I put my name down for a Halloween themed craft swap recently. You make something for someone, someone else makes something for you. I have no idea if my recipient got their present, but I got my spooky gifts!
I absolutely love the idea of crochet coasters spelling out Boo! I wonder where they got the pattern? It shouldn’t be too difficult to reverse engineer, though.
A Crochet Halloween Garland
I made a Crochet Halloween garland withsmall pumpkins, stars, bats and one of my little crochet spiders.
I didn’t get a decent photo of the garland, so let’s use our imaginations and my “design concept” scribbled picture. I made pastel coloured crochet balls (pictured below), using my own pumpkin pattern, like the more traditional orange pumpkins, above. The balls become pumpkin-shaped as you wrap yarn tightly around their outsides.
I made the crochet Halloween garland with pastels and some glittery yarn, as it was supposed to be bright and colourful.
The plasticky silver stars did not block well. I think a coating of watered-down PVA glue, or starch, while pinned down and left to dry, should have been something I explored.
Crochet Bat with Felt Wings
This winged creature is my crochet bat. He is a design in a set of Halloween Amigurumi patterns. I gave him feet, here, so he could grab onto the garland, swinging happily upside down.
I love my spiders! The purple one made a home in the garland. The grey one is lurking around a corner of my house, somewhere…. Does anyone else fancy making a cute little crochet spider? Here’s the pattern.
Last year, I made a very speedy, sparklyDIY Halloween tiara. I remember hastily cobbling together some photos of how I made it. It’s super easy, especially with the step-by-step pics.
The tiara was made as part of my fancy dress costume for a Hallowe’en party. I’m still not sure what I was… a witch, bad fairy? I think I wore green wings.
My little Ami Halloween Collection made its first appearance. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. I love the idea of a Halloween tree to decorate. I found a bunch of twigs to use. You could go one step further and paint them black. Hanging upon gnarly twigs, my fierce little crocheted witches were flying!
Crochet Owls for Halloween
My crochet owl pattern is also a fabulous Halloween-themed idea. Next to the amigurumi witches, cats and bats, they would likely be considered giant owls! I wondered if they’d be more proportionate if made in a lightweight yarn? Hmm, worth exploring.
What fun it was to learn Tunisian crochet! I now have a new Tunisian crochet cowl, which is a fabulous free pattern by BHooked. Once I got stuck in it took next to no time. I wrote about the beginnings of it a couple of weeks ago. I’m wearing it right now; I’m absolutely freezing.
I used different yarn colours from the original pattern. I ordered Mustard and Barley Lionbrand, Wool Ease Thick and Quick from Wool Warehouse. When I first put it on it was quite stiff even though my tension couldn’t have been that tight (I would have had loads of yarn left over if it was too tight and I didn’t). It’s sitting a lot better now that I’ve worn it a few times.
I think if I blocked it, it would relax a bit more.
Finished Puff Stitch Hat
To go with my new crochet cowl, I made a puff stitch hat with Drops Big Merino. The mustard pompom matches the cowl, but the cat found it and has mauled the hat slightly. I came downstairs the other morning to find lots of mustardy worms sprinkled on the carpet. She does love a pompom.
Can I get away with this crochet combo? I’ll at least be warm!
A Cute Crochet Kitty Purse
I finally got this made. A cute kitty purse by Nicki Trench (from the book Cute and Easy Crochet). It had been sitting waiting (half-made) for a few weeks. I was gearing myself up towards getting out the sewing machine for the lining.
The thought of dragging the heavy machine out from the cupboard under the stairs and then setting it all up was a bit of an effort (so lazy). I thought it’d be better to wait until I had a few other sewing jobs and get them all done at the same time. Does it look more like a mouse? Whatever.
It has been posted to my niece whose birthday was in the middle of August. Seeing as she’s only two, I didn’t think she’d notice that it was momentarily delayed.
The lining is my favourite! More kitties! It’s a ploy cotton cat fabric from Fabricland. I bought it a year or two ago, but I think they still sell it.
Marceline is always nosy. She came over and sat on top of all the crochet.
A Chevron Scarf
Sorry, more selfies. I had no idea how tricky it’d be to take a picture of a scarf! The angle you need to get it all in! This is the Geoffrey Scarf by Potter and Bloom.
Isn’t it lovely?! I watch podcasts every now and again (they’re vlogs really, but podcast seems to be the word that has caught on), and I have recently found one by Potter and Bloom. I have now stalked Emma everywhere: YouTube, Instagram, Ravelry, her blog; I have probably made quite a nuisance of myself. But it has paid off because when she asked for pattern testers for her Geoffrey scarf, I was there shouting, “Pick me, pick me”. I spent last weekend scrutinising every last word, number, asterisk of the pattern… It was like a really weird crochet exam.
