crafts Archives - Zeens and Roger

Wayward Sisters. An easy Crochet Shawl Pattern

October 9, 2022October 11, 2022crochet5 Comments

Wayward Sisters, a Granny Stripe Crochet Shawl.

Wayward Sisters, a Crochet Shawl Pattern

We three met on the cusp of autumn. No thunder, lightning or rain, just glorious September sunshine and lots of crochet goss. It was the perfect weather for a weekend in the Cotswolds for three people obsessed with the same thing. Crochet!

The crochet shawl pattern I’m sharing here was borne from our weekend. Practically whipped up the whole thing whilst we were there, it’s that easy! Crocheting granny stripes is a doddle and just the thing needed to relax the brain.

The free pattern is below. Or, if you’d prefer, you can buy a downloadable PDF that isn’t littered with waffle and ads. The PDF can be found on Ravelry, Etsy and Lovecrafts.

Try my other Free Patterns here.

(Btw this post contains one affiliate link for the yarn if you want to directly check out the yarn I used)

Wayward Sisters

We all convened on a Friday afternoon when the sun was at its warmest. I can’t speak for the others but driving through picturesque English towns and country lanes to find an old barn to stay in felt proper exciting. The idea of a weekend away to literally focus on crochet, work on projects, and generally have a good time was much needed.

The last time I met up with Fay (of Fay H Designs and the Provenance Craft Co.) was in the early summer. She was vending at the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend and I was teaching a crochet class. Over the years, we’ve always managed to have quick chats at yarn festivals but I don’t think we’d ever sat down to have a proper chinwag. As we caught up she proposed the idea of a weekend away with crochet and friends. She and Michelle (of Dora Explored) had already been brewing plans for this so it was an easy Yes from me. Hovering over Google Maps, we poked a finger on the map, somewhere equidistant for all three of us, it landed on the Cotswolds. That’ll do nicely, thank you.

I met Michelle (of Dora Does and Dora Explored) for the first time three years ago. Rather fortuitously, she was in Devon for a family holiday and I recognised her IG pics so knew she was literally ten minutes from my house. We met up for tea and cake, with me being v late, dragging two kids who just wouldn’t get dressed that morning. We chatted for ages and I knew I’d found someone just as obsessed with crochet as me!

Yarn Everywhere

The funniest bit upon arriving was discovering that we had all brought a car full of yarn. Bags and bags, stacks of boxes, WIPs and secret projects! Yarn everywhere!

Despite bringing half my yarn stash I didn’t want to work on anything already begun. My new granny stripe crochet shawl has been on the agenda for the longest time but it has never been a priority. Ultimately it was the right balance of fun, relaxing and new. It fit in really well with the chilled atmosphere where there was zero pressure. Sometimes that’s just what everyone needs.

So the weekend went thusly: wake up, do a bit of crochet, wander round the garden picking pears, apples and sloes. Find some walnut trees (good for yarn dyeing), go back inside for a spot more crochet. Have a cup of tea. Go for a walk, go into town, have a pub lunch sat alongside the river Thames. Sniff out any yarn shops (hmm, half a one). Do a bit more crochet. Have some wine, do some crochet at a different tension…

I’ve shared a few photos here. There was a creepy old shed that I loved. It had great angles and light but my photography skills aren’t up for taking advantage of such a backdrop. The town of Lechlade was a great host. Amongst the interesting shops there was an antique place stuffed full of crazy taxidermy. What a fab weekend.

The Chosen WIP

After all that, you will want the pattern for a crochet shawl, right? I’m so happy to share this as I want you to enjoy the fun of relaxing crochet.

I made this crochet shawl because it was repetitive, methodical and I could trust it to do as it was told without me using too much brain power. In my holiday yarn stash were several (already wound) cakes of Cascade 220 Fingering yarn. Quite honestly, there were a few different projects I could have started with it . There’s still plenty left so, no doubt, you’ll see designs with related colour palettes at some point. But because a granny stripe crochet shawl had been on the To Do list for a while, it easily won as the thing to make.

Soothing Granny Stripes

Oky doky, before you begin, please know that this is a very easy single row pattern repeat. Once the first couple of starter rows are out the way, every row is the same. This is Easy Crochet at its finest! Adding stripes of colour in the mix stops too much monotony and really lifts the shawl. But ultimately, we’re just talking stripes of wonderful granny clusters.

When I started working on the shawl I felt almost embarrassed. I felt like I should be working on something impressive and fancy. I was with professionals who take this art very seriously!! But this was when it dawned on me why I like the granny stitch so much. It’s because it is the ultimate in comfort crochet. This shawl is the very definition of comfort crochet! It’s not out to impress, it only wants to make you feel good.

Do you often return to your favourite stitches? This could be why. Our favourite stitches make us feel safe and relaxed. That’s perfectly OK. I don’t always want or need crochet that soothes me but when I do, Hello Granny!

