Sirdar Mystical Yarn

Sirdar Mystical is a brushed texture yarn with a silvery thread running through it. It is a self-striping, quick to crochet acrylic and polyester blend yarn that is ideal for all crocheters but particularly for beginners to crochet.

Choose from six colours including fairy dust, glittering amber, twinkling mink, shimmering sapphire and pearlescent pink.  Sirdar mystical is a chunky yarn, I used a 6mm crochet hook to make a cowl scarf. Balls are 100gm and although they appear as a blended yarn they crochet as striping yarns. Each ball gives 70m/76yards.

When worked this yarn gives a dense almost felted finished. surprisngly soft it's perfect for winter scarves, women's jackets, cardigans and winter hats.

Mixing up Motifs

Choosing a crochet project with motifs has many benefits. You can make a motif when time is short and you can crochet on the go when travelling to work or on long journeys. Crochet motif projects grow quickly and motifs work well for just about every crochet project you can think of from traditional throws and cushions to bags, jackets, hats and baby clothes and toys.

When you are designing your own crochet throw and cushions you can use the same crochet motifs throughout the throw and change the look with the way you use colour. However mixing up motifs adds interest to crochet projects and to the finished design. If you decide to mix up your design using different crochet motifs use 3 or 5 different motifs for a more easy on the eye look. Base your throw or cushion design on squares or rectangles.

Incorporate big motifs for impact. Big motifs give you more scope to use clever colour combinations for more impact and big motifs don't have to use a complicated design, I've made them using a standard granny square to good effect. From my experience whatever motifs you use simple designs always work the best. The clever use of colour and yarns is what will make your design something special and original to you.

How to do it?

1. Use one large and four small motifs that when joined together are the same size as the big motif. When you use this method join the four small motifs together before joining to the larger motif. Use the same colour yarn for the last row of your large and small motifs for a very pretty effect.
2. Make a panel the width of your throw or cushion. Doing this means you can incorporate small and large triangles and even hexagons. If you use this method you will have to make sure that your motifs will create a panel that makes a level edged rectangle. 
3. Make triangular motifs and join together to make squares
4. Make square motifs in the round and combine with textured stitched square motifs made side to side
5. Create large squares turn to make diamonds and create triangles for fillers

Home ware Crochet

What’s nicer than a home personalised with handmade cushions, throws and candle cosies you have made yourself. Big or small if you’ve made it yourself its special and will reflect your taste, skills, favourite colours and loves, so enhancing your home.

If you are making home ware crochet for gifts, crochet is a fantastic way to give a friend or relative a gift for a special occasion something unique for them. Everyone values handmade quality gifts and treasures them. 

What can you create? The choice is only limited by your imagination. If you are making something for yourself then choose to make something that fits in with and enhances your home decor. It’s a good idea to personalise what you make to the colour of one room of your home.

William Morris said’ Have nothing n your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful’. I use this to guide me when making something for myself and for friends. This especially applies if you are making something for a gift such as a house warming or wedding present.

Crochet home ware makes fantastic house warming gifts and wedding and engagement presents. Make it special for your friends by making your gift in their favourite colours and styles. Here are my ten favourite crochet home wares to make.....

Baskets – for storage in bedrooms, craft rooms and children’s bedrooms

Cushions – not just forlounges, make then for conservatories and garden rooms

Table mats – make these in the more traditional style of fine lace crochet or in more modern styles using bright colours and thicker cottons

Pot holders – perfect for kitchens, make a pretty stack and tie with a ribbon for a small but thoughtful gift

Table runners – these lookgorgeous on modern long tables and sideboards. You can make them by using lacymotifs or stripes of pretty cottons Throws – these are really special to make and are a lovely heritage housewarming gift, or wedding present

Candle cosies – gorgeous and useful  in bathrooms and bedrooms

Door and bedroom wreaths – the perfect housewarming gift , you can also make them for children’s bedrooms

Rugs – made in thickercotton, make them round, square or oblong

Door stop – make these round, square or in the shape of dogs and cats and add weights!

My Ten Favourite Yarns of 2018

I love yarn and I love that we have so many stunning yarns to choose from, from big brands to independent spinners and dyers. The quality of yarns today is generally excellent. These are my favourites from this year. It was very difficult to choose, but I can tell you I have used all of these and I love all of them! All the yarns here are double knitting (light worsted) apart from no 10 which is a 4ply (sport) weight.

