good, some bad!).

The point is, I just started. I wrote what was in my head that day, added a few photographs and hit publish. I didn’t wait for perfection because, if that were the case, this crafty blog wouldn’t exist at all.

The more you tinker and play, the more ideas you get, I promise. It will either lead to something, or it won’t, but at least you will have tried. If you are curious about the ways you can create something new with just a yarn and a hook, you have the right skills for the job to start blogging about your own crochet adventures.

How I Started My Creative Business

Crochet Magazine Work

Several small, teeny tiny baby steps later, I (nervously) decided the time was right. So, in October 2016, I sent out emails to three crochet magazines (I found contact details at the front of my favourite magazines). I sent out pictures of a few different designs I’d created, asking if any publishers were interested.

The crochet designs were all originals that I hadn’t shown to anyone else. Craft magazines prefer exclusive ideas, which is why I don’t say anything about a crochet commission until it’s about to go on sale. That, and I’m scared they’ll pull a design from the issue (it can happen, but not very often). I’m really good at keeping secrets these days. I never used to be!

One of the designs I sent was immediately accepted by Inside Crochet. Not only that, but they also asked to feature my blog in their magazine! I properly freaked out, I was gobsmacked and completely delighted! Since then, I’ve featured in all three magazines and had crochet designs in many issues [my work is on the front cover of each of those magazines in the above pic!!]. I’ve also designed for Hobbycraft. I am super proud of myself, and if I can do it, then so can you!

You don’t initially have to send in ideas as I did. You can just ask to be emailed the submission calls. I was added to a Call for Submissions list by all three of the mags I contacted. Then you get to see the mood board and future magazine themes, for which you then send in your ideas. Keep your eyes on social media too; you often see when a publisher is on the hunt for new designers.

You can skip the magazine bit if you prefer and just sell independently. However, you and your creative business do get positive exposure from being featured in crochet magazines.

Selling Online Crochet Patterns

Did you know that you can publish those magazine crochet patterns independently?!

In most cases (check the contract for this), after a period of time, the rights to your work are yours again, and you can sell individual crochet designs to makers across the globe!

I like Ravelry as a platform for selling crochet designs. I’m still learning about it even though I’ve been on there for years. I’ve experienced some really good sales, but it’s often seasonal, and it’s better to have at least a handful of your crochet designs available to bring in more income.

Once you’ve established how to add your design details and upload a PDF version of your crochet pattern (I need quiet for all of this, as I’m well known for temper tantrums when it comes to filling stuff out online), you cross your fingers for the initial flurry of interest followed by delightful sales.

Etsy has been good for me too, and I’ve just dipped my toe in LoveCrafts, so I don’t have much experience with that yet. If you use these platforms, I’d love to hear what you make of them. There are other platforms too, or you can choose to open up your own online shop. I haven’t done that as the platforms I use sort out sales tax for me, and I’m too clueless to do that myself at the moment.

Hints and Tips for Becoming a Crochet Designer

This is the list of info I think will be helpful for you if you need the extra push to start your own small creative business. I’ve had it scribbled down in my notebook since the autumn…

Always be crocheting. You get better every day.
Set up a blog to showcase your work. After some research, I chose WordPress. If you haven’t got time for the world of blogging, then Instagram is an excellent choice. Show up, though, you have to be consistent.
Keep a sketch book nearby (or scrawl ideas on your phone/tablet). Write down/sketch out every crochet design idea. If it’s a wearable item, draw someone wearing it as well as providing a basic schematic. You’ll need simple sketches for submissions, too.
Swatch swatch swatch. Make good crochet swatches for all submissions. Swatches will help you work out little tweaks that need doing, help with shaping and help you work out if the maths is right etc. I dislike making swatches, but they are necessary and useful.
Practice pattern writing with small design projects. Maybe they can become freebies on your blog. Free crochet patterns are a lovely thing to offer, but I wouldn’t recommend busting a gut on big, time-consuming designs unless you have a large audience. It can be a lot of hard work for very little in return. Make it work with what’s relevant to your readership so that you don’t lose out. Essentially, when your blog is monetised, you can bring in an income from ad revenue. You need a lot of traffic to make this work.
Don’t underestimate your worth. If a yarn company is offering you three balls of yarn in exchange for a review, ask yourself if the deal is worth it. Follow your gut on this, as some collaborations are great, whereas others can exploit your good nature. Remember, exposure doesn’t pay the rent! Three balls of free yarn for an Instagram post and a Story is pretty alright. Three balls of free yarn in exchange for two IG posts, 3 Stories, a Reel and a YouTube review is not a good deal!
Be the best you can be. Don’t release crochet patterns that you aren’t super proud of. I frog A LOT of crochet, and 99% of the time it is the right decision.
Keep abreast of what others are up to. What are the latest fashion trends? Popular yarns for crocheters and knitters? Popular colours? What season should you be working towards?
Have a look at this post about choosing colour in your projects. It might help with the point above.
Keep the pattern writing simple. I use Google Docs. If I’m creating a crochet pattern to sell independently, I add a small intro, a few good photographs of the design, “how-to” pics if I think it needs them, and a crochet chart (Stitchfiddle.com is what I often use).
Just do it! Please start. Don’t put it off, find the time to do it now!
And don’t forget to tell the tax man…

