New Pattern Release | Cat Bells Men’s Cowl

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Designing, From the Stash, Independent Design, Pattern Release, Sale / Special Offer, Stitches, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Finding men’s crochet patterns is not as easy as finding crochet designs for women or children. Dads, granddads, husbands, sons and friends – there’s potentially a lot of folks out there that would love something you specifically crocheted for them. That’s where my new design, the Cat Bells Cowl, comes in…

Close up of the head and neck of a man who is standing next to a old stone building alongside trees and a country path. They are wearing the royal blue crocheted Cat Bells textured cowl around their neck.

I actually designed this cowl for my husband; he’s a keen hiker and one of his most favourite places in the world is The Lake District in Cumbria. It’s a place we go as a family at least once a year, and a place he frequents, whenever he gets the opportunity, to go hiking or cycling.

The name of the ‘Cat Bells’ Cowl is actually taken from one of the most popular fells in the area by the same name. Cat Bells is a short, sharp, steep climb richly rewarded by spectacular views that my husband has completed a couple of times. I wanted to create something sharp, steep and with texture to compliment the place that he loves.

Close up of the head and neck of a man who is standing in the countryside on a sunny day. They are wearing the royal blue crocheted Cat Bells textured cowl around their neck.

Snood, buff, neck-warmer or cowl (the descriptions are pretty interchangeable) are great for men (and women) as they keep the neck and ears warm without the gappiness of a scarf! Designed to keep you cosy and warm cowls can add a stylish, yet minimalist, finish to your winter look.

Although I designed the cowl for a man, the pattern is fairly unisex so you could use different colours to crochet cowls for all your family members!

Image of a hand holding a skein of handyed bluey-teal solid yarn by Rosie's Moments.

The yarn I used for this cowl was from my stash; and was actually a gift from my lovely mum for Christmas 2022. It’s a gorgeous deep teal-to-blues blended yarn called Royal Robe and it was hand-dyed by Rosie’s Moments. I only had one skein so I thought a lovely lightweight cowl would be the perfect way to go.

I would recommend a semi-solid colourway for this design so that you can see the stitch definition. Variegated yarns are wonderful; but they often don’t work well with textured patterns as the colours can hide the effect of the stitches.

Close up of a half ball of handdyed yarn, a crochet hook and a textured work in progress piece of crochet.

The yarn blend I used was sock weight (4ply) 75% Superwashed Merino, 25% nylon; the natural properties of merino will mean that skin should remain cool and dry, and heat will be diverted into the upper and lower body during wear.

The cowl is the perfect accessory to pull up to protect the face from the winter chill, and simple enough to wear around the neck for warmth and wind protection. Ideal for cycling, hiking or any outdoor sport (or just to compliment your winter wardrobe).

I’m in love with the texture on this cowl, in fact I’ve kind of envisioned three ‘kindred cowls’ working with similar textures and stitches for three different looks – I’m pretty much finished with the second cowl so watch this space!

Close up of the slanted textured Cat Bells cowl held up to the camera with a background of an old stone building.

❤️ SAVE CATBELLS COWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

I designed the cowl specifically as a single 4ply (fingering weight) 100g skein project which I combined with a with a 3.25mm hook. It’s important to note though that not all single 100g skeins are the same length. For this cowl you need a skein that is 425m or more – anything smaller and you might not have enough yarn to finish the project (and that would just be annoying!).

The Cat Bells Cowl pattern can easily be adjusted, to make it smaller or larger, (with more yarn) and the pattern will work in other yarn weights – I can’t wait to see what variations you come up with!

Close up of the slanted textured Cat Bells cowl on the neck of a man standing next to Lake Windermere

This pattern is perfect for adventurous crocheter that loves a mindful pattern with gorgeous texture. It’s a fairly easy pattern to master, once you get the hang of the stitch repeats and is a great project to take out and about with it only being a single skein of yarn.

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 from 12pm GMT (8am EST) on 20 September 2023 for 24hrs as part of the Just for Men Blog Hop by Two Brothers Blankets and Sunflower Cottage Crochet.

Blog Hop Instructions:

1: Visit Sunflower Cottage Crochet and get the coupon code.

2: Click on the button below to go to the Cat Bells Cowl 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)

Button image to get free pattern PDF from Ravelry

All the patterns from Just for Men Blog Hop are available in a limited edition bundle which is a fabulous collection of menswear accessories like hats, pillows, cowls, scarfs and more. Go straight to the bundle via the link below:

Button image to buy all the patterns from the Just for Him Event

It includes all 21 designs featured in the blog hop in one bundle that you can download to your favourite device. You’ll then be able to print out individual patterns as your convenience. This pattern bundle of crochet men’s accessories won’t last for long. It will only be available until Friday, 22 September 2023.

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Collage of the crocheted Cat Bells Unisex Cowl for Pinterest

I can’t wait to see your versions of the Cat Bells Cowl. 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

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20Jul2023

New Crochet Pattern Release | Festival Fade Shawl

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Designing, From the Stash, Independent Design, Pattern Release, Sale / Special Offer, Stitches, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m really excited to share with you a brand new pattern release today, this design has a bit of a history about it, so bear with me as I introduce to you the Festival Fade Shawl.

Image of the colourful asymmetric crochet Festival Fade Shawl made from Hook and Cwtch hand dyed yarn.