Crochet Shawl Pattern

Here we go! Things you will need are: a 4mm hook, 3x50g skeins of Cascade 220 Fingering for the Main Colour, and 6 contrasting colours. I used approximately 20g of each.

Pattern Notes

The pattern is written in UK terms. The main stitch is a UK treble, which is a US double crochet.
Contrast colours (CCs) are used three times each with 18 stripes of colour in total.
In established pattern, the CCs are placed every fourth row.
Rather than sewing in ends, I attached tassels to hide colour changes. Knot the loose ends together first before attaching tassels.
The PDF contains a chart with crochet symbols to follow.
The PDF also has a table charting where the colour chances are and where they are.
The PDF written pattern is available on Ravelry, Etsy, and Lovecrafts.

The Instructions

Work the first 4 rows in the MC, then change colour to a CC for the first time on the last st of Row 4. Then work a CC every 4th row.

Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch, or make a magic circle.
Row 1: ch4 (counts as 1tr and 1ch here & throughout), 3tr, 1ch, 1tr, turn. [1 cluster of 3 tr + 1 st at either side]
Row 2: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [2 clusters + 1 st at either side]
Row 3: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, 3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [3 clusters + 1 st at either side, increasing by 1 cluster each row]
Row 4: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, *3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * to last ch-sp, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn.
Rows 5 – 76: Rep Row 4.

To Tassel or Not or Tassel?

Are you a fan of tassels? The jury is still out for me. The tassels are there because I couldn’t be bothered to sew in the ends. That’s all. As much as they add lots of mood lifting colour, I am tempted to undo them and add a less jazzy border. It’ll be simple to do, and if it happens and I shall come and report what I did.

And there you have it. Did you get beyond the tangenty gas-bagging?!

To give you a crochet shawl pattern I have to tell a story behind its construction. I enjoy telling the tale of how a design comes about. I just hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!

Anyway, with that, the Wayward Sisters came together, worked some magic, and then bid each other farewell. Until next time…

Cheers. x

The Life of (Crochet) Riley

September 15, 2022October 4, 2022crochet3 Comments

Say Hello to the Riley Jumper!

Or would you call it a sweater? I will probably use them interchangeably here but they are essentially the same thing. Here in the UK, Riley is a jumper. To my US chums and other worldly friends, I think it’d most likely be a sweater. Whatever you call it this is a crochet pullover (?!) that is sure to keep you warm as the season changes and the weather gets a bit more chill.

Get Your Hands on the Crochet Pattern

As usual, rather than make you jump through hoops, I’ll leave the info right up top. To get a copy of Riley (V2), pop over to Ravelry, Etsy or Lovecrafts, whichever is your fave place to shop for crochet patterns. This jumper is size inclusive for nine different sizes.

The crochet pattern is written and available in both US & UK terms. I don’t always get round to doing this (soz See My Vest) but given that this one uses a few different stitches (in a fun way) I thought it would be helpful for all makers.

Riley crochet sweater by Zeens and Roger — Riley, a Crochet jumper by Zeens and Roger

The Life Story of Crochet Riley

The incarnation I’m giving most of the attention to here is not the first Riley jumper. No it is not. Last year I was asked by Inside Crochet magazine if I was interested in designing a cosy sweater of simple construction with some lovely wintery colours in it. I think they asked me because they know I love chucking loads of random colours together to create peculiar rainbow palettes.

Riley was, at first, a frosty mornings sort of jumper. Something warm and cosy for January temps when the skies threaten, or promise, snow (yay, snow!). The colours didn’t go as far as bleak mid winter vibes but they weren’t totally into fiery fiestas either. I finished Riley V1 last October and in January of this year it was the front cover star of Inside Crochet magazine! It looked fab, it really did! It still looks fab. I will no doubt wear it again and again, much like I did last winter. But there were things I wanted to change…

Riley on the front cover of Inside Crochet!

Adjusting a Handmade Garment

Here’s the thing, designers are never satisfied. There is never a moment when a design is as perfect as it could be. Designers are always striving to make one last tweak, one extra adjustment. Unfortunately there comes a time when you must accept that it is time to step back and say a project is finished. I had to do that with the first Riley but when August came to an end and I stumbled upon my leftover stash of chunky yarn, I had this idea that I needed to make an autumn version. So I did. But with tweaks.

The main differences between 1 & 2 are the colours, the stripe depth, and the sleeves.

If there are any changes you feel you want to make then go for it! Crochet, and making your own clothes in general should always have an element of freedom to change if that’s what you want. We all have different bodies and making adaptations to suit personal preference is all part of the joy of handmade.

Main Design Tweaks

Colours? So yes, mostly I had yarn in stash leftover from jumper number one but I swapped out three or four colours to liven up the palette. Simple. Job done. Obviously makers can choose their own shades should they wish, it’s great that handmade has this flexibilty. Go for whatever colours you want!

