Zeens and Roger

Things You Need, To Learn How to Crochet

November 20, 2024November 18, 2024crochet, crochet resources2 Comments

Granny squares, a beginner project for when you learn how to crochet

Recently, an old acquaintance got in touch as they wanted to learn how to crochet. I love it when this happens! It’s an opportunity for someone else to become as obsessed with yarn as me! More specifically, they wanted to know what they needed to be able to learn crochet. It was rather fortuitous because that very same day there was a Guardian article about that same thing.

The article is about what kit you need to learn how to crochet. So, using my experience of first picking up a crochet hook, combined with the approach that the article took, it felt like the perfect excuse for a blog post.

Therefore, consider this a post for Things You Need to Know, To Learn How To Learn Crochet. But to be perfectly honest, all you really need to begin your fabulous new hobby is a crochet hook and a ball or two of yarn. And a little bit of determination.

Things You Need to Learn How to Crochet

Listed below are my top tips, which will help you learn how to crochet. In this blog post you will find info on the following:

Tools & Equipment: Hooks and other Paraphernalia.
Buying Yarn as a Beginner Crocheter.
Crochet Tension & How to Hold Your Hook and Yarn.
Crochet Terminology. The Difference between UK &US terms.
What Crochet Stitches to Know.
Getting Gauge in Crochet.
What Crochet Patterns to Try.
Choosing Colour for Your Crochet.

Tools and Equipment for Beginner Crocheters

When I first learned to crochet fifteen years ago, I went to the old-school wool shop in town, bought two or three balls of acrylic yarn and asked the woman behind the counter to sell me the right size hook for the yarn. The yarn was double knit (DK) and the hook was a 4.5mm.

These are the only two things I needed to learn the absolute basics of crochet. You’ve probably already got scissors for cutting yarn, I presume? Maybe not. Get some scissors then. And, to ensure you can truly finish projects neatly, you’ll need a darning needle for sewing in ends.

That’s it! Those are the only tools you need to learn how to crochet.

I also bought a very simple book with useful diagrams and charts. It was a small, purple book called, Crochet Unravelled. I used it a lot but then I discovered YouTube! YouTube has A LOT of video tutorials for crochet.

Crochet tools for when you learn how to crochet

Crochet Hooks

I have a lot of crochet tools now. In my collection are hooks of all sizes, using different ones depending on the project and yarn weight. It’s best to have multiple hooks in the same size (maybe lots of 4mm hooks, for example) as you’ll find it easiest to keep each hook with its project (AKA WIP = work in progress). When in deep, you will likely have multiple projects on the go at once so that means many crochet hooks.

I have novelty hooks, wooden hooks, hooks with handles and plastic hooks, but for me, my total faves are the plain, cheap steel ones. There is no need for fancy hooks unless you start getting hand pain. Funnily enough, I get hand pain from the ergonomic hooks as I find them too bulky. Give me a straight stick any day. You will soon discover your preference.

Other Crochet Paraphanelia

Stitch Markers

Stitch markers are very useful and some people have a separate hobby of collecting pretty stitch markers. I prefer cheap bulb pins, or plain plastic markers as they are lightweight and don’t get tangled in my work (I am not a fan of novelty stitch markers because they pull threads and can be too heavy).

Use stitch markers at the beginning and ends of rows to make stitches easy to find. They also stop a stored project’s stitches from unravelling without permission. Some crochet patterns tell you to work to a marker and then change direction. It’s best to have some in stock but you can always use a length of yarn in a contrasting colour as your marker.

Tape Measure

A Tape Measure is crucial!! I have several tape measures dotted in different locations around the house. I use them more often when I’m making crochet clothes. You don’t often need to measure a granny square blanket but you never know. If making crochet clothes, a tape measure is THE thing. Or, a gauge reader doodah, which is essentially a ruler in a different shape.

Blocking Mats, Pins and Wires

Firstly, nobody is going to arrest you if you don’t block your crochet and sometimes it isn’t necessary (for example, I have never blocked a crochet bag and I don’t bother blocking projects when I use 100% acrylic) but read on for a general overview…

An Overview on Blocking Crochet

When I first started blocking my crochet projects, I would use dressmakers pins and pin my finished object (FO) directly onto the carpet. I haven’t written about blocking in great detail yet (I keep putting it off as, although it’s super important, writing about it isn’t very exciting).

Blocking is about making the best of your crochet; it opens up stitches into their final “look”. Depending on the yarn you’ve used, you can wash/soak, rinse and blot your crochet before pinning it out to dry. Or pin it out first, then steam or spray crochet fabric with water and leave it to dry. That’s all blocking is. Normally, you pin it out to set measurements but often, you can wing it.

Once a crochet item has been blocked, the fabric size and drape can be vastly different to what your crochet looked and felt like before you dunked it in soapy water. Stitches can bloom open and soften beautifully. Or, carelessly steam-block with an iron and you could burn or melt your precious crochet. Please be careful!

These days, I have foam blocking mats to protect the carpet and fancy blocking pins, which are brilliant (although I don’t have enough of them). The blocking mats can make things more mobile; you can move them about if careful. I totally love blocking wires as well. They are expensive but it means you don’t need to painstakingly pin loads of pins because a few wires will do the job of several pointy little devils.

I love that one of the pics above shows a shawl being blocked with knitting needles. Must have been before I bought the blocking wires!

Notions Pouch for Crochet Tools

A notions pouch is a little bag to keep all of the above in (well, maybe not blocking stuff). Essentially, it is your bag of tricks. In mine, I also have: lip balm, too many hairbands, a nail file (more important than you think; scraggy nails snag on yarn) and a pen for writing notes on random bits of paper or printed patterns.

Yarn For Beginner Crocheters

It didn’t occur to me how much of a minefield this one is but the subject of yarn is huge. There are mountains of different yarns out there and knowing where to start is definitely discombobulating. I used to call it all Wool but that confuses or annoys a few people. So it is a good idea to call it Yarn as it covers the whole gamut.

As a beginner wanting to learn how to crochet, acrylic double knit (DK) is a popular yarn to choose. Master crochet stitches first and then treat yourself to the posher yarn, should you wish to try it. Or not, you might fall in love with acrylic. It’s colourful, affordable and much better quality than it used to be.

Over fifteen years, I have picked up quite a lot of information about yarn and I don’t take my yarny knowledge for granted. When I first started I didn’t know anything at all. If I liked the look or feel of yarn I’d buy it. It wasn’t always the right yarn for the project but that helped me to learn. Nowt wrong with making a few mistakes along the way!

Check out my blog post about Yarn Substitution. It covers a little bit of everything: what yardage means, different yarn weights (the thickness of yarn), different fibres (acrylic, wool, cotton, yak, stinging nettle?) etc.

Car Crochet. Making my Zigzag Bag on the way to Wales in September 23.

Crochet Tension & How to Hold Yarn

Tension is key in learning how to crochet. I don’t care how you hold your hook as long as it feels comfortable. Knife hold or pen hold are the two main ways of holding a crochet hook but there are other ways too.

Generally speaking, the hook is held in the right hand if you’re right-handed and left if you’re left-handed. The yarn is twiddled around the fingers of your other hand to hold the tension. If you are a knitter, you might even like to hold both yarn and hook in the same hand and conduct witchcraft.

Anyway, practice practice practice. Learn how to comfortably glide the yarn through your fingers. Control it with a firm (but not too tight) tension. Do not let it control you or it will run rings around you (or just spin around the hook a lot).

Tension will improve the more you work at it. The very first thing I did when I learned how to crochet was to crochet the world’s longest chain. I wouldn’t let myself move on from that until the chains were uniform. They were not too tight, not too loose and not twisted. My first attempts looked like mangled worms. Nevertheless, I was very proud.

Learn How to Crochet: US or UK Crochet Terms?

Before you even pick up a crochet hook, know this one super duper important fact. There are two terminologies for crochet stitches and people find it very VERY confusing! It’s the stupidest thing about my beloved hobby.