1. Schjeepes Soft fun cotton -  64 colours to choose from in this 60% cotton and 40% acrylic yarn. It combines the best of both components, soft and lovely to work from the cotton and hardwearing and easy care from the Acrylic. Use this yarn for soft scarves, big squishy cushions and children’s clothing.

2. Wensleydale Longwool - I have wanted to sample Wensleydale wool for a long time so when I visited their shop in Leyburn North Yorkshire I was in my element!  The Wensleydale shop is a treasure trove of yarn, accessories and finished items made using this local Yorkshire wool. This is a traditional 100% wool yarn in a range of colours. It’s warm and has excellent crochet stitch definition. It’s perfect for winter scarves and hats.

3. Di Gilpin Lalland – 100% lambswool this yarn is double stranded. It’s soft and shouts out quality. It crochets beautifully and creates a lovely textured finish. It’s perfect for neck warmers and scarves and would make a gorgeous crochet jumper or jacket. The colours are reminiscent of the Scottish countryside, heather, deep greys, bright yellows and coral pinks are some of my favourites.

4. Sirdar Colourwheel - In 150gm balls and for this you get 520m/568 yards of yarn. Sirdar created 150gm balls so that one ball of yarn would be enough to knit or crochet a scarf and this definitely works for small infinity scarves. Made up of 80% Acrylic and 20% wool Colour Wheel is a warm and easy to crochet yarn. The colour way effect is very pretty giving you a whole range of colours all of which blend together beautifully. Colour wheel is great for scarves and shawls, but I've also tried it for small bags and this looks really pretty. I'd like to try baby jackets in ‘Follow the Rainbow’ and a summer cover up in ‘Flower Garden’.

5. Katia Azteca - a double knit (light worsted yarn), made in Spain. It’s a blended yarn with random slubs. The fantastic range of 17 blended colours includes blues, green, autumn colours and pinks. I used the pink/beige/orange blend to make a hat and scarf set and a clutch bag. Azteca comes in 100gm balls and one ball for me the hat and scarf set. Katia with a large wool content (53% wool, 47% acrylic), is perfectly designed for autumn/winter jumpers. This yarn is one of my all time favourite yarns!

6. Sirdar No.1 - Sirdar No 1 DK 50% Acrylic is soft and has a lovely sheen. Made up of 50% Nylon 230m/251 yards it comes in 100gm balls and it goes a long way! No 1 reminds me of crepe style yarns that were fashionable in the 1980’s. I used it to make a lacy summer shawl and it drapes beautifully.

7. Rowan tweed - This lovely Aran weight yarn is made up of 75% wool and 25% hemp with flecks. It comes in a wide range of lovely soft tweedy colours. Choose from fabulous almond, plum, denim, treacle, pine, duck egg, paprika and moss. I’d be happy with any of these! Nothing says Autumn and Winter more than Rowan Tweed. The great thing is this lovely Rowan yarn is machine washable at 30°C. I used Kelp shade to make a tweed hat. Dense, warm and super cosy Rowan Tweed hemp would be perfect for scarves, winter jumpers or ponchos. I can’t wait to try some cables with it!

8. Dalton border Leicester - Doulton Border Leicester comes in 100gm skeins and the DK has 200metres per skein. 100% pure worsted spun wool, is gorgeous quality with excellent stitch definition and does not split when crocheting. This is not a prickly wool yarn! This range of yarn from a rare breed herd of sheep includes 4ply, DK and Aran. The range also includes a mini skein selection, all close colour tones that have won a wool award, good for a try out of this lovely quality yarn.

9. Debbie Bliss Summer Tweed  - is sold as DK (light worsted) but it feels more like a 4 ply to me. It comes in a lovely range of beautifully blended colours from violet, daisy, poppy, rose, begonia, marigold, honeysuckle and petal. I used honeysuckle. The yarn has slubs which makes for a more interesting finish and gives and extra level of interest. Made up of 52% cotton 48% acrylic Debbie Bliss summer tweed is brilliant for shawls, scarves and lightweight summer knits. Wash at 30C 50 g balls. Yardage is 120m/131yds and Debblie Bliss summer tweed comes in 50g balls. This yarn would make a lovely cover up or summer jacket or a gorgeous holdall style bag particularly blended with a plain double knit yarn (light worsted).