The body count (stitch count of the body that is) remains the same. It’s the stripes I changed. I wanted to know what more stripes looked like. Stripes that weren’t so deep so that I could squeeze more in and therefore get more of a colour party happening.

The depth of stripes is also up for mixing and matching but obviously has an impact on the amount of yarn required for each. More stripes means more texture, which is a win in my book. This is achieved by the front post stitches. Everytime a colour changes occurs, they are introduced and it creates superb little ridges and pops of colour. Another win, don’t you think?!

In the pattern I have only given the yardage/metereage for what I have done. I’d be here for weeks if I worked out every possibilty, Not prepared to do that I’m afraid. But the option for playing around is there if you want.

The last, and biggest, difference between versions is the sleeves. Upon giving Riley V1 its first proper bath, it stretched a little bit further beyond my initial blocking. Not horrendously, just enough that the sleeves (always the overstretch culprits!) covered hands almost to the finger tips. This didn’t surprise me in the slightest as it was intended to be a slouchy fit and as per the brief, long, digit tickling sleeves were part of the remit. Nevertheless, day to day wear? Bit annoying if sleeves are in your breakfast so I knocked off a few rows to accommodate.

More on the Sleeves

I’ve also changed the stitch count on the sleeves a little bit. Not so much that it’s obvious, it’s important to keep the oversized nature of them. But here was the problem: I struggled to squeeze my arms into my favourite winter coat. There was way too much bulk in the upper arm.

My advice would be to read the measurements of the sleeves in the crochet pattern to determine what you want to go for. You don’t necessarily have to rely of the size you’re making if you want a snugger fit. However, do note that the upper arm depth is already a couple of centimetres smaller than the original.

I’m hoping Riley V2 fits inside my fave coat now. At the beginning of the year, when I forced my arms inside that coat, I had the bulky appearance of a muscle man. We’d been watching Henry Cavill in the Witcher and I looked just like him, I swear! So yeah, sleeves are improved.

Chunky, Woolly Yarn

For both jumpers I used Re:Treat by West Yorkshire Spinners. (This is an affiliate link which means rather than Lovecrafts getting all your money a percentage of it comes to me instead with no extra cost to you).

The colours are gorgeous and very modern. I really liked using a roving yarn in the design, just the glide through the fingers was enough for me to be sold but once worked into a fabric it is also incredibly warm. I would definitely recommend giving this yarn a go, but if you wanted to use something else, try visiting Yarn Sub. Here’s a direct link to the Re:treat in case you fancied checking out some alternatives.

The Photoshoot

Photo shoots for my crochet designs are sometimes great fun, sometimes not. As has happened before, I rather bossily turned a lovely family weekend walk into a crochet fashion shoot (see the Dreckly mittens blog post – one of my fave posts ever by the way. I was in a very silly mood that day!) I did it for the January Hues hats too, and others, so it is a bit of a habit. It’s not always fun for the kids as they get fed up with their mother stopping countless times for good light and taking “just one more” picture in case all the others are a disaster. The husband also has to take a big sigh every time I expect him to read my mind about how the composition should be set up. He’s often the designated pusher of (camera) buttons.

I did think about sharing some additional pics of where we were but this would be a very long blog post if I did that. Maybe there needs to be a separate one for those? It is a very pretty part of Devon, all we need to do is walk a little bit out of town and there’s countryside. A story for another day I think.

Anyway, I very nearly forgot to say! Riley has nothing to do with the ubiquitous “Life of” I’m afraid. Riley is named after British artist, Bridget Riley. It’s all the stripes you see. Google her name and you’ll see what I mean. She’s cool.

PS If you have scrolled to the bottom looking for the pattern, the links to my shops are at the top! But since you’re here: Ravelry, Etsy, Lovecrafts is where you will find my crochet designs. And don’t forget to share your makes on Instagram!

Zeens and Roger wearing a Crochet jumper — Living the Life of Riley.

Use up leftovers on the Hepworth Mittens

Crochet Mittens

And finally, as a PPS, you can also get the crochet pattern for the Hepworth mittens (named after another female artist, Barbara Hepworth). You can find them on Ravelry here.

PPPS. Cheers! xx

Not a Natural Yarn Dyer!

March 2, 2021March 9, 2021vlogging7 Comments

A Beginner’s Yarn Dyeing Overview

I was recently sent a naked, undyed skein of King Cole merino yarn. (Disclosure: I am a King Cole ambassador; I got the yarn for free but this is not a sponsored post). Receiving the yarn was all the persuasion I needed to have a brief dalliance with yarn dyeing. And I do mean brief. My first time was dyeing with avocado skins a few weeks ago, which I found interesting but getting the right colour was tricky. The second time was with little pots of powdery acid dyes (thanks Sherrie of Ollie & Bella for recommending the dyes). Acid dyeing yarn is a messy affair and I don’t suggest you try it unless you’re willing to destroy your kitchen, clothes, and anything else within a fifteen foot radius. My kitchen is old and tatty, therefore I don’t care about the fact that it now has a rainbow of colours forever tainting my work tops. Bit dodgy for food prep though.