When you get your hands on a crochet pattern, the first thing to check is, is the pattern using American or UK terms. Fear not, it isn’t that difficult to overcome and translating is a doddle. Patterns are better at telling us these days but older crochet patterns assume you know.

At first glance, the names are the same. Unfortunately, what they mean to the respective countries is different. Booo.

Look out for “tells”. If an “sc” or “single crochet” is used, you will know for certain that it’s an American pattern as “sc” doesn’t appear in UK terms at all. Is there a “htr” or “half treble”? That’s a UK term because there’s no such thing in US terms (it’s known as an “hdc” or half double crochet in US speak).

Check out charts too. Chart symbols are universal so it doesn’t matter about the written terms. They’re a good clue to indicate what the written terms are though.

What Crochet Stitches Do I Need to Know?

There aren’t actually that many crochet stitches, not really. What there are loads of is combinations of crochet stitches. The way different stitches are put together creates different textures and styles of fabric. Crochet is way more diverse than it’s given credit for, especially over the last few years, we’ve seen wonderfully modern, innovative crochet design. But they all stem from the same few stitches. Magic!

Perhaps because of social media, maybe even Covid, makers are exploring new stitch patterns and pushing the boundaries of what crochet can be. But not wanting to get ahead of ourselves, let’s just take a look at basic crochet stitches.

Commonly Used Crochet Stitches

The order in which the most common stitches go is:
For the UK: slip stitch, double crochet, half treble, treble crochet, double treble.
And for the US: slip stitch, single crochet, half double, double crochet, treble crochet.
(FYI, I’ve found that whether it’s triple and treble, the two words are interchangeable – there is no difference. “Treble” seems to be my default).

Table of Commonly Used Crochet Stitches

Slip Stitch (ss or sl st) =	Slip Stitch (ss or sl st). It’s the same for both US &UK!
UK double crochet (dc) =	US single crochet (sc)
UK half treble crochet (htr) =	US half double crochet (hdc)
UK treble crochet (tr) =	US double crochet (dc)
UK double treble (dtr)=	US treble (tr)

Everyone (apart from the odd psychopath, or two) hates slip stitches because they are an absolute bugger to work into (using a larger hook size negates the struggle though). They are frequently used as joining stitches, which are easy. It’s when they are used as part of a stitch pattern that people become filled with rage and/or despair. But they create awesome stitch patterns so there is reason to persevere and you might end up appreciating them a little bit.

The most popular, commonly used crochet stitches are the UK double crochet (same as a US single crochet), and the UK treble (same as a US double crochet). They are the most basic stitches and are used in a myriad of different combinations.

But, you are allowed to go off piste whenever you want. If you want to experiment with how many times you yarn over, go for it (or, ooh, try yarning under, what does that look like? It’s different, right?). I did an extra yarn over on a UK dc (US sc) once and thought I’d broken some sort of sacrosanct rule. Turns out I’d just worked an Extended UK dc (US sc) and didn’t know it had a name. *shrugs*

Getting Gauge in Crochet

I wrote a blog post about Getting Gauge in your Crochet Garments. It covers most of what you need to know. Needless to say, the crochet tension you learned about has an effect on the density of the fabric you make. Looser stitches create a larger fabric. Tight stitches make a dense fabric with little drape. You need to match the gauge to make the same sized garments as intended in a crochet pattern.

Granny stitch shawl pattern, a great pattern for a beginner crochet when you learn how to crochet.

Learn How to Crochet: Choosing Patterns

What do you want to crochet? This will have an impact on the type of patterns you search for. Either way, as a beginner crocheter, start small. A lot of makers learn how to crochet by finding Free Crochet Patterns online. Online freebies are not all the same quality though so beware. Some of my earlier free crochet patterns were not as polished as I would like so every now and then I update old patterns so that I’m not quite as ashamed! Oh dear. I try harder these days, honest!

When I first started to learn how to crochet, like many others I was drawn to Lucy of Attic 24. This is because she produces step-by-step photo tutorials alongside simple written instructions. You will also find many videos for beginner friendly crochet tutorials on YouTube. I have a YouTube channel for crochet tutorials but you may wish to tackle how to work a chain first.

Sign up for Ravelry, which is a vast online library of knitting and crochet patterns. My crochet patterns are on there. And don’t get lost down the Pinterest rabbit hole. Or feel free to do so if it pleases you. I love Pinterest, you’ll find so many ideas there.

Choosing Colour for Crochet

My first crochet projects were dreadful. I didn’t know anything about Choosing Colour for my Crochet projects. However, if you buy all the same yarn (the same brand, weight & collection), chances are the shades will go together. Brand collections often deliberately have a cohesive and complementary palette so that makers can trust the colours they choose will go together.

As I have said in the past, playing with colour is one of my favourite things about crochet. Go with your gut and don’t worry too much if you don’t like what you’ve chosen. At least you’ll know for next time. And you’ll get better at choosing colours for crochet projects the more you do it.

All The Things For Learning How to Crochet!

Wow!! There’s quite a lot of information when you stop and think about it. I thought this was going to be a quick & easy list of things you need to know when you want to learn how to crochet. There’s so much more to it than I realised. In practice, you obviously don’t need to absorb all that information in one go. It’s a gradual process so trust that it’s not actually overwhelming in real life, I promise it isn’t!

Crochet is fun, cathartic, mindful and awesome. So, if you see all of the above information and feel a little bit intimidated, please don’t be. As I learned recently, when exploring how to create crochet charts, you just need to take a deep breath and take it one step at a time.

Cripes, that was a long one, I hope you made it all the way to the end!? If you did, cheers! x

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Granny Santa Hat

October 29, 2024November 19, 2024crochetLeave a Comment

Granny Santa Hat Pattern

Bless my sweet boy! It has been a few years since he modelled my Christmas Granny Santa Hat. He is much bigger than this now, in fact, he is taller than me and growing every day. However, I know that this Granny Santa hat still fits him as it’s a bit of a one size fits all hat.

Made from super chunky yarn, this hat is incredibly quick and easy to crochet. It’s not even Halloween yet, so you have plenty of time to crochet a Santa hat for everyone in the family this Christmas!

This is a crochet design from a few years ago and I thought it would be good to have as a festive freebie (scroll down to find the free pattern). However, you can also grab a copy of the PDF version, which also has a bonus pattern of matching crochet granny hat bunting!

The Crochet Christmas Collection

Not to confuse matters but I also created a collection of crochet patterns I thought were Christmassy, into one bundle. It’s the Christmas Crochet Collection and features: granny stitch baubles, cosy crochet slipper socks the aforementioned hat and bunting, as well as a C2C sweater with a subtle nod to Christmas.

The Christmas Crochet Collection is available to buy, or you can find the patterns for free in the following places:

christmas crochet bunting with little granny santa hats

Things you Need to Crochet a Granny Santa Hat

Granny Hat Pattern Notes:

All the pictures in this pattern are of the same chunky Christmas hat, it’s just different heads that it’s perched upon.
The hat is worked bottom up, starting with the front post/back post brim.
Finished size: When laid flat the length (excl pompom) is approx 14 inches / 36cm. The diameter is approximately 9.5 inches / 24cm.
There is an option to finish the hat a few rounds early (that way, just one ball of red can be used). See Round 17.
Whilst tension isn’t too much of an issue for a hat like this, it will affect the amount of yarn you use.
The pattern is written in UK terms and has US equivalents in brackets (see abbreviations). However, it is pretty much all one stitch – the US double crochet. As long as you use that, you’re good to go.
When “cluster” is referred to in the pattern, this means a traditional 3 stitch granny cluster. (3tr for UK and 3dc for US).

Chunky Yarn for a Crochet Santa Hat

I used Stylecraft Life Super Chunky (100g/80m per ball). You will need one ball of the Cream and two balls of the colourway, Cardinal. If you need to be a bit more conservative with the amount of yarn you use, you could finish your hat a few rounds early and then you would only need one ball in Cardinal.

The bonus garland pattern within the PDF version came about because I had to break into the second ball of the red to finish the pointy bit of the hat. I had plenty of chunky yarn left over and didn’t want it to go to waste. So the result is the garland of mini crochet Santa hats!

