If you fancy it, you can support me on Patreon HERE. Ta very much.
HERE is my review of the Dear Ewe products. I forgot to mention in the episode that until next Sunday the 8th September you can get a discount. The code is in the blog post.
The blanket join is from the Redagape casual granny blanket. It’s HERE.
This is the Lorax Scarf, a large crochet chevron scarf that is one of the cosiest makes ever! I made it as an experiment for some super soft merino yarn that the yarn company, Rico, sent me a few months ago. There wasn’t going to be enough yarn to make the kind of scarf I like (proper warm and snuggly) so I prepared for a major stash dive. There is a mix of all sorts of yarn in this colourful crochet chevron scarf but still only eight colours. Scrutinise it and you’ll see that there are all kinds of slightly different shades and different yarn weights. But, do you know what? No one ever looks that closely!
Therefore, this scarf pattern is a great stashbuster!
Crochet Chevron Scarf Pattern
There were so many lovely comments about this eyelet crochet scarf over on Instagram and YouTube, so I thought it would be nice to make it into a proper pattern to release. There is a download available to buy on Ravelry in both UK and US terms.
Lorax, this crochet chevron scarf, has all the info you need: written pattern, chart (hand drawn this time – speedier than software), pics, and a table to show colour rows etc. I also included a couple of other suggestions as to how you could use this pretty eyelet chevron stitch.
I also recorded a video tutorial for the Eyelet Chevron stitch. It shows a swatch being worked up in the stitch, which should be good for the more visual learners out there. You can find the video tutorial HERE.
The stitch pattern for this crochet chevron scarf uses multiples of 16. Therefore, if you want to make a narrower scarf, feel free to reduce it by 16, or even 32 chains. I enjoy a wide scarf so the original width (42cm / 17.5 inches) might be too wide for you.
However, with the scarf being almost Lenny Kravitz style scarf proportions, you would only need to add a couple more stitch multiples to create a beautiful crochet ripple blanket!
I can’t claim to have come up with the name myself. One rather splendid podcast viewer said it reminded them of Dr Seuss’s The Lorax and I have to say, I agree!! So it couldn’t really be called anything else, the colours were just too similar and before I knew it, it was The Lorax!
Note that on Etsy, I had to change the name as whoever owns the story nowadays, they don’t like people using the name.
I do hope you like it. And don’t forget to let me know if you make it. Cheers. x
I have a new mug and it’s crochet related!! Huzzah! I also have some other new goodies too. I do hope you want to hear about them because I’m going to tell you how I got them! (yep, I have been gifted them for freeeeee in exchange for this totally open, sincere review… And good vibes).
In June I met Heather from Keep Calm and Carry On UK, a UK based crochet blogger. We were both attending The Crochet Sanctuary and it was fabulous to get to chat to another crochet designer for a whole weekend! (that’s another story, involving ghosts and balloons, if I ever get to writing it down). Not too long ago Heather set up Dear Ewe, an online shop dedicated to the sort of bits and bobs that are perfect gifts for craft enthusiasts. I’d been lusting after a crochet chart mug since Christmas but Father Christmas didn’t bring me one, booo. However, it seems Christmas has come early this year because just before Granny Square Day, I got a message from Heather to say a parcel was in the post with lots of goodies in it! Whaaat?!! I saw the email in the evening and the following morning the postman knocked at my door.
The first thing I did was tear open the box to get to my new granny mug but that wasn’t all that was in the box! I had no idea I was going to get such a treat! I also got lots of quality postcards with beautifully designed quotes written upon them (I got two packs of those so I’m putting one aside as part of a giveaway that I’ll probably do on my next Crochet Podcast.) I also got the best bag! It’s a huuuuge canvas tote with crochet charts printed on it. It’s proper sturdy too and I’ve already been lugging my wips about in it over the last few days. How lucky am I?!?
Let me say more about the mug. Oh, how wonderful it is! Perfectly timed too as within a day or so of it arriving I broke my favourite Pendle witch mug (this might be karma at work, I’m not sure)… I don’t think this one will break quite so easily, Heather sources her mugs from the World Capital of Ceramics!! (that’s Stoke on Trent). And the print is not going to go anywhere either, that chart is not going to come off in the wash. I’m sat here at my desk with my lush new mug, filled to the brim with hot tea. I am a happy woman.