I have never read a pattern so intensely in my life. I wanted to do it properly, though. I thought it’d be a doddle; it was only a scarf! I thought I’d get it done and dusted in a few hours. It was actually a lot of work. It was a good experience, though, and I’m glad I’ve done it. It also turned out that I was the first of a handful of testers to finish. That means I get a lovely gift of Paintbox yarn from Emma! I’ll report back on that another day.
There’s a nice intersection of crochet motifs in the centre of the scarf. When it’s wrapped around your neck, they sit nicely at the front. My middle motif looks like an eye. It’ll be staring at whoever I talk to when I’m wearing it. Except for it won’t. I’m not keeping it, I’m putting it aside as a Christmas present. I’ve got my chunky Tunisian cowl!
Should I add tassels to the pointy ends, or leave them as they are? I think Emma decided to leave hers; she had pondered over the idea of pompoms.
If you’d like to hear more about the Geoffrey scarf, pop over to YouTube to watch Episode 10 of Potter and Bloom’s podcast. Just before the six-minute mark is the part where my fellow testers and I are mentioned. And if you watch Episode 9, she starts talking about yarn for a shawl. Yeah, that was my joke!! How exciting to be mentioned! I was watching the podcast whilst cooking the tea (sausage and mash!) and had to “rewind” as I hadn’t been quite sure I’d heard right. But you should watch all of them! Not just the bits I’m in!
And there have been so many other exciting things happen this week. It has been ridiculously busy… A winner for the Take Care Mohair Giveaway was picked yesterday (that was over on Instagram), I’ve been to an event run by The Creative Business Network to get a massive injection of motivation (the artist Sarah J Perry gave a talk on Imposter Syndrome), and I’ve actually been writing out some new crochet patterns. It all feels great! But I must get on, I need to continue writing patterns. I forgot that it’s half term next week, which means I lose time I thought I had!
It’s properly autumn now; the urge to crochet woolly warm things is upon me. I’m starting with accessories for me (this will come as no surprise to those who know me)! Then I have lots of things waiting which will become wintery outerwear for others.
Crochet hat? Crochet scarf? Crochet gloves? I hope so! Sorry, everyone, it’s another handmade Christmas!
Basic Tunisian Crochet
I ordered more Tunisian crochet hooks quite soon after I first tried it a couple of weeks ago. I very quickly spotted a gorgeous looking Tunisian crochet cowl from BHooked. It says it’s the perfect beginner project, and it’s true! I knew it was something I could do with my new skill.
I ordered the same brand of wool used in the original pattern (Lion Brand Wool Ease in Barley and Mustard), and I have to say that it’s perfectly nice. I’ve got no problems with it, and it’ll be lovely and warm because of the wool content. And there is no itch, which is very important when smooshing against a neck.
Tunisian crochet has quite a curl to it. This won’t be an issue once it’s finished. To get a good idea of my progress, I have to hold it flat. My progress is slow; I’ve found that chunky yarn is not something that can be worked on for long stretches. Achy fingers are a bit of an issue. Also, I hold a Tunisian crochet hook differently, which will hopefully improve with practise.
A New Puff Stitch Hat
To go with my new crochet cowl, I’m making a hat, which is just normal crochet. I’m picking this up when I put down the other. I’m two balls into a three-ball hat. I’ve guessed at three, I think it should just do it, but there probably won’t be much slouch when I’ve finished.
I’m using aran weight yarn; Big Merino by Drops (love Drops!). It’s dense but super soft. I like it and know it’ll be lovely and warm. The pattern for this is sort of made up, but before I started, I looked around on Pinterest and found that there are several patterns that essentially make this hat. Here is my crochethat boardfor Pinterest, try the Urban Slouch Beanie.
There had better be enough yarn left so I can make a pompom…
One of the great things about crochet is that there are constantly new tips and tricks to learn. I’m always completely bowled over when I stumble upon a new crochet technique, pattern, or colour combination. Actually, I think what astonishes me most is that crochet, or more to the point, how we crochet, always has the ability to surprise!
As part of this, it’s important that, when upping our crochet game, we embrace new skills, news skills that can really elevate crochet and make yarny projects the best they can be.
Top Crochet Tips and Techniques
I learned to crochet six years ago (Nanna tried to teach me when I was little; I didn’t get on with it). After six years I still LOVE crochet and I still love it when it teaches me something new. A lot of it is probably my childish pride but I don’t care, it makes me super happy. It makes me squee when I accomplish something that’s new to me. I’ve found a hobby that continually delights.
And that’s the point here. Many of the crochet tips below are now part of my everyday hooking repetoire but they might be totally new to somebody else. We’re lucky enough that these crochet tricks and techniques get shared, for us all to discover and enjoy.
