Under the Sea: Coral Cave

I tell myself – enough now!

There are other projects pending.

Do I listen – of course not!

And there is still plenty of my Mum’s stash to use up.

Plus, I woke with an idea for an underwater coral cave, using a small cardboard box as the base.This is where my obsessive mind is taking me this morning

Work in progress – wouldn’t it be cool to have some twinkly lights inside the cave – I know I have some somewhere ……….

Oh Mrs Snail! You have set me off on this very engrossing tangent ….. when will you be setting up the window? That might give  me a stop time. 🙂

Under the Sea: Crocheted Coral

As many of you know, I love creative collaboration.

So when Mrs Snail posted her Scrap Happy post about their proposed shop window display, I was immediately digging out suitable scraps of yarn to make some coral.

You might be interested in this Ted Talk about a couple of women who coinordinated an enormous crocheted Coral Reef and link the forms to mathematics

https://darlombfiberart.wordpress.com/category/freeform-crochet/

It is the most wonderfully relaxing, freeing and freeflowing way to crochet – anything goes. Mrs Snail emailed her pattern to me and then I just went for it, making spontaneous changes to size and numbers of stitches to form these delicious little sculptures.

They are so tactile and wonderfully squidgy and fascinating in the way they change as you move them around.

I wanted to make big pieces and thought I would share how I made mine with you, in case you want to have a go.

I have used a 5.5mm hook with DK yarn. But you can use any size of hook with any size of yarn.

The Crochet terms I use are US terms.

Ch4 to start (or make a magic ring if you prefer

Slip stitch into the beginning chain to form a circle.

Ch3 to make the first stitch, 7dcs into the circle.

Sl st into the 3rd beginning chain.

Ch3, 2dcs or 3 dcs into each st all the way round, Hdc into the 3rd starting ch and continue round in a spiral from now on.

Increase at random whenever you like.

If you want it to be big, increase less often to grow the central area, with more increases towards the edge.

I made the edge look extra frilly by single crochet, ch2, single crochet in the next stitch all the way round.

I was able to use up some of my Mum’s stash

Popcorn stitches add texture and interest.

I love the look and feel of them and will keep some for myself, but I’m not sure what to do with them!

I used cotton for this one, but found that it does not hold the shape as well as acrylic yarn

They devour yarn, so it is an excellent Scrap Happy project.

I’m joining Kate and her other Happy Scrappers.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan, 
Moira, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, 
 Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

 

Crochet Christmas Bauble: Free Pattern

As some of you know, I’m not a great fan of Christmas and only join in every other year. One year I spend it with my children and their families, and the next year I spend it blissfully alone, either at home or away.

Bauble experiments

This year will be with the family and, as usual, I will be making a small present for each of my 8 grandchildren.

There are plenty of patterns on Ravelry for baubles but many are made to cover a bought plastic bauble, and most of them are made in two halves that you sew together. I tried out a few free patterns and then experimented.

The following pattern is made as a whole and stuffed with whatever you might have that is suitable. I used a white polyester stuffing from an old torn cushion insert.

Crocheted Bauble

Make with any yarn and the appropriate hook.

I used Rico Essentials Crochet Cotton

2mm hook

Needle for sewing ends in

Beads (optional)         Stuffing

I use US terms and crochet Left-Handed

Abbreviations:

ch       chain                           dc       double crochet

hdc    half double                   St         stitch

Slst      slip stitch                     sk        skip

rpt      repeat                          tog       together

YO      yarn over

Special sts

Small popcorn: Make 4dcs into one st, remove hook from loop and insert from front to back of first dc and then into dropped loop and pull through. Ch 1 to close. This closing chain is not counted in the stitch count.

To make a Beginning Popcorn, start with a standing dc or ch 3 as the 1st dc.

Treble 2 together (tr2tog): YO twice, insert hook in first st, YO, pull up a loop, (YO, pull through 2 loops) twice (2 loops on hook), YO twice, insert hook in next st, YO, pull up a loop (YO, pull through 2 loops) twice (3 loops on hook), YO, pull through all 3 loops.