Note that in the US a super chunky is often in the same category as super bulky.

Don’t Forget Your Other Crochet Tools:

8mm crochet hook.
Large eye darning needle – something that will fit super chunky yarn.
Pompom maker for approx 8-9cm diameter pompom.
Scissors – you can’t break a bulky yarn with your hands unless you have some kind of magical Christmas spirit strength.

Crochet Pattern Abbreviations

Ch= chain, BPtr= back post treble (US BPdc), FPtr= front post treble (US FPdc)
Rep= repeat, St= stitch, Sl st= slip stitch, Tr= Treble crochet (US double).

Crochet Christmas granny stitch santa hat

Granny Santa Hat Pattern

With Cream, chain 54.
1: Working in back bumps of chain, 1tr in 4th ch from hook, 1tr along to end, join with a sl st to the top of ch3 to form a circle. [52 sts]
2-4: Ch3 (counts as a FPtr), *1BPtr, 1FPtr; rep from * around, finishing on BPtr, join with a sl st to top of ch3. Fasten off Cream.
5: Attach Cardinal to any st, ch3, 2tr in same st, miss 3 sts, *3tr cluster, miss 3 sts; rep from * around, join with a sl st to the top of ch3. [13 clusters]
6 -10: Ch3, 2tr in same sp, *3tr cluster in next sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st to the top of ch3. [13 clusters]
11: Ch2, 1tr in next sp (counts as a decrease), *3tr cluster in next sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st to the top of 1tr, sl st into next sp.
12: Rep 6. [12 clusters]
13: Rep 11.
14: Rep 6. [11 clu]
15: Rep 11.
16: Rep 6. [10 clu]
17: Rep 11. (This is where I ran out of the first ball of Cardinal so, for a shorter, less pointy hat, fasten off here).
18: Rep 6. [8 clu]
19: Rep 11.
20: Rep 6. [7 clu]

Finishing Off Your Santa Hat

Fasten off by using the tail to weave between clusters. Pull tight to securely close. You might want to weave the yarn in and out a few times just to be sure it’s fastened off nice and firmly. Then, sew the bottom of the brim closed with a couple of stitches (see above). Sew in all other ends.

Make and trim a beautiful, big, fluffy pompom to attach to the top of the hat. The best way to attach it is to use the tie ends of the pompom.

Hey Presto!! You now have a fabulous granny stitch hat that would make Father Christmas very proud! What do you think? I quite fancy a green and white striped version. Maybe I will make one this year.

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All three of these photos are the same hat on different people. I think it gives you a good idea of the one-size-fits-all approach.

With thanks to my old pal, Paul Courtney who took most of these pics with his fancy camera. That’s him below, a Father Christmas in the making.

Ho ho ho!

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Creating Crochet Charts

October 21, 2024February 25, 2026crochet2 Comments

Struggling to Create Crochet Charts?

Have you ever used a crochet pattern and admired the beautifully designed crochet charts that you used? They can make a crochet pattern stand out by helping makers visualise the placement of stitches.

If you’re a crochet designer and interested in selling patterns, it’s in everyone’s best interest to add a crochet chart into the mix. Some people are visual learners and written descriptions can sometimes be confusing. A helpful chart will lead to many happy crocheters.

Below, I share two different resources for creating crochet charts so you can give them a go too. Let me know what you think!

Creating Crochet charts on Stitch Fiddle — A simple chart created on StitchFiddle

Stitch Fiddle For Crochet Charts

I will always have a soft spot for Stitch Fiddle, I learned a lot by experimenting with the free version. I currently pay around £27 a year for the premium version which gives you access to more functions. The paid version means you can create as many charts as you want and opens up a lot of other options too, which is great.

Stitch Fiddle can be used for simple, freehand charts (with a little help from aligning tools) and I taught myself to use it quite easily. One of its advantages is that it’s pretty intuitive.

It’s main strength lies in C2C crochet charts. They are so easy to create. With the premium version you can also download a written, a row by row colour order from the C2C charts you create, which is useful if someone likes the reassurance of a written version. I will probably use Stitch Fiddle forever to create C2C charts.

Above is one of my charts for a subtly festive pattern, I share the whole chart on my free crochet pattern for a C2C Christmas sweater.

But Stitch Fiddle has limitations that can be frustrating for bigger, more complex crochet charts. The two things that I can’t do and really want it to do are: group crochet symbols together to rotate them all as one, and group to then mirror a sequence of stitches, which I always thought would be a major time saver. I know that one day, these may well become part of the software as the guy behind Stitch Fiddle listens and has frequently acted upon requests for system updates. I just know that his schedule is probably huge and much like the rest of us, he can’t do all the things all at once.

Help With Learning Crochet Charts

The Barton Hap, a crochet shawl that benfits from crochet charts in the pattern. — The Barton Hap, a crochet shawl pattern, needed charts to accompany the written pattern

A month or so ago, I was incredibly frustrated and struggling to create a detailed chart of ripple stitches. It was just not within my skill set and a little bit beyond what was easy in Stitch Fiddle. I aired my upset on Instagram and received some excellent feedback from many makers. Everyone agreed that charts were useful and that often, they were an essential part of a good crochet pattern. I knew there was no way to bury my head in the sand about this. I had to get good at crochet charts!

Create Crochet Charts Like a Pro

Christina Hadderingh of a Spoonful of Yarn, sensed my despair and sent a message to offer me a chance to try her Masterclass (sadly, now closed) Create Crochet Charts Like a Pro. Of course, I said yes as I was very much in a position where I needed help. Sometimes, it’s OK to acknowledge that you can’t do it all on your lonesome.

It helped me learn how to use a free, downloadable program called Crochet Charts Stitch Works Software, which was a game-changer for my charts. But you don’t need a course to use it if you’re up for playing around by clicking around and experimenting.

I learned how to build crochet charts within an afternoon. I wouldn’t have been able to do it so speedily without the course, but I could have muddled my way through without it. Instead of the course, there are YouTube videos that guide crochet designers through using the software, so check them out!

Crochet Charts By Stitchworks

The chart on the left was created using Stitch Fiddle. The chart of the right, Stitch Works (without a couple of the details because A: I was rushing and B: I only “drew” the second pic for this blog post). Hopefully, you can tell the difference between the two. Symbols are just a bit tidier for the chart on the right. And it took me a fraction of the time to create.

My FAVOURITE things about Crochet Charts by Stitch Works Software

I can change the colour of the stitches after I’ve placed them (you cannot yet do this with Stitch Fiddle and that’s a big disadvantage. It’s such a relief to be able to do this.
To create a new chart, I can select the number of stitches, and what kind of stitches I want and it’ll pop them all on my screen, evenly in formation, at the click of a button. I’ve done this for rows (squares) and in the round (circular).
Highlight the stitches you’re interested in and rotate them all together. Bliss!
And then mirror them precisely, all in one click. This function and the one above, can’t be done on StitchFiddle yet, although I gather it might be on their wish list at some point.
I can use a square, circle or triangle grid if I want and stitches cling to it – this I haven’t explored much because it’s glitchy.
Charts are so tidy!
I’ve had no problem saving charts or losing my work.

My Not So Favourite Things…

A couple of things to note about my not so favourite things. The glitch I mentioned… Each time I open a new chart and select a grid to use, the program crashes. I tried several times and nope! No joy. However, I can click on an already saved chart and then select a grid without the system crashing. I don’t know the reason for this but at least I know I can use them with this little hack.

When I revisited the software a couple of days later, I couldn’t find it on my PC. I was searching for the wrong thing. Don’t search for Stitch Works, search for “Crochet Charts.”

It doesn’t have an exhaustive list of stitch symbols so you may have to substitute one stitch for another. As I understand it, you can import a font called Stitchin Crochet Pro to the software. I do actually have Stitchin Crochet Pro font downloaded somewhere on my computer. I was going to use it for another thing. Perhaps I ought to try it for Stitch Works one day. But that font isn’t exhaustive either sooooo….

Lastly, it’s quite old and I don’t know if it’s maintained anymore. To be honest, I am not going to worry about that as it does what I need it to in its current form.

