Missed you so much.

Having said that, I've been none stop crocheting. So I have lots to show you :)

This was so much fun and was a pram/buggy size so didn't take long.

I just wanted to experiment with this stitch, Loved this little bag, but it could do with a lining to give it some sturdiness.

And who doesn't like a hat?

So that's it. I'm just going to try and commit to one posting a week. Having said that, will it always be a stitchy item if I post each week? I'm not at all sure, but I hope to have fun, and that's what's important. Happy New Year to you all, may it be blessed with JOY my new word for the year.

Dawn xx

Crochet Wave Stitch.

GIVE ME A WAVE

I love it, Wave blanket. This blanket is from Red Heart it's a freebie. We like free patterns and what's even better is there is a free video tutorial (see below)

I have to say I love Mike's video tutorials, I find them really easy to follow and I'm teaching myself to read patterns while I'm watching the videos as well. Sometimes a pattern to me doesn't make sense until I have watched the video. So there's one of my tips, watch a video at the same time as reading the pattern.

These are close ups of my work. I decided to create this with anyone in mind as I plan to try and sell this blanket in the Autumn. (let me know if you're interested) This has a set of neutral colours and so will go with most peoples rooms. It's a decent size for going over the back of a three seater or popping over your legs to keep you warm on those chilly Autumnal nights.

I decided to add tassels as it looked unfinished to me with nothing on the ends. These can be taken off, but I prefer them on. The tassels are a nice mixture of the colours used in the blanket. They are substantial tassel to me and don't feel straggly at all.

Crochet V stitch

MORNING

So how was your weekend? it was very soggy here with a little sun in between. Monday was Much better I, got to do a little shopping, you know bread, milk etc and then up date my husband's new blog (I help out as I have only a fraction more knowledge) Mike's Hobbies it's called if you're interested, or maybe your hubby's would be lol. Any way I digress.

So here is a blanket I finished was it last year? or was it this year? I'm not sure one year flows into the next for me. Does that happen to you as well? or is it just me? 

I told you you would see more of Freddy! I have to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stitch. I have included the tutorial I used below, so do watch it if you fancy learning or refreshing on this one.

Above is a close up, I have had lots of people wanting to know how I did this one, they're loving the colour combination as well as the stitch. I used another lot of  STYLECRAFT wool. This is a go to yarn for me it's DK although they do this wool in chunky, 4ply, baby and lots of others and all the ones I have bought I am more than pleased with.

Above, here it is draped over my bed, though it's no a double blanket it's a lovely size and this stitch gives it a deceiving weight, you would think it was a thicker wool and I love the weight as well.

Freddy liked this one as well *smiles* until next time, be crafty. Dawn xx

Fun to be crocheting.

 This is Freddy

Isn't he just a cutie? lol I went to my friends house and her little grandson was there, I had some crochet blankets/afghans with me and we had a little photo session. What a little star he was:) he laughed and played with the blankets he just crawled everywhere  I had so much fun taking photos of this little one I can tell you. 

I have missed blog land very much. So I thought I would give this another go and start by maybe publishing once or twice a week just to let you all know how I'm doing with the craft of crochet among other stitching goodness.

This stitch is called 'Pineapple Stitch' I found it HERE I can't find the challenge I used, but the link leads you a scarf pattern and you can just extent this pattern to make an afghan or keep it as a scarf, you're the crafter use your creativity.

Here you can now see the stitching much more clearly. I made a small pram/buggy blanket in bright DK ' Stylecraft Yarn ' I wanted the child to love the bright red & yellow and then tone it down with the blue and beige colours. I hope you have enjoyed this post, there are lots more to come so keep popping back for sewing & crochet projects. Be Crafty, love Dawn xx

Hat & Scarf Set

I loved making the Ripple Blanket so much I made a scarf and a simple beret style hat to match the colours. This is a Sirdar Wash & Wear Yarn which was lovely to work with.

I have included a tutorial from 'You Tube' if you want to learn/refresh this lovely stitch.

I really like this colour combo have fun Dawn xx

Spring Cot Cover

Well we're into March now, everything is budding nicely. This was the inspiration for this spring coloured cot blanket I made last year. I got the idea from a magazine Simply Crochet last year. I obviously changed it up a little with the colours to match Spring. But this is really quite a large blanket. it really is for a cot cover.