Starting at the bottom of the bauble, make a magic ring.

Round 1: Ch3 (counts as first dc throughout), 11dcs into the ring, pull thread to close the ring and slst into the 3^rd ch of the beginning ch3.                                                                     12sts

Round 2: Ch3 and dc into same st, 2dcs in each st around. Join with a slst              24sts

Round 3: slst into in the next space between the next two sts, Ch3, 2dcs in the same space. Sk2sts, (3dcs into next space between the sts) rpt to the end, slst into 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                                                                                                   36 sts. Round 4: ch3, dc into each st and slst into the third ch to close the round.               36sts

Round 5: ch3, (small popcorn in the next st, 2dcs) rpt until the last 2sts, small popcorn, dc, slst into the 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                   12popcorns, 24dcs

Round 6: ch2 (doesn’t count as a st), hdc in the same st, (hdc in the popcorn [skip the ch1 of the popcorn], hdc in each of the next 2 sts) until the last popcorn, hdc in the popcorn, hdc in last st, slst into 1^st hdc (not the ch2) to close the round.                                                    36sts

Now would be a good time to secure the thread at the beginning.

If you are attaching a bead to the bottom of the bauble, sew it through the central hole and leave until later.

Round 7: beginning small popcorn, 2dcs, (small popcorn, 2dcs) to the end, slst into the ch1 of the first popcorn to close the round.    12popcorns, 24dcs

Round 8: ch3, dc all the way round (only one st per popcorn), slst into the 3^rd ch to close the round.                                                                       36sts

Round 9: Ch3, dc2tog, (dc, dc2tog) rpt to the end, slst to join.                                 24sts

Round 10: ch2 (does not count as a st), hdc in the same st, hdc all the way round, slst to join in the first hdc.

Round 11: ch3, dc in the next st, (dc2tog, 2dcs) to the last 2 sts, 2dctog, slst into the 3^rd ch to join.                                                                                                                        18sts.

Stuff the bauble with stuffing of choice.

Round 12: ch3 as the start of tr2tog, tr2tog around and slst to join. 9sts

Add a little more stuffing if necessary.

Round 13: ch1. sc2tog all the way round until the last st, sc. Cut yarn, leaving 30 cm for finishing. Pull through the last st to fasten and sew through all sts and pull together. Secure the end and leave for attaching a bead.

I used a Milliners Needle to sew on the beads with white polyester thread, going through each bead 3 times

6.5cm tall.

Pdf available in my Ravelry Store

Mystery Make Along

Anyone who has been following for a while knows how much I love a Make Along, or Crochet Along – add a touch of mystery and I am hooked.

I am joining in with Lilla Bjorn’s Mystery Make Along. There is still time to join in with two patterns released and two more to come.

This is her overlay bauble, I have ordered some cotton yarn, but eager to get started, I made a few in Stylecraft Special DK. The pen is in the picture for scale. The bauble is just over 4 inches high and has a circumference of 12.5 inches.

I stuffed it with bits of old T-shirts that were cut up for dishcloths first and are now too threadbare for anything other than stuffing.

Such a clever pattern and very well explained with full photo tutorial and videos.

These are made with the colours from my daughter-in-law’s Clan Tartan: blue, green, white and red

Which, I think,  look pleasingly Christmassy.

I do hope the cotton arrives soon!

Week of Flowers: Day 4

Bringing two passions together: crochet and gardening.

The pattern for the crocheted mandala or doily is by Zoya Matyushenko

Joining in with other gardeners for Cathy’s Week of Flowers to brighten up the early December days.

Colours of Lichen and Bark

I have finished the blanket made in colours inspired by lichen and bark:

Stylecraft Special DK:

Hint of Silver, Warm Grey, Mustard, Silver, Meadow, Pistachio, Sandstone, Lime, Lincoln, Khaki, Mocha and Walnut

and  2 colours from Stylecraft Batik

Mint and Silver

I would never have put these colours together myself.

