My first blog post of the New Year is going to be a selfish one. Toot! I’ve got lots of Christmas stuff I want to post about too (and soon), but today, it’s all about me! Toot!….. I’m in a crochet magazine, a real-life magazine!! And a flippin’ good one too. Toot!
*Toots are not associated with the musical fruit kind.
A few months ago, I summoned the smarts to email the editor of Inside Crochet magazine. I asked if they’d be interested in my designs. I felt quite brave. Over the last six months or so, I have developed a sort of “why not?” sort of attitude.
A couple of years ago, I would never have been so brazen as to approach someone with my creative ideas. But recently, I’ve been thinking that it’s about time I stopped being such a Cowardy Custard and just did the things everyone else seems to find so easy.
The catalyst for my sudden burst of proactivity was a presentation the Husband gave to a bunch of tech dweebs about the future of technology. In it, he talked about the difference between Generation X and Millennials; how Gen X waited to be discovered, whilst Millennials went out and got the thing they wanted.
I learned that I was old: Gen X. Ugh. It was time to do something about my burning desire to be a crochet designer! Anyway, a week after I pressed send, I got a fabulously positive response, which got me pacing around the living room whispering the “F” word for a while.
A Published Crochet Designer!
Published. In a magazine. Ermergherd!!
A Design In Inside Crochet Magazine
Issue 85 of Inside Crochet magazine is in the shops right now. I saw it in Tesco the other day, and I pointed it out to my son, who grinned. He recognised the cover and was nicely gobsmacked. We were in Southampton at the time, and he couldn’t fathom that the magazine I was in wasn’t just the copy we had at home.
The process of designing has been brilliant and really quite interesting. The making bit is obviously the best, and it feels pretty good when the pattern is all typed up, too. My biggest fear is that this is one-trick pony territory, that the crochet ideas will dry up or get rubbish.
Who can tell?! What I will say is, just keep your eyes peeled for future issues, too. Hmm, maybe go and buy next month’s copy of Inside Crochet too…
Righty, Happy New Year to all, may it be just as interesting as 2016 (but in all the good ways not the nasty)…X Toot!
I was working out the design for my recent crochet wrist warmers pattern, playing with different methods and whatnot, when this idea popped up. A very simple crochet bracelet. It’s basically front post and back post stitches, which ended up being too bulky for the mitts, but still had something I liked.
It is such an easy crochet pattern; it only takes fifteen/twenty minutes from start to finish. Who doesn’t love super speedy crochet ideas!?
If you’ve not tried crochet post stitches before, this crochet bracelet is a great pattern for practising. These stitches are so easy. They’re the same as normal US double / Uk treble stitches; it’s just where you put your hook that counts. There are countless YouTube videos out there that demonstrate beautifully. I use the technique in some chunky crochet mittens, here.
I’m not sure if this is a crochet cuff, bracelet or other thing, but whatever it is, (seeing as it’s Christmas) here’s a lovely little free crochet pattern for them!
A Quick and Easy Crochet Bracelet
Pattern Notes:
I’ve used Paintbox Aran with a 4.5mm hook.
I’ve used UK terms with US terms in brackets.
In Row 2, I work under the bumps of the foundation chain. This makes a neater finish, but it does mean it looks twisty when you come to slip stitch together. Ignore the twist and join anyway; it won’t be noticed in the final piece. Just double-check that you’ve not got a twist in the stitches you’re going to work into next.
Crochet over the ends as you go to allow for minimal stitching at the end.
I have wrists like twigs; you may need to go up to 26 or 28 stitches
Crochet Bracelet Pattern
Chain 24, join with a slip stitch. Round 1: Ch1 (does not count as a st), dc (US sc) in each st around, join with a slip stitch to the first st. Fasten off. [24 sts] Rnd 2: Attach new colour to any stitch. Ch3 (counts as a st), 1tr (US dc) in each st around, join to the top of the initial ch3. [24] Rnds 3 – 5: Ch2 (does not count as a st), *FPtr, BPtr; repeat from* to the end, sl st to the top of the first st. Fasten off after Rnd 5. [24] Rnd 6: Attach new colour to any st. Ch1 (does not count as a st), 1dc (US sc) in each st around. Join with a slip stitch to the first st. Fasten off and sew in any ends. [24]
 And there you have it. Easy peasy! The quickest crochet bracelet to make! Now go and crochet loads of cuffs, bracelets, sweat bands, whatever they are!