Anyway, I thought it would be a really good idea to collate some of my favourite crochet tips together in one place. Some are more common than others but I didn’t know them at one time, maybe you don’t either? There are probably loads more I have yet to try as well. Let me know what you think, and tell me if there are some awesome crochet secrets that I’ve missed.
For a Standing Start, wrap new yarn around your hook twice and then insert the hook into the first stitch before completing what is effectively the first US dc / UK tr stitch. It is just one method that’s an alternative to the 3-chain method at the beginning of rows/rounds. I like this technique for starting rows when changing colour.
2. The Chainless Foundation. Or Foundationless Start
I love this crochet tip! Love LOVE love it!! Find my video tutorial for a foundationless start HERE. In the tutorial I demonstrate the technique for US sc, hdc and dc starts. Beginning crochet projects has never looked so neat and tidy. Plus, there’s more elasticity with this method and you don’t end up with a twisty tangle of a foundation chain.
3. Stop your Chains Twisting!
If you do still want to chain the old-fashioned way, here’s how to stop the twist! It is perfect for a project like an infinity scarf. Sometimes the old method is the good method, especially if you’re all fingers and thumbs with the foundationless start. This is the one where you pop the end of the chain onto your hook whilst you whip up the rest of your chains, then slide it over at the end to create a big ol loop.
4. The Invisible Decrease
Planet June has great amigurumi tutorials for techniques that create wonderfully neat crochet creatures. The invisible decrease is ace; it’s one of my favourite amigurumi secrets. It does what it says on the tin, it’s a decrease that’s invisible! Other decrease methods can be seen in the tight stitches of amigurumi fabric, so this one is a doozy.
5. Finishing off your Amigurumi
This top crochet tip saved me from having lots of stuffed toys with ugly bottoms! Quite literally for this fawn (not that you can see his bottom in the picture below).
Have a look here for this easy method for closing the little whole left at the end of an amigurumi pattern. Even with the invisible decrease, I reckon you can only decrease so much with amigurumi before the stitches start looking a bit overstretched. This is normally near the final round or two. So rather than struggling to squeeze them, I like to finish by using a needle and thread.
6. A Smooth Crochet Circle
If you add uniform increases when working a crochet circle, the final item can actually look more hexagonal. It’s all about mixing up the stitches. Bascially, you don’t have to work every increase in a formulaic pattern. Be a bit more random with the placemnt of the increases and it smooths out the rounds.
7. Work under the Bumps
This one, I learned near the beginning of my crochet obsession, and I still think it’s fab. Many patterns never seem to state where in a chain you should work, and when I was a learner, this confused the heck out of me! I used to go into just the one loop of each chain, never really knowing if this was the right thing to do. To be honest, it looks a bit of a mess doing it this way. What someone should have told me was to work in the back “bumps” of a foundation chain. Check out this beginner-friendly method here: under the bumps tutorial. Unless, you know, Foundationless…!
8. Tidy Crochet Edges for your Border
I only found this one a few days ago, so I haven’t tried it yet. It looks great! My edges tend to look messy even when I make an effort to be extra neat. Felted Button has a great tutorial to rid you of unsightly borders.
Another crochet tip I picked up for creating a neat and tidy border is to make sure you colour-match where you can. If the first round of a border matches the main body of your project, you disguise any potential quirky stitch placements.
9. Lose the Granny Square Twist
Why are my Granny’s twisty?! Cherry Heart will tell you! Sandra’s post has lots of useful crochet tips relating to the ubiquitous granny square. So simple, yet I never thought of trying any of these at first. All hail experienced crochet experts!!
10. The Continuous Join as you go
Not to be confused with the Join As You Go method, which still results in lots of ends to sew in (but is useful when using different rounds of colour), the Continuous JAYG has only two ends to sew in and it’s really easy! Honestly, if you haven’t done this before, it’s life changing. I’ve tried a couple of different methods and the one over at Patchwork Heart is the best.
This one is easy once you have seen a demonstration. I tried to make it up once and got in a right pickle!
11. The Fancy Continuous Join as you go
I really, really want to do this. You can save time and be pretty! It’s the Continuous Flat Braid. Same as above, but fancy!!
12. The Neat Granny Border
If you’ve gone to the effort of stitching all your granny squares together, the least you can do is make sure they get a beautiful border too. Too many clusters around the edges can cause a bit of a ruffle. Pop over to Bunny Mummy’s guide for how to crochet a flat border.
And that’s it for now, but I reckon I’ll have to do a sequel one day. Crochet tips like this really can help create beautiful work, and I’m always on the lookout for more ways I can improve my crochet skills.
Once again, please do let me know if you have your own favourite top crochet tips and tricks. I’d love to hear from you. Cheers!
At last, I’ve finished my crochet cushion! I’m really pleased with it, even though it goes with absolutely nothing in the rest of the house! It was one of those things that just popped into my head one day. All other crochet projects were put aside whilst I got the first couple of squares done.
