Yesterday Yarn Shop Day returned for it’s sixth year in the UK with over 200 shops sharing lots of fibre fun, discounts, free patterns and (probably) cake!
I was back at Abakhan Fabrics in Hanley (where I spent Yarn Shop Daylast year), this time for the full day, where there was both cake and yarn galore!
I had a little table at the back of the shop where, in the morning, I held a bit of a crochet surgery so that anyone who wanted to come and ask crochet questions, or who perhaps wanted to learn how to crochet, could come and ask / or have a go.
Yarn shops are usually such a great place to get crafty tips as owners usually have such a wealth of knowledge. They often also run demos or classes where you can learn a new hobby too – just like the ones I’m doing this year (read more about those here and here).
And despite the really awful weather we had (that I thought might put people off venturing out), it proved quite popular so I actually ended up having a table full of people nearly all day asking questions and learning different techniques.
It was so lovely to meet the people who had popped into the store or who had found out about the workshop because of my blog (it’s very encouraging to know that there ARE actual people reading this out there!).
The people I met were folks who had always wanted to try crochet or others that wanted help with a particular crochet problem – and I’m also secretly a bit gleeful that there were some knitters that were giving crochet a go too!
By the end of the day there were two completed granny squares by people that had never crocheted before which is just so awesome! And will hopefully show anyone thinking of giving crochet a go that it’s not so scary – you can do it!
Luckily I wasn’t presented with something that I didn’t know (that could have been embarrassing!). The main things that we covered were how to make granny squares, how to join motifs, how to weave in ends, how to keep seams straight when working in the round, how to keep tension when crocheting, how to do the magic ring, and increasing and decreasing in the round.
The latter being all helpful tips for anyone that wants to try crocheting amigurumi…which brings me neatly onto the mascots for this year ‘s Yarn Shop Day.
They were a cute amigurumi whale by Sarah-Jane Hicks called Bubbles and a family of knitted turtles by Sachiyo Ishii – both of which were patterns exclusively designed for Yarn Shop Day and were available free in stores.
I was lucky enough to get a copy of the crochet pattern before hand so I could make up my own whale to take along with me.
I used Ricorumi yarn and I think he came out looking really cute! My eight year old has now claimed him as hers.
As well as Yarn Shop Day being super fun for customers it’s also important for yarn shop retailers who say that the increased footfall and boosted sales of Yarn Shop Day really can help with keeping them going.
I never need an excuse to visit a yarn shop and I think it’s great to support local yarn shops all throughout the year. Yarn Shop Day is just a great reminder of just how much these shops have to offer – and that’s why I personally feel it’s important to support them in any way I can. I want to help keep these yarn shops on the high street so we don’t lose them altogether.
Did you get out for Yarn Shop Day? Or I’d love to hear what your Local Yarn Shop means to you? Let me know below!
Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Have you heard about the wonderful international makers project ‘Every Bird sings it’s own Song’? It’s a wonderful crafters connection project to try and create the longest line of hand crafted birds at the Textiel Festival Weerribben (in The Netherlands) in June.
The theme of the festival is Strange Birds, and the idea is to embrace core values of the crafting community of cooperation, diversity and connections.
I was contacted by Esmeralda, a facilitator of the project, to see if I could maybe share the information about the project which I said of course I would; as soon as I heard about this project I knew it was something I wanted to get involved in!
As well as sharing the information about the project here on the blog I decided to also have a go at designing my own little ‘strange bird’ – and the Little Kooky Bird was the result.
I used some Scheepjes Catona from my stash and some scraps of felt to create the little jellybean shaped hanging bird ornament.
Scroll down for the free Little Kooky Bird pattern but before then if you want to join in with the project too, maybe with a Little Kooky Bird you have made yourself, then please send them to: Creazy Ladies: de Hare 10, 8375 GC Oldemarkt, The Netherlands.
Birds don’t have to be crocheted, they can be from various materials: knitting, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, felting, drawn or dyed will all be accepted as long as it is made of textile, wool or yarn. The maximum size of any bird is 25 cm high and 15 cm wide.
The deadline for all birds to be in The Netherlands is 31 May 2019 and you can find out more, or follow the progress of the project of GGDW, on facebook, twitter and instagram with the hashtag of #evc2019
The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available in my Ravelry store where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 3 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.