Happy Christmas! See you in the New Year. 2017 is going to be amazing!! X
I’ve done it! All finished. Woot!! I’m so pleased with it. Truly, I love this cosy crochet accessories set. It’s taken a while because I’ve been busy with other things too. The more I get into crochet design the quicker I’m surely going to get.
It’s technically still autumn too, so it didn’t take six months afterall! Please pop over to Ravelry to buy your PDF copy.
No silly faces like my last blog post! I have very serious, yet… what? wistful? expressions for the real deal. It took a million pictures to get these. I scrutinise every last one to make sure I don’t look like too much of a freak and that the pompom is showing or I’ve got my hand in the right place. It’s possible I need a helper.
I took loads of pictures of all these vintage-inspired crochet accessories. I wanted them to be informative as well as good looking. In the crochet patterns themselves, there are step-by-step photos for any tricky bits.
I’ve focused on the making of the crochet mitts as they have elements where more detail is needed. But there aren’t many tricky bits because the patterns are super easy and quick to make, because they’re all aran weight yarn.
Please do let me know what you think. I’d absolutely love to hear if anyone makes a set. At some point, I’ll do some different colour combinations too. I think there are loads of options where the colours will make it look completely different.
Christmas is getting super close now, and I’m not ready. So many crafting and crochet ideas have not yet come to fruition. I’m probably being too ambitious in my crafty endeavours, but there’s so much I want to make!
If anyone else is in a panic about handmade gifts, this cosy crochet hat is really quick to whip up and looks great, too. It’s the Ski Lodge Hat by Mama in a Stitch. I made it last week for my friend. She didn’t want it to be itchy, so I used King Cole Big Value Super Chunky, an acrylic yarn. The pompom is Robin yarn. I don’t like Robin; it’s proper nasty quality, but it didn’t really matter what the quality was like for pompomming.
For the hat, I made 40 chains at the beginning rather than 46. That’s because my mate’s only got a small bonce. 40 was fine for her, but for me, I think I’d do 44 (bigger brain obvs ;p).
Practice the Knitting
I bought two balls of the King Cole stuff just in case one wasn’t enough for the hat (it was). With the second, I thought I’d have a go at knitting again. It transpires that one does need to practice to become an expert knitter, and I ought to have a few goes to get good. I know what I want to make now, though.
My blogging friend Alida from Buttercup and Bee showed a picture on Instagram of a cowl she’d knitted. I said how much I liked it, and she’s given the stitch count [is this what you say?] for making it. This is my first go at purling for a very long time. I can so do this! But not yet. Get Christmas out of the way. Get new circular needles.
Quick Bit of Christmas Sewing
I’ve done a rush job on a Christmas star garland. It’s not up yet (won’t dec the halls for a few more days, at least). I haven’t pressed it. It’ll look tidier once I’ve had a good go with the iron (not sure I’ll look at my iron in the same way again, not since I saw what Negan gets up to with his!).
I could have worked on making this neater, but I had just a twenty minute window for sewing machine activity and whizzed through it. Actually, this would make a nice little tutorial. That’ll have to wait for next year.
I’ve been using some lovely yarns to make presents. The green stuff is Malabrigo. Thought I’d go for something fancier than my usual purchases. It’s very pretty.
And whilst I’m here, let me give an update about this lot of crochet squishiness. I’ve not finished typing up the pattern. I’m nearly there. Last Friday I did do most of it, but it’s surprising how much work goes into even the simplest of crochet patterns. Not only am I constantly double-checking that I’m writing it down correctly, there’s also a lot of photography and editing. I’ll get there in the end, even if I end up publishing it in June.
Finally, today I posted off my two remaining parcels for crafty Secret Santa craft swaps. Will everyone actually keep them under the tree until Christmas Day?!
What can I show you at this time of year?! Everything that’s going on right now will be a Christmas present, and I can’t show those. It’s a serious dilemma for a crafty blogger, I’ve got nuffink to talk about!