10. Aurinkokehra Yarn - Every now and then a really special yarn comes along, something that stands out from the rest. I found just such a yarn, Aurinkokehra, tucked away on a stall at Yarndale this year and I fell in love with the colour of a hank on the display, a subtle pink/deep lavender blend. Aurinkokehra Yarn comes in a range of weights from chunky to double knit and 4ply. I used the 4ply not a weight I usually use,  but with the subtle blend of colours in a lightweight warm yarn, I knew it would be perfect for a delicate crochet scarf.

Aurinkokehra Yarn

Every now and then a really special yarn comes along, something that stands out from the rest. I found just such a yarn, Aurinkokehra, tucked away on a stall at Yarndale this year and I fell in love with the colour of a hank on the display, a subtle pink/deep lavender blend.

Aurinkokehra Yarn comes in a range of weights from chunky to double knit and 4ply. I used the 4ply not a weight I usually use,  but with the subtle blend of colours in a lightweight warm yarn, I knew it would be perfect for a delicate crochet scarf.

The yarn is produced from 100% Finish combed wool yarn and all the yarns are naturally dyed from ecologically and ethically produced dyes. The twenty colours as a result are extraordinarily bright yet subtle blends with some more contrasting colours. The blended colour hanks are irresistible!
Aurinkokehra Yarn produces 360m per 100gm hank and I used a 2mm hook to make the lacy shoulder scarf.

Buy direct from Finland at http://vanjasea.valmiskauppa.fi/aurinkokehra-solid-colors-360-c-45_61_62_83.html

Aurinkokehra Yarn 4ply is perfect for crochet shawls and would make lovely light weight crochet jackets. The thicker weights would be ideal for crochet hats and chunkier scarves.

Find women's crochet cowl scarf made with aurinkokehra yarn here.....

Not all Crochet motifs have to be square or round

Choosing a crochet project with motifs has many benefits. Firstly you can make a motif when time is short, secondly you can crochet on the go and lastly motif based crochet projects grow quickly. Traditionally we make motifs square or round, but not all motifs have to be shaped this way. With a little imagination you can add a new quality to your crochet projects and give yourself more design options with more unusual shaped motifs.

Irish and free style crochet traditionally use free form shapes and you can use these for inspiration. Don’t think that anything other than a square or round motifs will be difficult to make or difficult to crochet together. Triangular motifs for example can be easily fitted together to make a square giving you flexibility to create spectacular designs with the colours you use.

Joining together
As with square or round motifs you have many options when joining your more unusual shaped motifs together.  You can add a filler to make joining easier and this works well with crochet shawls. Base your filler on the centre of your main motif. Most non square or round motifs start in the same way with the same basis as square and round motifs, allowing you to use the middle part of your main motifs to create your filler. Check out my fan shawl to see how this works.

As with more traditional motifs you can use a lacy stitch to join your motifs together or use a simple slip stitch join motifs.  Alternatively stitch your motifs together and doing this will create a denser effect to your finished project. The motifs of my peacock scarf crochet were crocheted  together to create a pretty ridge effect.

If all else fails and you would like to make a throw or shawl using more unusually shaped motifs but  lack the confidence to do this, you can turn your square motifs on their side to create diamonds. You don’t even have to make filers just leave the edge of your throw jagged to give a pretty effect.

Creating your design
As with square or round motifs make your unusual shaped motifs plain or multi coloured or use plain motifs with a different or blended coloured joining stitch. Graph paper does help create designs with more unusually shaped motifs and I sometimes make a few motifs and experiment to work out the best way to join them together. You can use this method as the basis for creating shawls, throws and blankets. Make four or six motifs and find the best way to join these together then use multiples of the six motifs together to create your project.

Crochet Rugs

One of the things I love about crochet is the number of different things you can create and make with knowledge of just a few stitches and techniques. Given the choice of yarns now available we are spoilt for choice with our crochet projects!

Crochet rugs are one of my favourite projects and are surprisingly quick to make. You can make crochet rugs for bathrooms, children’s bedrooms (using a picture based design works well for this) and kitchens.