Bezza would call this cake “healthy”. It’s courgette and walnut. :p
Of course, I popped over to the shop to see what was new and there’s loads of stuff there. There are a couple of smaller project bags that I have my eye on, lovely greetings cards and lots of other mug designs too, all of which go beyond crochet. If you’re a different sort of crafter there is something for you too, so whether you’re a knitter or an embroiderer you are catered for. And the crochet patterns are pretty cute as well.
Buying from a small business means the world to the person that created it. Until Sunday the 8th of September I have a super secret code offering you a 10% discount over on Dear Ewe. The code: ZEENS10. You’ve got just over a week, so you’d better get moving!
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I am stuffed to the brim with cake, this bag is stuffed with all the yarn.
Long time no see! How’s it going? I hope you’ve been doing lots of crochet… Lots to talk about in this latest crochet podcast. Please click on the picture above to go to the episode or go to my YouTube Channel HERE. Don’t forget to leave a comment and Like and Subscribe!! Cheers! x
Links and pics below:
For the Granny Cowl featured on the front cover of Mollie Makes, you can now buy it on Ravelry . I have also added it to Etsy HERE and Love Crochet HERE (or is it called Love Crafts now?). No discounts on those platforms though, soz.
Only two weeks after the last crochet tutorial (an asymmetric granny stitch cowl) and here are two more that show you how to make a granny square bag! Sorry, I’m flooding you with granny stitch designs at the moment. I swear I do have other crochet ideas that involve different stitches!
By the way, my YouTube channel is HERE. Please feel free to visit for podcast watching, as well as finding helpful crochet video tutorials.
Crochet a Granny Square Bag
Here are all the things you need to get crocheting…
To make your own crochet granny square bag you will need lots of lovely yarn in all your favorite colours. Mine is very much a stashbuster using double knit acrylic yarn. No need to buy yarn for this sort of project when you probably have plenty in your collection.
You will also need a hook that matches the yarn weight. I used my trusty 4mm crochet hook. You may even try going down a hook size to ensure that your bag has decent structural integrity. You don’t want a floppy bag, do you?!
You will also need some matching fabric (a polycotton will do nicely) and something to sew it (a machine is preferable but there’s nothing stopping you from sewing by hand). Along with, have some pins at the ready too. It’s also a good idea (but not essential) to get some interfacing to add to the sturdiness of the bag.
Bag handles, don’t forget bag handles! You can cut them from old knackered bags, or, I have found them by googling “long bag handles” before and up they popped. You can get all kind of bags handles for around a fiver.
Video Tutorials
Join As You Go Granny Squares
This tutorial is based on a granny square bag I made a couple of years ago. The original blog post can be found HERE. There are lots of details in that post that will be super useful here. However, this is a slightly different version. I’ve made this new crochet bag a bit less fussy, which is always a winner for makers.
There are two video tutorials for this project. Firstly, there’s How to Crochet Join As You Go Granny Squares. I start by making one granny square and then at the time stamp of 5.25 I begin to join them together. At first this can seem a little daunting but once you get your head around the construction, joining as you go is really good fun. Not to mention a huge time saver!
When I crochet my grannies, I don’t add chains between the clusters. This comes in handy a bit later, which I explain in the second video tutorial….
Turn Granny Squares into a Bag
The second video tutorial talks you through how to crochet the bag together so that it goes from basic rectangle to a functioning, useful project.
My rectangle piece of crochet is 4×6 Join As you Go Granny Squares. Once the ends have been dutifully sewn in, it’s time to turn it into a fab bag. At the two short ends I added some crochet rows that will become the handles. Then work UK dc stitches / US sc stitches down both long sides, popping stitches into the trebles of each cluster.
Fold the whole thing in half and slip stitch the sides together. This is the basic pocket created and a few extra steps are needed to finish off. Next is to attach the handles. You’ll see from the tutorial that I am not precious about my stitches but I would gently suggest you take more care than me.
Once you have the handles in place you could absolutely stop there. I make no judgement about this as sometimes it’ll be perfect right here. However, let’s say you want to keep a crochet WIP in your fancy new granny square bag, what’s going to fall through those lil holes?
There is no way that I am prepared to lose my crochet hooks so I am fully prepared to sew a pretty lining to make it super sturdy and structurally sound.