Yarn:4ply / Fingering YarnScheepjes Catona used in photos;
1 x 15g / 37.5m x Shocking Pink (Shade 114)
1 x 10g / 25m x Ultra Violet (Shade 282)
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Hook: 2.75mm hook (US size C)
You will also need:
Polyester toy stuffing
2 x 9mm Black Safety Eyes
Small scraps of white and yellow felt
Yellow sewing thread and needle
Small piece of silver thread (optional)
Stitch Markers
Yarn Needle
Gauge: 4dc/sc = 2.5cm (1 inch)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but finished size may differ if your gauge is different to the one specified.
Finished Size: 7.5cm (2.95 inches) high
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US double crochet 2 together
htr/hdc = UK half treble / US half double crochet
tr/dc = UK treble / US double crochet
[…] = Repeat the sequence between the square brackets by the number indicated.
(.. sts) = The number in round brackets at the end of the instruction indicates the number of stitches after working the row.
Stitch Guidance:
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
UK Half Treble Crochet / US Half Double Crochet (htr/hdc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
UK Treble / US Double Crochet (tr/dc): Yarn over, insert hook in indicated st and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through remaining two loops on hook.
Pattern Notes:
Magic ring: is also known as a Drawstring Ring or Magic Loop and is often used as a start for working amigurumi. If you are not familiar with this technique you could substitute with a ch2 and then work in the second ch from the hook.
Working in the round: Most of the sections of this pattern are worked in the amigurumi style without joining in continuous rounds. Place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark the start of each round.
Invisible double crochet decrease: Invisible decreasing is a method of removing stitches to shape your fabric without gaps. Insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the first stitch indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook; decrease made.
Pattern:
Head / Body:
Rnd 1: With Shocking Pink make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [2dc/sc] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [1dc/sc, 2dc/sc] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 5 – 9: 1dc/sc in each st around
Rnd 10: 1dc/sc in 11 sts, 2dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 dc/sc in 11 sts (26 sts)
Rnd 11: 1dc/sc in 12 sts, 2dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 dc/sc in 12 sts (28 sts)
Rnd 12: 1dc/sc in 13 sts, 2dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 dc/sc in 13 sts (30 sts)
Rnd 13: 1dc/sc in 14 sts, 2dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 dc/sc in 14 sts (32 sts)
Rnd 14: 1dc/sc in each st around
Rnds 15: dc/sc2tog, 1dc/sc in 13 sts, 1dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 dc/sc in 13 sts, dc/sc2tog (30 sts)
Rnds 16—17: 1dc/sc in each st around
Rnd 18: [1dc/sc in the next three sts, dc/sc2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 19: 1dc/sc in each st around
Rnd 20: [1dc/sc in the next two sts, dc/sc2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 21: 1dc/sc in each st around
Cut two small flowers roughly 2.8cm (1.1in) high, cut a small hole in the centre of the flower and thread the safety eye stalk through the hole. Then add the safety eye between rnds 5 – 6 approximately 10 sts apart.
Stuff body.
Rnd 22: [1dc/sc, dc/sc2tog] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 23: [dc/sc2tog] to end. (6 sts)
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st and using the yarn tail sew up the remaining six sts, weave in ends
Wings:
Make 2. Wings are not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Ultra Violet 7ch, sl st in second ch from hook, 1dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1htr/hdc in the next 2sts, 8tr/dc in the last st, then working on the other side of your beginning ch; 1htr/hdc in the next 2sts, 1dc/sc in the next 2sts, 1 sl st in the last st.
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching to body.
Breast:
Make 1.
Rnd 1: With Ultra Violet make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [2dc/sc] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [1dc/sc, 2dc/sc] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [1dc/sc in the next two sts, 2dc/sc] to end. (24 sts)
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching to body.
Tail Feather:
Make 1.
Rnd 1: With Ultra Violet make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for attaching to body.
Making Up:
Cut a small diamond shape out of yellow felt approximately 2cm (0.78in) long.
Attach beak to the front of the head (in-between eyes) on rnd 6 with yellow sewing thread.
Attach the breast onto the front of the body over rnds 13 – 19.
Attach wings over rnds 13-18 on each side of the bird.
Attach the tail feather to the back of the body on rnd 16.