Make your rug square, rectangular, round or oblong. If you are making your rug rectangular you can work your design horizontally or vertically to create two distinct and very different looks. Working horizontally along the length of your rug gives a longer look to your finished rug. See my pink/green rug pattern. 

Use cotton rich yarn for your rug it’s tough, hardwearing and washable. Sugar n Cream is perfect.  There is a fabulous choice of plain and blended colours. I like to limit the number of colours I use in the rugs I make, overall this creates a more stylish finish. You can also use jute based yarns and recycled t shirt material works well for rag rug style crochet rugs.

Keep your rug design simple, geometric designs look good, but your crochet rug is by no means limited to this type of design. Making a square or rectangular consider using motifs. For round crochet rugs I sometimes use vintage doily patterns. If you are using doily or fine crochet mat patterns just scale up, but be warned you often have to simplify these.  Use textured stitches or Mandela patterns look amazing used to create rugs.

Reduce the number of holes in my crochet rugs or at least make sure they are small to reduce trip hazards. You can add an edging if you like and this works really well on circular rugs.See the pattrn for my blue Sugar n Cream rug.....

Doulton Border Leicester Review

Doulton Border Leicester comes in 100gm skeins and the DK has 200metres per skein. 100% pure worsted spun wool, is gorgeous quality with excellent stitch definition and does not split when crocheting. This is not a prickly wool yarn!

This range of yarn from a rare breed herd of sheep includes 4ply, DK and Aran. The range also includes a mini skein selection, all close blends that have won a wool award, good for a try out of this lovely quality yarn.

I used a 3.5mm hook but a 4mm or 4.5mm would work with the DK. The full range of colours includes blues, oranges, brown, greens and a gorgeous lilac. All the colours are cleverly and carefully blended so any two colours will work well together. Check out the purple and orange I’ve used here. This yarn would be good for crochet scarves, hats and throws.

Buy direct from Doulton, visit the site here, or visit them at one of the many wool, yarn and craft events they attend around the UK. If you are into knitting they have a lovely collection of exclusive patterns and knitting kits. Buy here.....

How to Create Picture Crochet

Otherwise known as Intarsia you can use picture crochet to create a variety of crochet projects. For example one large crochet image for a cushion or a bag or make smaller motifs for cushions and scarves. You can use any weight of yarn for Intarsia crochet, but DK (light worsted) and 4ply (sport weight) work best. You will need to use a yarn with a good stitch definition or your design will be lost. Once you have perfected the yarn change of Intarsia using this style of crochet makes easy crochet projects as usually only one stitch is used, usually dc’s (sc’s).

Intarsia hints and tips

If you are using multiple colours wind small balls to reduce ‘taffle’
Start with two colour designs to build your confidence
Always carry the yarn across the back of your work
Don’t crochet over the yarn you have carried across the back or you will create double thickness fabric
For long stretches of one colour ‘catch up’ the yarn once or twice to avoid long stretches of yarn strands
Take care not to pull up your work as you carry the yarn across the back of your work

For an example of picture crochet see large square cushion

What can you make using Intarsia Crochet?

• Cushions
• Bags look fantastic using Intarsia designs check out Wayuu bags from Columbia and South America on Pinterest
• Scarves with snowflakes
• Tartan cushions and scarves
• Cushions with flowers
• Flowers and leaves work well
• Animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits work well as do birds and look great on children’s clothing
• Contemporary designs such as triangles, zigzags and oblongs

Where to find inspiration and original design ideas?

Anything that can be turned into a grid will work, cross stitch patterns with grids are a good resource or you can place a grid over an image you like. The design you choose shouldn’t be too complicated as it is difficult to create shades with crochet. Check that the grid will fit your crochet work, use 1 stitch on the grid as one or two stitches in your crochet. Crochet Patchwork Bag. 

How to crochet an evening Bag

Given that there are so many stunning yarns available some with sequins, some with metallic threads running through them and silk and mohair blends crochet evening bags can be as stunning and as sophisticated as any shop versions. They can make quick to make crochet projects for proms and weddings outfits for yourself or for gifts.