The Festival Fade shawl is a unique asymmetric triangular shawl which means that each side of the ‘triangle’ is a different length giving the finished piece a unique look.

Asymmetrical shawls seem to be increasing popular and I wanted to have a go at creating an unusual eye-catching shape.

Image of the crocheted Festival Fade shawl laid out on a wooden floor.

The shawl came into creation partly due to a conversation I had with the lovely Jess from Hook and Cwtch who I happened to be sitting next to when attending a Crochet Sanctuary weekend in April.

There had been chat, amongst our crochet friends, about attending the Carry on Crafting Festival in July. I hadn’t agreed that I was going, but by the end of the weekend I’d not only checked the dates with my husband for childcare, I’d been offered a lift to get there, and on the Monday I’d booked an Airbnb room and bought my ticket! Sometimes these things happen fast!

What also happened fast was the conversation that continued with Jess…As we both got over excited about going to the Festival (as she’d already booked) we started talking about crochet projects. This then developed into an idea of doing a collaboration between myself, Jess and Amanda from Mrs G Makes (who was also at the Sanctuary that weekend, and who had already booked the Festival).

Image of the colourful asymmetric crochet Festival Fade Shawl wrapped around the neck of a white mannikin against a back drop of ivy.

We wondered about creating an exclusive Carry on Crafting Kit for all the yarny friends we knew that were going to the festival so we could all work on the same project whilst we were there. The kit would include beautiful hand-dyed yarn by Jess, a brand new pattern designed by me and some wonderful goodies from Amanda – and yes I know I’m so lucky to have these wonderful creatives in my life!

We put forward the suggestion to our friends and a resounding YES, DO IT, came back so we started planning and the idea for the pattern and it’s kit was born.

In my last post about my visit to Carry on Crafting I did mention the kit and share a few photos but to recap Jess had outdone herself with her gorgeous colourways and Amanda created an exclusive tote bag, a caravan themed yarn cosy (which perfectly holds the 100g / 800m cake of yarn you are working with), and ultra cute caravan stitch marker.

Hookers on Tour Festival Fade collab kit; a tote bag, a yarn cosy, to create a crochet shawl in 100g skein of varigated blues and greens and five 20g sparkle minis ranging from blues to pinks.

Jess’s stunning colour palette was made up of 100g (400m) of Retro Camper which was such a pretty mix of pastel pinks and peaches. The 4ply (fingering weight) yarn was a blend of 85% Superwash Extrafine Merino (19.5 micro) and 15% Nylon Yarn.

Then there were five gorgeous sparkly minis (Cadillac Pink, Perfect Pin Up, Vintage Tea Party, Mellow Mint and Cute Camper) which were a blend of 75% Superwash Extrafine Merino (19.5 micro) 15% Nylon Yarn and 10% Silver Stellina Yarn. I so do love a bit of sparkle! To make my shawl I used a 3mm hook (closest US size D/3).

Close up of the Festival Fade hand dyed yarn; 6 different colours are shown on a desk top along side a crochet hook and a Dear Ewe mug with a yarn ball pattern on it.

I wanted to create a pretty yet easy shaped shawl where the the yarn would do the talking and Jess had mentioned, as we were chatting, that she liked an asymmetric shape. Added to that triangle I included a wee bit of texture with a mini puff stitch, because I think it’s nice to have a bit of something to run your fingers over.

I used only three other simple stitches which makes it a perfect shawl for beginners once you get used to the pattern repeats. It’s also easy enough to make bigger if you want to by just using the same increase to enlarge.

❤️ SAVE FESTIVAL FADE SHAWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

Image of the asymmetric crochet Festival Fade Shawl, in a different colourway, wrapped around the neck of a white mannikin against a back drop of a woodland.

We had a blast at Carry on Crafting , and it was so wonderful to work on the same project all at the same time – I finished my second version in the new colour way Jess made for me. It had the same mini’s but a different 100g / 800m base and I love how it turned out with the varigated blues and cream to begin with!

And I thought I’d share a photo of one my mum made, she used 2 x 100g of solid colours (so no minis) and she chose not to add the fade but when the textured portion of the pattern started she colour blocked her shades instead. I wouldn’t have necessarily considered using the colours in this way but I love how hers turned out, and I think it’s nice to see other options that different people have used.

Image of the asymmetric crochet Festival Fade Shawl colour blocked in purple and grey wrapped around the neck of a white mannikin against a back drop of a woodland.

The Festival Fade crochet shawl in now available for purchase from usual pattern platforms.

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If you were looking to purchase the same yarn as I used Jess has the recipe for the original colours (not my blue version) and is taking pre-orders that would be available at the end of August. Pre-orders open from tomorrow – just drop her a message over at her Etsy shop.

If you loved the yarn cosy or the caravan stitch marker then Mrs G has similar available – take a look at what she has in her Etsy shop.

I can’t wait to see your versions of your Festival Fade Shawls. 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

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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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.

14Mar2023

New Pattern Release | Koito Crocodile Cowl with Yarn Discount

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Designing, From the Stash, Independent Design, Pattern Release, Sale / Special Offer, Stitches, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m bringing the drama today – but in the right way, only to your wardrobe! Allow me to introduce the new Koito Crocodile Cowl!