The yarn is all Style Craft DK I have to say I love this 100% acrylic. It really is grate value for your money , and knits/crochets up beautifully. Fantastic colour pallets to choose from as well. Keep Stitching ;) 

Pram Cover

I am seeing lots of youngsters with beautiful crochet blankets of all kinds over their babies these days. They are not making them for them selves, they are paying lots of money (well you have to ask don't you?) for them. It's not as though a family member has made them either! Is this something you have noticed?

So I bought this multi 300g coloured ball for £2.99 from Aldi, and look what I got.

Really nice to work with. 100% acrylic but not at all squeaky (if you know what I mean). I really  liked the way the colours changed. I used some left over style craft yarn (another favourite) for the boarder.  I was really pleased with this and SO easy to make no pattern required. I just started a granny and continued until I ran out of yarn! Then added a very simple boarder. Wish I had taken a photo of that now doh! Keep stitching ;)

Long time no see.

I have been away from blog land for so long, (about six months). I didn't know if I would return. But here I am. However, just because I haven't been posting in blog land, it doesn't mean I haven't been stitching in one way or another :) and having a wee nosey now and again.

No, not at all, but I wouldn't want to just post the last six months worth of stitching. So I am going to stagger it a little so I can finish up what I am knitting at the moment.

I began this before Christmas, this has been in my bedroom since I finished it and it is lovely slouched over my knees saving on the heating (why not?) whilst I create my next project.

Here is a close up of the granny squares. I got the pattern from The Crochet Crowd And the link is to pt one of the video ( the other two parts show up automatically) And I can't tell you how quick this was to make, I really loved working with this chunky yarn. It is Style Craft Chunky and it's less than £2 per 100g and this took about 20 balls so about £18 really inexpensive, I thought, and it grows so quickly. I had enough yarn left to make a couple of hats out of the oddments. That's good value.

Rag Rug?

Hi every one, it's nice to be back again making things, but my other crafts suffer when I am on the stitching bug. lol hey ho. Well I found some Yarn at Hobby Craft. I loved it, it's like T-Shirt material on a roll very easy to use I used a 10mm hook for this rug.

I Didn't have a pattern so I made it as I went along all in the round and although it's not perfect I really like it and I love the texture under my feet (as it's in the bed room) I would like to make one for the bathroom But I would prefer to have a pattern next time I can follow.

I used a treble stitch, here's a close up of how it looks. It grows very quickly obviously, if I had one complaint about the yarn is that it's not always the same thickness throughout and so your project can look different in places ( it did on my rug) it was very thick on the dusty pink nearly all the way through on one ball, but the bright pink was thick and thin in parts on different rolls.

It took just three rolls for this rug £12 as they are 3 for 2 at the moment. Overall I really liked the yarn and I may make another rug & some matching baskets in the bathroom. I hope you can leave a msg so I can also visit you and see what you have been making. There are also lots of stitching blog in my side bar I think are of interest be it sewing, knitting, or crochet have a look around Dxx

Ripple & Granny

Ripple Pattern

Here is Django (the D is silent) with an almost finished project. Yep this is for the back of a sofa (down stairs) so the cats and Django can lie on this and I am not worried. This is Robyn 100% acrylic yarn. It's squeaky when working with it, more so than I thought. I am also nearly finished a Granny square blanket in  the same yarn in shades of pink for the bed.

Yep Django like this one as well lol

Any way I am making some more yummy crochet things at the moment so the granny can go on the back burner again (the weather is so warm I don't need it yet lol) I am excited to be working with some new yarn more about this another time Thank you to Lucy from  Attic24 for the Ripple Pattern very easy to follow and so kind to share. Have a lovely week Dxx

Hexagon Crochet PJ bag

I am a subscriber to a couple of magazines and Simply Crochet is one. I think this pattern is in issue 3 or 4 I have left my mags at a friends house and can't check properly. Any way I used Snuggly from Sirdar in these beautiful bright's I bought from Hobby Craft when they had a special offer on of buy two get one free on all yarn. So I bought a few balls lol I really love the colours and yarn very much and I am really happy with how my very first Hexagons turned out. It shows that as a beginner the patterns in this magazine are really easy to read/understand. Thank you for stopping by and any comments you leave Dxx

Sewing project.

Hello, I am starting a skirt by ' By Hand, London' it's called a Charlotte Skirt this link leads to the sew-a-long, although this has now finished the tutorials are still up and you can still share your finished items. I haven't made many garments and I want to get better so the only way to do this is to make more (mistakes an all) I love the pattern it looks stunning. So today I managed to trace the pattern. I used baking paper, it's cheep and I had it in. Below is a pic of my things already to begin. 

