Doily fun!

Inspired by some of the lovely crochet doilies and matts that I have seen on other blogs, such as By Haafner and AnaZard Atelier, I've wanted to have a go at my own crochet doily for a while now.

I finally got around to it this week. I spent Bank Holiday Monday doily making!

I wanted a soft, vintage style look, so I used some pastel colours - very pale pink, ivory, pale lilac and a sort of steel blue-green colour.

The yarns used are all mercerised cotton - I think it's ideal for this sort of project, where you want it to be hard wearing but still look pretty.

These doilies are my own design, using a stitch similar to the one I used for my blossom petal scarf at the beginning of April, but working in the round instead of course.

What do you think? Would you like to have a pattern for this? I'm a little worried about trying to write a pattern for something like this out long-hand - I'd rather do a chart, but I'm not sure how to go about that either!

Does anyone have a tool or piece of software they use to produce crochet charts for motifs in the round? Please let me know if you do!

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Patchwork throw, by Erika Knight

So, last week, or maybe the week before (time flies, even when you're not having fun apparently!) I gave you a sneek peek of my latest colour crochet project, and promised more details!

I've made quite a lot more progress since the last time I mentioned this project.

The pattern is the Patchwork Throw, from Erika Knight's book Essential Crochet.

I love this book, its almost the first book I bought when I was learning to crochet a few years ago. I've tried to make this throw before but things got in the way.

Firstly my lack of skill - my motifs all kept coming out slightly different sizes! Looking back I don't think I had understood the pattern instructions properly!

The pattern also recommends a mercerised cotton yarn - Rowan Cotton Glace. When I tried to make this before, I went with that recommendation. However, much as I love mercerised yarn for small crochet projects such as bags, doilies etc, I just didn't feel the love when it came to trying to make a throw. I don't know why but I just prefer 'wooliness' in my throws!

Well, this time I am determined not to be defeated. I have bought a big stash of colourful yarn (probably a little heavy on the purple as usual) and have been hooking away my woolly hexagons and loving it!

So far I have about 80 motifs I think, but still a long way to go - the pattern calls for nearly 300! Hmm, not sure I will make it that far before my attention span (and my purse) give out! 

I am determined to complete a proper size blanket though - watch this space!

Actually I have a back-log of posts related to various craft projects at the moment, so maybe another post tomorrow if I get time!

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Bank Holiday sunshine

It's a Bank Holiday here in the UK again, which means another long weekend! I've spent most of it up until today out and about in London. Today has been my day at home to prepare for the week ahead.

I made a trip to Liberty's - perhaps I'll tell you why in my next post, but yes it had to do with a craft purchase!

Whilst there I couldn't resist taking some snaps of the lovely flower display which can always be found outside the Marlborough Street entrance. It's usually especially gorgeous at this time of year!

As you can see, there were roses, hydrangeas and lilacs aplenty! I'm particularly entranced by lilacs at the moment - they're just coming into flower here now - I just love the colour and all the tiny little flowers.

We also took a trip down to Richmond in Surrey - I love Richmond and its romantic looking old cottages and gorgeous park land. Only in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine being able to afford living there unfortunately!

That's all for now, just a little post to share with you the loveliness of a spring day in England!

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Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging (but not craft!)

Any regular visitors to this blog know that I usually aim to post about once a week. However, I don't like to post if I feel like I don't really have anything to say, or anything new to share with you.

I think I mentioned on a recent post that I had been having some tough times in the last few weeks. Well, that made me feel like I just didn't have the energy to post. But, I'm lucky enough to have some tremendously supportive people in my life and I'm already feeling much better. As I have probably said many times before here, I always find crochet and knitting to be a soothing distraction from whatever is troubling me.

So, as well as finishing my pastel throw I have been working on a new hexagon blanket. I don't want to make this post too long, so I'll save full details for another time. The pictures above show a sneak peek!

On Sunday, I finally managed to finish my pastel hexagon throw, and posted a pattern for this, which some of you may have seen already. Some of you lovely readers have been kind enough to post some very positive comments already. Thank you so much for those comments - they really do mean a lot to me. It feels great to know that other people can get enjoyment and inspiration from the things I post here. 