Image of the crocheted, orange, white and grey, Koito Crocodile Cowl on a white mannikin against a blue background.

This perennially chic and effortlessly sophisticated cowl is crying out to be combined with that extra special skein you’ve been saving.

This fabulously dramatic cowl, with it’s showy stitches, was something I’d had in mind ever since I first saw, and then subsequently purchased, some hand dyed yarn called ‘Koi Pond – Showa’ from The Yarn Whisperer.

Work in progress photo of the crocheted, orange, white and grey, Koito Crocodile Cowl on a white wood background. There is a crochet hook, a wooden frog ornament, a yarn bowl (with the Showa handdyed yarn in) and a white mug, decorated with buttons, and a hand written yarn tag for the koi pond showa yarn also in the shot.

The yarn is sock weight (4ply) 80% Corriedale wool, 20% nylon with splashes of bright oranges, greys and rich creams. They are the colours you would find on the ‘Showa’ variety of ornamental koi which was Kitey’s inspiration for this particular colourway.

I knew I wanted to create something using a stitch that kind of looked like fish scales which is why I used the crocodile stitch – it’s definitely one of the most unique stitch and texture you can make in crochet. I’m in love with the texture; it’s the type that just makes you want to run your fingers over it!

❤️ SAVE KOITO CROCODILE COWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

Image of the crocheted, orange, white and grey, Koito Crocodile Cowl worn by a young girl with her hand resting on a stone pillar in an outside setting.

This pattern is perfect for intermediate crocheters that want to add the crocodile stitch in their repertoire or for adventurous crocheter wanting to learn something new. And it’s now available for purchase from usual pattern platforms – but scroll down to see limited one day special offer to get the pattern for free!

This pattern will be available for FREE from 12pm GMT (8am EST) on 15 March 2023 for 24hrs as part of the Madame Stitches Wraps, Scarves and Cowls: Spring Edition Blog Hop.

Blog Hop Instructions:

1: Visit MadameStitch and get the coupon code.

2: Click on the button below to go to the Koito Crocodile Cowl 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)

Button image that says 'Click here for Ravelry'

All the patterns from Madame Stitches Wraps, Scarves and Cowls: Spring Edition Blog Hop are available in a limited edition bundle which I wrote about in a previous blog post. Go straight to the bundle via the link below:

Button image to buy the Madame Stitches Wraps, Scarves and Cowls: Spring Edition Blog Hop bundle
.

It includes all 22 designs featured in the blog hop in one bundle that you can download to your favourite device. You’ll then be able to print out individual patterns as your convenience. This pattern bundle of crochet women’s accessories won’t last for long. It will only be available until Sunday, 26 March 2023.

Exclusive Yarn Discount:

I’m delighted to tell you that the most lovely Kitey (aka The Yarn Whisperer), who’s yarn I used for my Koito Crocodile Cowl, is offering 10% discount on his fabulous koi inspired hand-dyed yarn until the end of March 2023. So if you want to make one just like mine you can, isn’t he kind!

Just use coupon code KOITO10 on his website (please note this is a different code from the blog hop code).

Pin for Later:

Collage of the crocheted Koito Crocodile Cowl for Pinterest

I can’t wait to see your versions of the Koito Crocodile Cowl. 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

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9Nov2021

Free Crochet Pattern | Unicorn Baby Set

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Stitches by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

I’m delighted to say that I’ve got another FREE pattern for you today, in collaboration with the lovely folks at Anchor Yarns. This time we’ve come up with a cute unicorn baby set for you, which I made, with their lovely Baby Pure Cotton yarn.

If you are not familiar with Baby Pure Cotton yarn it’s a natural 100% cotton which is combed (so not mercerised) making it a lovely soft yarn to work with. It’s available in 29 soft powdered shades; I used 1 ball of cream (00105), 1 ball of grey (00398), 1 ball of pink (00423) and 1 ball of blue (00128) in total (though it was only a tiny bit of the pink and blue so you’d have some left over for other projects).

The yarn is ideal for babies as it’s hypoallergenic and saliva resistant to be entirely safe for new-borns. It’s also delicate and soft so very kind and gentle for babies sensitive skin.

I’ve used this yarn several times before (on the free XOXO baby blanket and the free Sherbert Star Granny Square) and it’s a yarn that works well with a 3mm to 3.5mm hook / US D/2 to E/4 (in this instance I used a 3mm hook).

I also used a natural wooden teething ring and a squeaker and a rattle insert to make the teether and rattle a fun bit of stimuli and discovery for baby. You will also need;

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The Unicorn Baby Set is the perfect gift for a baby shower or new baby gift! The pattern is a free download available directly from the Anchor Crafts website here where you can just download the pattern or register for an account. It doesn’t cost anything for an account, but by signing up you’ll gain access to loads of other free patterns by other talented designers too.

FREE ANCHOR PATTERN DOWNLOAD

The pattern is written in UK crochet terminology and I’ve linked it up on Ravelry too if you’d like to save it to your favourites on there (at the link below).

SAVE PATTERN ON RAVELRY HERE

This pattern would be suitable for adventurous beginners or for crocheters new to amigurumi as they are quite simple shapes to make with just increases and decreases.

Handmade baby rattles and teethers are such a cute gift to gift a baby and new parents, but please note that it is the responsibility of the maker to ensure that toys, made using this pattern, are safe for young children and are suitably tested before gifting.

