I’m about to tell you some information that might be startling. This blog that you’re reading right at this very moment— has just turned TEN YEARS OLD!
TEN. WHOLE. YEARS.
Gorgeous yarn minis by Hook & Cwtch of current WIP and pattern for numbers by Moogly
A FULL DECADE. I DEMAND TO KNOW HOW. There are human beings younger than this blog, one of my human beings in fact, and it all started with this post. Short and sweet I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I wanted another outlet to talk about all things crochet (I’m an obsessive it’s true!).
So let me take you back to the heady days of 2014 — as a mum to a toddler and a recent graduate (after doing my degree part-time for 6 years whilst working full time) I found myself with a bit more time on my hands, and a newly discovered passion for all things yarny. As my obsession with crochet grew, and the people around me got progressively sick of hearing about it, I decided I needed another outlet to chat about all things crochet – and so the blog was born! And this is now my 637th blog post – crazy! That’s an average of 63 posts per year – that makes me feel like I talk A. LOT!
Sneak peep at a new pattern coming soon!
I really wasn’t sure if anybody would actually read what I written. Never did I imagine that I would be sitting here, a decade later, still crocheting as a hobby which then kinda-sorta-turned into a job. This blog, along with you constant readers, has been one of the most persistent and grounding things in my life.
There’s been several life shifts during the last 10 years; from being a mum of one to becoming a mum of two. From redundancy, to job changes, becoming a small business owner with Yarnybobs and Dear Ewe, creating a plethora of crochet designs, as well as dealing with sickness, mental health, worldwide pandemics and personal loss (phew that’s a lot!) Well it has been a decade!
Sneaky peep at another pattern coming soon!
Whilst I don’t always necessarily share all aspects of my life, this blog, and of course all the masses of crochet I’ve done in those 10 years (geez just think of that) has been a nice place to come and share what I enjoy.
From time to time, somebody will comment on a post and it always comes across what a nice crochet community (the best, in my humble opinion) there is in the world. It’s lovely to know that I’m not alone in my obsessions, and that you share them too. It’s an honour to be part of the crochet community, you’re a wonderful bunch and blogging has led to me meeting several of you in person and developing some real-life friendships for which I’ll always be grateful.
Any excuse is a good excuse for a cup of tea and slice of cake!
If you’ve been here for the long run —thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me! And if you’re more of a newcomer—welcome! I’m so glad you’re here! There’s still lots to look forward to, I’ve got no plans of finishing blogging just yet! So feel free to poke around, check it all out, and let me know if anything’s acting weird (apart from me)!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for 10 wonderful years! I’m going to try and plan some giveaways to celebrate over the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out here on the blog and on socials!
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Make bath time extra fun for little ones with a range of cute and practical crocheted wash cloths. Each wash cloth features an embroidered face and ears which will allow you to make Bunny, Panda and Puppy talk and play about as hand puppets as you wash your child.
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Multi-functional cloths that allow you to wash, entertain and play with your baby in three charming designs. With adorable faces and ears, these wash gloves are sure to be a hit with toddlers and children.
The yarn I used for these mitts was Scheepjes Soft Fun which is a marvellous all-rounder yarn made from a super soft 60% cotton and 40% acrylic blend in DK (light worsted) weight.
As the name implies it’s a lovely soft yarn which is allergen-free making it a great choice for crochet baby projects. Available in a wide range of colours from the lightest pastels to the deepest berry shades, it’s a yarn I’ve used for various different projects in the past.
Made from cotton yarn these eco friendly baby bath mitts are great for creating a lather while washing toddlers and children in the bath or shower as they’re gentle on baby’s skin and can be used on the face and body. I’d suggest that these patterns are perfect for crocheters looking to make some cute functional projects that make great gifts.
The pattern now available for purchase, in both UK and US terms, from my usual pattern platforms – but scroll down to see limited special offer!
This pattern will be available for FREE on Ravelry from 12pm GMT (8am EST) on 30 January 2024 for 24hrs as part of the Winter Wash Cloth Series Blog Hop by Two Brothers Blankets.
Blog Hop Instructions:
1: Visit Two Brothers Blankets and get the coupon code.
2: Click on the button below to go to the Critter Cloths on Ravelry.
3: Click “buy it now,” click “use a coupon code,” enter code, click apply and the pattern will be yours for free!