Comments are aso great, as they make you feel part of a community - and that was really why I started blogging!

Now, my lack of energy and stress has sadly also meant that I haven't stopped by any of my own favourite blogs for a while. Well, I'm going to try and remedy that today! I have a lovely day off work today, though so look out, I may be stopping by your blog and leaving you an admiring comment or two!

One final word - I wanted to share with you the glorious, gorgeous yarn bundle that has just arrived in the post!

 

Stay happy, and keep on crocheting!

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Evie: Pastel hexagon throw pattern

Finally I've been able to finish this project (it feels like it has taken ages!), and I'm now able to share the pattern and instructions with you!

Materials

4mm crochet hook

DK weight yarn in the following quantities and colours:

For centres of motifs (use one colour per motif)

3x dark purple

3x lilac

3x pale pink

3x rose pink

3x duck egg

3x airforce blue

3x pale blue

3x fudge

For edge of motifs (each motif is edged in cream)

7 x cream 

The yarns I used we Sublime Extra Fine Merino, Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK and Rowan Cashsoft DK. Sadly some of these lovely yarns (the Rowan and Debbie Bliss) are now being discontinued, so I don't recommend any specific shades. I've given the colours above as a rough guide to the shades used should you want to make a throw with the same colour effect as my own. However one of the great things about crochet is the endless possibility to be creative with colour, so I'm sure you will want to pick your own colours for a unique effect!

Instructions for making hexagon motif

Make 142 motifs to create a throw measuring approx. 43 inches wide x 60 inches in length.

Using any of the 8 colours you have chosen, chain 4 then join into a ring by slip stitching into the first chain.

Round 1: Chain 3 (counts as your first stitch), then working into the centre of the ring you have made, work 1 treble, *2 chain, 2 treble. Repeat from * 4 times more. Finish round by slip stitching into the top of the 3 chain from the start of the round. You should have 6 2 chain spaces and 6 clusters of 2 trebles.

Round 2: Chain 3 (counts as your first stitch), *work 1 treble into top of next stitch, then work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into 2 chain space from previous round. Repeat from * 4 times more. Work 1 treble into top of next stitch, then 1 treble into 2 chain space, then 2 chain. Finish round by slip stitching into the top of the 3 chain made at tha start of the round.

Round 3: Chain 3 (counts as your first stitch). *Work 1 treble into top of each of next 2 stitches then work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into 2 chain space from previous round. *Work 1 treble into top of next 3 stitches, then work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into next 2 chain space. Repeat from * 4 times more. Finish round by slip stitching into top of 3 chain from start of round.

Round 4: Chain 3 (counts as your first stitch). *Work 1 treble into top of each of next 3 stitches, then work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into 2 chain space from previous round. *Work 1 treble into top of next 4 stitches, then work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into next 2 chain space. Repeat from * 4 times more, then work 1 treble into top of last remaining stitch in round. Finish round by slip stitching into top of 3 chain from start of round.

Round 5: Change to cream for edge of motif. Join the new colour in in one of the 6 two chain spaces in your hexagon, using a 3 chain for your first stitch, then *work 1 treble into each stitch along the first side of your hexagon. On reaching the next chain space work 1 treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into chain space. Repeat from *5 times more until the entire hexagon has been edged in cream, finishing the round by working 1 treble, 2 chain into last chain space (same chain space in which you began the round) and slip stitching into the top of the 3 chain at the start of the round to complete.

Arrange your motifs in rows, alternating between 9 in one row and 10 in the next, using the pictures as a guide. Ensure that you do not place to motifs of the same colour next to each other.

Stitch the motifs together in rows by oversewing the edges of motifs together using the cream yarn. Sew the rows together so that your hexagons tesselate.

Weave in any loose ends on reverse.

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If you try making this I hope you enjoy it. If you have any questions or anything is unclear in the pattern, please let me know by leaving a comment on this post.

Pastel pretties: cushions!

I'm happy to be able to share one of my completed pastel projects! Do you remember I posted about these projects a couple of weeks ago?

Well here's the first one!