It has led to other ideas, too, which is great. It means that this cushion isn’t the end of my geometric crochet designing (I’ve got another pattern/tutorial up my sleeve for some time soon).
Basically, it’s corner to corner in US single crochet stitches. For some reason, I’ve adopted US speak for a lot, but not all, crochet terminology (I still call UK trebles, trebles, which can get confusing!). I added the corner tips of colour to make it more interesting; there wouldn’t have been much point in a plain c2c.
Ultimately, what I want to do is work out the pattern in Tunisian crochet, as I think you could do it all in one piece. Sadly, I don’t know how to do Tunisian crochet yet. This might well be the catalyst…
I bought an 18″ feather cushion and a plain cover (both very cheap from Amazon). This turned out to be a great fit for a 5×5 set of squares.
Making a Crochet Cushion
Stitching the squares together was easy. Right sides together and use matching yarn colours.
There are many ways to line them up, but I went for all corners pointing in the same direction.
I crocheted a crab stitch around the outside, thinking it would be a bit like piping. Turns out, it isn’t like that at all, but it was a good foundation for stitching the crochet to the cushion.
I took the actual cushion out to begin stitching.
I pinned it in place and then went around with a good strong needle, as close to the edge as possible.
And then it was done!
Do you like it?! I do! The balance of colours isn’t perfect. It was de-stash time again, and I ran out of some colours before others. In an ideal world, I would have planned that better, but you can’t go out and buy new balls just for the sake of a few metres. I even scrounged some of the lavender colour from my friend up the road.
If anyone fancies having a go, here is the crochet pattern for the C2C Single Crochet Square: I used Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5 hook.
Ch2
2sc in 2nd chain from hook, ch1 and turn. [2 sts]
2sc in both stitches, ch1 and turn. [4]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 2 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [6]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 4 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [8]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 6 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [10]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 8 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [12]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 10 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [14]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 12 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [16]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 14 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1and turn. [18]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 16stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [20]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 18 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [22]
2sc in first stitch, 1sc in next 20 stitches. 2 sc in last stitch, ch1 and turn. [24]
Sc the first two stitches together (decrease), 1sc in next 20 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [22]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 18 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [20]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 16 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [18]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 14 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [16]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 12 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. Change colour. [14]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 10 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [12]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 8 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [10]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 6 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [8]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 4 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [6]
1 decrease, 1sc in the next 2 stitches, 1 decrease, ch1 and turn. [4]
Whilst I was sewing lots of felt bits recently, I had a thought that it would be nice to share how I do it. It doesn’t happen often. Some sewn felt kitty cats I made were quite popular, so I decided to use my design to show you how to make a brooch. Sewing felt is great, no fraying edges to worry about, it’s versatile and quite sturdy.
I’m making a felt cat brooch here, but you can create any design. Even if your drawing is shocking, something interesting will come out of it. I do not care for the excuse that a person is not creative; it’s complete nonsense. If you want to have a go, just do it. And, since we’ve just begun the summer holidays, I can tell you that this is a fabulous project to do with the kids. My boys love doing this kind of thing. Summer holiday crafts are a must.
As well as making felt brooches, keyrings work well too. Or if you can’t be bothered to source brooch backs and keyrings (get them from Etsy or eBay), then a few inches of ribbon attached means that it can become a hanging decoration.
This is a good craft project for those who don’t have loads of supplies. A square of felt and a couple of buttons cost less than a quid. You can reuse old buttons. You can even repurpose old scraps of fabric instead of using felt. Change the thread for yarn, if that’s all you’ve got. Whatever.
Materials To Sew a Felt Cat Brooch
Here are the things you need to make your own hand-sewn felt cat brooch.
Paper and pen/pencil.
Scissors.
Felt fabric (or other thickish fabric).
Buttons for kitty’s eyes.
Embroidery thread (or normal sewing thread doubled up).
A sewing needle and a couple of pins.
A small amount of polyfibre fill.
Brooch back, keyring or 15cm length of ribbon.
Draw Out a Design – The Template
Draw out the design of your choice: cat, dog, fish, fruit, flower, blah blah. Cut it out. A tip here is to go slightly bigger than you want the finished item to be. The finished thing will work up slightly smaller than you expect.
Keep shaping to a minimum too, you don’t want to give yourself the headache of awkward corners, or thin poky-out bits. Keep crafting simple; that’s the key.
Cutting Out Felt Pieces
Pin your template to two layers of felt and cut out. As above, keep to simple shapes as it’s so much easier. I do two layers together so that they’re both the same shape. These will be the front and back pieces.
Separate Embroidery Threads For Sewing
Cut your thread to about 40cm. If your threads are too long, you run the risk of tangles. From experience, it just isn’t worth it. My Nanna used to say that the length of the thread should be from your fingers to your elbow.