What I’ve done is put together a couple of videos for YouTube. The first was published a couple of weeks ago. You can watch it HERE. It’s the dyeing yarn with avocado video, not “dying”, which is what I’ve accidentally titled the episode. It’s actually a relatively safe process. I pretended it was homeschooling science and got the kids involved. Well, the youngest one helped, the eldest just came into the kitchen in search of the Flap Jacks that were being baked in the oven whilst we did the dyeing. Apart from using high temperatures in the dyeing process, it’s a pretty good project for getting the kids involved.

Recently uploaded is the acid dyeing vid, HERE. It’s a bit longer as the first section of the video is a “show and tell” of the yarn colours that were created. Then the shoddy demo of my attempts follows after. This one is not be so great for the kids (although one of mine watched from a reasonable distance).

The colours that you can achieve with the acid dyes are far more intense. I have a distinct lack of knowledge about the chemistry of colour work and it shows. I didn’t try to experiment with mixing or diluting, just jumped straight into bright primary-ish shades. The results aren’t too bad. They’re not exactly “my” colours but that’s OK. The dye is Landscapes Dyes from Wingham Wool Work, a great recommendation from Sherrie. I wasn’t scared of using it but hard core professionals use loads of safety gear during dye sessions. Gloves and breathing apparatus are strongly recommended. Please do be careful! The particles of the powders can get inside your lungs and the powders also contain other elements that you don’t want to end up in your dinner.

After a quick shout out for advice on my crochet podcast, Becca from Totnes Yarns got in touch and offered some invaluable advice, thank you so much Becca! She Recommended using an old pot for dyeing the yarn, don’t use your best pans. Some of the acid dyes contain chemicals you don’t want to consume. But also, Becca pointed me in the direction of ChemKnits on YouTube. This is a rabbit hole I do not want to go down. This is just a quick fling, not a new hobby!! But if you did want to commit, check it out.

Research was a quick glance at Google, finding blog posts about avocado experiments. For more information about dyeing with avocado I found Woods and Wool to be really thorough. And also Thoresby Cottage. Deffo worth a look. I didn’t google much about acid dyes, I had the advice from Becca, and the Landscapes dyes came with a leaflet full of excellent instructions for both simmering on the hob or blasting in a microwave. You can download guidance on safety from Wingham Wool Work too.

Michelle from Dora Explored also has a blog post about dyeing with every day household stuff. Lots of helpful explanations about processes in that blog post, including info on why you might need to give your wool a bath in vinegar before you dye, and what a mordant is. But I confess to only skim reading certain bits so missed where it said to heat the yarn again after I added speckles onto the already dyed yarn. Might be why I didn’t end up with as many speckles as I hoped. I do realize that the heat is how the yarn fixes the colour, it was just a brief moment of stupidity. The fact that I have no patience is also a reason why the speckles washed out, which you’ll see from the finished results.

Wool yarn will take on dyes really well. Different fibres react in different ways, which is worth bearing in mind. As well as having the King Cole merino dk to play with, I decided to purchase a few skeins of Regia 4ply merino, another yarn specifically for hand dyeing. It worked a treat with the microwave acid dyeing. I also went digging through my own stash and came up with a mystery mini skein of a sheepy wool, and two silky looking skeins of Teeswater/Wensleydale yarn that were purchased on a holiday in Lancashire a few years ago. Please do read the blog post about that, it’s HERE. It was really quite a treat for a fan of yarn. On a personal level, reading about that holiday demonstrates that I know much more about yarn now than I did then. But judging by my tinkerings with the dyes, I’ve got a long way to go! Still very much an amateur…

Anyway, that’s it really. It’s a vast subject and this experience is barely a toe dipped in avocado blush waters. So much to explore. Have you tried yarn dyeing? What do you think? I bet you’re better at it than me!

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The blue is my favourite. Followed by the red and then the brown. Don’t like the others though!

My Crochet JW Anderson Cardigan

October 8, 2020November 5, 2022crochet36 Comments

I can’t say why I decided to jump on the Harry Styles cardigan bandwagon, I feel way too old for this sort of game. Am I woollen spun mutton dressed as soft worsted lamb? I can’t help it, sometimes I am filled with creative urges and can’t rest until I have rummaged through the yarn stash to find what will satisfy them.

Let me first state a disclaimer: I have not intended to create a step-by-step pattern/tutorial. Think of it more as a chat with detail. If you have crochet experience and you want make yourself a chunky-ish crochet cardigan then there is enough information written here, and discussed in the YouTube video (click on the pic above to go to the episode), to ensure that you can make it happily. You’ll be tangled in yarn, but hopefully, you’ll also be happy. I assume you know crochet and are not brand new to my absolute favourite of crafts.