What shape to make your evening bag?
Clutch style bags are very easy to construct. Basically you just need one long strip of crochet with enough crochet to fold over to form a flap. I like to add a decorative edge to the flap of my bags and to the sides. If you decide to add a decorative edge to the side of your bag you can crochet your bag together saving time on sewing! You can also insert decorative rows, such as rows of clusters or shells into the long strip of crochet as you go along.

Round shaped evening bags are very pretty and the easiest way to make them is with five motifs, one for the bottom and four for the sides. This also has the benefit of giving you an endless choice of motifs and designs to choose from. Use a see through lacy motif and make your bag lining a fundamental part of your design.

Alternatively round evening bags can be made by using a round base and then building up the sides. Make your base plain and make the sides decorative with popcorn stitches or front and back posts. Start with 8dc’s (sc’s) and increase on each row beginning with an increase in every stitch. Then increase in every other stitch, into every second, then third and so on. Stop increasing to work up the sides.

Which yarn to use for your bag?
It’s surprising that even a wool based yarn can produce a lovely bag. Try a sequin yarn or one with a sparkly thread running through it or a silk blend for a touch of luxury. I like to use Double knit (light worsted yarn) but 4 ply or chunky would work just as well. Yarns with soft sheens make very elegant crochet evening bags, Sirdar Baby Bamboo DK (light worsted) is ideal as is Sirdar Toscana 100% cotton which is a gorgeous blended silky cotton. Cotton yarns make strong durable bags.

Crochet Evening Bag

Which stitches to use?
Double crochet (single crochets) stitches work well, as do half trebles (half double crochets) and these create a lovely ridge effortlessly. You can also use a looser stitch or open work lacy style crochet when the lining will show through and this can look very effective. Front and back row post stitches look good, create pretty ridges and are useful for defining changes in rows. For example use front posts trebles (dc’s) before you add a band of cluster stitches.

Finishing your bag
Always line your bag. This really does make the difference between a professional looking bag that will not only look better and be one that will last longer.  If you can line your bag with a cotton or cotton rich fabric to protect your work and to make your bag stronger.
Try to use a material lining that doesn’t fray. Satin or a satin stripe would look lovely as would a lining in a contrasting material to the crochet you have made. Line the base of your bag to prevent stretching and make sure you leave a small gap of crochet around the edge of your lining so you can stitch together.

Add a decorative fastening, a crochet flower or crochet button and you can also add beads to your yarn to crochet them in as you go along. Add a centre button or flower with a loop for a fastening . Add a decorative draw string to the top of tour bag with an oversized tassel and handle.
Handles crochet or bought?

Crochet Evening Bag

I like strong carrying handles on the bags I make and there are different ways to achieve this. You can make a strip of crochet using dc’s (sc’s) for your handle and double it over when finished by stitching the sides together.  Alternatively use your yarn double, doing this creates a lovely strong tweed style effect. You can also buy leather and wooden handles in craft stores and these work well.

Another alternative is to make thinner handles by making a length of crochet and stitching around strong plastic tubing which you can buy from craft stores. I make shoulder straps in the same way as handles for some of my bags.

My favourite yarn for summer scarves

I love soft drapey summer scarves, cover ups and shawls! Not only do they protect your arms and keep you warm on cool evenings they bring elegance to summer wedding outfits and a touch of class for summer parties. The choice of yarn is critical to the finish you want so I choose with care. Here are my favourites. All my choices of my favourite yarns for summer scarves are cottons and cotton blends. Cotton is soft and cool and generally is easy care. The combination of cotton with other yarns, brings in other elements, whether you add it yourself or the blend is part of the yarn you use, such as warmth, softness, stretch and an easier more satisfying yarn to work with.

Who couldn’t love a cotton cashmere blend?  Soft 90% cotton and 10% cashmere Louisa Harding Azalea comes in a choice of subtle colours. Azalea has an elegant drape effect which you can see in the zig zag scarf I made. Azalea is perfect for beautiful warm weather knits and stunning shawls. As you would expect from a cotton yarn, it has fantastic stitch definition.  Lovely on its own I used with another cotton yarn Toscana my number 2 favourite.