If you’re using embroidery thread, then it usually comes in six strands plied together. You need to separate out two strands, as in the picture above. This might seem daft, but a whole thickness of embroidery floss is too bulky and looks naff. Alternatively, use sewing thread doubled up so you’re sewing with two strands. This doesn’t produce as nice a finish, but it’s good enough.
Tie a knot in the end. If it’s the kids who are sewing a felt cat brooch, I tie the ends of the thread together to keep it on the needle. My boys always yank the thread off the needle. Always.
Attach Button Eyes To The Felt Cat
I start with the big, wide, button eyes. You can place them anywhere you like. I like to go wider (leaving room for edge stitching). Poke your needle right through his eyes! Ouch! Keep knots on the back. Stitch the needle in and out of the button holes at least three times.
Where Do You Want Kitty’s Nose and Whiskers?
I recently bought a fancy pen for drawing embroidery designs. It cost about £3 from a fabric shop. The ink disappears after a few hours, so you can draw your face and not worry about scruffy pen marks. If you’re not that fussed, you can free-style it or see if a soft pencil works.
Being able to see where to place the embroidery stitches is very useful.
With the embroidery thread, you’re essentially colouring in. For the nose, use a satin stitch, which is just stitches placed really close to one another. For the bit under his nose, I change to a running stitch and follow the line I drew.
YouTube is your friend when learning stitches. It’s a good place to learn a bit more about embroidery and how to do the stitches. They all have different names!
I ran out of my first lot of thread at this stage. It’s best to leave maybe 8-10cm of thread at the end to give yourself a sufficient amount to tie off and weave in. Then just grab a new length to continue stitching.
It doesn’t matter about the thready mess you create on the wrong side, as you won’t see any of it. Just as long as it is kept to the wrong side.
A Hand Stitched Kitty Face – A Felt Cat Brooch
A little kitty face sewn! If you still have a decent amount of thread left, don’t tie it off yet, as you can use it to sew the two sides together.
Put this kitty face to one side while you complete the next stage.
Sewing On the Brooch Back
Sewing on a brooch back is similar to sewing on the eyes. I go in and out of each hole three times at the top and three times each for the bottom holes (bottom holes! Haha!). Make sure the brooch back is the right way up and that it’s placed towards the top middle.
Make sure you sew it to the correct side of your felt/fabric, too. Essentially, match the front and back pieces so that you haven’t accidentally got one of them the wrong way round. Not all designs will be symmetrical. Always check!
Almost there. Just need to sew the front and back together.
Sewing Felt Pieces Together
Rethread the needle, and it’s time to sew the front to the back. I use a whip stitch. I used to use a blanket stitch, but it uses a ton of thread. A whip stitch looks similar when looking straight on. Make sure the stitches are neatly done; they will be visible. They’re a design feature!
(If I was using ribbon, it’d be at this stage, near the top that I’d get it ready to stitch between the two layers).
Again, if the thread needs changing, tie off the old stuff and knot in the new all inside your felt kitty. No one will ever know about the mess!
Add Stuffing Inside The Felt Cat Brooch
When there’s only a couple of inches left to sew, kitty needs to acquire some chub. I’ve got a bag of toy stuffing (bought from Amazon), but if desperate, go and destroy a cushion (or but perhaps you shouldn’t :/). Another alternative could be yarn ends if you’re a knitter or crocheter. Anyway, stuff lightly with your chosen filling, match up the open pieces and carry on with the stitching.
To finish off, the last stitch to the back needs to be poked upwards and out again, next to another stitch, as in the left photo above. Check the front to make sure you didn’t go through to the face too.
Go around the stitch you popped out next to and then repeat the process two or three times more. Or just keep going until the thread comes to an end. Lose the thread inside the newly hand-sewn felt kitty cat, or carefully snip off any threads still showing.
Voila! A hand-stitched cat face made from felt!
It is done. Miaow.
As well as sewing a cat felt brooch, you can sew any kind of felt critters. Here are some other handmade felt decorations, keychains and brooches that I’ve made before…
I’ve crocheted another Granny Triangle Shawl. I couldn’t help myself. When I saw Drops yarn on sale the weekend before last, I had to buy some. It was for research purposes; I wanted to try out my granny triangle shawl pattern again.
My original crochet pattern is woolly and wintery. This time, I wanted something with more of a drape. I chose Drops Baby Merino this time (it’s 4 ply) and added a chain between each cluster to create the looser fabric. I’d not used this yarn before and I’m already using it again (another shawl pattern)! I like it, it’s good.
Summer Granny Crochet
I thought the colours in this granny triangle shawl were a bit more summery, and the drapey 4 ply would make it less stifling for the season. I’m really quite pleased. I used a 3.25mm hook with this weight of yarn.