If you hook up the Baby Set I hope you’ll tag @kcaco.uk on Instagram using the hashtags #kcacouk and #proud2craft or #anchoryarns (so the folks at Anchor Yarns can see) or share your photos with us on social media (facebook, twitter or 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 free pattern releases are available.

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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8Oct2021

Free Crochet Pattern | Slick and Quick Pumpkin Trio

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Stitches by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Anyone else get to October and get an overwhelming urge to make some pumpkins?

Not just me, phew, that’s handy 😉 because today I’m going to be sharing a brand new FREE pattern with you; my Slick and Quick Pumpkin Trio.

There’s a large, medium and small pumpkin, and as they are made from Aran / Worsted weight yarn and a 5mm hook they are a quick make. And they are easy too, perfect for any beginner crocheters, as they only use simple stitches, who might be looking for an autumnal project.

They are also incredibly satisfying and sort of addictive to make, I already want to make some more to create a whole pumpkin patch!

For my baskets I used Stylecraft Special Aran which I had in my stash. I chose three natural looking colours of Spice, Camel and Pistachio but you could really play with your colours to match your home decor. They would be perfect for Autumnal table settings, around the mantle, or for a welcoming doorway – after all what’s October without a few pumpkins!

The Slick and Quick Pumpkin Trio pattern is available for free here on the blog or, if you prefer working with a printout, you can pick up a PDF of the pattern for a nominal price (links below).

The pattern is available in both UK and US crochet terminology via the PDF download; the pattern below is written just in UK terms. But you can view a handy conversion chart here on the blog.

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Slick and Quick Pumpkin Trio

Yarn: 10ply / yarn weight #4 (Aran / Worsted); Stylecraft Special Aran used in photographs.

1 ball Spice (Shade 1711) YARN A
1 ball Camel (Shade 1420) YARN B
1 ball Pistachio (Shade 1822) YARN C
1 ball Dark Brown (Shade 1004) YARN D

Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.

Hook: US size H/8 (5 mm )

You will also need:

Finished Sizes:

Large pumpkin: Approx: 15cm (5.9″) high / 52 cm (20″) circumference
Medium pumpkin: Approx: 12cm (4.7″) high / 44cm (17.7″) circumference
Small pumpkin: Approx: 10cm (3.9″) high / 35cm (13.7″) circumference

Gauge: 5dc= 1.4 inches / 3 .5cm

Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but if your gauge does not match then your finished item will be a different size.

Stitch Guidance

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.
Double Crochet (dc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.
Double Crochet 2 together (dc2tog): Decreases in this pattern are worked as an invisible decrease in the following manner – Insert hook in the FRONT LOOP ONLY of the st 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. Working a decrease in this way helps reduce appearance of holes that can be made when working a decrease the normal way.

Pattern Notes

Magic ring: is also known as a Drawstring Ring or Magic Loop and is often used as a start for working amigurumi. To use a magic ring in crochet, you’ll make the first round of stitches into an adjustable loop. Then, simply pull the yarn tail to close up the loop nice at tight. 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: This pattern is worked in the amigurumi style (unless specified), in a spiral without slip stitching or turning chains.
Working in the Back Loop Only (BLO): If you hold your piece of crochet in front of you with the Vs of the stitch on top, the part of the V closest to you is the front loop. The part of the V farther away from you on the opposite side is the back loop. When a pattern asks you to crochet into the back loop or front loop only insert your hook into the relevant loop and crochet as instructed.

Pattern

Large Pumpkin Body

Rnd 1: With A; working into a magic ring, 6dc. 6sts

Rnd 2: [2dc] around. 12sts

Rnd 3: [1dc, 2dc] around. 18 sts

Rnd 4: [1dc in next 2sts, 2dc] around. 24sts

Rnd 5: [1dc in next 3sts, 2dc] around. 30sts

Rnd 6: [1dc in next 4sts, 2dc] around. 36sts

Rnd 7: [1dc in next 5sts, 2dc] around. 42sts

Rnd 8: [1dc in next 6sts, 2dc] around. 48sts

Rnd 9: [1dc in next 7sts, 2dc] around. 54sts

Rnd 10: [1dc in next 8sts, 2dc] around. 60sts

Rnd 11: [1dc in next 9sts, 2dc] around. 66sts

Rnd 12: 1dc in next 5sts, 2dc, then [1dc in next 10sts, 2dc] around until the last 5sts, 1dc in each remaining st. 72sts

Rnds 13-27: Dc around

Rnd 28: [1dc in next 10sts, dc2tog] around. 66sts

Rnd 29: [1dc in next 9sts, dc2tog] around. 60sts

Rnd 30: [1dc in next 8sts, dc2tog] around. 54sts

Rnd 31: [1dc in next 7sts, dc2tog] around. 48sts

Rnd 32: [1dc in next 6sts, dc2tog] around. 42sts

Start to stuff; continuing to stuff as you go.

Rnd 33: [1dc in next 5sts, dc2tog] around. 36sts

Rnd 34: [1dc in next 4sts, dc2tog] around. 30sts

Rnd 35: [1dc in next 3sts, dc2tog] around. 24sts

Rnd 36: [1dc in next 2sts, dc2tog] around. 18sts

Rnd 37: [1dc, dc2tog] around. 12sts

Rnd 38: [Dc2tog] around. 6sts

Fasten off and using the last 6 sts to sew up the remaining sts. Do not completely fasten off; leave a long yarn tail at least 2 arms length for making up the pumpkin.