Actually, I have managed to scrape a few bits together…
Christmas Craft Fair
I enjoyed last Saturday at the local school Christmas craft fair. Not exactly a money spinner, but it still counted as a success in my eyes. Plus, it gave me an excuse to make things and making things is what I like best! (The felt owls are my new favourite Christmas decoration!).
I won’t blather on; I did that last week. Needless to say, I’ve got enough Christmas felt designs to write a book! (I even looked into that the other day, but I’m still not entirely sure how it works. I’m too much of a chicken to ask the experts all the stupid questions that have arisen in me noggin).
A Little Deer Toy
Anyway, Christmas came early for one person. I took part in my first (of three) Secret Santa craft swaps. It turns out that these things are absolutely brilliant. You get the best presents! Why wouldn’t you, when like-minded crafty people are doing the buying and making? It’s great!
This crazy reindeer (by way of dolphin!?) was the present I made for my Colour Pop Craft Swap person. This swap was arranged by Miki at Set Free My Gypsy Soul. In my head, it was the stuff of Legend: A Grand Stag of Epic Proportions!
It ended up more cutesy and feeble than I’d envisaged, but do you know what? The recipient loved it, and that’s what counts. Does it look like a dolphin?
I used a pattern I’d found in a magazine from a couple of years ago. It’s also on Ravelry as Little Deer Toy. I designed the antlers and made two pairs, which I stitched together for a bit of stability. I also made up a little sparkly star to jazz up his rump.
I felt the need to compensate somewhat (I had rushed my deer, and he didn’t turn out as expertly crafted as I wanted). Into the parcel, I also popped a few cotton crochet coasters and a little toadstool brooch.
I love these coasters, so so quick to knock up; I bet every crocheter has had a go at making these at some point.
These are my Christmas spoils. They arrived beautifully packaged, from the Netherlands. I was so happy to receive this fabulous bundle. I can tell you that the cat has had her eye on the spangly jangly stars. She pounced on them this morning, and I’ve had to put them out of reach. I’ve been wearing my wrist warmers (I changed to mittens this morning cos the temp was -2 degrees C).
I absolutely love my Father Christmas. He is super awesome! Mirjam from Stin’s Place is the creator behind all these marvels.
Crochet Winter Woolies
The last few days have been focused on getting my crochet winter set of cosy things ready. The patterns need typing up, and some photographs need sorting. Then I can hopefully have a pattern for sale. This will probably take longer than I want because I’ll be making it up as I go along (when am I not?)!
I’m aiming to work on it all day on Friday, and I think that should get me a good way into it. Given more time and more energy, I’d make a whole other set in different colours. I really like it all would love to see it in a different guise. What I need now is a name!
Well, I haven’t done too badly with this blog post. This time of year is definitely a struggle. I’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel next time. Crikey, what’ll I do!? Anyone else suffering from the same problem? At least there will be plenty to talk about in January!
Since November started, it feels like I’ve hardly had any time for making things, but looking at my photos, it turns out that isn’t true. I actually appear to have been quite busy. I’ve been sewing instead of doing my crochet.
I’ve got the school’s PTA Craft Fayre on Saturday, so these felt Christmas decorations will hopefully be sold to lots of jolly holly people, like they were last Christmas!
I’ve used a few designs from previous years, and there are new ones, too. This year, I designed a bunch of mistletoe, a bell, some stars and a cute Christmas pudding. There are three or four other designs I came up with that haven’t made the cut, and some old ones that I didn’t bother with either.
They’re more complex in their construction, and they’d end up costing more. One day, I’ll make the whole collection. I’ve got quite a few felt Christmas decorations now.
I really, really would love to turn them into sellable patterns, but first I need to work out how to transfer rough, scribbly templates into professional printable patterns.
Crochet Granny Baubles
I’ve made these crochet baubles too. Get yourself to Wilko’s to grab a naked set. £2.50 for 12.
I’ve used various cotton DK’s. I’ve mostly used Drops Muskat, Stylecraft Classique and Paintbox Yarns. My favourite is the Drops. It’s hands down, the best of the bunch (although there’s nothing wrong with the others either).