Lazy Shawl Blocking
I was very well behaved because I actually managed to block my shawl. It’s an easy method of blocking, but blocking nevertheless. I pinned it out directly onto the carpet (whilst I was watching the telly) and sprayed it with water. Just enough to lightly dampen it. I left it for a few hours to dry naturally. But to make sure it was dry, I also got the hair dryer on it.
I wouldn’t ever advocate this method because somewhere along the line, I will no doubt end up ruining one of my precious crochet makes. I can see myself ruining the carpet, too. Yes, I know this is foolish.
Scallop Shawl Edging
I love the simple scallop edging for this triangle granny shawl. It’s not hard to do. I changed the colour sequence for this version of the shawl as I didn’t want to buy loads of different colours just to do a couple of rows of each. It still is essentially the same thing as the original. This time, I used 4 balls of green and one each of the other two shades. Each ball is 50 grams.
Even though it was something I made up, I forgot how to do the edging, so I dutifully followed my own crochet pattern. It worked too (but I shouldn’t let on that I was surprised, of course it worked!). I should confess that I did have to bodge the corner/point.
By adding a chain between each granny stitch cluster on the main body of the shawl (to get the nice drape I spoke of), the stitch multiple changed. It changed the stitch count from multiples of three to multiples of four.
Silly me! I had a skip a stitch here and there whilst making the scallops, so that the middle cluster actually ended up in the middle. It’s not noticeable, but something I should have planned for. At least crochet is very forgiving when you fudge a few stitches!
The blocking definitely added to the drapey quality. It has also made the wool feel softer.
I took many, many pictures, but sadly, none of me wearing it this time. Shame. I got distracted by the cat. And then I started taking photos of other things around the room.
Plants aside, I’ve got some pictures of the cat…
Whenever something woolly comes out, she decides it’s somewhere she wants to be. Good old Marceline (not that old, she’s only turning one sometime toward the end of the month).
EDIT:: Hold your horses!! Before you read on, you might like me to direct you to the updated version, which is a far more straight forward pattern with pretty much the same results. GO HERE for the new written pattern. And go HERE to YouTube for the video tutorial. Ta! x
The first anniversary of my blogging ways today. That went quickly! Yay me! I’ve enjoyed all of it so far. I’ve learned so much and (conversely) haven’t learned anything at all! I wasn’t sure what it would be like, and I have been pleasantly surprised. I wonder what the following year will bring!?
In celebration of this momentous occasion (and it totally is momentous), I’m sharing a crochet pattern of mine.
I’ve made a couple of mesh bags before, but they required more than just one ball of yarn. I didn’t want loads of balls/skeins rolling about everywhere, and I didn’t want to spend loads of money. Crochet can be an expensive hobby!
There are some photos below that show the bag’s strap stage, and there is also a delightful diagram to help show how the rounds are joined. I found it tricky to word the pattern for those bits!
A Crochet Market Bag
It’s a deceptively good-sized bag. When I was making it, I was unsure there’d be much point in it, but you can actually fit loads in this mesh bag. It has a good amount of stretch.
The yarn I used is Rico Essentials cotton dk in Emerald. I used a 3mm hook.
At the end, I had approximately one metre of yarn left. Your tension will probably be different to mine, and if you’re worried about running out of cotton, you could skip a round or make the strap shorter. The yarn is lovely to use, and I want more!!
Crochet Mesh Bag Pattern
3mm crochet hook
Rico Essentials Cotton dk in Emerald
The pattern is written in UK terms.
Start with a magic ring (or ch4 and join with a slip stitch). Round 1: Ch3, 11tr into ring. Join to third ch of initial 3 ch with a slip stitch. Pull the magic ring tight to secure. [12st]
Round 2: Ch3, 1 tr into same stitch. 2 tr into each space. Join to third ch of initial 3 ch with a slip stitch. [24st]
Round 3: Ch3, *2tr in next stitch, 1 tr in next* around, ending with 2tr in last st. [36st]
Round 4: Ch1, 1dc in same st. *ch3, skip 1 stitch, 1dc in next* around until the second to last st (stitch). At this point, ch1 and make a htr into beginning dc. Have a look at the diagram to see how to join rounds at the end. Bear in mind that it’s just a partial section of the round, showing the important bit. Placing a stitch marker on the last stitch of each round from here will help. [18 ch sp].
Round 5: *Ch4, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch2, 1htr into the top of the last st of the previous round (ie into the top of the htr of previous round).
Round 6: *ch5, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch2, 1tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.
Round 7: *ch6, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.
Round 8-9: *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.
Round 10: Three increases will be made at even intervals in this round. *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp, ch4, 1 dc in same ch sp. (Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp) x 5. Repeat from * two more times, finishing before the last ch7. Instead, Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round. [21ch sp]
Round 11-12: *Ch7, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch3, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.