Large Pumpkin Stalk

Rnds 1 – 2: With D; make as Pumpkin Body. 12sts

Rnd 3: Working BLO; Dc around

Rnds 4 – 6: Dc around

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Stuff the stalk

Large Pumpkin Stalk bottom

Rnds 1 – 2: With D; make as Pumpkin Body. 12sts

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Medium Pumpkin Body

Rnds 1 – 9: With B; make as Large Pumpkin Body. 54sts

Rnd 10: 1dc in next 4sts, 2dc, then [1dc in next 8sts, 2dc] around until the last 4sts, 1dc in each remaining st. 60sts

Rnds 11-23: Dc around

Rnds 24 – 32: Repeat rows 30 – 38 of the Large Pumpkin Body. 6sts

Fasten off and using the last 6 sts to sew up the remaining sts. Do not completely fasten off; leave a long yarn tail at least 2 arms length for making up the pumpkin.

Medium Pumpkin Stalk

Rnd 1: With D; working into a magic ring, 5dc. 5sts

Rnd 2: [2dc] around. 10sts

Rnd 3: Working BLO; Dc around

Rnds 4 – 6: Dc around

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Stuff the stalk

Medium Pumpkin Stalk bottom

Rnds 1 – 2: With D; make as Pumpkin Body. 10sts

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Small Pumpkin Body

Rnds 1 – 7: With C; make as Large Pumpkin Body. 42sts

Rnd 8: 1dc in next 3sts, 2dc, then [1dc in next 6sts, 2dc] around until the last 3sts, 1dc in each remaining st. 48sts

Rnds 9-19: Dc around

Rnds 20 – 26: Repeat rows 32 – 38 of the Large Pumpkin Body. 6sts

Fasten off and using the last 6 sts to sew up the remaining sts

Small Pumpkin Stalk

Rnds 1 – 5: With D; make as the Medium Pumpkin Stalk

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Stuff the stalk

Small Pumpkin Stalk bottom

Rnd 1: With D; ; working into a magic ring, 8dc. 8sts

Fasten off but leave long yarn tail for sewing to the pumpkin.

Making up

For each pumpkin:

1. Take the length of yarn tail, and wrap your yarn around your pumpkin twice; taking it through the centre of the pumpkin and pulling it taught to shape your pumpkin into segments, tie in a secure knot at the top.

2. Repeat step 1 twice more in equal segments (creating six segments in total).

3. Sew the stalk bottom onto the bottom of your pumpkin using it to cover up where the yarn for your segments cross at the bottom.

4. Sew the stem onto the top of your pumpkin using it to cover up where the yarn for your segments cross at the top.

And that’s it! Enjoy your gourd-eous pumpkins!

If you enjoyed this pattern please give it a love, or leave a comment or review on the platform you got it from – And 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!

And if you haven’t had enough of pumpkins yet then you might like my Chunky Pumpkins that I made for my Deramores Designer Shop last year. They are made in a totally different way, with a different stitch using chunky yarn and a bigger hook so you’d get to try something new!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and 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, thank you for your support.

11Aug2021

Free Crochet Pattern | Creativa Tuck Baskets

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Stitches by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Looking for a quick, easy and useful crochet project? Well I’m delighted to say that I’ve got another free pattern for you today, in collaboration with the lovely folks at Anchor Yarns, that might just be what you are looking for.

I’m a bit of a sucker for a crochet basket, I love them, so when I got the opportunity to play with some Anchor Creativa 8ply Cotton I knew the yarn was destined to become a basket idea I’d been thinking of.

I really wanted to make a couple of baskets that were a different shape from the usual round baskets you see, I wanted to make at least two baskets, and I also wanted them to nest inside each other. The idea came from a sort of square box type basket that I’d seen made from fabric that I thought might make a good shape to try and recreate in crochet.

The finished result were the ‘Tuck Baskets’ named for two reasons; because they have a little tuck at the side to help them stand up and be more sturdy and because they can tuck inside each other.

For my baskets I used Creativa 8ply which is a yarn that I’d not had the opportunity to use before, though I’ve used the Creativa Fino 4ply for lots of different projects. The 8ply is the 4plys bigger sister; it’s quite a chunky DK with the same vibrant colour palette which makes it a great choice for home décor items. It’s a 100% cotton natural fibre, that’s soft and silky, that comes in a 50g / 70m.

I used 4mm hook (US size G/6), and 3 different colours (shades 4620008-00391 / Teal, Shade 4620008-00258 / Raspberry, Shade 4620008-00105 / Cream) to create these fun little baskets.

I enjoyed making them in the contrast colours of the Raspberry and Teal and then I used the Cream to tie them together. As I also love wooden buttons I included some 15mm ones in the finished aesthetic for each side which I think worked out quite nicely.

Square and cute these tuck baskets are perfect for displaying on your bookcase or cabinets to tidy away those small items that don’t have a designated space!

The Creativa Tuck Basket pattern is a free download available directly from the Anchor Crafts website here where you can just download the pattern or register for an account. It doesn’t cost anything for an account, but by signing up you’ll gain access to loads of other free patterns by other talented designers too.