Like other creatives, I just wanna make stuff. I’ve learned a ridiculous amount by playing around (making lots of mistakes), and I’ve probably not even covered half of it here. Crikey, I still have a ridiculous amount to learn. I’m coming up to my third year of craft blogging, but I have only considered myself to be a crochet designer for about a year. That’s not a long time, so I reckon I should come back and look at this next year to see what’s changed!

Please let me know if there is anything else you’d like to know or if you think I’ve missed out a vital piece of information. If you are a crochet designer too, I’d love to know what your experience has been. Tell me! Thanks ever so much! X

Another Granny Chevron Cowl! Pattern & Tutorial.

January 24, 2018March 30, 2026crochet, free pattern13 Comments

Crochet Granny Chevron Cowl Pattern

Fancy a very quick and easy crochet project? Last summer, I designed and made a fluffy granny stitch chevron cowl (see pic below). Yesterday I made a smaller, non-fluffy version. I made it when I was thinking about all things granny (I couldn’t wait for the Granny CAL! I just couldn’t!).

This morning I filmed a short tutorial too. It’s now up on YouTube if you want to go and have a look!

A drapey granny stitch chevron cowl pattern using fluffy yarn

A Fluffy Crochet Cowl Pattern

You can find the original crochet chevron cowl pattern, Here. It’s a much larger, drapier version using fluffy yarn. I made the new chevron cowl a bit smaller as I was restricted by the amount of yarn I had: 200 grams of chunky alpaca/mulberry silk stuff I found for £8 a skein from last year’s Edinburgh Yarn Festival.

The (impulsively bought) yarn had been sitting waiting for nearly a year, and I had no real idea about what to do with it for ages. It’s funny how something can jump out at you after all that time.

Some Granny Chevron Cowl Pattern Details

I used a 6mm hook for my chunky yarn.
The yarn I used was only 92 metres per 100g. I think other chunky yarns are usually a bit more than that. I used almost every bit, so if you don’t have at least 184 meters of chunky, then you might not make it to the end.
The granny chevron cowl measures approx 32×32 cm (12.5×12.5 inches). That’s a circumference of 64cm.
I chained 47 to begin, which gives you a total of 14 clusters per row
To make it bigger or smaller, add or subtract 6 chains when you begin. That’s enough for a granny cluster for each side of the chevron pattern.
The pattern is written in UK terms. The video uses both UK and US terms, but essentially all you need to know is that a UK treble is a US double.
3tr = cluster.
Feel free to keep on going to make a bigger version. Why not turn this snug-fitting cowl into a cosy infinity scarf?!

Granny Chevron Crochet Cowl Pattern

Chain 47.
Row 1: 3tr in 7th from hook, (miss 2 sts, 3tr in next) six times, ch2, 3tr in next st, (miss 2 st, 3tr) six times, miss 2 st, 1tr in last st, turn.
Row 2: Ch3, (3tr in space between clusters) six times, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in 2 chain space, (3tr in space between clusters) six times, 1tr in last st of row, turn
Rows 3 – 29: Rep Row 2, changing colour every five rows.
Row 30: As Row 2, but slip stitch to join to Row 1 between each cluster. Fasten off and sew in ends.

I hope you like it. I promise it’s super easy to make and can be made in a couple of hours (maybe less, I didn’t time it).

Jeepers, I’m not wearing make-up on me peepers. Again!

