10 things I wished I'd known when I stared to crochet!

1. All the amazing clever and creative people I would meet and all those wonderful wool shops I would visit (on and offline)!
2. The fantastic developments in wool and yarn bringing me the chance to create new crochet designs and develop new crochet ideas
3. The wonderful and original collections from independent wool dyers and spinners giving me the chance to create exclusive designs 
   
4. How the image of crochet as something our grandmothers did in very fine cotton with tiny hooks would change!
5. How the internet would broaden my crochet world bringing inspiration and new stitches from around the world including Tunisian crochet which I am still perfecting.
6. The variety of things I would be able to make everything from throws, cushions, clothes, bags and gifts
7. How rewarding teaching family, friends and people of all ages who attend my workshops would be and the amazing things they make!
8. That clashing colours are OK
9. How in times of stress and boredom crochet would rescue me!
10. That I would finally learn patience!
    

Discover tips tricks and techniques to get the most from your crochet

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Top ten tips for crochet newbies!

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2.   When you are buying yarn think about what you are making, for example for crochet toys a light worsted or double knit. For baby items buy baby specific wool, it will be soft and gentle on babies skin. For scarves and jumpers look for alpaca, wool and cashmere blends, they will be warmer.

3.     

     If you are using up odd scraps of wool for a cushion or throw then use one main colour for the last row of your motifs and for your edging it will bring your finished item together and in harmony.

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My Favourite Yarns

Bergere de France Ideal

I first came across this lovely soft yarn at my local farmers market one cold autumn day in 2012. I crochet all year round, but come the autumn I love a big project for the dark and cold winter nights. A throw to cover my dining room basket chairs would be good! A basket full of colours on the stall was irresistible to me. I took home 6 balls each a different colour to experiment with.

Using a 3.25 size hook I tried out a few circular motifs and a traditional granny square, which with clever use of colours could have looked really good. But I wanted something to challenge me, so out came the books, cuttings and patterns. This is where I found the motifs I needed. http://amzn.to/1kC4tXB

I like to do projects that include challenging patterns with repetitive bits I can do when I'm tired. I tried out several motifs but these caught my eye. 

For such a big project the colours had to be right. I love autumn colours so brown, rust, copper came to my mind. Taking the dogs into the garden one day in October a bright sun lit the trees with golden yellows, deep browns and sludgy green browns. Amazingly the little stream that runs through the village and passes by our cottage sparkled a lovely bright blue in the sparkling sun. These are the colours I chose, brown, golden yellow, sludgy brown and bright blue.

Beregere de France provided the golden yellow(girolle), brown (elephant) and blue (myosotis). I love combining more than one yarn to throws and cushions it adds interest and is more fun to crochet. A bit of research online and I found a double knitting sock yarn online that had a mixed yarn that included sludgy brown and blue.

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Warmest wishes

Ann