This blanket was a request from a fellow student on the Landscape Art course I did at West Dean Collegee.

I’m often asked if I sell my blankets and I don’t, but I do love to make blankets for people I know.

T is an architect who lives in America and whilst on the course he worked with lichen and bark, so when considering the colours for his blanket, these were the obvious choice. He is paying me for the cost of the yarn and the cost to post it.

I love how it turned out. I hope T loves it as much as I do.

You can see previous posts about this blanket HERE and HERE.

The free pattern is Virtue by Helen Shrimpton.

Revelation Crochet Along: Parts 5, 6 and 7

Continuing with the Revelation Crochet Along.

This is a free pattern with excellent video tutorials on You Tube

You can see Part 1, Parts 2 and 3 and Part 4 by following the links.

Made in Stylecraft Special Dk and Stylecraft Batik, with a 4.5mm hook.

I work from US terms.

Part 5:

Round 56  Powder Pink

57 Pale Rose

58 Powder Pink

59, 60, 61 Cream

I didn’t like the look of the ‘puff st 2 together’ in round 59 , so I substituted them with a ‘3dc cluster 2 together’.

62 Mint (Batik)

63 Hint of Silver

64 Lincoln

65 Duck Egg

Part 6:

66, 67 Cream

68, 69 Soft Peach

70, 71 Powder Pink

72 Soft Peach

73, 74, 75, 76  Cream

Part 7:

77 Cream

Instead of the central single treble, I made 3 trebles together.

78 Soft Peach

79 Powder Pink

80 Pale Rose

81 Powder Pink

82, 83, 84 Cream

85 Hint of Silver

86 Cream

The next row is not in the photo but

87 Mint (Batik)

The next part, Part 8 is the last week of the crochet along.

 

 

Revelation: Part 4

Part 4 of the Revelation Crochet Along, designed by Helen Shrimpton,  is complete and the blanket is now a square.

You can see Part 1 HERE and Parts 2 and 3 HERE

Colour order for Part 4 :

46   Soft Peach

47, 48, 49, 50, 51   Cream

52   Soft Peach

53    Hint of Silver

54   Mint (Stylecraft Batik)

55   Soft Peach

It is still making me think of a Cream Teas in a Rose Garden on a Summer’s Day.

Revelation: Parts 2 and 3

Helen Shrimpton’s Crochet Along called Revelation, using Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook

See Part 1 here.

The colours I’m using remind me of a cream tea in a rose garden – yum!

Continuing with the record of the colour order:

Part 2

Row 26   Cream                    Row 27    Cream and Mint

Row 28    Mint                      Row 29     Lincoln

Row 30, 31    Duck Egg       Row 32, 33, 34, 35, 36    Cream

Part 3

Row 37      Soft Peach        Row 38     Hint of Silver

Row  39, 40, 41, 42    Cream

Corners

Row  43, 44    Cream           Row 45      Soft Peach

 

Crochet Along: Revelation

I do love a Crochet Along!

This is Helen Shrimpton’s current Cal, called Revelation. This is a free pattern with video tutorials.

I’m making it in Stylecraft Special Dk and Stylecraft Batik with a 4.5mm hook.

The colour combination got a lot of attention on the Helen’s Hookaholics Fb group page and a few people asked for the colour order, so here goes…

The colour order for Part 1:

Rows 1,2,3,  Cream,      Row 4, 5   Soft Peach

Row 6, 7  Cream,           Row 8  Soft Peach

Row 9   Powder Pink.   Row 10.  Mint (Batik)

Row 11  Cream.         Row 12 Cream and Mint

Row 13, 14, 15, 16 Cream

In the photo above , you see a different colour order for these rows. I undid them and you will see the colour order I prefer in the photo below.