4: If you are reading this after the promotion has passed you can purchase the cowl from any of the links to my patterns stores (links above)
All the patterns from the Winter Wash Cloth Blog Hop are available in a limited edition bundle. Go straight to the bundle via the link below:
It includes all 31 designs featured in the blog hop in one bundle that you can download to your favourite device. Great for if you’ve accidentally missed a day – you’ll then be able to print out individual patterns as your convenience. Bundle costs £12.20 ($15.50) during the event and will go up to £19.67 ($25.00) after the event so buy now to save!
These sweet bath mitts allow you to wash, entertain and play with your baby – what better way to entice a reluctant toddler into the bath than by making bath time loads of fun!
I can’t wait to see your versions of the Critter Wash Cloths. 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
Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected.
Hot off my hook is an actual finished object and a big tick off my Make 9 in 2024 list and it’s still only January! Yay me!
My eldest daughter had made a request for me to make her some rainbow wrist warmers for her upcoming birthday. Around about the same time I came across a pattern by Rosina (of Zeens and Roger) for her Companions set, which included a lovely pair of stripy wrist warmers. I showed a picture to my daughter and she said I was on the right track…
However, as a pre-teen she had some very specific ideas about what she wanted; and the wrist warmers underwent a few modifications in order to be exactly what she’d envisioned.
The original Companions wrist warmers were made from gorgeous looking Yarnadelic by John Arbon Textiles which is a plump woolly 4ply (baby weight) yarn. However my daughter has clothing sensory issues and would never have coped with a woollen yarn so I had to look for an acceptable (to her) substitute.
With her agreement I used Scheepjes Colour Crafter DK which is a very soft 100% premium acrylic that comes in 100g balls (330m). It’s classed as a double knit (light worsted) yarn, however I would say it is a thin DK, so I thought it would work for this project.
Big shout out to my lovely mum for modelling these for photo purposes x
She knew she wanted long stripy ‘arms’ so I used a combination of Amsterdam (Red 1010), Vlissingen (Orange 1723), Leuven (Yellow 2008), Terneuzen (Green 1821), Knokke (Blue 2012) and Drachten (Magenta 1827) and a contrast colour of Wolvega (Grey 1099).
The pattern provides different measurements for wrist and hand circumference which was very handy *excuse the pun*. My daughter is only 12 therefore I had to make adjustments so that the finished article would fit her smaller wrist size, yet allowing for them to fit higher up on her arm. As a consequence I had to blend the smaller hand with a medium wrist size to make them fit. I think had I been making the wrist warmers for myself then the medium size would have fit my hands / wrists perfectly.
At the last moment, my daughter asked if I could ‘add fingers’ – I tried to explain that this wasn’t part of the pattern, but she insisted that they were necessary. So, sorry Rosina, I cobbled some ‘fingers’ onto the ends of the design. They aren’t the prettiest addition, but they are functional and pleased the pre-teen. Please don’t ask me what I did to make the fingers as I don’t think it could (or should) be recreated in that way.
Anyway, Daughter is delighted with the finished modified mitts – even with the dodgy added fingers. The pattern was easy to follow and I think if I were to make them again for myself I would try the Yarnadelic yarn in a gradient of some of the pretty muted colours they offer in this range. Rosina’s pattern if you want to make some yourself is available from her pattern stores – I picked mine up on Ravelry.
Do you have a favourite finished object that you’ve made recently? I’d love to hear about it – let me know in the comments below.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected.
It’s been super cold here in the UK, and in the last couple of days we’ve even seen some smatterings of snow! And it got me to thinking about Paul the Polar bear, a pattern that was previously part of my Deramores shop.
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As you may know, with the closure of Deramores, I’m slowly working my way through the old patterns I had with them to transfer them over to MY pattern shops, I’m sorry it’s taking awhile; I’m trying to get through them as and when I’ve got a bit of free time (which never seems to be that much).
Polar bears have white fur so that they can camouflage into their environment so it makes sense that little Paul is made with predominately white yarn. Paul is more than ready for some frosty fun with his pretty white fur and cute grey paw pads.
I used a DK weight yarn (light worsted), and I’m suggesting Paintbox Simply DK (instead of the original Deramores Studio DK). Paintbox Simply DK is a 100% premium acrylic yarn that comes in 100g (276m) and is available in a wide variety of colours.
I used a 3mm hook (closest US size D/3) and the colours I’ve suggested are 1 ball of Paper White (100) and Slate Grey (105) and a bit of Pure Black Yarn (101). Other than that you would need two 12mm black safety eyes, some stitch markers, some toy filler, pins and a yarn needle to sew all the pieces together.