FREE ANCHOR PATTERN DOWNLOAD

Make them to match your house decor, or maybe gift as a cute house warming gift, there are so many possibilities – the choices are all yours!

The pattern is written in UK crochet terminology and I’ve linked it up on Ravelry too if you’d like to save it to your favourites on there (at the link below).

SAVE PATTERN ON RAVELRY HERE

Super simple to make and so practical; this pattern is perfect for beginners, as it only uses simple stitches – though I’ve also included a chart to the pattern for that extra helping hand.

If you hook up the Tuck Baskets I hope you’ll tag @kcaco.uk on Instagram using the hashtags #kcacouk and #proud2craft or #anchoryarns (so the folks at Anchor Yarns can see) or share your projects in my Facebook group as I love to see your finished work!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

7Jul2021

Free-bee Crochet Pattern | Bee-utiful Clutch Bag

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Stitches by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Hey folks, hope you are well in your part of the world. I’ve got a lovely free-bee for you to enjoy today! Allow me to introduce the Bee-utiful Clutch bag – a small bag with big textured personality!

The bag uses a stitch that I’ve used before; on the Bee Keeper block in the Stitch Story CAL. At the time I thought the stitch pattern was so effective with creating such a beautiful texture that knew I wanted to use it again.

Fast forward three years or so to when I came across some yellow Anchor Creativa Fino in my stash. The stitch idea reignited itself as I thought I would make the bee themed clutch bag idea I’d got rumbling around in my head.

Super simple to make and with many practical uses for a clutch bag or makeup bag; this pattern is perfect for beginners, as it only uses simple stitches. I used some bee fabric to line mine, to finish off the inside, but with this stitch pattern you could probably get away with not lining it if you aren’t a fan of sewing.

The following Bee-utiful Clutch Bag is free here on the blog or you can make a beeline for the pattern in your favourite pattern stores where you can pick up a PDF of the pattern for a nominal price (links below).

The pattern is available in both UK and US crochet terminology via the PDF download; the pattern below is written just in UK terms. But you can view a handy conversion chart here on the blog.

Bee-utiful Clutch Bag

MATERIALS

Yarn Required: 100g of Yellow

Yarn used: Anchor Creativa Fino used in photos;

(Shade: #00306)

About the yarn: 4ply / Fingering Weight; 125m per 50g ball, 100% Cotton

Hook Size: 3mm (US size D/3)

Pattern will work in other hooks and yarns though finished size will be different.

You will also need:

· A yarn needle

· Stitch Markers

· 2cm (0.8”) Button

· Optional: Facing and material for lining your bag

Finished Size: 19cm (7.4 inches) wide x 12cm (4.7 inches) high

Gauge: 6sts = 2.5cm (1”)

Obtaining the correct gauge is not critical to this project but if your gauge does not match the gauge stated then your finished item will be a different size.

STITCH GUIDANCE

Slip Stitch (sl st): Insert hook in st indicated, yarn over and draw through all loops.

Double Crochet (dc): Insert hook in st indicated and pull up a loop (two loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both loops on hook.

Double Crochet 2 together (dc2tog): Invisible double crochet decrease method: 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, pull up a loop [three loops on hook], yarn over, pull through three loops on hook; decrease made.

Half Treble (htr): Yarn over, insert hook in next st and pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, pull through all three loops on hook.

PATTERN NOTES

Working in the Back Loop Only: If you hold your piece of crochet in front of you with the Vs of the stitch on top, the part of the V closest to you is the front loop. The part of the V farther away from you on the opposite side is the back loop. When a pattern asks you to crochet into the back loop, insert your hook into the relevant loop and crochet as instructed.

Note: The ch1 at the beginning of a row, count as a st

PATTERN

Main Body of Clutch:

Tip 1: If you struggle with twisting the row 1 try adding a row of dc as row 1, then work row 1 as row 2 and so on.

Tip 2: You might also find using stitch markers (or alternatives) to mark each row or where your last sl st, of each set of 5, helpful for this block.

Row 1 (RS): Ch 51, sl st into the 2nd ch from the hook and, sl st in the next 4sts * htr in the next 5 sts, sl st in the next 5 sts * repeat from * to * until the end of the row, turn (50 sts)

Note: From this point onwards work rows in the back loops only.

Row 2 (WS) : Ch1 *5 sl st in 5 htr then 5htr in 5 sl st * repeat from * to * until the end of the row, turn.

Row 3: (RS) Ch1, * 5 htr in 5 htr then 5 sl st in 5sl st * repeat from * to * until the end of the row, turn.

Row 4: (WS) Ch1, * 5 htr in 5 sl st then 5 sl st in 5 htr * repeat from * to * until the end of the row, turn.

Row 5: Ch1, 5 sl st in 5 htr then 5htr in 5 sl st * repeat from * to * until the end of the row, turn.

Row 6-52: Repeat rows 2-5 thirteen times

From this point onwards you will begin shaping the clutch flap;

Row 53: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 46sts, dc2tog, turn. 48sts

Row 54: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 44sts, dc2tog, turn. 46sts

Row 55: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 42sts, dc2tog, turn. 44sts

Rows 57 – 71: Continue decreasing on each end until you have 14sts left.