EDIT:: I made a second cardigan HERE, go check it out! Many changes have been made and you might be interested to see. Thanks

Right, I’m not going to fuss. Let’s just get straight on it. Please read on for all the good stuff.

The ultimate comfort combo of slippers n cardi.

You Will Need:

Loads of aran weight yarn in the colours of your choice. Whether working as individual squares or all in one piece, you’ll want 12 grams per square (I weighed a couple of swatch squares and they weighed 11 point something).

I used a 6mm hook. Normally I’d use a 5 or 5.5mm hook for aran weight as I have a loose tension but I wanted this cardi to have a drapier finish.

5 buttons. (Mine are 3cm diameter).

Needle for seaming together and weaving in a bajillion ends.

Fun Cardi Facts:

My finished cardigan measures: Length: 55cm / 21.5 inches. Width of body: 63cm / 25 inches. Sleeve length: 58cm / 23 inches. Sleeve circumference: 36cm / 14 inches. I am a UK size 10 and this would still have lots of positive ease if you’re a UK 14. After that I reckon the fit would change and you should consider adjusting your square sizes. Any smaller than a size 10 and you might find it’s too big so make each square smaller.

Each square is 18 stitches by 13 rows. To size up or down, it’s about 1 row and 2 stitches per cm (just under half an inch) so add or subtract that amount to change the sizes.

My squares are 5×5 inches. But, surprise surprise, I did not make individual squares!! I used intarsia colourwork to create the illusion of squares; working row by row and swapping yarns each time I wanted to change colour. Remember to watch the vid for more detail.

The stitches I used were mostly UK half trebles (US hdc). Where I write “HT” on the chart below, that stands for Hounds Tooth stitch (must make a tutorial for this myself but there are loads on YouTube already), “FLO” stands for front loop only. I am linking to a scarf tutorial of mine HERE. It uses the same technique.

For the animal print squares I went to Lottie & Albert for inspiration. Lindsay has a free chart that creates a much larger piece of crochet with tr stitches rather than htr. I made up my own chart for the cardi (below).

I began my pieces (the main body and two sleeves) with a foundation half treble (US hdc). This was a good base to then begin the colour work of the squares. Using the same colour as the ribbing helps to ensure it looks like a cohesive join too. Multiply the number of stitches per square by the amount of squares. Working on one giant piece like I did? Then it’s a foundation of 162. The sleeves were 54.

The ribbing is made in a similar way to the FLO stitch I use. Again, use the scarf tute HERE. I chained 13 for the waist band and 10 for the cuffs. Cuffs are 26 rows, no idea what the waist band is and there’s no way I’m counting them all (soz!) but it’s about 4 inches shorter than the main body piece. This brings it in to make it a better shape. It’s a technique I’ve robbed from my mate Heather of HG Designs Crochet.

The button band is a starter of 9ch and is worked onto the cardigan directly using an interesting technique that should be part of every crocheter’s repertoire. Rather than me type out an explanation, I suggest you watch the vid, it’s all there.

Step By Step Basics:

Make pieces.
Attach ribbing to main body.
Seam sleeves & then add cuffs.
Join at shoulders.
Make button band/collar (see the vid, I show how).
Attach sleeves. Use plenty of stitch markers to help with easing them in. Double check you’re not going to sew them on inside out like I did the first time!
Sew on buttons.

Charts:

Neck Shaping:

You don’t have to shape at the neck like I did. But if you find it terribly flattering and can’t live without it, once you hit the last/top squares at the neck (the triangley ones indicated above), it’s a simple matter of one decrease per row. I say “simple”, I actually made it much harder for myself by having both squares be patterny. If you don’t fancy a decrease on the animal print colour work, or the hounds tooth square. Change them to a plain htr. It might save your last semblance of sanity.

Animal print rather than a houndstooth print.

Last Few Bits:

OK, I think that’s it. Please do let me know if you have any questions. I’ll try and help if I can but as I said before, this is aimed at those with at least the basics of crochet under their belt.

You wouldn’t believe the amount of work that goes into even doing this kind of casual outline of a pattern. Feel free to buy me Ko-fi !! Or, you might like to take a look at some of my other free patterns. Thank you!!

When you’ve made yourself an awesome cardi, please do let me know. The easiest thing to do is find me on Instagram as @zeendandroger

Right, I’m off to work on my next outstanding piece of crochet. See you soon. xxx

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A second version, it’s linked at the very top. x

Z&R Crochet Podcast 79. Place Your Bets

August 18, 2020crochet2 Comments

Halllooooo! Episode 79 of my crochet podcast is here at last! I’m sure you were desperately waiting! Please see below for pics and links to projects discussed and other related things. To go directly to the episode, please hit the pic above to take you to the episode or go HERE to my YouTube channel. Ta very much. x

Links:

The recent granny market bag blog post is HERE. I talk about the alterations I made to the original pattern, which is linked in the post or you can find it in the Free Patterns page.