The pattern is a mix of existing ones. I’ve got the book Boho Crochet, which has a bauble pattern for giants. I used that as a base and took out lots of rows. Then, future me created a Christmas crochet bauble pattern too:
Buying Crochet Books
I went into Exeter a couple of weeks ago (and actually did some Christmas shopping!). Whilst there, I popped into The Works because they now have an awesome selection of craft things. A lot of it isn’t my cup of tea, but if you’re into all things crafty, then there’s a shedload of treasure waiting for you.
I always head for the books. I bought four crochet books because the most expensive was four quid. Why the blazes would you leave any behind? I’ve since discovered that these are new publications. New! Why are they being sold in a cheap shop for £3 or £4??! Does it get sales figures up or something?
Getting Into Crochet Design
A new aran weight design has been one of my only crochet projects over the last few weeks. I’m making myself a scarf out of some Paintbox aran. It’s the stuff that Emma from Potter & Bloom sent me for when I tested her Geoffrey scarf. I caved and bought more colours (here, that’s the blue and green).
A Fluffy Mohair Hat!
Ok, I crocheted this fluffy hat, too. Since doing the Take Care Mohair review I’ve been on a mission to find a cheaper alternative of yarn. I feel quite guilty, actually (not that I’m under any obligation), but I cannot afford to buy the Wool and the Gang stuff for experiments and pattern workings.
I’m using Drops Melody instead, which is nice but not super fancy. Now that I think I have a pattern sorted, I might get some of the real deal. Comparatively, it is much silkier and has a thicker halo on it. I really like the designs I’ve come up with; however, I’ve been looking at and working with mohair for two months. Do I want to buy the posh stuff when the excitement is waning? Hmm.
This picture is not a good representation, as the one on the left has more stitches. But it is the Take Care Mohair, and you can see that it does come out thicker, and it’s a nicer shade of pink too. Not that I have any reason to favour it other than personal preference.
Lying side by side, there is not much difference in yarn thickness. I think it must be the halo that adds body to the yarn once it’s hooked into a fabric.
I’m trying to decide if I can recommend both yarns in the pattern I write. There might be a considerable difference in the finished product. Gah, it’s mini stumbling blocks like this that make things so much trickier than they need to be.
Things I didn’t think would be important but actually are if you want to be a crochet designer. Anyway, it is my hope that I can write a pattern for a crochet hat and scarf combo that I can sell. I’m miles off because the Paintbox scarf has taken my attention (I think I want to write up the pattern for that too). Maybe have some crochet wrist warmers to go with? I say this all the time, yet I still only have one pattern for sale! I’m easily distracted by new pretties, that’s my problem!
Lastly, there’s this jumble of crazy. Funny that the thing I should have finished first is the thing that I’ve left until last! Must do this today. I must also remember to take pictures of it complete! Can you guess what it is?
Oky doky, I must go. Got lots to do, and time is not on my side. xx
I’ve been thinking a lot about colour for crochet palettes over the last few months. I’m not the only one, either. When I researched colour in crochet, I found a ton of articles and blog posts about it. Many of the articles have looked specifically into colour theory and taken choosing colours quite seriously (colour theory is the scientific approach to understanding how colours go together, it’s sciencey, you can even get twiddly colour wheels to help and everything). I’m not going to go into that, I’m just going to explain an easier way at choosing my colours for crochet!
When I first started to crochet, I didn’t think much beyond what colours I liked and which colours were available. That was fine, but sometimes my favourite colours didn’t translate into yarn very well, or I didn’t know which shade would work best with another. Thankfully, there are far more colours and shades available than there used to be (this crochet thing has really taken off).
What’s Your Crochet Style?
These days, I ask myself what style I’m after or how many colours will achieve a good balance for the picture I have in my head? Perhaps approach a crochet project from a different angle. I take inspiration from different sources rather than turning up at the shop and chucking balls of yarn in my basket. And consider more than just my favourite colours.
For me, a good starting point is deciding on the theme I want, which can often be just a one-word affair: neutral, bright, pastel, earth, vintage, contemporary, seasonal, blah blah. Once I’ve decided this, it’s so much easier. There are lots of colours I can then eliminate.
The secret to choosing a good colour palette is probably a mixture of confidence and experience. Overthinking can really take the fun out of it. Stop worrying and just begin. You won’t know if something works until you try it out. If it doesn’t work, then that’s a lesson learned. If it does work, then awesome!