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Zeens & Roger Crochet Vlogcast. Episode 23

January 19, 2018March 30, 2026crochet, vlogging5 Comments

Hello!! It is time for Episode 23 of the Zeens and Roger crochet podcast/crochet vlog. There are some delightfully embarrassing moments, including ungainly lumbering upon a sofa and a super geeky confession at the end. I hope you enjoy it! Please click on the link above for the episode or jump to my YouTube channel HERE.

Links to All the Crochet Things

Granny Crochet Along!! information is HERE. The links to Ravelry and Pinterest etc are over there. I am so looking forward to this!

Little Hearts for Grace squares

The Weekender Blankie by Sandra of Cherry Heart

Geek Chic Crochet by Nicki Trench

The knitted mitts pattern is called Rowan Frost wrist mitts on Ravelry.

The Crossed Treble stitch tutorial (also known as the Star Mesh stitch or the Cane Work stitch)

I think that’s it for stuff you might be interested in (my notes are on the other side of the room!). A few pics of the last couple of weeks are below. X

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Granny is a Go Go! A Crochet Along

January 17, 2018March 30, 2026crochet40 Comments

A Granny CAL

EDIT::New CAL for the autumn…. Join in with the Corner to Corner CAL HERE!!

I’m hosting a CAL! I fancy trying something new, and this is it! Have you ever taken part in a crochet along? It is so much fun! Not only does it become an opportunity to try something different, it also gives you the chance to hang out with online friends (I’ll be honest, the community aspect was an unexpected perk when I first discovered CALs, I just did it cos I thought I might get a prize! I’ve never won anything in a CAL, but it absolutely hasn’t stopped the enjoyment of taking part). Go HERE for the 2019 Granny CAL.

Why a Granny CAL? Well, it dawned on me that I have two favourite “go to” crochet stitches. One is the Corner to Corner (Oooh, I could do a C2C CAL!!) and the other is the Granny stitch. I love its traditionality, but I also think it’s great that it can surprise people. It doesn’t have to be a plain old granny; you could turn it into anything.

I know that there are people out there who aren’t that fussed about the granny, so let this be your challenge. Create something that changes your mind, put a twist on it, bring it up to date. Do something different! Yes, this is classic crochet, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to traditional. Or actually, you can if you want. How you dabble in your grannification is entirely up to you.

Some Granny CAL Details

The CAL is six weeks long, beginning on Thursday, 1st of February and ending on Thursday, 15th March 2018. A chatter thread is up on Ravelry so jump over there, get talking and share your ideas. I’ll open the FO thread nearer the time. Need help? Here’s my Granny board on Pinterest to get you started. I’ve got a few granny patterns for free right here on the blog; they’re on this page (evidently, I really do have a thing for the granny). If you have seen something amazing, let us know in the comments or on the Ravelry chatter thread. For Instagram entries, please use the ever so adventurous #grannyCAL18 (I struggled with an awesome name – they were all too rude…)

The Crochet Along Rules

There aren’t that many CAL rules…. There must be granny stitches in your make (clusters of three UK trebles/US doubles) * It can’t be something already finished * Wips are allowed *It can be any size (if you’re short on time then don’t feel bad about making a small purse, that’s what I’m doing!) * This CAL is for everyone, whether you have just started to crochet or you’ve been hooking for yonks, this crochet along is for you. * Double dipping is fandabbydozy, I don’t mind if you don’t.

CAL Prizes

The winner of each category can choose five patterns from my Zeens and Roger Ravelry store. We are also very lucky that some prizes have been donated!! Fabulous Fay of the Crochet Circle Podcast is offering one electronic copy of her pattern book Take Two, which she co-wrote with Lynn Rowe. The lovely Vivian from the Keep Calm and Carry Yarn podcast (it’s a lovely listen) makes beautiful project bags and sells them in her Etsy shop, Pearl and Plum. I had a message from her daughter, Alyson, to say they would like to give one as a prize! And Laura from Home Fire Ridge will also be sending out a gorgeous project bag to one lucky winner (the ones I’ve seen are really pretty!) Laura’s Etsy shop is having an update on the 23rd of Jan so keep an eye out! Winners will be drawn after I get back from a weekend away in Edinburgh (arghhh, EYF weekend!!) Edit:: Qualyn from the Quoe Podcast (fast becoming a favourite of mine) is offering his Les Mis collection: two fab granny shawl patterns (I have had the songs in my head allll week). And Claudia (my mate Clauds) from Crochet Luna sent me a message to say she’s popped something in the post for us as a giveaway prize!! This is getting exciting!!