When I suspect that you might be able to see through crochet stitches of a bag, I like to add a double lining. This is so that you can only see prettiness between any gaps. I am quite laid back in my approach to measuring for lining and don’t often get the tape measure out. The lining technique is demonstrated in the second video from about 17 minutes.
Please see below for some accompanying pictures. Not quite step by step photos but they will help you put your own crochet bag together, especially for when you get to add the bag lining. Like I said, I would always advise lining a granny square bag. How else do you stop things falling through the holes!?
Welcome to Episode 55! I’m pleased to say that I’ve been enjoying my crochet over the last couple of weeks. I do hope you like the episode. As well as WIPs and FOs, I talk about Ravelry and their new policy. Cripes, it was tricky to talk about without getting passionate! I hope I was careful with my words; it really isn’t my area of expertise. I believe it’s important that it’s discussed though, so there was no way I was going to ignore the current issues.
Please go HERE to YouTubefor all my videos or click on the pic above to go directly to the episode.
It has taken an age but I finally found time to record a new crochet tutorial! Hurray! Thank you for being so patient with me. Video tutorials take a lot of time to put together so it’s very easy to drop it lower on the list when something else pops up. Please click on the picture above to go to the tutorial or HERE to my YouTube channel. Don’t forget my Free Patterns page too, that’s HERE
Materials & Notes to make your Crochet Cowl
One colour: 2x 100g (135m) balls of chunky yarn. I used Stylecraft Alpaca Tweed.
Stripey version: 3x 100g (135m) balls of chunky yarn.
8mm hook.
Written in UK terms (converting is dead easy, a UK tr is a US dc, that’s it!).
3ch counts as a stitch (st/s).
I have a loose tension, go up a hook size if you don’t!
Scroll down for a “chart” showing colour changes and a it more info.
Crochet Cowl Pattern
Chain 28 Row 1: 1tr in 4th ch from hook, miss 2 sts, *3tr, miss 2 sts; rep from * to the last st, 2tr in last st, turn.
Row 2: 3ch, 3tr in each sp along to end, 1tr in last st, turn.
Row 3: 3ch, 1tr in same st, 3tr in each space along to end, finishing with 2tr in last st, turn.
Row 4 – 24: Rep Rows 2&3 ten times and Row 2 once more.
Row 25 (increase row): 3ch, 2tr in same sp, cont as Row 2 to end.
Row 26: Rep Row 3.
Row 27: Rep Row 2.
Row 28 (increase row): Begin as Row 3, end with 3tr in last st, turn.
Row 46 (edging): 3ch, 3tr in each sp along, (3tr, 2ch, 3tr) in corner sp, 3tr in each sp to end. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Sew the short piece to the other end of the straight side (see chart below). Add tassels if desired! Voila, one seriously speedy granny cowl. Because you’re using chunky yarn with as big hook, you can crochet this in next to no time at all.
Hey! I hope all is well? Please click on the pic above to go to Episode 54 of my crochet podcast. This one is mostly me chatting about The Crochet Sanctuary because I went there last weekend! You can also go HERE to YouTube! That’s where you’ll find my channel. Ta very much. x
It has been such chaos this week but I really wanted to stop by to say hello. It’s a shorty and I feel like a stuck record but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless. Click on the image above to go directly to the episode or to my YouTube channel HERE. Cheers. x
Not many links this time…
If you would like to support me via Patreon (HERE) then I will love you forever. No tiers or no rewards at the moment because I don’t want to break promises I can’t keep. After I get the current commissions out of the way I can focus more on other patterns and YouTube tutorials for you.
Off I go the the Crochet Sanctuary next week. I plan on reporting back so watch this space!
I’m slowly making progress on Hannah’s Frost shawl. I love it so much. Wish I hadn’t made mistakes on it but I love it regardless.
And I talk a bit about The Fibre Co. In a few months I’ll be able to show you what I make!
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Thanks so much. See you again in a couple of weeks. xxx
Hi! How’s it going? This is a bit of a funny episode in that I don’t show any wips or finished objects! But it’s proof that I can talk for half an hour about crochet related things without showing you anything at all…
As always, click on the pic above to go to the episode or go to YouTube HERE for all the vids.
x