Another secret is this: crochet. A lot. All the time!
Before I go into the easy crochet “cheats” I use, I’m going to mention a little bit about whether to be “Random” or “Organised” in deciding the colours you choose for your crochet projects; I think it could be helpful. I’m usually Random. What are you?
Go for A Random Crochet Palette
I love a bit of random colour selection. To go truly random is a risk that can really pay off. It’s also great for stashbusting yarn. Is random really random though?
It’s fun blindly grabbing yarn and putting it all together in a crochet blanket; it can lead to some very interesting results, but it can also backfire tremendously! Arbitrary colour placement can sometimes get you in dodgy situations, but you might also discover that those weird colours actually look fantastic sat side by side.
My only rule about placing colours randomly is not to have the same shades or contrasts too close to one another. And I think I’ve broken that rule a couple of times, too. Rule-breaking is encouraged!
When I’m making a blanket that’s going to be random, I like to choose a minimum of seven colours. Fewer than that and it’s going to be tricky mixing up the colours effectively. More than fifteen colours and you might lose any colour balance you’re trying to achieve.
Blankets where I’ve used over thirty colours have looked like a dog’s dinner. They’ve also looked pretty good, too, if you’re after something you’d find at Granny’s house. I guess it depends on your crochet aesthetic.
Get Organised With Crochet Colour Selection
Don’t want to risk random? Then everything needs to be worked out before you even pick up your hook. I’ve already confessed that I’m Random, so to be properly organised, you probably shouldn’t listen to me. I’m talking colour wheels, yarn pegs, pre-made crochet squares a la Attic 24 Colour Play and The Patchwork Heart.
It’s really not my area! I’m pretty envious of these super organised people. I don’t know why it doesn’t work for me. Oh yes, it’s because I’m lazy!! Instead of taking the time to organise my yarn stash, you’ll most likely find me sitting in a tangle of mismatched balls, whilst umming and ahhing about what I’ve got enough of to eke out into a small blanket.
If you’d rather be in control of colour choices, then Attic 24 and the Patchwork Heart are definitely the crochet folk you need to visit. You’ll learn about matching warm and cool colours so that the balance brings out the best in all shades. You’ll find out about whether you prefer contrasting or complementary colours too. Maybe once the decision has been made, you could get fancy and choose an ombre style, go for block colours or get your rainbow on! Of course, you’ll then get lost in a sea of crochet and colour, but that’s not such a bad place to be.
Easy Ways to Cheat the Crochet Colour
It’s time to get cheaty. If you’re still struggling with choosing colours for crochet projects then here are a few pointers to help. If you can’t be bothered with a methodical approach and you don’t have the time for a potentially hazardous risk, then these tricks might be the ticket.
1. Copy Someone Else’s Colour Palette!
This is controversial! Find a blanket someone else has made and copy it!
Loads of blogs (including mine) will share the brands of yarn and colour choices so that it’s easy to do. I would add that if you do this, then you MUST credit the creator. If I’ve been inspired by someone, I will always say so.
Copying is a good starting point if you’re a beginner. Gradually, you can move away from this once you’ve got more confidence. Copying will become less literal, and the original design will be more of an inspiration. An homage or something! Look at blogs, Ravelry, Pinterest, Instagram etc.
The circle in squares blanket (pictured above) was inspired by Crochet With Raymond. I loved the colours and grabbed some similar Stylecraft colours. I wrote a blog post about it in more detail.
For this Petal Patch blanket, the colours are from Attic 24’s Harmony blanket but with a different granny square. So I’m mixing it up, developing ideas while still finding my confidence.
2. Use Pretty Pictures To Inspire Your Colour Choices
Find inspiration from pictures. I love finding pictures in magazines and using them as a starting point. What’s particularly brilliant about this is that current magazines will have on-trend colours (if that’s what you’re after).
Even a picture of a person in a room is great. You’ll see the colours of the decor or the clothes the person is wearing and how they go together. Craft magazines are perfect, they’ll be completely switched on with regard to colour palettes and tonal balance. Also, look at books with illustrations.
Here is my Fireplace blanket, inspired by fireplace tiles (a special request from my sister-in-law and a great idea).