Playing With Crochet Charts

Here are a couple of pictures of when I was playing around with crochet charts on Stitch Works. Initially, I asked it for lots of UK trebles (US dc) and then I decided to change them to pre-programmed picots (cos, why not?!). After that, I selected a few to become UK dc stitches (US sc). Then I messed about with changing colour and deleting chosen stitches. All of this took mere seconds. Brilliant!

Creating your own crochet charts with Stitch Works Software

Illustrator and Inkscape Charts

This is out of my league (in terms of cost and skill) but if you’re versed in Adobe Suite, then Illustrator will likely be your choice for crochet charts. From my understanding it’s a very hard learning curve but once you’ve mastered the skills, it can do anything you want.

I don’t think I’ll ever be in a position to use this but you never know. With the help of the husband, we once created a garment schematic on a creeky, old free version but even that was bamboozling. For schematics, I just use Google Drawing and insert into a pattern document. Slight corner-cutting but it does the job.

Out of the two, I’d explore Inkscape first as it’s free.

Panic Over, I now have Crochet Chart Confidence!

After weeks, if not, months of a “woe is me attitude” I finally have the confidence to tackle bigger, better crochet charts. I am not perfect at it but I now have the resources to help build my skills in a very speedy way. I am so grateful that fellow designers put tools together like this to help others. Thank you, Christina!

One of the first things Christina says at the beginning of the course is that overwhelm is a choice. It stopped me in my tracks somewhat and will sit with me for a long time. I am a classic worrier and get overwhelmed very easily. It’s not often that I stop to take a deep breath and aim to take it one step at a time. Not only was this a great lesson in creating crochet charts, but it was also a lesson in not getting into a flap just because something is new and scary! I chose to accept help and it’s been exactly what I needed. Phew!

BTW, whatever you choose to create crochet charts, it’s important to do your own research and make sure you’re happy to install the software or program that’s right for you.

If you liked this blog post, check out some of my Crochet Tips & Tricks.

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Mix & Match Crochet Cowl Patterns

October 12, 2024October 12, 2024crochet2 Comments

New Crochet Pattern Release!

I am a huge fan of crochet cowl patterns, so much so a few years ago, I wrote a blog post listing 10 of my favourite crochet cowls. This new set of Mix & Match Crochet Cowl Patterns isn’t included in that post because I have only just released them.

The idea for a set of mix and match stitch patterns (so that you can have a choice in the cowl you make) has been with me for a while. The seed was planted when I designed a striped cowl for an issue of Inside Crochet magazine (I can’t remember what issue, sorry!).

You may know this by now but some people just can’t leave things alone. They insist on tinkering, adjusting, tweaking and amending crochet patterns to suit them. I am one of those people! And I wanted to come up with a pattern that allowed for playing around with different crochet stitches, messing about with colours and combining them in lots of unique ways.

What cowl will you make? 5 Crochet Cowl Patterns in 1!

Mix & Match Crochet Cowl Pattern

You can find the pattern for the Mix & Match Crochet Cowl Pattern in my Ravelry store as well as my little Etsy shop. So far it is in UK terms only. Please let me know how keen you are on a version that has US terms because I can bump that job to the top of my list if there is interest.

Within the pattern, there are five different designs to make or, you can choose your own selection of stitch patterns to create your own unique crochet cowl pattern. Get 25% off with the code: MMCOWL

Stash Busting Crochet Cowl Patterns

A wonderful thing about crochet is the freedom to stash bust your favourite yarns. A crochet cowl is no different. And this one is perfect for chucking all your leftover yarn at. You don’t necessarily need a main colour but I find it’s good to balance out all of the other colours you choose.

These crochet cowl patterns are also ideal for yarn advent calendars. Grab that pretty bouquet of colourful minis and you will create the most beautiful crochet accessory your eyes have ever seen! Ooooh, I love it! It’s super exciting to think about all the combinations, isn’t it?

Five Different Crochet Cowl Patterns in One!

As I have mentioned, the pattern has five different crochet patterns and you can pick one of those, or combine the stitches in a different way. It’s totally up to you.

The stitch patterns included are cute bobble stripes, an easy eyelet stitch and simple post stitch ribbing. Also stripes. Lots of stripes! I cannot get enough of them. The stitch multiples are provided so you can stick with those, or try something in between. Fun, hey?!

It was very hard to stop at just five patterns as the possibilities are vast and wide. So, to keep things simple, there’s a cosy small cowl, a large cowl that kinda doubles as a snood, and then something that is more akin to a crochet infinity scarf. Oh and because I can’t get enough of mohair, I used that in one of the patterns too. If you’re worried about using mohair yarn in your crochet projects, read some top tips here.

Take a look below at my “modelling”. It would seem, that a bit like Zoolander, I can only look one way.

Which Cowl Will You Make?

It’s hard to choose a favourite cowl, right? But if I had to, oh I’d make a new one that’s different to any of these. And I can because the pattern allows me to do that! Boom! I’ll just choose the size, grab some more yarn and see what happens.

What about you? Which crochet cowl pattern will you choose?

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A Discovery of Stitches Sampler Scarf

October 1, 2024October 1, 2024crochet1 Comment

A Zeens and Roger design for the Curate Crochet Subscription box

A Discovery of Stitches from Curate Crochet

In the past I have confessed to not being a fan of subscription boxes. There are a number of reasons for this but the main two have always been, 1) I am paying for something and I don’t know what I’m going to get. 2) I’m locked in and can’t get out of the “deal”

Luckily for all of us, Curate Crochet Subscription boxes don’t involve either of these problems! Yay! And best of all, sometimes (certainly, this month anyway) the crochet designs that feature in the subscription box, have been designed by me!!

There is always such a super variation of designs in the Curate Crochet boxes, which means there are always new crochet ideas to try. Above, I mention the first problem I have with subscription boxes, which is you don’t know what you’re going to get until you’ve ordered. Here though, you get to see the crochet project before you buy. This month it is the Discovery of Stitches, a classic sampler scarf, and you have 7 days to order. The deadline to sign up for this sampler scarf box is the 7th of October!! Use the code Rosina5 to get £5 off your purchase.

Crochet Sampler Scarf

Back in the early summer, Lindsey got in touch to ask if I would like to design the October subscription box for Curate Crochet. Not wanting to miss out on all the fun, I immediately said yes! The designs that feature are always pitch perfect and I was delighted that Lindsey wanted to ask me to be a guest designer.

I was given a brief, which included a beautiful mood board to guide me. (As a designer, I love a good brief and mood board. It makes it so much easier to know what path to go down). The main idea was that of a crochet sampler scarf; a few different crochet stitches all sitting happily alongside each other.

I chose some of my all-time favourite stitches, that way, I think you can see it’s “on brand” for my crochet style. The colours (a gorgeous variegated yarn) are completely Lindsey. Therefore, you have a lovely blend of both of our styles and that’s most definitely my favourite part of this project!

Sampler Scarf Stitches for Witches

Let’s talk a little bit more about the scarf itself (I don’t want to miss anything out!). So, I’ve mentioned that the Discovery of Stitches scarf includes some of my fave crochet stitches. It goes without saying that I absolutely had to include granny clusters. This is the direction I was steered and I was thrilled to explore how I could merge grannies with my other top stitches: the Houndstooth stitch and a lovely set of Ripples.

Bringing it to top tier, the ombre fringing is something to behold! It took a little bit of patience to order all the strands but it is oh so worth it. That was the fiddliest bit for sure. Doesn’t it look fantastic!?

The variegated yarn means much fewer ends to sew in because the colour changes come from the yarn itself. But I am afraid there are still more than just one or two to tidy away. A great trick is to just carry them with you as you crochet so you don’t need to snip so often. You can’t do this in all the sections but certainly, in the stripes, it makes life a little bit easier for sure.

Curate Crochet Subscription Box

Hopefully, this is a project that calls to you. The idea of marrying classic crochet stitches means you get lots of interest going on but nothing is ever head-scratching. The classic stitches are all fun and easy to work but Lindsey also puts together fabulous tutorials to accompany the written pattern.