Round 13-20: Ch8, 1dc in next ch sp* around until second to last ch sp. Ch4, 1double tr into the top of the last st of the previous round.
Round 21: As Round 7.
Round 22: As Round 6.
Round 23: Ch1, 1dc in same stitch, 4dc in each ch sp, 1dc in top of each dc of previous round, sl st to join to first st.
Round 24-25: Ch1, 1 dc in same space, dc around, sl st to join to first st. Do not cut yarn.
The Crochet Bag Strap
Continuing from Round 25, Row 1: Ch1, 1dc in same space, 1dc in next 7 sts, turn. [8]
Row 2: Ch1, 8dc, turn. [8] Repeat Row 2 until the desired strap length or when nearing the end of the yarn. My strap measures approx 18″.
Turn your bag inside out. To attach the handle to the other side of the bag, first count how many stitches are around the top of the bag. I had 100 stitches. The strap needs to be in the middle. I counted 42 stitches along the right side of my handle (42 + 8 = 50. That’s half of the stitches around the top of the bag). The next stitch (see pic below) was where I started to attach the other end of the strap. Make sure there are no twists in your bag strap!
The hook should be on the right-hand side. If it isn’t, crochet another row of the strap or take one away.
Ch1. Insert hook through first stitch on strap and the chosen stitch on the other side of the bag (see pic below). Yarn over and pull through all loops/stitches. Repeat for the last 7 stitches, leaving out the initial ch1. Fasten off and sew ends securely. Finished!
Make sure to sew the ends in really well.
A Finished Crochet Mesh Bag
I only made one crochet mesh bag, which I frogged a few times in the design process. This crochet pattern is mostly a way for me to practice pattern writing. I’m not a professional, it took blinkin’ ages, and it’s free! Useful feedback would be gratefully received. Thanks.
Please don’t then publish this pattern without my permission, please don’t pinch the pattern to sell, and if you want to make the bags to sell, please give me credit. And send me a message to say what you’ve been up to, as I would love to hear from you. Ta very much!
It’s the Easter holidays, so I will be relatively quiet here until the week after next. It’s amazing how having an extra child at home creates so much more work. There has been a birthday too, which has made me busy.
Don’t worry, we’ll talk about handmade Jedi Robes in just a moment!
It’s The Boys’ Birthday
Mini birthday chocolate muffins. I guess you could argue that the star decorations were part of a Star Wars birthday theme, but I didn’t twig until just this second that there was a connection. Let’s go with it…
Reversible Jedi Robes
Anyway, on to what I’m here for. I made a Star Wars costume for a three-year-old. For a bit of diversity, I decided to make it reversible. This gave the boy a choice of whether he wanted to be a Jedi Knight or give in to temptation and join the Dark Side.
I think it is safe to say that he has joined the Dark Side. I knew he would, which is why his big brother models the Jedi version. Not sure I’ve got my priorities right by buying him Kylo Ren’s lightsaber, but whatever, he loves it.
You need about three metres of each of the brown and black fabric. It was 45″ wide. I got it all from Amazon as I only needed cheap stuff. I usually only get fabric online if I don’t care much about the quality.
These DIY robes were actually really easy to sew. Apologies, but the old tutorial I used can no longer be found online; there are plenty of others to choose from. I made two robes (without hemming): one in brown fabric and one in black fabric.
With right sides together, I sewed them together, leaving a 5 – 6 inch gap in the bottom so I could turn the whole thing the right way round. Bagging out, right?
Initially, you ignore the sleeves, tucking them in whilst you stitch around everything else. Once it has all been pressed (don’t melt your cheap fabric as I did), the sleeves can be tucked into each other and their hems both folded to the inside, where they won’t be seen. A little bit of top stitching sews them together.
Top stitching around everything else also tidies it all up and closes the hole that was left at the bottom.
A Star Wars Fancy Dress Costume
Because it is just a fancy dress costume, I wasn’t particularly careful about how it all went together. I’m pretty shocked that it worked so well. I cut out the black fabric first and used it as a template for the brown so they’d both be the same size.
I had some minor unpicking to do at the beginning, where I messed up the shoulders. And I had some mighty gathering to do on the hood because it was so much bigger than the neck bit (it is supposed to be big though).
I think it’ll get too short very quickly, too; children grow so quickly. If I were to make it again, I’d add about three extra inches to the length of the robes.
Other than that, it all kind of worked. Three-year-old stomped around the house in Vader style and had a great time (there was even hands on hips and heavy-duty breathing).
Both boys got right into the spirit of it, which I loved, especially as my eldest hates dressing up and will usually refuse. My efforts rewarded, phew!
Oh, and I forgot to take pictures as I made it, so I can’t show a step-by-step thing. It’s not so important with the robes, as it was someone else’s tutorial.