Row 72: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 3sts, ch4, miss 4sts, 1dc in 3sts, dc2tog, turn. 12sts

Row 73: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 3sts, 1dc in each of the ch4 sts, 1dc in 3sts, dc2tog, turn. 10sts

Row 74: Ch1; dc2tog, 1dc in 6sts, dc2tog, turn, fasten off and weave in ends. 8sts

MAKING UP:

· Fold the bag in half, leaving the gap at the top open with the flap. and seam both sides together on the wrong side.

· Turn your bag right side round and add your button to the body of the bag opposite the open button hole

· Optional: create a lining for your bag

And that’s it! Get ready for taking it out and about and bee-witching all who see your bee-utiful new clutch bag.

If you hook up the Bee-utiful Clutch Bag I hope you’ll tag @kcaco.uk on Instagram using the hashtags #kcacouk and #proud2craft or #anchoryarns (so the folks at Anchor Yarns can see) or share your projects in my Facebook group as I love to see your finished work!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

15Jun2021

Free Crochet Pattern | Freccia Filet Market Bag

Posted in Crochet, Free Patterns, Stitches by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

A lightweight crochet market bag is a must to sling over your shoulders to take grocery shopping, or on a picnic trip, or to the beach – or anywhere you need! My new and free Freccia Filet Market Bag is just the ticket for carrying your oranges – or anything else that takes your fancy!

I think there’s an even bigger need for crochet bags these days as we all try to utilise eco-friendly reusable bags over plastic ones. It’s a great way to use your crochet skills to make something useful and practical – and reusable bags are also perfect summer projects when made in a lightweight yarn!

I’ve had in my mind a pattern for a market bag for ages, so when the lovely folks at Anchor Yarns asked me if I’d like to make a bag with some of their Anchor Freccia yarn I quickly said yes!

Freccia is a 3 ply high quality 100% Egyptian Giza cotton thread offering a delicate balance of softness, flexibility, body and brightness. It’s a versatile thread, available in 6 thread thicknesses, which I’ve used it before for a scarf (see FREE Freccia Flor Scarf here), and it comes in a wide range of different colours.

I used no. 6 thickness again this time, with a 2.5mm hook (US size C/2), and I chose to make my bag in a lovely rich royal purple (shade 00092). The whole bag, including the straps, used 4 x 50g (4 x 175m) balls in total to create a bag with a width of 38cm (14″) x length 40cm (15″) , bag handles 62cm (24″) in length.

Made with cotton yarn the Freccia Filet Market Bag is super robust and if it gets dirty, you can just throw it in the washing machine and hang it up to dry!

I wanted to create a bag that was strong and durable, but also that would be a bit pretty – that’s where the filet came in. To begin with I had in mind a larger filet design on the bag, but quickly realised that wasn’t going to be at all practical as things could potentially fall through the ‘holes’ so I decided the design would be served better by having a filet detail around the top.

The bag and the filet sections are worked in a unique way in rounds and in rows to minimise a visible seam at the end. Crocheting the bottom and the straps, with extra slip stitches, also makes the bag extra durable so they can hold then a lot of weight even with only using a lightweight cotton.

The Freccia Filet Market Bag is a free download available directly from the Anchor Crafts website here where you can just download the pattern or register for an account. It doesn’t cost anything for an account, but by signing up you’ll gain access to loads of other free patterns by other talented designers too.

FREE ANCHOR PATTERN DOWNLOAD

Crochet a single colour bags or in variegated yarn, or maybe in the rainbow colour palette, there are so many possibilities – the choices are all yours!

The pattern is written in UK crochet terminology and I’ve linked it up on Ravelry too if you’d like to save it to your favourites on there (at the link below).

SAVE PATTERN ON RAVELRY HERE

Super simple to make and so practical; this pattern is perfect for beginners, as it only uses simple stitches. Great for anyone that wants a new reusable bag, or maybe someone who wants to try a bit of filet crochet (it’s a technique I don’t think I’m ever going to get sick of!).

Perfect for rolling up and popping in your handbag for when you need a bag, or pack it up and go!

If you hook up the Filet Market Bag I hope you’ll tag @kcaco.uk on Instagram using the hashtags #kcacouk and #proud2craft or #anchoryarns (so the folks at Anchor Yarns can see) or share your projects in my Facebook group as I love to see your finished work!

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

24Sep2020

New Pattern Release | Fluorite Filet Cowl

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Designing, From the Stash, Independent Design, Pattern Release, Sale / Special Offer, Stitches, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

Ready, Steady, Autumn! Are you ready for the changing of the seasons? Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere is supposed to begin on 22 September and weirdly, here we are a couple of days later and, I swear it’s got colder and darker in the evenings already!

So to cheer us up, with the imminent onset of cooler weather, I’ve got a lovely new pattern for you. Designed to give you some instant colour gratification (if you want to go there), and nice and quick to work up to ward off the first seasonal chills, allow me to introduce the Flourite Filet Cowl.

❤️ SAVE FLOURITE FILET COWL ON RAVELRY ❤️

If you aren’t familiar with filet crochet this would be a great starting project. Filet crochet is an easy technique that can make some wonderful patterns using simple stitches (chains and US double / UK treble crochet).

Inspired by Flourite quartz crystals, which are beautiful colourful minerals that crystalise in cubic form, I’ve put together a cowl which features a repeating filet ‘cube’ or diamond shape.