If you are tempted by the Discovery of Stitches box for this month, don’t forget the £5 discount with the code Rosina5. Pop across to the Lottie & Albert website to find out more. Be quick though, remember you only have until the 7th of October.

The second point I made at the beginning of this post is also worth noting again, you don’t need to lock into any deals. If you only wanted this one box, that’s all you need to commit to. I love that idea! Plus, you get lots of other goodies too. I am particularly fond of the little kitty witch pin, she’s so cute! Just right for the season!

A discovery of stitches crochet sampler scarf

A Discovery of Stitches subscription box from Curate Crochet

You may have guessed already but this post contains an affiliate link. That’s only because it’s my crochet design and I would love you to make your own cosy sampler scarf. I think this is a design that’s definitely a Treat rather than a Trick ;p

And just for good measure, I’ll include the link once more for the October Curate Crochet box HERE. Use the code Rosina5 for your discount. Cheers and Happy Halloween!

Z&R Crochet Podcast 105. Totes a Good Tote

September 22, 2024September 24, 2024crochetLeave a Comment

Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast

Hello! I hope you are well?! Welcome to the Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast. Grab yourself a cup of tea and your crochet to spend a little time with me for some crochet chat. Click on the pic above or go to my Youtube Channel HERE

It appears that I have a lot to say in this episode, you could never stop me talking about my favourite subject!

For all the crochet good stuff, please find the links below. Hopeully you will find what you are looking for.

Links to the Crochet Good Stuff

Have you caught up yet? Check out the last episode (104) HERE.

Fancy a quick project test? HERE is the Granny Stripe Hat testing link.

And the form for testing my secret top can be found HERE.

My floaty light, crochet crescent shawl, Cirrus can be found on Ravelry. you can also purchase Cirrus on Etsy.

Check out Amy’s gorgeous yarn on Mamie & Florrie HERE.

And the Cloudy Nora Shawl by Yarnison.

Go HERE for the Discovery of Stitches Curate Crochet Subscription Box. The code Rosina05 will get you £5 off your purchase.

Treat yourself to a new Crochet Bag Pattern. Find the Bermuda Triangle Bag on Ravelry, or buy your copy over on Etsy.

I am working on the charts for the Barton Hap shawl. You can find the written pattern in the beautiful publication of the John Arbon Textiles Annual 3.

My crochet chart journey is speeding along very nicely with the help of Christina from a Spoonful of Yarn. Check out Christina Crochet Coach. The chart course has been just what I needed!

I sell crochet patterns on Ravelry. I also sell the same crochet patterns on Etsy. And I often add crochet patterns on Lovecrafts too. Or, you can also scroll through the Free Crochet patterns.

Don’t forget that on Ravelry and Etsy I am offering 25% off crochet patterns with the code YOUTUBEZ. This code is valid until the 14th October 2024.

Making yourself the granny blanket?! The tutorial for the Little Granny Sqaure is HERE.

The granny blanket’s tutorial for the Large Granny Square can be found HERE.

Find me all over the web. Come and join me on Instagram. Are you following me on Pinterest yet? you should!!

Phew, I think that’s it for now! See below for just a few pics of some of the episode’s crochet good stuff! But there’s more, so watch today!

A Discovery of Stitches Curate Crochet Subscription Box.

Crochet toe bag - check in out in my crochet podcast

See granny square blanket progress in my crohcet podcast

Large Granny Square with Circle Centre

August 26, 2024March 6, 2026crochet, free pattern2 Comments

Granny Square Tutorial

This large granny square pattern has been designed specifically for a larger crochet project I’ve been working on over the last year. Since last autumn or so, I have made enough granny squares for two double-bed sized crochet blankets, and this pattern is part of those colourful blankets.

I recorded a large granny square tutorial in the spring, and it has taken me until the late summer to edit it and put it together! Oh my goodness, such a long time. One reason for the delay was that I wanted to make sure I got the pattern right. The element that needed perfecting was the granny circle in the middle of the square because the first blanket had too many stitches. You can find out much, much more in Episode 104 of the Zeens and Roger Crochet Podcast as that video has a decent chat about the blankets I made. Therefore, if you’d like to know more, please do watch it (there are other granny projects in that episode too).

Watch the video tutorial above on how to make a large granny square with a circle centre, or go HERE to YouTube. For the written pattern, keep scrolling.

Crochet blanket. Large granny squares and cute little granny squares together.

Granny Squares to Make a Crochet Blanket

The photo above shows the first blanket I made at the beginning of this year. It’s a crochet blanket that I have been meaning to make for yeeeeeaaars. Back in 2011 (ish) I made one that was very similar, and over the years, I have been asked for the pattern quite a lot. I’ll have to dig out a photo to share in the next blog post (I’ll do that once blanket no.2 is complete).

The blankets all have the same thing in common; they have large and small squares laid out together in a “random formation”. The pattern for the large granny square is below. You can find the pattern for the cute little granny square HERE (plus the video tutorial too). When combined, you can make an awesome crochet blanket.

The best thing about making lots of squares and turning them into a blanket is that there is no rush. Make just a few every now and then, pick up and put down as and when the mood takes. Before you know it, everything has come together nicely at a super relaxing pace. Wonderful stuff.

Things You Need to Crochet a Large Granny Square

For this pattern, you will need lots of DK yarn and a 4mm hook. This crochet pattern makes a 13 round square, that measures approximately 10 inches. Granny squares are, of course, the best stashbusters in the world, so gather up all your DK leftovers to make your own unique motifs for a one of a kind blanket.

It’s important to note that the written instructions here use UK terms. Anywhere you see “tr” or “treble” please remember that these are US double crochet stitches.

Below are some special stitches that you may not know. I assume that you know any other, more basic, abbreviations, but please leave a comment below if anything foxes you, and I will do my best to answer as soon as I can.

Special Crochet Stitches

To make a stonkingly good crochet square, there are a couple of techniques here that you may be new to, or perhaps not. But I will share them here as they are integral to the pattern. Please do not worry, they are not as hard as you might think and the video tutorial takes you through these crochet techniques step-by-step.

Beg tr2tog:

This is used at the beginning of Rnd 1 to work the first “petal”. It uses the same principle as a Stacked Start (have you seen my video tutorial for Alternatives to a Chain 3?).
Insert hook in circle, yrh and pull through, yrh and pull through both loops on hook (it helps to gently pinch the st at this point to make the next stage easier). Insert hook in left leg of the st and the loop behind it (the pinch helps the back loop to become looser and more visible), yrh and pull through, (2 loops on hook), yrh and insert hook into the circle, yrh and pull through (4 loops on hook), yrh and pull through 2 loops, yrh and pull through 3 loops.

Standing tr start (sttr):

This is instead of starting rounds by using chains, it looks much tidier than a 3-chain and it’s fun to do! It’s perfect when changing colour at the beginning of rows. Yrh three times and hold loops on hook with forefinger, insert hook in ch-sp/st, yrh and pull through, [yrh and pull through 2 loops] twice. Let go of the yarn wrapped around your hook. First treble stitch made.

Standing dtr start (stdtr) = A US standing treble:

This is same principle as the sttr only for a taller stitch; you just wrap the yarn around your hook an extra time.
Yrh four times and hold loops on hook with forefinger, insert hook in ch-sp/st, yrh and pull through, [yrh and pull through 2 loops] three times. Let go of the yarn wrapped around your hook. First dtr stitch made.

A cluster = 3 tr together in the same space.

The written pattern below assumes you will change colour every round. With Blanket No. 2 you will see that I don’t change colour every round for the granny squares. Watch the tutorial (towards the end) to see how that’s done as you have to use a couple of different techniques. Nothing crazy, I promise.

Top Tip!! Alternate the place where you join your yarn for each round. Join new yarn in the opposite corner to the join of the previous round. This avoids the dreaded granny twist! You can see this method doesn’t work quite so well if you are not changing colour.