Prize Categories

I will randomly select one winner from the chatter thread on Ravelry and one winner from the finished object thread, too. I will randomly select one winner from Instagram, and one prize will be awarded to my favourite make overall. That is four opportunities to win a prize! Wahoo!

Cheers!

Finally, a massive Thank You!! I have had such a hugely positive response to this crochet along; it has been truly awesome! Without the enthusiasm from you guys, the idea would have been fleeting and surely fizzled out. If you have any questions or feel like I’ve left something out, please comment below or get yourself over to Ravelry to join in the chat. I cannot wait to see your gorgeous grannies!!

By the way, it’s episode 21 where I first mention the idea of a Granny along, and then there’s a bit more blather in episode 22. I’m sure I’ll go on about it in future episodes too! Ta. X

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Granny Square blanket with a rainbow border

All the above items are made by me. The patterns are mine, except the Colour Block Jumper by Cleckheaton and the Magnolia Mandala by Crochet Milan.

Crossed Treble Stitch AKA Cane Work, or Star Mesh Stitch

January 12, 2018March 29, 2026crochet, vlogging13 Comments

This crochet tutorial for a crossed treble stitch has been on my To Do list for quite a while. As soon as I saw the pretty crochet stitch, I loved it! I absolutely knew I wanted to crochet something with the crossed treble stitch.

I’ve since learned that it can also be referred to as the Cane stitch or the Star Mesh stitch.

The trouble was, I didn’t understand the written crochet pattern I’d found. With a bit of research and some trawling of Pinterest, I found a few different versions of old, step-by-step photo tutorials. Each version had its own take, and they were all slightly different.

Crossed treble stitch AKA star mesh stitch or cane stitch

Eventually, I pieced together how it was done, and in an effort to save you from all that faffing, I’ve filmed a crochet stitch tutorial to show you how to crochet the crossed treble stitch!

Also, I’m quite pleased that my faffings turned into a new design. I used the stitch in my Holey Smokes! crochet shawl, which is available on Ravelry. Read more about it Here. It’s a crochet fade!

Crossed Treble Stitch

Find some step-by-step pictures below. Please note that the written instructions are for the stitch itself, rather than a full swatch. The stitch pattern requires multiples of 4 stitches.

The Crossed Treble is worked over 3 stitches (including a missed stitch in the middle). The bottom “legs” of the cross are made first, and then the top right “arm”. The second “arm” is a treble worked into the centre of the cross that’s created.

If you want to work a swatch as I do in the tutorial, chain multiples of 4. Begin the first Crossed Tr in the 6th ch from the hook. At the end, turn and ch 5 to begin the next second row. The rest of the pattern is a repeat of the second row, which staggers the CT’s over the ones of the row below. Watch the crossed treble stitch video tutorial, and you’ll know what I mean!

Crossed Treble Stitch Instructions

YO (yarn over) twice, insert hook into required st, YO & pull through loop (4 loops on hook), YO & pull through 2 loops (3 loops on hook), YO, miss 1 st, insert hook into next st, YO & pull through loop (5 loops on hook), (YO & pull through 2 loops on hook) 4 times, ch1, YO, insert hook in middle 2 sts of cross, YO & pull through (3 loops on hook), (YO & pull through 2 loops) twice.

The photo above shows yarn wrapped twice around the hook, ready to start the next crossed treble stitch.

Good luck and enjoy!! Cheers. X

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Quick Crochet Granny Santa Hats

December 18, 2017March 29, 2026crochet7 Comments

Granny Stitch Santa Hats

Oh, how I wish I’d thought of these crochet Santa hats a wee bit earlier. There is literally just one week to go before Christmas Day, for goodness’ sake! Better late than never, I suppose, and now they’re here, they’re here forever!

It was this chunky Santa hat that popped into my head first (a couple of days ago). I didn’t like my other crochet Christmas hat very much; I’d not made enough of an effort in the design stakes (see me talk about that disaster Here). Instead of fiddly fine fluffy mohair yarn (i.e, the other Xmas hat I crocheted), I decided to go for a rush job and choose the chunkiest yarn my LYS had.

