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.....