Crochet Granny sqaure blanket in the making. Pattern for a Large granny square

Large Granny Square Pattern

Chain 5 and join with a sl st.
Rnd 1: 1Beg tr2tog, ch2, *tr2tog, 2ch: rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the 1st 2ch-sp. Fasten off & cut yarn. Do not turn (here & throughout). [ 8 “petals”]

Rnd 2: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 2ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, 1ch, *3tr in next 2ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 3: [this is a change from the video tutorial – you may hear me waffle at about 12/13 minutes re where I put my chains for Rnd 4 and this new way makes more sense – it amounts to the same amount of stitches and chain at the end] Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, (1tr, 1ch, 2tr) in same sp, *(2tr, 1ch, 2tr) in next 1ch-sp; rep from * 6 more times, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 4: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any 1ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr, *miss 2 tr, 3tr in next 1ch-sp, miss 2 sts, 3tr; rep from * around join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn. [16 clusters]

Rnd 5: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in any sp between clusters, 2tr in same sp, *3tr in next sp; rep from * around, join with a sl st into the top of the sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnd 6: Attach new yarn with 1stdtr in any sp, 2dtr in same sp, [3tr in next sp] three times, *(3dtr, 2ch, 3dtr) in next sp, [3tr in next sp] three times; rep from * two more times, 3dtr in first corner, 1htr join in top of stdtr [see the htr join at 22:30 of the video tutorial]. Fasten off & cut yarn.

Rnds 7 – 13: Attach new yarn with 1sttr in corner 2ch-sp, 2tr in same sp, [3tr in next sp] four times, *(3tr, 2ch, 3tr) in 2ch-sp, [3tr in next sp] four times; rep from *two more times, 3tr in corner ch-sp, 1htr join in top of sttr. Fasten off & cut yarn.

And that’s how to crochet a large granny square! Now, sew in all of your ends!!

How to Join Granny Squares

There are a few different ways to join granny squares and you can do so however you see fit. In the video tutorial for the little granny squares, I demonstrate how to Join As You Go but for the new crochet blankets I have chosen to sew them together using the mattress stitch, which is also known as the ladder stitch. I prefer the look and it gives me more control. But that’s a story for another day.

Obviously, you can use this pattern to create lots of crochet squares for your own projects. However, I will pop by very soon to put all the elements together so you can see how to crochet your own granny square blanket.

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Z&R Crochet Podcast Episode 104

August 21, 2024March 6, 2026crochet2 Comments

Have You Watched a Crochet Podcast?

Despite the fact that I don’t get the chance very often, I do love putting together a crochet podcast. I love watching them too (by other crocheting podcasters, I’m not gonna sit through hours of my own gasbagging – awkward!). Also, if you’re a fan of granny crochet, now is the time to give them a go because Episode 104 is all about granny projects!

So, get yourself a cup of tea, gather up your favourite WIP and try a crochet podcast. Hop across to YouTube and relax for half an hour or so…

Click on the pic above to go directly to the episode, or go HERE to my YouTube channel.

Read on for links to crochet patterns, designs and anything else that you might find interesting.

Find Crochet Good Stuff

Firstly, I am currently knee deep in granny blanket making. A blog post is coming soon about how you can make your own colourful crochet project. I will pool together resources as much as possible. So far you can find…

A video tutorial for the Little Granny Square.
A video tutorial for the Large Granny square with a circle centre.
Yarn Substitution for crochet projects – find out more about alternatives if you don’t want to use the yarn in my blankets (I have used Paintbox Woolmix DK and King Cole Majestic, more on that at a later date).
Coming soon: A mattress stitch tutorial so you can sew your granny squares together.
Coming soon: Not mentioned because I forgot; I should do a tutorial for the border as well!

You can find my Starburst Cowl (a pretty granny square pattern – see pics below) in my Ravelry store, where it can be saved to your library, or it’s also in my Etsy shop for crochet patterns.

I mentioned my love for the YO slip stitch crochet ribbing. Find my crochet ribbing tutorial HERE.

I chatted about a couple of other granny stitch projects in this crochet podcast. scroll down to have a look, watch the episode to find out what’s going on with them!

Making a Crochet Wedding Dress. Part 1

June 12, 2024June 12, 2024crochet7 Comments

I Crocheted A Wedding Dress For My Sister

OK, so I didn’t crochet a wedding dress for my sister, but I did design and create the top half! If you’d like help with making your own unique crochet bridal top, read on…

First things first, I have two little sisters. One was the bride: Cassie, and the other: Letitia (aka Tishie), was the seamstress and she made the coordinating bridal skirt.

This post is about the initial design process of working out how to make a crochet wedding dress (Yes I know, it’s just the top/bodice, but I got into the habit of saying we were making a dress, so “dress” has stuck I’m afraid). The plan is to write a separate blog post for beyond the design stage (part 2 will be blocking, lining, finishing touches etc).

I took a heck of a lot of photographs of the making process but not so many of the big day itself (I was too busy stuffing my face with canapes). I will try and blag some photos later so you can see the outfit in more detail. Fingers crossed!

Inspiration for Designing A Crochet Wedding Outfit

It must have been around a year or so ago that Cassie asked me to make part of her wedding outfit. At the beginning, it felt like we had bags of time and ordinarily it is an excellent idea to plan the making of a crochet wedding dress as early as possible. There are lots of aspects you need to consider. Time, for example, is essential not just for the crocheting part but for all the swatching, measuring and calculations etc.

However, despite a fantastically early start, I couldn’t do all of it straightaway because Cassie had also announced that she was pregnant!

Research and planning were still very much possible though. Therefore, in July 2023 we had our first meeting on the Isle of Wight where I was on holiday with my Mum, my brother and his family (plus my crew). Cassie and Tishie joined us for a tasty family lunch in a little railway restaurant in Yarmouth. I brought a bundle of yarn options and a few stitch dictionaries so that Cassie could thumb through everything to bookmark favourites. It was good to get the ball rolling ASAP. It was quite exciting too.

Find Pictures for Design Inspiration

The happy bride in the above picture is the original source of inspiration. The picture shows an elegant, close fitting wedding bodice with a high neckline and long sleeves. Cassie sent me a small, blurry pic on What’s App and asked if I could make something like it. Challenge accepted!

My first port of call was a Ravelry visit to see if a crochet pattern like it already existed. Ravelry is such a good platform for finding knitting and crochet patterns and hours can be spent trawling through awesome designs. This time though, Ravelry didn’t bring up anything similar. I am guessing here but wonder if most crochet wedding dresses are bespoke?

As the most exciting patterns I found on Ravelry were cats in wedding dresses I moved focus to Pinterest. It always comes to the rescue! I did a deep dive and found other images of THE outfit, which helped to work out the top construction. Pinterest is a great source for discovering all kinds of crochet wedding dress styles, stitch patterns and crochet charts.

Pinterest Board of Crochet Wedding Dreams

If you have no clue where to start when it comes to designing crochet garments, Pinterest is an excellent first choice. I put together a thorough Pinterest board of crochet wedding inspiration, HERE. Hopefully, this will give you some fabulous crochet wedding ideas as well.

On that Pinterest board you’ll find loads of pretty bridal images and loads of beautiful crochet dresses. They’re all ideas I wanted to discuss with Cassie so she could tell me what she did and didn’t like. We eliminated a lot and it made focus so much easier; I’d had lot of the ideas flying around in my creative brain.

Seeing as the original inspiration isn’t crochet, we needed a stitch pattern that would go some way to replicate the diamondy lace. Therefore, you’ll find ideas for crochet stitch patterns. And lastly, I got a bit trigger-happy on pinning crochet charts. Charts make life immensely easy when it comes to stitch patterns and working out shaping. Although, please note that I didn’t copy any of them for construction purposes. This is a made-to-measure crochet wedding dress and I created my own (there’s more chart chat further down the post).

Considering Other Design Elements

Mood board sorted, there were also a couple of other elements to consider for the design.

When making an outfit for another person, communication is key. We discussed all kinds of different ideas so I would know for sure what the vision was. And it wasn’t just crochet talk. Cassie, Tishie and I had a What’s App group so we could talk about colours, fabrics, yarn choices, measurements… Lots of questions were asked, even down to what kind of trainers might go well (sparkly gold ones, for the evening).