In the last two days, I’ve made three versions of this granny Santa hat to get the result I’m really happy with (the first two I was quite chilled about frogging; this festive hat takes no time to work up!). Yesterday we had a lovely Christmassy lunch at a pub with friends, and I sat there and worked on matching mini versions!

Crochet Santa Hat Bunting

The human-sized Santa hat used just over one ball of red chunky yarn and left me with about half a ball of cream colour. I felt bad about abandoning all those leftovers, and the mild to moderate guilt resulted in this collection of mini Santa hats that are ideal for crochet bunting.

One-Size-Fits-All Granny Santa Hat

Regarding the biggun, one size of the large granny stitch Santa hat fits all. We tested it on our after-lunch walk yesterday. It fits beautifully on all heads in different kinds of ways. My boy has it so that it is slightly oversize-in-a-good-way, it fits me like a normal hat, and it perches snuggly on a giant nut, like the one my friend got (cheers Paul!).

Today I’ve typed up the crochet patterns for both Santa hat sizes as a 2-for-1 thing. I have a free Granny Santa Hat pattern right here on the blog. The ad-free pdf is available as a download from Ravelry. More technical talk is over there, so do please pop over, and whilst you’re there, maybe you’ll be tempted to buy a copy! There is still time, honest! Or, if you would like to further explore more Christmas crochet patterns, go here.

The mini crochet hats can be Christmas tree decorations or a fabulous garland. I love both (which surprises me as I’m not a bunting person), it’s so versatile!!

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What do you think? Does it make you feel festive?! Honestly, I think this is such a quick crochet make for Christmas that you could make Santa hats for every member of the family over one weekend! HoHoHo? X

Crochet Granny Stripe Scarf Pattern

December 8, 2017March 23, 2026crochet, free pattern23 Comments

A granny stripe scarf pattern by Zeens and Rogr Crochet

Easy Granny Stripe Scarf Pattern

Here it is, a super simple yet surprisingly effective granny stripe scarf pattern. I’m all over crochet colour block designs at the moment. Of course, you don’t have to use colourblock aesthetics in your crochet granny scarf, but it does look pretty awesome.

The written crochet pattern is below, but you’ll be glad to hear that I put together a granny stripe scarf video tutorial as well!

What Do You Need To Crochet a Granny Stripe Scarf?

You will need around 350g DK yarn. That’s approximately 700 metres.
A 4mm crochet hook
A marginal approximation of brain power – nothing too strenuous, honest!

The DK yarn I used is Drops Lima in the following colours:

2x50g dark grey mix
2x50g powder pink
3x50g dark blue.

Drops Lima is hand-wash only, so feel free to swap it out for machine-washable yarn. I’m not sure it’s the best idea to use something that’s not machine washable for a scarf; maybe I should have gone for the superwash yarn, hmmm. It still looks pretty, though!

Granny Stripe scarf pattern with post stitch ribbing

If you wanted to, you could go down a hook size for the ribbing at each end of the granny stripe scarf. I did (you can see the effect in the above photo). It cinches in a little bit, which stops the ends of the scarf from stretching too wide. However, it isn’t necessary, and whether it matters is up to you.

Notes on How to Crochet A Granny Stripe Scarf

Multiples of three are what’s needed. Chain as many as you like. For this scarf, I chained 54.
OK, this is the (sort of) tricky bit, but it is important. It will make one teeny little difference, depending on whether you have an even or odd number of multiples, it will determine whether you land on a Front Post st or a Back Post st on the second to last stitch of the row. It really doesn’t matter but it will change what you work first on the next row. All you have to remember is to work a BP in an FP and an FP in a BP. That’s what creates the rib effect.
US terms are used here, but I use both UK & US terms in the video. A US double is a UK treble.
Change colour once you’ve used about 100 metres of yarn, i.e., a full 50g ball of DK yarn. I counted to double-check that the end mirrored the beginning (you never know, your tension might change a bit).

Granny Stripe Scarf Pattern

US Crochet Terms.
Work a chain using multiples of 3.