In Row 15, I did front post doubles, fpdc (US) over the double puff sts

Row 17. Soft Peach.    Row 18, 19, 20  Powder Pink

Row 21, 22 Pale Rose.    Row 23, 24  Mint

Row 25  Soft Peach

That is the end of Part 1

Magic Knot

I was shown how to do a ‘Magic Knot’ a while ago but couldn’t remember how to do it.

I have found this video which I am posting here, mainly so that I can find it easily, but hopefully some of you will find it useful as well.

I will try it in the Scrappy Blanket I wrote about in the last post.

It’s growing.

 

 

 

Scrap Happy: Magic Balls

Don’t blame me -That’s what they are called on Instagram.

#magicballs #magicyarnball #scrappyyarnballs #scrappyyarnball

I have started another Scrap Happy Blanket, this time using the stitch used in the Rainbow Dash Baby Blanket, which is a free pattern.

I just love the way this stitch blends colours together, looks a bit like weaving and provides a really thick, warm blanket.

I am joining with reef knots and leaving all the ends at the back.

This one is mainly greens and blues with a bit of black and grey

Using a 4.5mm hook, the yarns are mainly double knit, but other thicknesses are added in small pieces.

I’m joining in with Kate on her monthly Scrap Happy Day.

Here are links to the other Happy Scrappers

Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jan, Moira, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
 Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

Scrap Happy Blankets

For a relaxing portable project, these scrap happy blankets can not be beaten.

Thanks goes to Mrs Snail for the genius idea of joining yarn with reef knots and leaving the ends on show.

I love the texture and the interest it gives. I have mixed all types and weights of yarn and it works.

They go in the wash on a wool cycle and are very robust – my daughter’s family are testament to that!

I have a stack of 6 at the moment waiting to be distributed

just in time for summer evenings in the garden and at the camp site

The metre rules show you that at about 1m wide and just a bit longer, they are lap blanket size. These are waitng for an edging of one or two rows of double crochet (US). Treble (UK)

I did one with an epic edging once, but the edging was too heavy for the body of the blanket. It is still in use, but the middle has been pulled very thin in comparison with the edge.

So now I keep things simple. This one has one row of dc. Some of the ends still need snipping a little shorter.

Old yarn from my Mum’s stash, some of which is decades old, is added in to make use of it. The fun bit is curating the colours as I go.

I make large balls of yarn, each remnant added in with a reef knot and also make extra cuts and additions as I go along from other bits of yarn – just as the fancy takes me.

I am joining in with Kate’s Scrap Happy Monthly posts.

Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jan, Moira,  Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
 Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

Have a look at what the other Happy Scrappers are up to.

Chedington Open Gardens and WWKIPD

On Saturday it was World Wide Knitting in Public Day and I had arranged to meet my ‘Friends of Attic24 Dorset’ group at the delightful village of Chedington for open air crafting and to enjoy the gardens.

In the end ‘the group’ was Caz and me 🙂 and we had a lovely yarny catch-up. I was making a blanket with left-over bits and pieces, and Caz was making an Amigurimi toy to raise money for the Woolly Hugs Charity.

Chedington Manor is a fascinating place owned by a fascnating man

who made his fortune developing medicinal Cannabis Oil. Since moving to Chedington he has sponsored and created many businesses in North Dorset to support the local community.

In 1999 he built the Great Hall and functions are held there. On Saturday, they were serving cream teas in aid of a local Hospice Charity. This was in the loo!

The gardens were fascinating with lots of interesting features, like the ice house

and the old grave stones from the site where the church used to be

and spectacular viewsI have lived in Dorset all my life and had never been to Chedington – always another corner of the county to discover

The 4 gardeners were on hand to chat and tell us about the place and the plants – they were all so friendly and generous with their knowledge. I had never seen this plant before and discovered that it is a Persicaria

Persicaria runcinata ‘Purple Fantasy’

I think it might like the wet shady parts of my garden.

This peony was growing just outside the front door-isn’t it beautiful!

There were 13 other gardens to see, delicious lunches served in the Village Hall and local artists exhibited in garden sheds dotted around the village.

The whole day was a truly wonderful.