This green granny curiosity was surprisingly inspired by the Meg and Mog books. I’m not sure I’m keen. It was an interesting experiment!
3. Be Inspired by The Colours of Nature
Go back to nature. Look at a garden you like, where’s your favourite place to be? What mood does that place evoke? Take a picture of a scene that’s pretty and use it. The seaside seems to be an inspiration for many, as does woodland. Maybe some city lights could conjure up a good bunch of colours.
4. Ready-To-Use Colour Palettes
Let technology help you. Design Seeds is a big one. Lots and lots of ready-to-use colour palettes that you can incorporate into crochet. Or you can create your own with palettes with an app.
Try a random colour generator, which can be interesting. On some sites, you can sort by hue, saturation or value. There are apps aplenty that do palette builders. I’ve got one called Real Colours. I’ve been testing lots of pictures from my phone gallery!
Based on colour theory, which I mentioned earlier, is the Adobe colour wheel. It was fun to tinker with, but I’m not sure I’d want to use it all the time.
Anyway, who am I to tell you what to do?! You can choose any colours you like. That’s the beauty of crochet! There are endless possibilities and the freedom to play and have fun. If there are any easy ways of choosing colours for crochet that I’ve missed, do let me know. I’d love to hear about more ways in which I can cut corners!
It’s November, and I live in Devon, which means one thing to me: Tar Barrels!!
I am alive and well after spending an evening being squeezed and squashed amongst thousands of people. Saturday night was absolutely mental! It’s been a few years since the Tar Barrels was held on a Saturday night, and the difference in crowd numbers is huge. If the 5th of November landed on a Tuesday, for example, it’d be comparatively sedate (I’m lying, it’d still be nuts).
Ottery St Mary is a town in East Devon, and it’s been my home for seven years. It’s my favourite place too, and there are many reasons why. Pop over to The Guardian’s latest Let’s Move To… for a bit more of an insight as to why I think it’s so special. (I wonder if you’ll spot anything interesting in that article… Let me know if you do! heehe). I can’t believe the article didn’t mention the beavers that live on the river: the only wild ones in England! Ottery obviously has so many good things, they can’t all fit into one article.
I wrote about the Tar Barrels last year but didn’t get many pictures (didn’t get much of an experience at all, but that’s last year’s story). This year, I really wanted to get some decent photographs. Since I got my nice camera, I’ve spent the last eleven months practising taking pictures of crochet. I never thought to learn about taking pictures of moving flames, whilst trying not to get trampled in the dark. Silly me. The pictures I got on Saturday are not as good as I’d hoped for. Some people have taken better on their iPhones. Meh.
The Kids’ Barrels
The family set out just after four o’clock and made our way to one of the kids’ barrels. Luckily for us, one of our friends has a garden with the perfect vantage point for observing one of the barrel runs. It’s good for kids watching, as they don’t always like being in the crowds, and this event isn’t really recommended for children. We only take the kids out for the early barrels and the bonfire. After that, they have to go home!
Children as young as seven get the honour of rolling the barrels. It’s local families that do it, generation after generation. It’s a wonderful tradition, and it’s a privilege to be able to witness it. This year, we got to see Eldest’s classmates do it for the first time, and that added something extra, too. They’re all layered up, so they’re not in too much danger of getting burnt.
We managed to miss the lighting of the bonfire as we’d gone home for tea. It’s one of the best bits, if you ask me! This year, even if we’d given it plenty of time, we still would have missed it. Dolly steps had to be taken to get over the bridge. It was rammed. I’ve been a few times on a Saturday, but this is the busiest I can remember. I’ve had a look online today, but I can’t find the numbers of attendance. I’ve seen estimates of up to thirty thousand people, but I don’t know if that’s accurate. I’ve also spotted figures nearer ten thousand. I dunno. It’s a lot, whatever the number. (It’ll be busy next year as I think it’ll be a Saturday then too- they don’t do Sundays).
The bonfire is fierce. And massive.
We went to the fair as well. A funfair is great, but it’s easy to spend all your money, so we ended up being mainly spectators. I love looking at the bright lights and hearing all the screams!