Making the Coordinating Tabard
I bought a metre of calico for the tabard and used half (it was 60″wide).
The tabard was really easy to make. I had two rectangles, approximately boy-sized, and I snipped in a V shape at the neck. I sloped the shoulders slightly (downward towards the outside), then stitched the pieces together at the shoulders. I quickly (and shoddily) hemmed all around the raw edges and left it open at the sides.
It is tied closed around the body with a belt, which is a strip of leftover brown fabric that I folded in half lengthwise (with raw edges tucked in) and top-stitched.
This was the most basic way I could think of to finish out the Jedi outfit.
Then, after Star Wars shenanigans, they did “art” or, in other words, they painted themselves…
I think a crochet pompom edging is one of my favourite types of blanket borders, so far. This is a cosy blanket just for me!
It’s a real thrill because most of my finished crochet blankets tend to make me feel a bit “meh” after I’ve finished them. It’s usually to do with them not ending up how they looked in my head, so they get abandoned, or I give them away. Not this time!
The main crochet stitch used in this blanket is the Stacked Shells section from Cherry Heart’s Spice of Life blanket. Sandra herself did the same thing, and I liked it even more than the Spice of Life Blanket [here’s my SoL]. I’ve totally copied the idea! It’s called A Touch of Spice, and I really love it.
A Touch of Spice Blanket
Last year, I bought a pile of Stylecraft Life DK, thinking I was going to make a Rustic Lace Squareblanket. I’m still undecided about the Rustic Lace Square with this particular yarn, though. Some of the crochet blankets I’ve seen are exquisitely beautiful, but they look cottony and fine, not woolly and wintery. They’re lacey. I’m not sure this is the yarn for that crochet project. However, I’ve still got loads of Stylecraft Life left so…
A Bobbly Pompom Border
The bobbly crochet pompoms are my absolute favourite bit. I love the red, and I just think they’re fabulous. I was super proud of them because I made up the crochet pattern myself.
I’d found a couple of crochet patterns and tutorials that had really faffy ways of crocheting pompoms, which I just couldn’t be bothered to do. I did try. Every pompom took an age, and it would have taken a lifetime to go round the whole blanket. My reaction to that was to come up with my own cheat pompom that takes half the time to crochet.
Bobbly Crochet Pompom Edging
Before I share the pattern (below), let’s take a look at the instructions for how to crochet a bobble. I have used UK terms, but a UK treble crochet is a US double crochet. Super simple to translate.
5tgr = treble crochet 5 together. Here are the instructions for a crochet bobble ie 4tgr: Yarn over (YO), insert hook in stitch, YO, pull up a loop, 3 loops on hook. YO, pull through 2 loops, 2 loops on hook. YO & insert into st, YO, pull up a loop, 4 loops on hook. YO, pull through 2 loops, 3 loops on hook. YO & insert into st, YO, pull up a loop, 5 loops on hook. YO, pull through 2 loops, 4 loops on hook. YO & insert into st, YO, pull up a loop, 6 loops on hook. YO, pull through 2 loops, 5 loops on hook. YO & pull through the last 5 loops.
Gosh, that’s tricky to write down, that’s for sure!
Crochet PomPom Edging Pattern
This pompom edging is worked into a foundation of plain stitches that you’ll have already worked. I crocheted this pompom edging onto a round of UK treble stitches / US double crochet stitches. I continued to use the same colour.
Round 1: With right side of blanket facing, *Ch7, 5tgr in 4th ch from hook, ch1, sl st into bottom of bobble, ch3, skip 3 sts of blanket edging, and sl st into next st; rep from * around.
I’ve broken it down with a few pictures below:
Crochet Pompom Edging: Step By Step
Step1: Chain 7. Step 2: Beginning the 5tr bobble. Step 3: Before pulling through the last 5 loops on the hook.
Step 4: A finished crochet bobble. Step 5: Slip stitch into bottom of the cluster (original 4th ch from hook.) Step 6: Chain 3.
Step 7: Miss 3 stitches. Slip stitch into the 4th chain. Repeat all the way around. Fasten off, sew in ends and admire your new crochet pompom edging.
A Lovely Blanket with a Crochet Pompom Edging
Amazingly, for me, I blocked this crochet blanket. I pinned it directly onto the carpet because I don’t have any spongy foam blocking boards. It doesn’t seem to have ruined the carpet.
To block my blanket, I sprayed it lightly with water and left it overnight. By morning, it was dry (It was near the radiator). I have draped myself in my cuddly new blanket every evening since I finished it last week. It’s lovely.
Anyway, I think I’m sewing stuff next. Maybe some Jedi robes for the boys, slightly different to usual. And I’ve dug out some paper piecing hexies, which is a very old, ongoing project.