Inspired by Lichen and Bark

Progress has slowed with this blanket as the fine weather and the garden call me outside, but it is growing

At just under 3′ square this would make a good place to stop for a Baby Blanket or a Lap Blanket. It is just a few rows into Part 5 of Helen Shrimpton’s free pattern ‘Virtue’, which comes with full video tutorial.

I’m using a 4.5mm hook and Stylecraft Special Double Knit and Stylecraft Batik

I really like the texture Helen gets into her patterns, they look stunning in one colour too.

This is my 4th Virtue. I really like this pattern because, when changing the shape from a circle to a square, the corners are built up as you go rather than separately, so there are fewer ends to sew in.

Fascinating how the same pattern looks so different in different colourways. This one was inspired by Autumn

This one by a picture of flamingoes

If you were to choose a colour theme for a crochet blanket, what would it be?

 

Inspired by Lichen

I have started a fourth version of the pattern Virtue by Helen Shrimpton

This comes as a free pattern with full video tutorial.

I love the texture Helen creates.

Her patterns are super reliable and this is becoming my favourite, because of how the corners are built up, without masses of ends to sew in.

I am making this for a friend who has asked for colours inspired by lichen and bark. Tricky to get right when one is restricted to the colour palette of the yarn.

In order to get some blending in the colour order, for the first time I am mixing 12 colours from Stylcraft Special DK:

Hint of Silver, Warm Grey, Mustard, Silver, Meadow, Pistachio, Sandstone, Lime, Lincoln, Khaki, Mocha and Walnut

with 2 colours from Stylecraft Batik

Mint and Silver

The Batik yarn has some wool content but the same washing instructions, so I hope it will be ok.  It is working up well so far.

Yesterday I met my daughter and niece for a coffee and a catch up at Fables and Food, a lovely friendly new Cafe in Dorchester, which delicious food.

It was the perfect spot to sit, in the sun, listening to the fountain and sewing in some ends while I waited for the others to arrive

Autumn Virtue

This is becoming my favourite Helen Shrimpton pattern (And it’s free!)

I like it because the corners are built up in the round, which means there are a lot fewer ends to sew in than on other patterns where the corners are built up separately.

I have made this Throw for the daughter of one of my closest friends.

Lucy is the same age as my first born and her Mum and I lived in the same village. We became friends when we had our babies together in 1976.

Lucy has a Podcast: Spinsterhood Reimagined, which celebrates the positives and discusses the challenges of a single, child-free life.

She had seen my blankets and throws on Instagram and remarked ‘I want one!’.

I had wanted to make another ‘Virtue’, so when she said she would choose Autumnal colours, I was thrilled and started immediately. I just love this colour combination.

So cosy!

Stylecraft Special DK, 10 colours:

Tomato, Spice, Gold, Dark Brown, Burgundy, Claret, Copper, Walnut, Khaki and Bottle.

The pattern comes with Video Tutorials and is lovely to make.

I stopped short by a few rows and edged the throw with Helen’s Knot Stitch, from another free pattern – Sacred Space, Part 9. Penultimate row.

🙂 Haggis (f) likes it. 🙂

Ombre Blues

You might remember that I started a Ripple Blanket for Miss E.F.

I have not found it easy to get the ombre, graded effect she seemed to like. There has been much unpicking or ‘frogging’ as they say in the crochet world.

This is my fourth attempt.

Stylecraft Special DK and a 4.5mm hook

9 rows of Midnight, 1 row of French Navy, 2 rows Midnight, 2 rows French Navy,

1 row Midnight, 8 rows Franch Navy, 1 row Royal, 2 rows French Navy, 2 rows Royal, 1 row French Navy, 8 rows Royal

The next colour to be introduced next is Lapis.

I hope it works!

 

 

A Blanket for Haggis

What has happened to me? Making blankets for dogs – oh dear!

When Big Bro and Little Bro saw how much their Border Terrier, Haggis,  seemed to like this blanket they asked if I could make for a blanket for her.