After the fair, we got rid of the children and went out to watch the big barrels. There’s no art to this bit; getting a good Tar Barrel experience is mostly down to luck. If you’re not in the right place, it is nearly impossible to fight your way to a good spot. And you can’t always tell what will be a good spot until you’re either in it, or standing miles away, feeling sad that you won’t feel the heat or the thrill of getting right up alongside a great big burning barrel. That is certainly the case on a busy night. I’ve found it more fun and been braver when there is that little bit extra room to move. You can follow the barrels and get closer.
I swapped cameras for the late night stuff. Crikey, I’d forgotten how annoying my old point-and-shoot job was. The delay on the button drove me crazy, and I missed loads of potentially amazing shots. I have many pictures of the back of strange heads, my sister’s boyfriend’s bum (deleted, thanks) and out-of-focus close-ups of the hessian mitts (that protect roller’s hands). The zoom wasn’t instantaneous like I’m now used to, either. I’ve become spoiled by a fancy pants camera. However, it was too dodgy to take it back out again.
Flaming Barrels
Even with the point and shoot, I do like those flames. I wish I’d been able to capture the sea of people around them. Next year. There’s always next year….
I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I only managed to stay out until half ten. My back was killing me, and two days later, it still hasn’t recovered. The plan is to train my muscles for the next 363 days so that I will not be a feeble old lady but have the stamina of a midnight barrel man. I was hearing stories in the playground this morning, and I felt envious; people had seen late-night punch-ups and partying, and I missed it! Pah!
We went and checked on the bonfire one last time, which had reduced in size and heat. Beyond it, the funfair was still full of gusto.
And then I said goodbye to it all for another year…
I’ve had a look at YouTube, and new videos are popping up all the time. I enjoyed this one shows the bonfire.
This week, I haven’t been making my giant crochet granny blanket, but here is what I’ve done so far. It is a pick-up, put-down type thing. I’m using up any rejected yarn scraps and leftovers. I’m determined to go as big as possible with this blanket. I’m itching to pick it up right now, but I’ll be sewing instead for the next few weeks.
I’m making loads of Christmas felt decorations for the school fayre (fair?) in about 3 weeks. The living room is scattered with lost sequins and discarded threads. The Hoover objects.
Last weekend, I got a delightful parcel in the form of Paintbox yarns. A present from Emma of Potter and Bloom. I was lucky to be one of the first to finish pattern testing for Emma’s Geoffrey Scarf, and this was my prize! It’s an aran weight, and I haven’t decided what it’ll be.
Do I focus on the colours I’ve got, or do I get silly and buy loads more to go with? For some reason, these colours are telling me poncho, but I fear it might turn out Ugly Betty. Or I could do another scarf…?
Playing With Fluffy Yarn
I met in the middle with mohair, which was tempting me recently. I wouldn’t have given any of this fluffy yarn a second look a few weeks ago, but after playing with Wool and the Gang’s Take Care Mohair,I went on the prowl for cheaper alternatives.
I really couldn’t afford to buy the lovely yarn they gave me, so I thought I’d try Drops Melody. It is a lot cheaper, but it isn’t real mohair. I’ll be tinkering with it in between Christmas decorations. I also got some Alpaca Silk stuff to compare. Drops yarn is on offer quite a lot.
And Cotton Yarn, Too
I also got a mixture of cotton double knits to experiment with. These have been stored with the fluffy Melody and are covered in yarny short n curlies. There are worse kinds. I have a crochet design to work on that I think will look good in cotton. I wish I had more time! I need more time.
Over on Instagram, I try my best to comment on things I like. Last week, maybe the week before, I casually joined in a conversation about naming some patterns for The Crochet Project.
They are releasing a gorgeous quartet of wintery patterns this weekend. I didn’t really think my comments would be considered. I’m fortunate enough to have named two of the four projects!! So I got the patterns for free!! I am so chuffed. I had no clue that there would be a gift or even that they’d like my suggestions. I’m very happy indeed.
If you see the Kelpie hat or the Selkie cowl, I named those! (I do like my fairy lore). However, now I need to get some yarn so that I can make the patterns. It’ll need to be a little bit special too. I also have The Crochet Project shawl books on my Christmas list. I want to make it all!
On that note, I’m off. I’m hoping that my next blog post will be about this weekend’s Tar Barrels. If I survive.
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.