Sirdar Toscana Strong is a cool silky blended yarn perfect for summer crochet projects. Strong and firm I used it for a gorgeous summer crochet cover up. Toscana is 100% cotton and machine washable. I love the very subtle colour effects of Toscana, it comes in a pale teal purple, a cream coral blend, a blue/grey blend, a very pretty red/teal/red,  cream/sea green, pale orange/red and a cream/lavender blend.

My number 3 favourite yarn for summer scarves and shawls is Drops cotton merino, blended with merino wool this light yarn combines the cool soft strength of cotton with the soft warmth of merino wool. in 50gm balls and 29 lovely shades, I love the cerise and powder pink which would make a lovely soft, warm scarf and the mustard yellow would work well with coral.

Debbie Bliss Summer Tweed is sold as DK (light worsted) but it feels more like a 4 ply to me. It comes in a lovely range of beautifully blended colours from violet, daisy, poppy, rose, begonia, marigold, honeysuckle and petal. I used honeysuckle for my summer shawl. The yarn has slubs which makes for a more interesting finish and gives an extra level of interest.

Debbie Bliss Eco baby is a Fair trade yarn and 100% organic cotton, perfect for anyone with allergies. The dye colours are non allergenic and non toxic, considering all of this it is well priced and perfect for delicate baby skins. However I love it for lacy shawls.

Rowan hand knit cotton in 50gm balls is 100% cotton and comes in fabulous range of colours its washable. This 100% cotton is a wonderful, soft yarn perfect for light, summery projects. It has great stitch definition perfectly. It is also available in a bright and pretty colour palette.

Crochet on the go

If like me you can’t go anywhere without a ball of yarn and a crochet hook, crochet on the go is a must but what to make and what to take?

Your project on the go has to be simple and easy to make without lots of different yarns and complicated patterns. Here’s what I do when travelling and crocheting, usually in a car, on a train and sometimes on a bus! I hope it helps!

1. Have one specific crochet project for making on the go, one that you can finish off later at home
2. Sometimes I simply make motifs using up yarn scraps and decide later what to use them for. I keep the yarn scraps in a large plastic container
3. Take a net bag to keep your work protected and so you can see what’s inside to make finding a specific yarn, motif or hook easier
4. Take a notepad and pen to keep track of where you are in a pattern and for the ideas and inspiration you have along the way
5. The obvious choice for a project on the go is motifs they are usually small and easily transported. They also have the benefit of been quick to complete, making them perfect for shorter journeys or on the way to and from work
6. Make sure your projects on the go are simple travelling can be full of distractions!
7. If you are using large balls of yarn rewind to make smaller ones so they are easier to transport
8. If you are making a garment just take one part to make, such as the front or back
9. You can also consider making a project with finer yarns, these are lighter and usually smaller to transport
10. Take along, as well as your yarn and crochet hook, scissors, darning needle (threaded through a piece of paper), small tape measure or folding ruler, the part of the pattern you need (photocopy to make it easier) and spare hook

Shell Motif Scarf

Who doesn’t love a wrap around crochet scarf or shawl? This elegant design combines practical use and beauty and the finished project can be used either as a shawl or a scarf. Based on a fan shape the design uses a motif with a simple filler based on the main motif. Once you have mastered the main motif the project will be easy for you to complete and it grows quickly. Make the scarf as big or as small as you want by adding or reducing the number of motifs.

To make this special scarf I used Sirdar No 1 DK 50% Acrylic which is soft and has a lovely sheen.  Sirdar No. 1 is made up of 50% Nylon 230m/251 yards it comes in 100gm balls and it goes a long way! If you use an alternative yarn check your tension against the instructions in the pattern. I used one colour to create a harmonious look. Teal one of my all time favourite colours but I think the scarf would look lovely in cream or black.

The shawl design is an open design perfect for cooler summer evenings with pretty fillers finished with a row of generous tassels. I designed the motifs so the centre is raised giving it extra depth. The motifs are made row on row with extra motifs added down the sides at an angle to balance the finished scarf. Grab the pattern here.....

Sirdar Toscana Yarn Review

Strong cool and silky Sirdar Toscana yarn is perfect for summer crochet projects. Strong and firm I used it for place mats and for a gorgeous summer crochet cover up. Toscana is 100% cotton and machine washable. 50grm balls make 212m/232yds, using a 3.50mm or 4mm crochet hook.