Add your silver thread (or use some Ultra Violet) in a loop to the back of the birds head on rnd 6 so your bird can be hung up.
I also made another pattern for issue 110 which was Lulu the Lobster. I’ve always wanted to have a go at making a lobster amigurumi, but the obvious challenge to that is making the lobster look cute, because let’s face it lobster aren’t really known for their appealing looks!
This month I’ve also contributed to an article called Crafting the Best Toys where, along with other toy makers, we share some top tips with you on crafting both crochet and knitted amigurumis.
There are lots of fab things in this month’s edition; I really love the sweet little Granny Square eco friendly pattern of the Beeswax envelopes by Corinee Bradd and I also love Flora and Fleur the flowers pattern by Sarah Louise Reed – my daughter wants them for her bedroom!
And although I can’t knit I really love the Acrobatic areoplanes pattern by Nicola Valiji (which are available for FREE) and the gorgeous knitted pattern Jessica flamingo by Sachiyo Ishii.
There are 43 exclusive patterns in this months edition and you get your yarn and 3.5mm hook and 3.5mm knitting needles included with your 68 page magazine.
LGC Knitting & Crochet Magazine is available in major supermarkets and newsagents across the UK.
If you hook up either the Chameleon or the Lobster I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make!
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Spring is here at last! It certainly feels that way here in the UK doesn’t it?! There’s a lovely fresh smell to the air in the morning (which always makes me think of camping) and I’m loving that the days are getting warmer.
And with the Spring comes Easter, and Easter themed crochet! I’ve recently been enjoying making some fun Easter decor projects from the ‘Heartbreakers’ booklet by Rico Designs.
I was going to make a sample of one of the designs in the booklet for when I did my first crochet demo at Abakhan Fabrics, but I enjoyed making them so much that I actually made a couple of the different designs.
The Heartbreaker booklet is actually from a series of booklets by Rico Designs which feature projects made from Ricorumi DK (Sports weight) cotton yarn. Ricorumi are handy 25g / 58m balls available in a colour pallet of 60 colours.
I’ve used Ricorumi before (in fact I’ve got a design coming soon made with it) and I find it lovely to work with and it gives amigurumi’s such great stitch definition.
The Heartbreaker booklet features an adorable collection of designs in sweet pastel shades and includes patterns for a cute amigurumi bunny and lamb, a cherry blossom branch, floral wreath, an Easter garland, bunny egg warmers and a couple of different Easter egg designs.
I made the bunny egg warmers first and I did a little test – you can pretty much make two of the bunny egg warmers (without facial features) with just one ball of ricorumi (though the ears on one of the bunnies might be a tad shorter than the other).
I thought that was really good though especially as Ricorumi usually retails around the the £1.10ish mark ($1.40ish) so it would cost next to nothing to make a couple of these as a little Easter gift for someone or to add to your Spring stall.
Next I made one of the embroidered eggs which is done around a polystyrene egg to help keep it’s shape. I really enjoyed the embroidery part of the egg more than I thought I would actually and it’s kind of made me want to start embellishing more crochet things in that way.
I really enjoyed the little projects from the Rico design booklet and I think they are great value for money (usually about £3.60 / $4.69) which is about the price of a coffee and cookie – though it lasts for a lot longer!
I’m actually going to have a go at one of the designs in the Lovely World of Ricorumi ‘Puppies’ booklet next to take along with me to one of futurecrochet demos at Abakhan Fabrics – I’ll let you know how I get on with him.
Have you tried Ricorumi yarn, or made something from one of the booklets? I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
So a while back an idea popped into my brain to make a little bluebird amigurumi. I think I’d read somewhere that they had something to do with being happy, so I did a little Google research and discovered that yes, bluebirds are seen as a symbol of happiness in many cultures which dates back thousands of years. How cool is that!
I don’t think you can ever have TOO much felicity in your life and I liked the idea of making a wee bit for myself and of course sharing some joyousness with you!
Oh I apologise in advance for all the synonyms for happiness I use in this post – the thesaurus was my friend ladies and gentlemen!
Hopefully this free pattern will bring YOU a bit of good cheer and maybe you can pass on a bit of jocularity and glee if you make a little bluebird for someone else (or just make two and double the happy!)