Days of Summer is out NOW and there is 20% off until the 31st of August on Ravelry and Etsy. It is also available from LoveCrafts. Read the story about it and its team mates HERE.

Join the Patreon gang! Please pop over and have a look HERE.

Failing that, feel free to buy me a coffee on KO-Fi (although it actually won’t be a coffee cos I don’t like it! – I’m saving up for a new camera so I can record a better quality podcast).

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Thank you xxx

xxx

A Dear Ewe Review!

August 29, 2019crochet5 Comments

I have a new mug and it’s crochet related!! Huzzah! I also have some other new goodies too. I do hope you want to hear about them because I’m going to tell you how I got them! (yep, I have been gifted them for freeeeee in exchange for this totally open, sincere review… And good vibes).

In June I met Heather from Keep Calm and Carry On UK, a UK based crochet blogger. We were both attending The Crochet Sanctuary and it was fabulous to get to chat to another crochet designer for a whole weekend! (that’s another story, involving ghosts and balloons, if I ever get to writing it down). Not too long ago Heather set up Dear Ewe, an online shop dedicated to the sort of bits and bobs that are perfect gifts for craft enthusiasts. I’d been lusting after a crochet chart mug since Christmas but Father Christmas didn’t bring me one, booo. However, it seems Christmas has come early this year because just before Granny Square Day, I got a message from Heather to say a parcel was in the post with lots of goodies in it! Whaaat?!! I saw the email in the evening and the following morning the postman knocked at my door.

The first thing I did was tear open the box to get to my new granny mug but that wasn’t all that was in the box! I had no idea I was going to get such a treat! I also got lots of quality postcards with beautifully designed quotes written upon them (I got two packs of those so I’m putting one aside as part of a giveaway that I’ll probably do on my next Crochet Podcast.) I also got the best bag! It’s a huuuuge canvas tote with crochet charts printed on it. It’s proper sturdy too and I’ve already been lugging my wips about in it over the last few days. How lucky am I?!?

Let me say more about the mug. Oh, how wonderful it is! Perfectly timed too as within a day or so of it arriving I broke my favourite Pendle witch mug (this might be karma at work, I’m not sure)… I don’t think this one will break quite so easily, Heather sources her mugs from the World Capital of Ceramics!! (that’s Stoke on Trent). And the print is not going to go anywhere either, that chart is not going to come off in the wash. I’m sat here at my desk with my lush new mug, filled to the brim with hot tea. I am a happy woman.

Bezza would call this cake “healthy”. It’s courgette and walnut. :p

Of course, I popped over to the shop to see what was new and there’s loads of stuff there. There are a couple of smaller project bags that I have my eye on, lovely greetings cards and lots of other mug designs too, all of which go beyond crochet. If you’re a different sort of crafter there is something for you too, so whether you’re a knitter or an embroiderer you are catered for. And the crochet patterns are pretty cute as well.

Buying from a small business means the world to the person that created it. Until Sunday the 8th of September I have a super secret code offering you a 10% discount over on Dear Ewe. The code: ZEENS10. You’ve got just over a week, so you’d better get moving!

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I am stuffed to the brim with cake, this bag is stuffed with all the yarn.

xxx

Z&R Crochet Podcast 57. Jiggery Pokery

August 17, 2019August 17, 2019vlogging2 Comments

Long time no see! How’s it going? I hope you’ve been doing lots of crochet… Lots to talk about in this latest crochet podcast. Please click on the picture above to go to the episode or go to my YouTube Channel HERE. Don’t forget to leave a comment and Like and Subscribe!! Cheers! x

Links and pics below:

For the Granny Cowl featured on the front cover of Mollie Makes, you can now buy it on Ravelry (where there is currently a 20% discount). I have also added it to Etsy HERE and Love Crochet HERE (or is it called Love Crafts now?). No discounts on those platforms though, soz.

There is a 10% discount on Kirk&Roger hooks. Pop over to our Etsy shop HERE.

The Everyday bag by Wool and The Gang.

Star Cluster Tee by Yippee Yarn Yay.

Mayflower Cotton 2 by Hobbii.

Crochet Now Magazine issue 45.

Your Crochet and Knitting magazine is featuring a CAL for my baby blanket.

As you know I often provide free patterns and tutorials as well as the regular podcast. If you would like to support my work further then you can do so by signing up to Patreon. Even a couple of quid would mean the world. Thank you. x

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Crochet Now magazine. issue 45. Bottom left blanket pic is mine!!

handmade crochet hooks waiting to be finished off

xxx

Rainbow Edged Granny Square

August 10, 2017December 18, 2022blanket, crochet, free pattern40 Comments

I wanted to call this Easy Granny and her Rainbow Edge but I thought it sounded a bit saucy. It’s now just a Rainbow Edged Granny Square. A very traditional sort of crochet granny square blanket but one that seems to be quite popular at the moment. Rainbows are in! I posted the above picture on Instagram yesterday and the response was really positive. There were loads of lovely comments and that surprised me. I love that the simple granny square gets so much attention.