The 5 page pattern comes in either UK or US terms with full descriptions of any stitch abbreviations. It’s classed as an “easy” pattern which I’m hoping anyone new to crochet, along with more experienced crocheters will enjoy.
The pattern is now available from my usual pattern stores for you to make your own version at the links below:
Please ‘bear’ with me with regards to re-releasing the old Deramores patterns, it can take up to a whole day or two to reformat and upload to various shops, so it will be a work in progress – though do let me know if there’s a pattern you’d really love to see come next and I’ll see what I can do!
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected.
Aside from my ‘official’ design work this year I want to try and claim some making time for myself! Though I thoroughly love working on various commissions I have felt, particularly last year, that I’d maybe lost a bit of that balance between working on things for others and working on things that I want to make.
I’m not one for making resolutions but I do like lists. So I’m adding a list here on the blog (in no particular order) of some designs that I’d like to find the time to make this year. Having a list is to sort of hold myself accountable, and also so I can look back on, at the end of the year, and see if I accomplished what I’d set out to do.
Now it might be because it’s freezing at the moment but this pattern, that I bought last year, has moved higher up my list as it looks so snuggly and warm!
I just need to check if I’ve got enough yarn in my stash to make it, or if I’m going to have to go yarn shopping…
Now I’m possibly cheating a bit with these as I’ve actually started making these, but these make the list because I’m making them this year.
These were released back in 2021 but I picked up a copy of the pattern recently in Rosina’s birthday sale. My daughter asked me for a pair of long stripy mitts and these seemed to fit the bill perfectly!
I have a thing about mushrooms 🍄, not in real life (because disgusting) but I love to see them represented in things like yarn, wood or ceramic!
I bought this pattern when it was released, in October 2023, and I just need to go through my stash so I can get started on this one while it’s still cold here in the UK.
I’ve had this on my wishlist for what seems like FOREVER! And this is going to be the year (possibly) that I’m going to overcome my ‘never made a garment’ status and make this beauty!
I just need to buy the recommended yarn for this one as I want it to look the same! 😍
I literally fell in love with these when they were released last March – I bought the pattern but have I made them yet. Well that answer is no – but this is the year right!
I mean, how adorable! I just want one to put in my sock drawer!
Another pattern I purchased when it was released last October! I really want to make some crochet socks and these, made with DK weight, look a perfect recipe.
Just need to go stash diving as I’m pretty sure I’ve got loads of lovely yarn that is just waiting to be put on my feet!
Now if you follow me here on the blog you may remember that I have already made a Juniper Cowl. But as it’s one of my most worn items I want to make another one! I’ve got a gorgeous set of mini skeins, that I bought from the lovely Hook and Cwtch, that’s just waiting for me to start this project! Though I think this is one that I’ll treat myself to as a holiday project when we go away later in the year.
I was a guest at the Crochet Sanctuary last year when the lovely Kitey was the guest designer. For his workshop he designed this rather fabulous bag.
That means for this project I’ve got the pattern AND all the yarn, and I’ve actually started it – but I really want to get this finished off this year so that’s why it’s making the list (so it’s not really cheating).
In November last year Tatsiana released a group of patterns that, in theory, you could make in an evening. There were four in total but it was for these ‘One Evening’ beautiful baubles that I purchased the pattern.
They look so pretty, and I love making handmade ornaments for my tree so these need to be made this year before next Christmas!
And that’s it, my ‘wish list’ of nine projects that I’d like to start (and finish) in 2024. This post has certainly showed off my talent for buying patterns – but demonstrates clearly that I haven’t perfected making the projects afterwards! But this is the year! How many do you think I’ll finish?
Do you have particular projects you’ve got your eye on this year? Do you like to make a list of your projects for the year? I’d love to hear about your plans – let me know in a comment below.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Hey lovelies, welcome to a little blog post about a trio of designs I have in the latest issue of Simply Crochet magazine (issue 144). It was a nice surprise to spy them on the front cover … yay! 😃
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I’ve designed three cuddly friends which are ideal early toys for babies thanks to their their soft granny square bodies, simple construction and child-safe embroidered faces.
Meet Toulouse the Tiger, Lowry the Lion and Beal the Bear. These little guys are built on a central solid ‘granny square’ motif making them perfect for beginners learning the art of crochet.
I created all of the animals from Scheepjes Colour Crafter, a yarn I’ve used many times before for different projects. Colour Crafter is a DK (light worsted) premium 100% acrylic yarn which is beautifully soft and has a nice smooth texture. It is also hypoallergenic which is great for crocheted toys.