My eldest daughter has said that the bluebirds name is ‘Blue’ which isn’t incredibly original, bless her, but it certainly is very fitting! I made him in Scheepjes Catona Cyan Blue (Shade 397) which was exactly the colour I’d envisioned him to be.
And here is Blue enjoying some lovely Spring sunshine – as was I when I was taking these photos. I so do love Spring with it’s promise of warmer days, lighter evenings and blossoming flowers don’t you? We are waiting in anticipation here for the annual cherry tree blossom flowering of the trees that line our street – it’s always a joy to see.
Worked in the round in amigurumi style this little bluebird is a quick project to make up and you can easily whip a couple up in an evening.
The fiddly (or fun bit depending on how you look at it) is making some wire feet, the wire I used was floral wire doubled together which I just twisted with my hands until they looked right. Alternatively one of my testers created a bird without legs so it looked like it was sitting (would look perfect with a little nest of yarn) and another tester used pipe cleaners for the feet, which I thought was a really good idea, and which might be easier to manipulate.
The following pattern is free here on the blog but it’s also available in my Ravelry store where there is a nominal fee for a downloadable 3 page PDF pattern free of advertisements if you’d prefer.
Yarn:4ply / Fingering YarnScheepjes Catona used in photos;
1 x 25g / 62m x Cyan Blue (Shade 397)
1 x 10g / 25m x Lemon (Shade 280)
Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.
Hook: 2.5mm hook (US size C/2)
You will also need:
Polyester toy stuffing
Florist or jewellery wire for feet
Black embroidery thread
Stitch Markers
Yarn Needle
PVC glue (optional)
Gauge: 5dc/sc = 2.5cm (1 inch)
Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but yarn amounts and finished size of projecy may differ if your gauge is different from mine.
Finished Size: 25cm (9.8 inches) from nose to tail
Abbreviations:
st(s) = stitch(es)
sl st = slip stitch
ch(s) = chain
dc/sc = UK double crochet / US single crochet
dc/sc2tog = UK double crochet 2 together / US double crochet 2 together
[…] = Repeat the sequence between the square brackets by the number indicated.
(.. sts) = The number in round brackets at the end of the instruction indicates the number of stitches after working the row.
Stitch Guidance:
Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
UK Double Crochet/US Single Crochet (dc/sc): Insert hook in st indicated and draw up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, draw through both loops on hook.
UK Double Crochet 2 together / US Single Crochet 2 together (dc/sc2tog):
Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), Insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook.
Pattern Notes:
Magic ring: is also known as a Drawstring Ring or Magic Loop and is often used as a start for working amigurumi. If you are not familiar with this technique you could substitute with a ch2 and then work in the second ch from the hook.
Working in the round: Most of the sections of this pattern are worked in the amigurumi style without joining in continuous rounds. Place the stitch marker in the top of the first st to mark the start of each round.
Invisible double crochet decrease: Invisible decreasing is a method of removing stitches to shape your fabric without gaps. Insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the first stitch indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the next st, yarn over, pull through three loops on hook; decrease made.
Pattern:
Head:
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [2dc] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [1dc, 2dc] to end. (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [1dc in the next two sts, 2dc] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [1dc in the next three sts, 2dc] to end. (30 sts)
Rnds 6 – 10: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 11: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Rnd 12: [1dc in the next two sts, dc2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Begin to stuff head; continuing to stuff as you go.
Rnd 13: [1dc, dc2tog] to end. (12 sts)
Rnd 14: [dc2tog] to end. (6 sts)
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st and using the yarn tail sew up the remaining six sts, weave in ends
Body:
Rnds 1—5: With Cyan Blue work as Head. (30sts)
Rnds 6 – 7: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 8: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (24 sts)
Rnds 9 – 11: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 12: [1dc in the next two sts, dc2tog] to end. (18 sts)
Rnds 13 – 14: 1dc in each st around
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st, leave a long yarn tail for sewing head to the body. Stuff body.
Beak:
Beak is not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Lemon make a magic ring, work 4dc into ring. (4 sts)
Rnd 2: 2dc in the first st, 1dc in the next 3sts (5 sts)
Rnd 3: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 4: 2dc in the first st, 1dc in the next 4sts (6sts)
Rnd 5: 1dc in each st around
Fasten off with a sl st to the next st, leave a long yarn tail for sewing beak to the head.