It isn’t just about one element but about how they’re all going to come together. One decision might impact another so it’s a good idea that everyone involved is on the same page.

Even if Cassie said she didn’t really mind and gave me loads of creative freedom, it was still wise to cement some definites. Funnily enough, I can’t remember what the absolutes were now. I think it was the open back, long sleeves and easy access for breastfeeding. And then, through swatching, I learned that she preferred plainer geometric stitch patterns rather than lacy styles.

Easily Adjustable Crochet Top

Seeing as a baby was on the way, we had to think of what a post-pregnancy wedding outfit might need to include.

Because she was growing a baby, the bride’s measurements were going to change quite a bit over the months leading up the the wedding, which meant measurements were postponed until as late as possible. The final design also needed to factor in lunch, dinner, and snacks for a 6 month-old baby. I added ties at the back of the neck so that they could be adjusted easily according to fit, and the waistband had poppers so it could be undone to allow for easy access to feeding. I am pleased to report that Baby M was very well-fed on the day; the top did not stand in her way at all.

Swatching for Pretty Crochet Stitch Patterns

Stitch pattern ideas for crochet wedding dress.

I came back from the Isle of Wight trip in July with bookmarks in all the pages of the stitch dictionaries. I then left them in the bottom of my crochet basket until October. In the half-term holiday, my family and I drove up to the Highlands of Scotland to stay with Cassie and James. It was Halloween and by then she was starting to look like a pumpkin, which is what you get if you wear orange t-shirts at 8 months.

I had told myself that one of the reasons to visit was to show her a big bundle of different swatches so she could choose favourites. I think I’d managed to complete two by then. Tishie was there as well so I’m sure we must have chatted at length about handmade wedding dresses and things. I don’t recall. Oh well, it was a lovely holiday.

pretty stitch patterns for a crochet wedding dress

A Swatch Consultation With the Bride

Roll on a few more months and it was time to start properly planning in earnest. No more delays or distractions. With a rucksack of swatches this time, in February I booked a flight to Inverness so we could make some final decisions.

None of the first batch of crochet swatches passed muster. They were too open, too lacy, a bit too flouncy. Some pattern repeats were too big, some overly complicated and some had unexpected little faces in the patterns. However, we eliminated a lot of styles and that was super useful. That weekend, the yarn was chosen and new swatches were worked up over the breakfast table. Crochet cogs were now in motion.

Yarn For A Crochet Wedding Dress

I didn’t really know where to start in terms of the yarn to choose to crochet something bridal. Initial conversations determined that 4ply cotton yarn might be a good place to start so I ordered a few different yarn choices online. I listened to my own advice on yarn substitution to help with that too.

After all the swatching, in all the different yarn choices, we narrowed it down to two. Rowan Summerlite 4ply and DMC Petra in size 3. Both in shades of Ecru.

We preferred the Rowan Summerlite 4ply. It’s twice the price of the DMC Petra. It feels like excellent quality because it is excellent quality. Unfortunately, the shade didn’t work. Not to mention the softness of the yarn made it very absorbent. Any spills would have soaked in immediately. The Northcotts are a messy family and we knew it was inevitable that Cassie would spill something down herself.

DMC Petra is a shiny, mercerised cotton, which we thought would be better at shaking off spills. The slightly golden colour was spot on too. I used one ball for lots of swatching, then purchased five for the final piece, which was plenty.

We had a sample of the skirt fabric to match with as well.

Should You Use a Finer Yarn for Finer Crochet Garments?

If I was more dexterous and had more time, I think I would have been tempted to use a size 5 Petra yarn rather than the 3 as it would have made a much finer and more delicate garment. My poor fingers though… I was already using a 2mm crochet hook with the size 3 yarn. The making process would have taken too long as finer yarn means more work.

Finer yarn would have affected the look of the stitch patterns too. For example, the diamond shapes on the main body would have come up smaller and I would have had to adjust the pattern repeats to make them look right. To be frank, that would have been too much fannying around.

It is absolutely worth considering finer yarn though. I think it would create beautiful crochet fabric for bridal wear. It just wasn’t possible for this project.

Yarn choices for a crochet wedding dress

A Made to Measure Crochet Bodice

I may have mentioned once or twice in other blog posts that maths and I are not friends. I am not algebraically blessed but in spite of frequent numeric nightmares, I have learned to respect a spreadsheet.

And you should see the spreadsheet I put together for this one teeny little top! I’m talking at least 150 rows of numbers. It is a lot but I adopted a very strict measure-twice-crochet-once approach.

I began with the standard Craft Yarn Council guide as a starting point but made-to-measure means you get the actual measurements directly from the body you’re making a garment for. In terms of how much information you need to design a made-to-measure crochet wedding dress, a good rule of thumb is: the more the merrier! I did fly back home without a couple of crucial measurements, which was a bit daft. Got them via our What’s App chat a week later.

Quite a bit of research went into how best to measure a body to make your own clothes. I watched a lot of videos about drafting sewing patterns and knitting patterns as there isn’t as much when it comes to designing crochet clothes. I’ve noted some resources below – they’re knitting books and videos.

Working out measurement for crochet wedding dress — Drawing daft sketches to work out measurements

How Much Ease to Add For Fitted Crochet Top?

When you’re doing made-to-measure, you also need to consider fit. How much “ease” will you apply to your measurements? Do you want the garment to be very fitted and therefore have negative ease? Or, do you want to add extra room for loose fit crochet clothes and have positive ease? Choices, choices…

Cotton yarn doesn’t have ping or stretch, especially in crochet. Once it’s blocked into shape, it probably won’t change much more. That meant I wanted to avoid negative ease as Cassie wouldn’t have been able to move. In the end, I opted for 2-4 cm positive ease to add to her actual body measurements. I adjusted this where necessary, tweaking places where the stitch count or pattern repeats dictated how much it would actually be.

More than 4cm and it wouldn’t have been a “fitted” top. However, it is difficult to judge exactly how much ease was in the final garment because Cassie lost weight. Post-pregnancy weight loss was always a possibility, it’s why I made things adjustable. But I am disappointed she didn’t eat more biscuits and cake to maintain the same shape once she’d had her measurements taken.

Using Charts to Draft a Crochet Pattern

With all the numbers plugged in and stitch counts calculated, I was ready to start drafting the shaping of the main body and sleeves. Using Stitchfiddle, I drew up the main body and sleeve stitch patterns to print and scribble on. These charts meant I had a visual guide to follow when crocheting.

Charts have been a lifesaver actually. I wouldn’t have trusted my brain without seeing what the numbers had come up with. Spreadsheet maths allows me to calculate the number of stitches and rows needed for each part of the garment whether it’s the upper arm, wrist, waist or bust etc. The charts show me how it all correlates and where I should make potential increases and/or decreases.

I won’t show you everything because I don’t want to give away too many secrets! However, below are some rough drawings and charts to show my chaotic thought processes.

Crochet Set-in Sleeves

I spent most of my time working out the set in sleeves. A set-in sleeve is more fitted and tailored than other sleeve styles. At the top, it has a curved cap that sits neatly and accurately into an armhole that has the same measurements as the perimeter of the cap.

I had never designed a set-in sleeve crochet garment before and it’s hard to find definitive facts on the best way. I am certainly more comfortable with a casual “drop sleeve”. If you have any hot tips on this, please show me where to find them!

My favourite videos were a short series of knitting tutorials by Suzanne Bryan. There was some really useful information about body measurements and great details about set-in sleeves. I watched the videos religiously and used the body measurement advice to help build my spreadsheet.

I also used two knitting books which had more dreaded maths for me to get my head around. Both had their own take on the best way to work out the formulae for knitted set-in sleeves. Given that they both have different advice, I sort of aimed somewhere between the two and went with my gut a little bit as well. Gosh, it’s difficult though! Seeing as there isn’t one agreed way, I wonder if many designers plump for an empirical approach instead?