Some Blanket Details

It measures around 89cm (35″), plenty big enough for a baby blanket that’ll see you through to toddler years.

When I was making the granny square I turned it every round to prevent a twist. I toyed with doing that for the rainbow border but in the end I decided I wanted all the colours to have a “right” side. I joined each rainbow colour in opposite corners, again to avoid the dreaded twist. (I talk about this in more detail in episodes 10 and 11 of the podcast actually, you want to check those out).

I used Stylecraft Special DK as it’s perfect for handmade baby blankets. There are two whole100 gram balls of Cream for the main body, which as you’ve probably guessed is literally just your standard granny. And for the border (rows of UK trebles) it was probably half a ball of each of the following: Lipstick, Spice, Citron, Pistachio, Kelly, Aster, Lobelia, Violet and Fuchsia. A bit more for the latter was used as I went around twice with it. The blanket was a commission for my friend, whose sis in law is expecting, so the shades were dictated by her.

The border is taken from Attic 24, it’s the bobble shell edging but I add 3 slip stitches between each bobble. I’ve used it a few times for blankets and I really like the simplicity of it. I don’t always think it’s necessary to have a majorly fancy border, especially when there’s a shed tonne of colour going on.

Mistakes. There are a couple! Nothing that would jump out at a non-crocheter but I know that they’re there. Probably my biggest bungle was the indecision about the corners. When it came to the border I did a few rounds of (3tr, ch2, 3tr). It was starting to look bunchy and rather than frog back the three or four rows ‘d done I just started making it (2tr, ch2, 2tr). Just that small change made me feel a bit better about how it looked. There are a couple of other minor things but I’m just not going to tell anyone. Is that bad?!

If you’re new to crochet then I also have a video on YouTube to accompany this “pattern” Please do go and have a look for more help about how the granny square is put together.

Below are some more pictures, I took a whole load! I’d love to see if you make one too. You can always use #zeensandroger if you’re over on IG. Cheers. X

If you make a blanket, please let me know! Thank you.

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Connie’s Blanket. A Colourful Crochet Granny.

July 17, 2017February 7, 2018blanket, crochet, free pattern33 Comments

It feels like this pretty crochet granny blanket has been in the making for aaaaggess. Relatively speaking that’s probably not true. I started it because I had leftovers from the Crazy Chevron blanket I made back in February. Trying (unsuccessfully) to reduce the stash has been the aim for quite a while. For this chap, a few colours were swapped depending on what there was most of in my “collection”. I only bought two balls extra.

If you watch my crochet podcast you’ll have heard me go on about this in nearly every single episode! I thought you guys might be interested in a blog post too and it’s a good idea to have all the info in one place. So here we are!

This colourful creation is now called Connie’s Blanket. I didn’t know when I started, that it would end up as a birthday present but at some stage or other it decided (not me), that that was what it was!

Connie’s Blanket is made up of 130 squares (10×13), which were Joined As You Go. The pattern and construction are similar to a blanket I made a few years ago. That one is nattily entitled Crochet Circles in a Square blanket. That blog post has links for all you need if you’re going to make a blanket like this. I’ll break it down here too…

Crochet Circle pattern. The difference in Connie’s blanket is that I used a magic ring to start each circle and I added no chains between the trebs (US dc’s) of the first round. Oh, and no double trebles on the joining round, just some trebs.

Attic 24’s Join As You Go tutorial

Zeens and Roger on YouTube, pick an and episode, any episode… I’ll probs be talking about it!

I used Stylecraft Special DK in the following colours: Duck Egg, Spring, Fondant, Fuschia, Shrimp, Lobelia, Apricot, Grey, Kelly, Cloud, Mustard, Wisteria,

I made all the inner circles first (well, most of them – I kept adding more when I saw I had enough yarn for more rows), then evenly distributed those between the shades. I haven’t checked but I reckon they’re all unique.

The border is dead simple. Three rounds of Grannies, 1 row of trebles and a scallop edge. To jazz up the edge a bit more I ended up doing this: Starting in a dip: *(ch2, 1dc after next treble) x4, ch2, 1ss in the dip between scallops; rep from *. I think that’s right but give me a shout if it’s weird!

And that’s pretty much it. Blankets like these are one of my favourite things to crochet. I don’t know why, they just are! What about you? How do you get on with granny blankets?! I know some people think they’re naff and old fashioned but I can’t help but love em!