Wings:
Make 2. Wings are not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 5dc into ring. (5 sts)
Rnd 2: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 3: [2dc] to end. (10 sts)
Rnds 4-7: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 8: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (8 sts)
Tail Feathers:
Make 3. Tail feathers are not stuffed;
Rnd 1: With Cyan Blue make a magic ring, work 6dc into ring. (6 sts)
Rnd 2: [1dc in the next two sts, 2dc] to end. (8 sts)
Rnds 3-8: 1dc in each st around
Rnd 9: [1dc in the next three sts, dc2tog] to end. (6 sts)
Making Up:
Attach the head to the body
Using black embroidery thread add an eye on either side of the head over rnds 5-7 approx 8 sts apart
Attach beak to the front of the head (in-between eyes) over rnds 6-8
Attach wings over rnds 10-11 on each side of the bird.
Attach the three tail feathers to the back of the body; two on rnd 6 and one above on rnd 7
Using the floral / jewellery wire fashion push the length through the bottom of the body of your bird (testing as you go to check the balance.
Fashion some bird feet at the end of each end of wire making sure your bird can stand without toppling over.
Wrap some lengths of Cyan yarn around the top of the leg and secure with a few stitches with your yarn needle to the body of your bird. You may wish to coat the yarn in a little PVC glue to stop it from slipping (optional).
Hey folks! I’m celebrating today as I’ve finished a thing!!! I’ve completed a whole baby blanket for one of my lovely friends who is expecting a second baby boy later this month.
I do like to make my friends a baby blanket if I can, and I adore seeing their little ones wrapped up in something I’ve made them – it’s a guaranteed way to make me smile. But then I love to see children either wrapped in or dressed in handmade things full stop don’t you?
So here’s the finished blanket I made – what do you think? I love how this blanket turned out, my husband calls it the superhero blanket because it’s got that cool zig zag flash design running through it!
The pattern is the ZZ Block blanket by fellow blogger Rosina (aka Zeens and Roger) and when she posted this design on Instagram back in October last year it was a serendipitous moment – I knew it was going to be the perfect blanket to make for my colour loving friend!
My friend comes from Zimbabwe and she’s an avid lover of all bright colours and the bold graphic c2c design by Rosina just seemed to fit what she’d like perfectly.
I don’t know if you’ve seen Rosina’s original blanket but it features the zig zag in yellow, turquoise, blue, magenta and pink on a grey background.
I really loved the colours she used and the grey contrast but I personally really wanted to see what that zig zag looked like in a rainbow! Plus I’d found the perfect set of bright little baby tops that I knew would fit perfectly with my rainbow theme – especially if I could colour match!
As I’m trying to be good, where buying yarn is concerned, I went stash diving and found some of the Paintbox Yarns Simply Aran yarn I had left over from making my zig zag zing cushion (free pattern from LoveCrochet available here) and I had enough Paintbox yarn to complete the rainbow colours. I did have to buy a bit more grey – but I figured as I was using up some of my stash then it was still good to do that! The Paintbox colours I finally ended up using (in case you want to know were):
Granite Grey (206)
Rose Red (213)
Mandarin Orange (217)
Buttercup Yellow (222)
Neon Green (210)
Marine Blue (233)
In the pattern notes it suggests that if using a 4.5mm hook and aran (worsted) weight yarn (which I planned to) that the blanket would be 80 x 110cm / 32 x 43 inches. This was going to be a bit big for the amount of yarn I had so I fiddled a bit with the initial pattern a bit to reduce it slightly. It’s still the pattern in a nutshell, just smaller as I was careful to keep the integrity of the design feature that I loved. I didn’t actually measure the finished blanket (I forgot!) before I gifted it but it ended up what I would say was just the right size for a baby blanket / lap blanket.
I was so pleased with the end result of this blanket and mum to be loved it too – especially because of all the bright colours which I knew she would!
If you like this blanket the chart (it’s not a written pattern) is available for purchase from the Zeens and Roger Ravelry store where there’s also a link to a video with extra C2C help if you need it.
Sometimes it’s nice to go non-traditional for a baby blanket isn’t it as the end results can be really fun! Do you like to go non traditional or would you usually make something for a baby in more traditional pastels perhaps? I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