There are so many colours to choose from, all named after towns through the Netherlands and Belgium. I used 1 ball each of Weert (1001), Gouda (1081), Burum (1709), Veenendaal (1064), Gent (2002), Rotterdam (1063) and Ede (1002) with a 3mm hook (closest US size D/3).
With over 20 patterns in each issue, there’s plenty to inspire you in Simply Crochet. Everything from fun fashion ideas, garments, designs for the home to baby projects, cute amigurumi makes and gifts for all occasions. Simply Crochet magazine is available to buy from most supermarkets, to find your local Stockist or download the digital edition, Click here: https://buff.ly/47G1AxE
If you make up any of the Block Buddies I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! And finally you may wish to make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, discounts or new pattern releases are available.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
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Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected, thank you for your support.
It’s time to share my first pattern of 2024! Allow me to introduce the Triple Ripple Wrap which is available in the latest of Crochet Now magazine (out now).
Do you love a one-ball project? Me too, I love how versatile they are – I’m a person that has different categories of crochet; I tend to do more involved designing when I’m at home, and I have everything I need around me, but then I love to have a project that I can take out and about with me on the go.
That’s were one-ball projects come in really handy, and this particular project came with me to play-parks, on the train and on long car journeys (where I was the passenger – I’m not an advocate of crocheting while driving!)
I created the Triple Ripple Wrap from a Scheepjes Whirl made from a beautifully soft cotton-acrylic blend (60% Cotton and 40% Acrylic). The delicious gradient yarn comes in lots of scrumptious colour ways and has a generous twist which is fab to crochet with.
The yarn comes in a 220g (1000m) cake and I used Jade JimJam (560). This particular colourway has the signature Scheepjes Whirl long colour changes which make the ‘jade’ teal tones blend together in a beautiful ombre from lighter to darker.
Scheepjes Whirl’s are a favourite of mine to create wraps as they are simultaneously lightweight, breathable and have a beautiful drape. The only other thing you will need for a 3.5mm (US size E/4) and a project bag to keep it in so you can grab and go!
I would definitely describe this pattern as a lovely mindful, relaxing pattern that is easy and beginner friendly. I think it has the perfect blend of stitches and texture to make it look fabulous and elegant, and it would look great styled over a jumper or dress.
As I mentioned, the Triple Ripple Wrap is out now in Issue 103 of – you should spy it on the on the front cover! This issue full of lovely seasonal patterns with a special ‘Care Bears’ supplement. Crochet Now and is available to buy from most supermarkets. Or if you miss the print version you can grab a digital version from www.craftstash.co.uk/books-magazines
If you make up the Triple Ripple Wrap I hope you’ll share any finished photos with me on social media (facebook, twitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! And finally you may wish to make sure you are signed up to blog (below) and / or my mailing list to get a reminder when new blog posts, discounts or new pattern releases are available.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
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Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected, thank you for your support.
Hello and welcome to my post where I take a look back at my crochet adventures of 2023. I do find it so helpful to do a review of 2023. It always amazes me how fast I can forget what I’ve been up to as my brain quickly moves to what I’ve got to do next!
But before we get into the review I just want to start this post with a heartfelt thank you as we step into a new year together! As a one woman team it makes such a difference having such fabulous customers and lovely folks cheering me on – so a big thank you! ❤️ Now without further ado here are some of my personal highlights and favourite projects of the year!
January / February 2023
The culmination of a lot of work finally came together in a brand new crochet along for 2023 The Enchanted Wood Crochet along. Inspired by the woodlands, in which I love to walk and spend my time, the crochet along started on the 20 January 2023 and ran for 8 weeks ending on Friday 10 March 2023. As always it was completely wonderful to see folks of the crochet community come together to work on a blanket – and the finished blankets I’ve seen were stunning!
Although I love doing a CAL it is a lot of work, and life has been quite busy recently so I’m having a little break for this year. However there’s no saying a CAL won’t materialise again in the future, and all previous free CALS though can be found under the CALS and MALS tab if you are looking for a project to do at your own pace.
At the start of the year I was delighted to share some designs in Crochet Now magazine. There was Lola the Lovebug and the Peanuts Baby Loveys, which were a special treat to design. I also re-released one of my favourite patterns of the past, the Chevron Spectrum Wrap.
Although one of my favourite designs in February was the Malmsmead Mitts that I created with some new John Arbon 4ply yarn – I was really pleased with how they turned out.
In May and June I finally got round to releasing another new mini crochet kit, the Love Gnome, which I thoroughly enjoyed creating. But I was carried away with Coronation fever in May with the release of a favourite design; Colin the Coronation Chicken!