I love the very subtle colour effects of Toscana, described as a blend it’s very subtle with only slight changes in colour. It comes in Val d’orcia a pale teal purple, Arezzo is a cream coral blend and this is the colour option I used for my summer wedding cover up.  Siena is a blue/grey blend and Orbetello is a very pretty red/teal/red, much subtler than it sounds. Tropica is cream/sea green, Firenze is pale orange/red and Ravello is cream/lavender blend. Porto Azurro is a teal/cream blend.

I’ve also used Toscana to make a crochet teddy and I think it would be perfect for crochet bags, giving a strong rigid structure to crochet toes and holdalls. 

My favourite crochet Stitches and what I use them for

Do you have favourite stitches, ones you love to make and love the look they create? In this blog I'm talking about my favourite crochet stitches and what I use them for. When I first started to crochet I dreaded finding patterns I liked that included picot stitches, made by creating a small ring in chains worked usually in the middle of your work! I struggled to make them look good; they were either too slack or too tight. Now I love them. Take a simple net pattern and add a few picots and you create something much finer than plain crochet net. Picots are easier to make if you make your stitches not too tight. I also love picots added to edgings. If your edging has a rise and fall add the picot to the rise.

Child's crochet jacket

Chio
 Another stitch I was not keen on when I first started to crochet was popcorn stitch, made by joining the first stitch to the last stitch of q group of trebles (double crochets) shells.  I think the problem I had was my tension was too slack producing a large loop at the top of the popcorn that did not look good! With practice popcorn stitches are now another favourite of mine. They look lovely used in baby blankets and add a warm texture to women’s crochet scarves.

Front row posts made usually with trebles (double crochets) produce crochet that looks like knitted ribbing and create a very pretty reversible fabric, thicker and more rigid than usual crochet. Front row posts are worked around the stem of the stitch on the row below the one you are working on. This creates the perfect stitch for bags and crochet cushions.

Slip stitch is almost the forgotten crochet stitch used often to join rows together, particularly in older crochet patterns. Used on its own slip stitch can create lovely effects and are very simple to stitch. I use slip stitches to join motifs together and to create edgings for table runners and throws. Add a chain between your slip stitches on an edging to make a very pretty frilly edging.

My all time favourite stitch is the half treble (half double crochet) in a similar way to slip stitches the half treble was (in early patterns) used as a transitional stitch. On large shells half trebles (half double crochets) were used to move the work along from a dc (single crochet) to a treble (double crochet) without too large a leap. Now they have come into their own and they appear in many modern patterns. This stitch has the benefit that it grows quickly and creates a lovely top ridged effect. It’s the perfect stitch to use in plain patterns to produce something that looks classy. I use the half treble in my cluster scarf, basket and rug.

Working in back loops is not really a stitch it’s more of a technique, but is something I use a lot. It creates a gorgeous ridge which makes the base of crochet baskets look amazing.

Square motif Poncho blog

Violet/purple is the colour for 2018 so I decided to choose it for something a little bit special! Poncho’s can be tricky to make with different shapings and joinings. By making this crochet poncho based on a pretty motif, it’s much easier to put together and gives you the flexibility to change the size of your poncho so you can easily make it any size you like, by adding or taking out motifs. Using  the plan provided with the pattern it will be easy to do this. Remember to keep a check on the size of the neck opening. Make for yourself or make a smaller version smaller for a child.

The motif in this pattern is not the traditional granny square; I’ve added some popcorns to give the poncho more texture and interest. This design is quick to make with an easy repetitive pattern. If you are a crocheterer who want an easy relaxing pattern with clear instructions, then this one is for you!
Make this lovely lighter weight poncho for yourself or as a gift.

If you want a chunkier poncho use a chunky or Arran weight yarn and make fewer motifs. The pattern includes a plan and an image file with tutorials to help you make your poncho. When finished block your motifs to square them off. A pretty tassel edging around the bottom and a generous loop stitch border around the top have big impact and make this an interesting crochet project to make.

The lovely thing about this poncho design is once you have made a couple of motifs you can use them to make other things such as a baby blanket, throw or table runner. Find the pattern here.....
This pattern suitable for beginners to crochet

Tapestry Style Crochet Cushion with Large Squares

Designing and creating beautiful crochet designs that are simple and rewarding to make is my life’s work! This cushion designed in 2018 is a modern contemporary design and the large squares and blocks of colour have big impact.

