What to crochet in autumn colours

Think of autumn and gorgeous red, browns, fading greens, bright limey yellows  and coppers come to mind. There is something special about wearing the colours of the season and this year the yarn producers have done us proud with choices from saffron and turmeric to copper, brown blends, dull purples and greens.

Scheepjes have used  lovely saffron, turmeric and subtle deep purple from their stonewash range to create patterns for crochet hats, scarves, shawls and throws. This season I love their crochet throw in dull purple yarn decorated in surface crochet in a gold/turmeric yarn. The design is reminiscent of aged wooden panelling and the yarn used is lovely Scheepjes Stone Washed XL 70% Cotton, 30% Acrylic in Deep Amethyst and Enstatite. The pattern is a real stunner! 

Sirdar has produced a number of new yarns for the autumn many of which feature autumn colours and this year’s must have glitter and shimmer. Sirdar Jewelspun cleverly blends an enticing selection of coloured fibres into one sumptuous single ply strand, giving you soft stripes that look great on both garments and accessories. Made from 100% acrylic I love northern lights and setting sun colours.

If you love blended colours one of my all time favourites is Sirdar Colourwheel which comes in 140gm cakes and you can use the blend in different ways, I used Natures palette to create small motifs and a long scarf and the blends works well for both the patterns. You can see them here.....
Also new this year is Sirdar Mystical yarn soft and chunky with a glittery thread running through it. All the blends are very subtle I used glittering amber to create a cowl scarf made with corner to corner crochet. Check out the pattern here.....

Lion Brand has a free pattern for a crochet mesh scarf made in autumn colours. It’s an elegant scarf made using  Chimera – 204 in Tomato, fuchsia, mahogany, sapphire, olive, brass, mustard. Find the pattern here.....

Scarves and hats are an obvious choice for the lovely rich colours of autumn, but a selection of autumn colours would make a stunning throw, seasonal cushions and stunning crochet jackets.

This autumn Mercerie has a pattern for an absolutely stunning crochet Sunflower Blanket, a beginners project, made using autumn colours with blue and grey added made in Woolyknitarran in denim,  yellow, orange, grey and light grey natural it makes a lovely winter crochet project.The main body of the blanket is worked on a 5mm hook. The centre is simply one very large granny square, and the edging is made up of 36 sunflower motifs. The lovely bobble trim is worked on a 4mm hook and finishes it off beautifully.

Hayfield Spirit Crochet Yarn

This blended double knit yarn (light worsted) also comes in a chunky weight. Well priced this yarn comes in generous 100gm balls. The ball bands recommend a hook size 4mm but I used 3.5mm.
Hayfield spirit is machine washable and has a range of blends that move randomly from light to dark complementary shades and back again.

I used Grace a blend that transitions from pale to darker pinks, pale, dark taupe and dark teal grey all in one ball. Other colours include the very popular sundown, think sunrises. In DK you can find pinks, bright blues, autumn coppers and oranges and pale grey/cream blends.

Hayfield recommend this soft yarn for stripey knitted jumpers, I’m using mine for a crochet throw using corner 2 corner crochet and the blends look gorgeous in the triangular stripes. It would also work very well for crochet shawls. 

What’s new for crochet this Autumn?

Glitter and sparkle are everywhere this year and not just for parties and dinner dates. I’ve seen glitter threads in winter jackets, trainers and shoes. Sirdar yarn have produced stunning Mystical yarn in a choice of subtle blends  that has a lovely glamorous glitter thread running through it (see scarf pattern in mystical click here).  James Brett have marble chunky glamour with glitter and both warm soft yarns perfect for colder winter days  with a bit of sparkle running through them.

Faux fur is also everywhere including in yarns. Sirdar have a faux fur in fur type colours of greys, mink and browns. If you want something a bit more dramatic you can check out their DK (light worsted) funky faux fur. James Brett also have a well priced faux fur in chunky. Faux fur is not the easiest yarn to use but makes a stunning edging to crochet hats and scarves. 

Velvet is very fashionable this autumn and you can find it used for jackets, smart and casual, dresses, hats and trims. For us crafters you can now find velvet yarns often called chenille. Bernat make a superb crushed velvet yarn, chunky, silky and soft it’s ideal for women’s hats and scarves or perhaps a luxurious cushion. Keep your stitches simple when using chenille or velvet.  I used dc’s(sc’s) and half trebles (half double crochet) as well as a simple tr (dc) or dc(sc) stitch on each row to create a lovely dense and warm texture for a crushed velvet hair band. You could also try using velvet yarns to make chunky corner 2corner crochet for glamorous cushions.

Crocheting on top of pre worked crochet is very popular this season coming out perhaps of the trend for embroidery. It gives us the opportunity to make something simple and quick using perhaps a dc (sc) for a scarf, cowl or cushion and turn it into a striking and original finished item, with crochet on top. Make crochet on top as simple or as complicated as you like, the trick is to use complementary or contrasting yarns. Use a chain stitch to create small flowers, spirals or even writing your name. If you are good at sewing you could embroider on top of your simple scarf to create something eye-catching and truly original for you.

Mosaic crochet maintains its popularity and complexity, not the simplest type of crochet but the results can be simply stunning. Check out ‘Martin up North’ stunning ‘Soulstorm’ blanket or Lilla Bjorn’s Amaya crochet mosaic shawl, an absolute stunner!

Colours this Autumn are deep yellow golds, think saffron and t
urmeric. Have a look at Scheepjes Cahlista in Saffron, Hayfield bonus super chunky in pumpkin and Cascade Heritage in golden yellow.  I’d love to make a blanket using cahlista in saffron with browns and autumn reds.

Finally small items to crochet or crochet on the go maintain their popularity in our busy world. Motifs are the obvious choice, but phone covers, candle cosies and flowers for wreath are easy to make on the go.