But one of my favourites of this month was, without a doubt, the Festival Fade Shawl which was a special project created for lovely crochet friends at the Carry on Crafting Festival.
I love working with Hook and Cwtch yarns, the colours are always an absolute delight! I’m working with some more of her lovely yarn on a design at the moment which I’ll be excited to share with you at some point in 2024.
September / October 2023
The end of the summer saw one of my self-picked designs of the year! Kitey (aka The Yarn Whisperer) and I collaborated on our summer make-along, the Graceful Gull Shawlette. It’s a pattern I LOVED designing and was proud of how it turned out – the curve of the ‘wings’ was something I was particularly pleased with.
Of course it’s always a delight to create something with beautiful yarn and accessories! And I have further collabs to look forward to (hooray!) - Kitey and I already have some ideas lined up for summer and winter which are some of the things I’m looking forward to in 2024.
September also saw another of my favourite designs of the year, the Cat Bells Cowl. I love, love, love how the textured turned out for this cowl! Made with beautiful semi solid hand-dyed yarn from Rosie’s Moments it was a delight to work on. In fact I have two more ‘kindred’ cowls inspired by this one to share in 2024.
It’s been such a busy year that I didn’t actually manage to finish very many personal projects this year (well I can’t think of any off the top of my head). Though I have managed to collect quite a few more works in progress (WIPs)! I certainly need to do a bit of a WIP purge for 2024 to try and clear the decks a little before starting anything else that’s brand new (wish me luck with that!).
What a fabulously crafty year it’s been! I’ve loved being involved in all the designs I’ve worked on this year, it’s all been rather creative! And of course there’s more to look forward to in 2024 from me. There will definitely be more amigurumi, home decor items and accessories that I’ll be sharing with you throughout the year, I’ve got plenty to keep my hooks busy!
I’d love to here about what you’ve finished in 2024, or what you are looking forward to making in 2024 – drop me a comment below.
Until next time; keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
I’m excited to say that I’m going to be kicking off 2024 by taking part in a new crochet blog hop! From 1 – 31 January I’m one of many designers taking part in the the ‘Winter Washcloth’ event.
If you’re not familiar with a crochet blog hop is it’s basically an online networking event hosted by folks in the crochet blogging community. It’s a bit like a virtual scavenger hunt where you will find new designers to follow, and get free patterns while you’re at it! You’ll “hop” to each designers blog to get the free pattern details; by doing this you help the us as designers grow our businesses (thank you!), all while receiving a free crochet pattern for yourself (yay!)
This particular event is being run by Two Brothers Blankets and will feature 31 fabulous crochet washcloth designs. Crochet washcloths are such a fun and practical project to make – washing things has never been so fun!
Crochet washcloths are a fantastic first crochet project, but they are also fun for more experienced crocheters. In fact, washcloths and dishcloths are great because, as a small item, you can get a quick dopamine hit from a project that won’t take long to finish.
Each day of January, beginning TODAY Monday 1 January, at roughly 1pm UK time (8am EST), a brand new pattern will be shared AND you lovely crocheters will be able to get each pattern as a free PDF download for 24 hrs with the coupon code that will be provided!
And of course I have a brand new pattern to share with you that I think you’ll enjoy. I’m going to leave it as a surprise as to which day of January is my day, and what my design is – though I’m sure you’ve guessed it’s a washcloth of some kind! So watch this space, and don’t forget to keep an eye out on social media for the links to the coupon codes to get that days free pattern.
Follow the instructions to get today’s blog post link and / or coupon code.
Click the link and scroll down the designer’s post until you see the download button.
Download the pattern to your device or library!
Patterns will only be available for 24 hours from 1pm to 1pm GMT (8am to 8am EST) the next day.
If you can’t wait for everyday in January, because you want all the things now, then there is also an option to purchase the exclusive pattern bundle at a saving! This pattern bundle of crochet wash cloths won’t last for long it’s only until the end of January 2024.
The bundle includes all 31 designs featured in the event bundle that you can download to your favourite device. You’ll then be able to print out individual patterns as your convenience.
And that’s it! A lovely new free PDF pattern to get crocheting for yourself or a fabulous bundle of crochet washcloth patterns from loads of fabulous designers. Be sure to give my fellow designers some love as they share their work on each of the blog hop days.
Until next time folks! Happy hooking, keep calm and crochet on my friends xx
Please note that some of the links in my blog are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase via these links, but the price you pay is not affected.