My inspiration was the wonderful Aztec tapestry design bags created by South American crocheters. While tapestry crochet has been around for a while these crocheters have taken it to a whole new world of possibilities. Tapestry crochet is very simple to make and can be used to create elaborate designs and pictures.

I used two toning colours for the design I created the cushion so the colour changes are easy. Make it in black and white for a very contemporary design perfect for a modern home. The design uses only double crochet (single crochet) stitches so is very easy to make, once you have mastered how to change colours and the pattern include a tutorial on how to do this.

Make the cushion bigger by adding more blocks widthways or lengthways, just keep your proportions OK and the design would make a lovely floor cushion with six blocks square. As with all designs change the colours you change the look of your project completely.

I added a checkerboard effect border to add interest and to make the main design stand out as if framed. Full instructions included in the pattern. Grab the pattern here.....

Sparkle Crochet Infinity scarf with Sparkly triangles

Everyone loves a bit of sparkle! Sparkle isn’t just for evenings and Christmas celebrations. Sparkle works really well when combined with other yarns to brighten up dark Winters day and when days are cold. And it doesn’t just have to be a scarf, sparkle yarn would look lovely on a hat or used to make a very special throw.

This gorgeous stylish scarf not only looks pretty but is also dense and warm. You don’t have to use a sparkly wool or an iridescent such as ??? would work well. This is an easily adaptable pattern you can make your scarf wider, longer, change the stripes and add more, whatever you like!

I mainly used the sparkly yarn for the surface crochet in this crochet scarf design, but I added a few stripes in the sparkly yarn to bring the design together. Surface crochet is easier than you think and is very relaxing to do. I added a pretty, but simple, edging to finish it off to perfection and also to hide a few straggly ends! Push the boat out with tassels or a large sparkly flower and you have a very special scarf.

As always this design I created to be adaptable, you could use it to make a poncho, throw, or hat. Full details on how to do this are included in the pattern. Grab the pattern here.....

Triangular Crochet Poncho

Violet/purple is the colour for 2018 that’s why I chose it! Poncho’s can be tricky to make with different shapings and joinings. By making this crochet poncho in motifs it is much easier to put together and gives you the flexibility to change the size so you can easily make it any size you like, by adding or taking out motifs. Use the plan provided and it will be easy to do this, just remember to keep a check on the size of the neck opening. Make for yourself or smaller for a child

The motifs are not the traditional granny square; I’ve added some popcorns to give the poncho more texture and interest. This design is quick to make with an easy repetitive pattern. If you are a crocheterer who want an easy relaxing pattern with clear instructions, then this one is for you!
Make this lovely lighter weight poncho for yourself or as a gift. If you want a thicker chunkier poncho use a chunky or Arran weight yarn and make fewer motifs.

I’ve included a plan and an image file to help you make your poncho. Block motifs to square them off. A pretty tassel edging around the bottom and a generous loop stitch border around the top make this an interesting and different pattern to make.

The lovely think about this design is once you have made a couple of motifs you can use them to make other things such as a baby blanket, throw or table runner. Find the pattern here.....


Pattern suitable for beginners to crochet

Long Lines Crochet Scarf

Infinity scarves are everywhere, quick to make and very easy to wear no wonder they continue to feature large in fashion magazines and in crochet patterns alike. However it’s easy to forget how elegant and flexible a full length scarf can be. Wrap it around, knot it, plait it or let it hang loose.



That’s why I decided to design a long crochet scarf and to build on the elegance of the design I made. Using silky soft Sirdar Baby Bamboo makes this a luxury scarf design.  Baby bamboo does not go as far as other yarns so if you are economising go for an alternative yarn, but choose something with a slight sheen. I made the scarf in taupe and teal blue yarn a colour that go with most things, but you can choose your own colours.

While I’m not a fan of making long chains as they make the second row seem to take forever it’s definitely worth it with this one. After the second row the scarf grows very quickly. I’ve incorporated easy to create large clusters and they make the ends of this long elegant scarf look very pretty. They appear beautifully when you wrap the scarf around.

This pattern is suitable for intermediate crocheters, grab the pattern here.....