I was determined not to start until I had all the items I needed, including a zip. How hard it was to get a zip? I had to get a 12" instead of the 11" it stated on the pattern as all zips are even numbered now (so I was told). And an invisible zipper Universal Foot I have to thank the lady on this wonderful tutorial on You Tube HERE because if I hadn't of watched this I wouldn't of had a clue about these things (amazing).

Now as I am not so good, (health wise) I made a mistake, silly school girl error really. I didn't have the fabric right side facing DER soooo not thinking straight.  I'd started cutting the pattern out and it was all wrong. I put this to being in a lot of pain as standing tracing and cutting the pattern out was enough for me and I should of stopped there. But I didn't. Anyway, so no ruffle for the skirt (disappointed but can't be helped) I have all the pieces now cut out and I am ready for the next stage I'll share this with you as I go along so pop back again soon Love Dawn xx

Crochet Mug Warmers

There are some lovely FREE patterns in the 'Simply Crochet' Magazine ( I'm a subscriber)  this is a fantastic NEW mag I just had to have. And these don't take long to make. You can use the yarn you have in. I used some 100% cotton for the greenish one & 100% acrylic for the pink with white fleck. Sadly all my mugs are a funny shape so they don't fit any of them lol but I decided not to let that stop me.

This photo is from google  images so you get an idea what they look like on a mug :)

Hope you're having fun making something today Dxx

Easy Knit Cardi

I bought this pattern a couple of months ago, I just loved the cardi but I wanted to make it a little longer as I am a large woman and things that focus on the waist are not good lol so my cardi is a few inches longer. I only do easy knits now because I get very sore wrists & fingers, this is why I wanted to learn crochet as it's a lot easier on the joints I feel.

I really liked the red & pink but all the colours in this wool by Sirdar are wonderful and it knits up very quickly as it's a super chunky, 60% acrylic 25% cotton & 15% wool it has every thing I like, colour and ease of knit plus knit quick :) so I don't get chance to get board before it's finished.

You can see this lovely wool up close here in these photos and the wool/yarn is available here to buy. This isn't where I bought mine from, but I just put a link in so you can see for your self the colours & price of the yarn along with the patterns that use this wool/yarn. I hope you like it I love it and think I well may make another one in green shades as I also think when the Spring/Summer comes they will both be so nice to keep the chill off. Let me know if you have knitted anything lately I'd love to see. Dxx

Reversible tote

Loving this FREE course on craftsy. You can make this yummy reversible tote and a zipper pouch, how cool. I really like the video lessons they suit me down to the ground. They're easy to follow and have all the instructions step-by-step so pop over, I made my bag while watching the lessons, just pausing every now & again. Go have a good nosey round. I altered mine from that of the pattern on the course, just so I could be a little different :0)

And here is the reverse of the bag two for one cool. No idea what make this material is (sorry) I know where I bought it but I couldn't tell you what it's called, although the blue and white is from Ikea, The red & navy (fat quarters) with flowers on are from a wee shop in Frodsham, and the pink? can't remember when/where I got this.  Any way I have been making stuff like mad and loads to show you soon so keep popping back xx

Cool find

Isn't this a cool find? Well I love them. Vintage sewing patterns are a fave of mine when I see them. The top one is my fave here and only 50 pence each I don't know when I will get round to making any of these beauties, but they are there for me when I get the time. Dxx

Russian Doll Key ring

This was a lovely quick make, you may recognise it if you buy Mollie Makes magazine I subscribe to this each month and it's a fave of mine because it's so beautifully illustrated and full of fabby ideas. I also now have the pattern to make any number of gifts for the future ;0) Hope you enjoyed this small post. Dx

A very quick Crochet bag

This is from a magazine it's suppose to be in cotton, I did it in 100% Acrylic with a number 4 hook. If I had used a double Crochet instead of a treble with a 3 hook, I think it would of been more the size it was suppose to be. As it is, it turned out so much bigger than the pattern but I like it lots. It needs a lining to stop everything falling out :0) but it only took a few hours and now I have had a practice with some inexpensive wool I may well have a go with pure cotton it will be lovely for the summer don't ya think?

There is a wee sneak peak at another knitting project here (Love that wool). This just gives you an idea what this bag looks like size wise. More about the other knitting project another time.

I was trying to photograph this from above to give you a better view, I just had to share this photo of Rooster (one of my cats) he just looked at this and sat down made himself very comfy, I promptly got him off in a loving way, but I can't put anything down for a minuet! Dawn xx