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How to Make a Granny Square Bag. Free Crochet Pattern

March 29, 2017June 26, 2023crafty, crochet, free pattern, sewing, vintage27 Comments

Sudden Crochet Inspiration

I had no idea that I was going to make a bag last week, no idea at all! I was dashing off somewhere and felt I could do with taking a little crochet project with me. Hurriedly, random balls of yarn were grabbed and off out I went. Thus, a granny square bag was made! Yay!

I didn’t have enough yarn to make a blanket, which made me wonder what else I could turn the colourful granny squares into. I considered making a cushion, but what got me really excited was the idea of a crochet bag! It’s a tricky thing to take a picture of, the bright colours shout so loudly that they blew the pics out!

I used leftover Paintbox acrylic aran yarn and, just because I fancied it, joined as I went (I’m fairly sure I used the Attic 24 method).

Make a Crochet Granny Bag

To crochet your own granny square bag, you’ll need a few things. Here they are:

Colourful yarn (I used aran weight but any yarn is fine).
4.5mm hook (if using a different weight make sure to use the right sized hook for the weight of yarn you use).
Bag handles (I recommend searching for “long bag handles” on Ebay or Etsy, that’s what I did!)
Lining fabric (something measuring a couple of inches bigger than your finished crochet piece)
Darning needle for when you’re sewing with yarn and pins, sewing needle and thread for when making up the lining.

The main body of the bag is a bog standard gang of grannies; super quick and easy to do! Rounds of three, joined together in 8 rows of 5 (you’ll either need more rows or more rounds for each square if you’re using DK yarn, check out my tutorial for a double knit version here).

My piece measured 15.5 x 27 inches (40 x 68cm).

How to Place Colours in Crochet

Every now and again it is worth checking to see that the spread of colour is even. I eyeball the colour layout for the granny squares, taking into consideration how colours look when they sit next to each other. I also make sure to know what I’ve got left in stash so that I don’t accidentally run out of a shade half way through. If you take a look at the picture above, you can see that the colours are evenly distriubted.

Adding Handles to a Crochet Bag

Once the main body of the crochet bag is complete, the handle sections need to be shaped. It’s not as tricky as it looks and luckily, accuracy is not paramount. I don’t mind a project that needs a bit of bodging and crochet is usually very forgiving when it comes to bodging! Not that you need to bodge it, I’m just saying!!

UK terms are used (a treble is a US dc)

At one end of the main body, (right side facing) work a strip of granny clusters starting with a ch3 and 1tr in the first st and ending with 2tr on the last stitch of the row. Straddle the square joins with (1tr, tr2tgr, 1tr). You can kind of see what I’ve done on the picture above but I also show you how to add this edge across granny squares (about 2:40 into the vid)
Turn the work. Ch2, 1htr in each stitch along to the end. Turn.
Ch1, slip stitch along approximately 10 stitches (you want the narrow section to be the same width as the handle slot). Ch2, 1htr in each stitch along, missing the last (approx) 10sts. Turn.
Ch2, 1htr in each stitch of last row. To widen the work again, ch13, Turn.
1htr in 3rd ch from hk. 1htr in each st along to the end. Continue by adding 10 more stitches using a chainless foundation half double stitch. This is actually lovely to do, I promise. I have a video that shows you how, it’s here: The Foundationless Start. Skip the first bit of the video (that explains the same technique for a UK dc). Turn.
Ch2, htr all the way along. Turn.
Repeat row 6. Fasten off.
Repeat 1-7 on the other end of the bag.

Next, with right side facing, evenly stitch dc’s (sc’s) all the way down the edge of both lengths. Don’t fasten off yet…

Fold the granny square bag in half and using the yarn still on the hook, slip stitch the sides together. Repeat on the other side.

Tuck the handle bits through the handle holes/slots, then fold down to the inside and pin, ready for sewing closed.

The stitches don’t have to be super neat. If you use matching yarn, you won’t see if you’re making a dog’s dinner of it! Try not to come through to the right side though, or if you do, make the stitches small so they’re not staring at you. Don’t forget the top bits at the ends.

Add Lining to Your Crochet Bag

Next, you need to add the lining. It’s not 100% necessary but I think it looks better and you won’t have your stuff escaping through granny holes!

Fold a length of fabric in half, right sides together. Place the granny square bag on top and mark/draw where you need to sew. Also mark where you want the fold of your top hem to go. Sew down both sides to make the bag cavity. Next, iron the seams nice and flat, at the same time fold down the top hem and press. I went back to the sewing machine and top stitched the hem.

Tuck the lining into you bag, pin it in place and hand sew the top of the lining to the top of the crochet! And there you have it, a crochet bag of your own!

Oh goodness, I think I need a course in how to photograph bright colours!!

I would absolutely love to hear from you if you make one of my designs. If you do, please give me a shout. I’d love it if you said Hi! Don’t forget that I’m on Ravelry, so your makes can be added there. Oh, and I almost forgot Instagram! #zeensandroger

Thank you. X