Both of these knitting books cover an extraordinary amount of information about all garment construction. Wouldn’t it be amazing if such a book existed for crochet?! Do you know of any?

books that helped with desgining a crochet wedding dress — These knitting books have information about designing set-in sleeves. Knitwear Design Workshop by Shirley Paden and Knitting Pattern Essentials by Sally Melville.

A Mock Up on a Form

At the same time as messing about with charts, I also drew up the measurements on paper to create rudimentary pattern pieces. I’m glad I did this step as it was enormously helpful.

What I haven’t mentioned thus far is that from the week after I left her in Februry, to a week or two before the wedding on June 1st, Cassie was off galivanting across the world. We couldn’t do fittings for the dress!

I worried slightly but perhaps not as much as I could have. Just look at my band of helpers pictured below. Tishie had two borrowed dressmaker’s dummies so I paid a visit to the New Forest, to Dad’s house, so I could use them. Turns out neither of them could be adjusted to Cassie’s size but nevermind, one provided a similar enough shape for me to drape parcel-taped calico across its polka dot form. It was a much needed step as I went away with a few redrafts.

It was also an opportunity to see how the skirt and top might look when together. Definitely a helpful stage.

Tishie has similar arms to Cassie so I used her to determine if I was on the right path for the sleeves. Another boon. I added an additional cm in length and width thanks to that try-on. Mr PP, the boer goat, was totally useless. He just walked over everything and stank of pee.

Time to Crochet A Wedding Dress!

With the yarn and stitches worked out, measurements written down and charts drawn up, it was time to get making. I was really looking forward to starting but simultaneously terrified. It could all go horribly wrong! However, by the time all of the above had been titivated to the point of excess, it was April. Time to pick up the crochet hook!

In the next blog post about how I designed a crochet wedding dress, I’ll talk more about the chosen stitch patterns (there are four of them!) and how they all came together. And I’d better not forget to mention the details such as the buttons and lining.

I’ll also aim to answer any questions, if you have them?

I know I haven’t told you about Tishie’s beautifully layered, silk and tulle skirt here (it was delicate and floaty and works so so well with the top). Combined, everything worked out just as we’d hoped. Oh, and Cassie crocheted a tie for James in matching colours! It was a proper team effort.

And before I leave Part 1, here are a few takeaways for making a crochet wedding dress.

1: Measure twice, thrice, four times, crochet once.
2: Make a mock-up out of cheap fabric, it is a very useful step.
3: If the bride has a baby whilst you’re crocheting her dress/top, make it adjustable!
4: If you can, ensure the bride is available to try on the outfit a few weeks before it’s needed. You might need to make adjustments.

A goat is not a great helper when it comes to making a crochet wedding dress — Mr PP investigating the important work of a crochet designer.

Decked Out: A Striped Shawl Pattern

May 31, 2024May 31, 2024crochetLeave a Comment

Decked Out is a Striped Crochet Shawl Pattern from Zeens and Roger

Deck Chair in a Crochet Shawl?

This morning, my phone reminded me that three years ago today I was putting the finishing touches to this striped crochet shawl pattern. Times flies…

I designed Decked Out to be just like deck chair fabric. It was the design idea for a magazine commission all about going to the beach. I think it fits the brief quite nicely.

Three years ago we were going away for a sunny weekend in Cornwall. I’m not usually brave enough to take crochet commissions on holiday but I think I’d left it very late and I was dancing pretty close to the deadline. I needed it done ASAP so it travelled with us, a few hours away, just a little bit deeper into the West Country.

Don’t worry, it didn’t get sand on it. I left it at the B&B when we went to the beach!

Decked Out; A Striped Shawl Pattern

To celebrate its birthday, I’m releasing Decked Out for the first time since it appeared in Inside Crochet magazine. And if that’s not exciting enough, it’s right here on the blog now too! Keep scrolling for the striped shawl pattern full of bright, fun colour blocking. Or, you can buy both ad free UK and US versions of the pattern over on Ravelry, or in my Etsy store.

Oky doky, this is a lovely and simple shawl for those who fancy something a little bit more than basic stitches.

I used two kinds of stitches in this crochet design. The majority of the main body uses one of my favourites, the UK half treble / US half double worked in the front third loop. It creates beautiful ridges that provide a gorgeous texture. Then I finished it off with a classic rib of post stitches. If you have the yarn spare, add another couple of rows. I think it’s look really good.

What Yarn etc Do You Need for Your Crochet Shawl?

The yarn I used to make the Decked Out shawl is Milla Mia Sweden, Naturally Soft Merino. It’s 100% Superwash merino, 50g/ 125m/ 136yds which is sold as a sport weight yarn.

I used this soft and squishy yarn with a 3.5mm hook. I didn’t do a gauge swatch as tension doesn’t really matter for this shawl. But as you work your shawl, pay attention to the feel of the fabric. You’ll know if it looks too loose or feels too stiff. If you don’t like the squish of the fabric, just try a different hook size.

If you can’t get hold of the yarn I used, read all about Yarn Substitution to find an alternative that will work for you.

Special Stitches Needed for Your Shawl

UK hdc / US htr in 3rd front loop only: instead of working under the 2 loops that form a “V” at top of st, insert hook in horizontal loop that sits at front of st below the “V”.

For the visual learners amongst you, check out my free pattern for a chunky scarf that uses the same stitch. That’s the link to the video tutorial.

Abbreviations – US terms

BPdc = back post double, ch = chain, ch-sp = chain space, dc = double crochet,
FPdc = front post double, hdc = half double, st(s) = stitch(es), sp(s) = space(s), sl st = slip stitch.

Notes Before You Begin

The following striped shawl pattern is in US terms but if you buy the ad free PDF version, it comes in both US & UK terms.

Please note that I haven’t included where to change colour within the written pattern. Instead, there is a chart (below) that will tell you how often you need to change colour. It also includes the stitch count for the end of every colour change (it’s the stitch count for the last row of each colour used).

If you love the crochet ribbing and want to explore it further, take a look at my post all about the best crochet ribbing!

And if you enjoy this pattern, have you seen my other crochet designs? Have a look at my Free Crochet Patterns Page. Then, why not take a look at some awesome crochet tips & tricks?!

The Crochet Shawl Pattern

With YA make a magic circle, or ch4 and join with a sl st.
Row 1: 1ch (does not count as a stitch here & throughout), 1dc, 2hdc, 2ch, 2hdc, 1dc in magic circle, turn – 3 sts per side.

Row 2: 1ch, (1dc, 2hdc) in first dc, hdc to center, (1hdc, 2ch, 1hdc) in 2ch-sp, hdc to last st, (2hdc, 1dc) in last dc, turn – 6 sts per side.

Row 3: 1ch, (1dc, 2hdc) in first dc, hdc in front 3rd loop to center, (1hdc, 2ch, 1hdc) in 2ch-sp, hdc in front 3rd loop to last st, (2hdc, 1dc) in last dc, turn – 9 sts per side and increasing by 3 sts per side every row.

Continue in pattern, following chart (below) for color order/stripe sequence.

Row 4 – 67: Rep row 3 – 201 sts.

Crochet ribbing on a striped shawl pattern

Edging
Row 68: 1ch, 3dc in first st, [2FPdc, 2BPdc] to center 2ch-sp, (2dc, 2ch, 2dc) in 2ch-sp, [2BPdc, 2FPdc] to last st, 3dc in last st, turn – 205 sts, increasing by 4 sts per side.

Row 69 – 71: Rep 68 – 217 sts.

Fasten off and sew in ends.

Block using preferred method.

Follow This Colour Chart

In the PDF pattern you can purchase, this helpful chart is colour coded to make it a little bit easier to follow. It’s still not difficult but I like it to be pretty!

Rows	Yarn	St count @ end of colour block.
1 – 12	A	36
13 – 16	B	48
17 – 20	C	60
21 – 24	D	72
25 – 32	E	96
33 – 36	F	108
37 – 44	G	132
45 – 52	D	156
53 – 56	A	168
57 – 58	E	175
59 – 66	C	198
67 – 71	B	217

And it’s as simple as that! I hope you like this striped shawl pattern. Let me know if you make it and add it to your Ravelry project page too.

Cheers. x