Row 1: 1dc in 4th ch from hook, dc along, turn. For a neat finish, work into the back bumps of the chain.
Row 2: Ch3 (counts as first stitch), *1BPdc, 1FPdc; rep from * to second to last st. 1dc in last st, turn (please read notes about BP & FP as you may land on either depending on the stitch multiple you chose).
Rows 3 – 8: Rep Row 2, working BPdc & FPdc sts accordingly, turn.
Row 9: (1sc, 1ch, 1dc) in first st, *miss 2 sts, 3dc in next st; rep from * finishing with 2dc in the end st, turn.
Row 10: (1sc, 1ch) in first st, *3dc in next space between clusters; rep from * to end, finish with 1dc in last st, turn.
Row 11: (1sc, 1ch, 1dc) in first st, *3dc between each cluster; rep from * to end, finish with two dc in last st, turn.
Repeat Rows 10 & 11 until you’re happy with the length. End on Row 11.
Row 12: Ch3, 1dc in each st to end, turn.
Rows 13 – 19: Rep Row 2. Fasten off and sew in ends.

Check out the quick video tutorial (linked above) to see exactly where those post stitches go! Also, you may wish to explore the idea of crochet Post Stitch ribbing in more detail. In which case, take a look at my best crochet ribbing stitches, here. Thanks ever so much.

Tell me when you’ve made one. Here I am on Instagram. Or, add your favourite new crochet project to Ravelry!

This scarf was inspired by the colour block jumper by Cleck Heaton, which I love! My granny stripe scarf is a free crochet pattern; you’re welcome to make as many as you like, but please let people know where you got the pattern from.

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Cheers! x

Holey Smokes!! A Crochet Fade Shawl

November 17, 2017March 21, 2026crochet29 Comments

Holy Smokes!!

Holey Smokes is here!! I have wanted to design a crochet fade shawl for aaaages. It has been in my head for a while. I knew I wanted to make a fade style shawl, I knew it had to have lacy stitch patterns, and I knew I wanted crazy colours.

For a long time, I didn’t feel brave enough to sit down and do all the maths, but a few weeks ago I made myself do it. There’s no point putting something off just because you’re a little bit worried. The only way to find out how it would go was to dive right in. Back in the spring, I made Deanne’s Addydae Designs crochet Blurre Shawl (have a read) and this was another spur onwards (it’s so pretty, it’s so fadey!).

I love that knitting is embracing The Fade, but, come on, crochet! We need more! Sooo, Holey Smokes is my contribution. And I’m kind of working on another one too. Keep your eyes peeled. EDIT: (several months later…) The sequel: Smoke on the Water is HERE!!

an eyelet crochet shawl using colour changing yarn — Smoke on the Water. Holey Smokes’ sequel

The pattern is now for sale on Ravelry. You can find it HERE. I’ve put many more details about this lacey crochet shawl over on Ravelry; you can find out more technical gubbins by jumping across. I also have a tutorial on YouTube for the Crossed Treble stitch. In the meantime, here are some sporadic thoughts about my fancy new crochet shawl…

Yarn For a Colour Fade Crochet Shawl

I love the yarn! It’s Bluefaced Leicester (so hot right now!) and the colours are just amazing! I happened to stumble upon Somerset Yarns (I wish I could remember how). I absolutely knew that I had to get my hands on all those glorious colours. The fact that Tracey is relatively local to me (just over an hour away, in Bristol) is a coincidence. In fact, I’ve had a spate of buying local hand-dyed yarn recently, and all of it is coincidental.

The Crossed Treble Stitch

Working up the pattern is pretty easy once you get to grips with the main stitches. In the crochet lace shawl pattern, I have included written instructions, photographs and a chart. Not to mention the video tutorial – linked above.

Between all of that, you should be able to decipher the “Crossed Treble” stitch without too much trouble. I’ll be honest, it isn’t the easiest of stitches at first. I saw about 4 different ways of it being written before I decided to offer a fifth. It has been the biggest challenge in writing the pattern, but I did it! Yay!

The pattern has been tested by five wonderful, beautiful, helpful (not to mention patient) people, and I’ve had really positive feedback. Big, enormous thanks go to them; they spotted my silly mistakes, such as rows numbered the same as each other. Honestly, I don’t know how that happened!

I’m still having trouble photographing bright colours. The camera says “no”. You can get the gist, though. And we are talking bright colours. Really bright! In fact, I couldn’t help vocalising some choice words when I was hooking it up. That is why it’s called Holey Smokes. It’s a slightly tamer version of my initial exclamation. The “e” is there because the shawl has holes…

What do you reckon? I think it’s ace! I’ve got another one planned, but I’m not sure when I’ll get cracking on it. Do you want to make one? Let me know. Cheers! X

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