 

Originally I only planned to make one of these cushion covers, but I loved the first one so much I just knew I needed a matching pair in my life!

 

The yarns are a mix of pastel colours with 6 different shades:

pale pink
slightly paler pink
pale blue
grey
duck egg blue
lilac

I just love these colours together. I think I said before that I find this mix to be a kind of 'pastels with an edge'. Well, I can see this becoming a major colour palette for me in future. It reminds of breaking dawn or sunset skies, and I find it really calming!

Calming is something I am in need of at the moment. As a rule I don't talk about personal things on this blog and I'm not about to start tonight. But, this has been a stressful week and I have had anxiety over a few things.

Crochet has always been something that has stood me in good stead in anxious times, and it has not deserted me this week.

Hope you all have a happy evening and weekend!

 

May flowers

Hello there, it's nice to be back after more than a week away from blogging. I was away last weekend, and then ill when I got back, and then of course back at work.

But, this weekend is a bank holiday here in the UK, which means a lovely extra day off today! S and I made the most of the long weekend - we went for a stroll around Hampton Court Palace gardens yesterday, and saw some lovely flowers.

Tupips, blossoms and some daffodils still in evidence, though the bluebells are now finally starting to take over from Daffodils, after having an extra long wait to flower because of the cold.

We're hoping to go back to Hampton Court in June - there is a lovely rose garden there - nothing in bloom just yet, but I think it will be glorious in a couple more months, so we're going to try and go back to see the roses.

Of course I have still squeezed in some crochet: some more of the blanket I showed you last time:

It's coming a long nicely and should soon be finished. I'm hoping to post a pattern for the complete blanket including yarn requirements, size, number of motifs made and or course a tutorial for the motif itself.

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Pastel projects

I am having a serious pastel moment right now, and loving it. I'm not normally a pastel person when it comes to colours for clothes, crochet projects or anything really! I usually gravitate to brighter richer colours.

However, I have been really taken with some pastel yarn colours that I have seen in shops and the ways in which they appear when combined with other pastel colours. 

I thought I'd share some of my pastel-love with you!

At the moment I have 2 pastel projects on the go, both using the same yarn shades. The hexagons you can see are the start of a small blanket.

The ripple stitch item shown is for a cushion cover. This is the same pattern as I made earlier in the year, and ever since finishing my earlier ripple cushion I have just been itching to see what a pastel version would be like!

I think of the shades I have chosen as 'edgy pastels', particularly for the cushion cover. I think the colours I have used together have managed to not look too girly (I think pastels have a bit of a reputation for being girly and cutesy). I'm attributing their slight edge, and sophistication to the inclusion of some grey and silver-blue shades alongside the more traditional pastel shades of duck egg, pale pink and lilac.

I'm really loving making these items and can't wait to share the finished products with you! The hexagons for the throw are my own pattern, and I hope to have time to share this through a tutorial soon!

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Canal walk

On Saturday we had such lovely weather, S and I decided it would be perfect for a walk. 

For a while we've been planning to walk along Regent's Canal, but the bad weather has put us off. Now that spring seems to have arrived to stay, we were able to walk the route we had planned weeks ago.

We started at Angel, Islington, and headed down the canal tow path. The sun was shining and there were some lovely blossom trees. I couldn't resist frequent stops to take pictures, which I'm afraid added rather to the length of the walk!

We also stopped along the tow path to watch one of the locks in operation as two canal boats passed through.

As you can see there was so much sunlight that a few of my pictures came out rather over-exposed! Still, it was lovely to feel the sun's warmth on our faces again after such a long, cold winter.

The walk took us through Shoreditch, Bethnal Green and Mile End. We passed parks, industrial areas, back gardens and many many colourful houseboats - even one with a tea room inside (sadly not open when we passed) and one selling second hand books from the deck!

 

After about 2 hours and 4 miles of walking, we made it to Limehouse Basin, and stopped off at a lovely pub, The Grapes. The Grapes has a little terrace at the back which overlooks the river Thames - the view from the terrace shown in the pictures above.

We sat basking in the sun, enjoying some cold drinks and the sound of the waves lapping against the shingle.

 It was definately the best day of the year so far!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend too!

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