I had made one for Pebble, who lives with my daughter and her children, so how could I refuse.

My son and his wife both love to wear tweed, and since Haggis looks a bit tweedy herself, I searched for a picture of Harris Tweed and used the App (yes sorry NanaCathy an APP!) ‘CrochetStudio’, which was introduced to me by one of the ‘Friends of Attic24:Dorset’ group.

And got the colours for Haggis Tweed. I tried a few options. You can add and subtract colours from your chosen range of yarns.

In the end I went with 9 colours:

Dark Brown, Walnut, Copper, Warm Grey, Charcoal, Graphite, Waterfall, Parchment and Sandstone.

I made the blanket in Extended Linen Stitch (also called Extended Moss Stitch), which gives the most wonderfully dense, warm, reversible fabric.

It looks a bit like weaving when the colours blend together. There are several You Tube videos describing how to do the stitch. I followed this video, but did not find it helped with the edges. If I ever work out how to do it so that the edge does not wrinkle, especially on the side where the colour change is made, I will make a photo tutorial. Have you made anything in this stitch?

I would really like to work it out as I think it is my favourite stitch for a warm and cosy snuggly lap blanket.

Using a 4.5mm hook, the finished blanket is 97cm  x  71cm

Chain 141sts to start.

Each row is 140sts and takes just over 3 grams.

 

Colour order

2 Foundation Rows in Dark Brown

2 rows Walnut, 2 rows Sandstone, 2 rows Parchment

2 rows Mocha, 2 rows Warm Grey, 1 row Waterfall

2 Walnut, 2 Parchment, 2 Dark Brown, 2 Sandstone, 2 Warm Grey,

2 Parchment, 2 Mocha, 2 Walnut, 1 Copper, 2 Charcoal,

2 Parchment, 2 Warm Grey, 2 Mocha, 2 Sandstone, 2 Walnut,

2 Dark Brown, 2 Graphite, 1 Charcoal, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Waterfall,

2 Parchment, 2 Mocha, 2 Walnut, 2 Sandtone, 2 Dark Brown,

1 Walnut, 2 Graphite, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Copper, 2 Mocha

2 Charcoal,  2 Dark Brown, 1 Sandstone, 2 Walnut, 2 Warm Grey,

2 Parchment, 2 Graphite, 1 Dark Brown, 2 Walnut, 2 Mocha,

1 Waterfall, 2 Warm Grey, 2 Mocha, 2 Sandstone, 1 Charcoal,

2 Graphite, 2 Walnut, 2 Dark Brown, 1 Sandstone, 2 Parchment,

1 Waterfall, 2 Warm Grey, 1 Copper, 2 Walnut, 2 Dark Brown.

Edging:

Dark Brown, Copper, Waterfall, Warm Grey,

Last Row of the Edging was in Crab Stitch in Walnut.

If I made something in the Haggis Tweed selection of colours again, I think I would use a higher proportion of dark browns and less of Parchment and Warm Grey, but I don’t think Haggis will mind the current selection.

Ice Creams Down by the Sea

This is the title of my latest finished crochet blanket.

I thoroughly enjoyed Eleonora Tully’s recent Crochet Along, ‘Down by the Sea’

Her design uses a few new techniques which have been fun to try and I was inspired to make a few alterations.

I tried Eleonora’s way of representing the balustrades found at seaside resorts,

but they didn’t go with the dreamy quality of the ‘atmosphere’ of the blanket. Can a blanket have an atmosphere?

I wondered if they would look better in pastel colours, but after a couple of days of looking at it, I realised it was the pointiness of the zig-zags that didn’t sit happily in my version and so I changed them for the waves. I also added a picot on top of each ice creamdid two more stripes in the ‘parasols’ and added an extra row of granny stitches to each side to give the blanket a little more width. Ta Dah!

Made with Stylecraft Special Double Knit and various sized hooks.

8 Colours: Cream, white, toy, clematis, powder pink, duck egg, storm blue, lincoln