Worked in the round and in three colours, to represent the ombre effect of the crystals, this is a quick and easy project to work up. I wanted a smallish cowl but you could make it taller by increasing the rows, or wider, as I’ve also included in the pattern how you would adjust the starting stitches to make it bigger.

I used Scheepjes River Washed yarn, which is 4ply ,78% Cotton / 22% Acrylic and comes in 50g balls. I made mine in Danube (948), Yarra (949) and Steenbras (942) to match the colours I picked up from the crystals, but I think the cowl would look equally pretty worked in a solid colour or even in a skein of hand dyed yarn.

Rainbow flourite crystals, in spiritual healing, are supposed to promote creative thinking, mental clarity and focus and most of all help clear the mind from negative energies – all things a crocheter can enjoy whilst working up this cowl.

In fact I enjoyed making this cowl so much that I made a second one. I still using Scheepjes River Washed yarn but I wanted to see what it would look like using different colours so I used a variety of pinks, in this case I used Mekong (943), Eisack (957) and Steenbras (942).

❤️ SAVE FLOURITE FILET COWL ON ETSY ❤️

❤️ SAVE FLOURITE FILET COWL ON LOVECRAFTS ❤️

This pattern is perfect for advanced beginners as it only uses easy stitches, or as a versatile update to an accessory collection for an intermediate crocheter! It’s also perfect for any last minute gifts you need to make! The pattern is now available for purchase from my Ravelry, LoveCrafts or Etsy stores but hang on a moment…

This pattern is also being featured as part of the E’Claire Makery Fall Fashion Blog Hop on Friday 25th September 2020. Find out how to grab a FREE printable PDF copy of the cowl below.

From September 1 to September 30 a new crochet designer will be featured each day on , and they will share a crochet pattern available as a free pdf download. The PDF will be available as a FREE PDF download on Ravelry for 24 hours.

Blog Hop Instructions:

1: Click on the button below to go to the Flourite Filet Cowl on Ravelry.

2: Click “buy it now,” click “use a coupon code,” enter code, click apply and the pattern will be yours for free!

If you are reading this after the promotion has passed you can purchase the bag from either my Ravelry, Etsy or LoveCrafts store – but there is also ANOTHER way to get this pattern – and more patterns besides!

I’ve enjoyed taking part in Claire’s blog hops before but for the Fall Fashion blog hop she’s offering something new. All the designers involved are offering a crochet bundle! This bundle includes all 32 of the crochet patterns that will be released for this event. The bundle includes all of the patterns in one place, with a table of contents to easily take you to each pattern. Plus, you won’t have to worry if this is the first you are hearing about the blog hop and you’ve missed the other days to download the patterns. You’ll already have all of them!

Just take a look at some of the gorgeous designs that are included below:

One of the best parts of the crochet pattern bundle is that it’s over 90% off of the usual price of all of these patterns separately! For just £11.45 ($15), you can get all of them! And there’s actually two patterns from me included; the Fluorite Filet Cowl and another cowl pattern exclusive to Dear Ewe coming soon!

If you want to make sure you get notifications about special events like this blog hop or tutorials, news and pattern releases then please sign up for my newsletter below.

I can’t wait to see your versions of the Flourite Filet Cowl and what colours you will chose to make it in! 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.

24Mar2020

New Pattern Release | Bramble Saddle Bag

Posted in Crochet, Crochet Accessories, Designing, From the Stash, Independent Design, Pattern Release, Sale / Special Offer, Stitches, Tah-Dah by Keep Calm and Crochet On UK

In light of what’s happening in the world at the moment and in a bid to focus on something positive I’ve got a brand new crochet pattern to share with you today.

I’ve had in mind to design a bag, specifically a saddle style bag, for awhile now, but it wasn’t until I came across some Gorgeous Knits yarn in my stash that I began to develop the idea a little more.

The yarn, described on the label as ‘Aran Wool and Alpaca Blend Knitting Wool’, is what I would call proper woolly wool, that sort of hard-wearing wool best suited for non-clothing items – just perfect for a bag! I’d got 350g in total and I pretty much used up every scrap working this pattern double stranded.

I’m in love with the texture of this bag, it’s the type that just makes you want to run your fingers over it (or is it just me that does that?).

The memorable stitch pattern makes a dense, sturdy fabric which is just perfect for a bag, I don’t think you’d even have to line it, though I probably line mine at some point just to give it that completely finished off feel.

This pattern is perfect for advanced beginners that would like to learn a new stitch, or as a versatile update to an accessory collection for an intermediate crocheter! And it’s now available for purchase from my Ravelry or LoveCrafts store.

❤️ SAVE BRAMBLE SADDLE BAG ON RAVELRY ❤️

All the fittings and fixtures for the bag I purchased from Amazon – I’ve linked them up in my new KCACOUK Amazon storefront under Haberdashery if you want to use the same ones.

This pattern will be available for FREE until 3 April (US Pacific Time) as part of the E’Claire Makery March Spring Fashion Blog Hop.

Blog Hop Instructions:

1: Visit E’Claire Makery and get the coupon code.

2: Click on the button below to go to the Bramble Saddle Bag 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 bag from either my Ravelry or LoveCrafts store.

I can’t wait to see your versions of the Bramble Saddle bag and what colours you will chose to make them! 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