Hey folks, I’ve got another brand new FREE crochet pattern to share with you today that I’ve designed in collaboration with Woolbox. Fresh from swinging through the trees in the Congo, it’s a cute and cuddly crochet Golden Monkey!
If you’ve not heard about Woolbox before they are a new online yarn company with a wealth of knitting and crochet knowledge. With the help of different designers they are beginning to develop some FREE patterns of their own using their own brand of yarn – and I’m delighted to be helping them out with that.
You may remember I shared the Blue Rhino, and Pink Elephant amigurumi and now we’ve got a third ‘Jungle Friend’ crochet pattern to make.
For my Golden Monkey I used Woolbox Imagine Classic DK (Double Knit / Light Worsted). If you aren’t familiar with this yarn it’s a smoothly spun 100% anti–pilling acrylic; anti-pilling just means that any project you make with this yarn should not ‘pill’ (go bobbly) over time.
Woolbox Imagine Classic DK is available in 24 different colours (and they are adding shades all the time), and I just used three different colours for my Monkey; Creme Caramel (a soft browny-mustard colour), Sunflower Yellow (a lovely bright lemon yellow), and Coconut Cream with a 3.5mm (US size E/4) hook.
The pattern is available for FREE from the Woolbox as just the digital download for the pattern or as a yarn kit – I’ve added the links below:
If you make up the Woolbox Golden Monkey I hope you will share your finished project 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 sign 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
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.
Hey folks, I’ve got another brand new FREE crochet pattern to share with you today that I’ve designed in collaboration with Woolbox. Fresh from a stomp on the African savanna, it’s a cute and cuddly crochet pink elephant!
If you’ve not heard about Woolbox before they are a new online yarn company with a wealth of knitting and crochet knowledge. With the help of different designers they are beginning to develop some FREE patterns of their own using their own brand of yarn – and I’m delighted to be helping them out with that.
You may remember, in September, I shared the free Blue Rhino amigurumi and now we’ve got a new ‘Jungle Friend’ crochet pattern to make. And there’s one more design yet to come, can you guess what animal it might be?
For my Pink Elephant I used Woolbox Imagine Classic DK (Double Knit / Light Worsted). If you aren’t familiar with this yarn it’s a smoothly spun 100% anti–pilling acrylic that comes in an array of beautiful shades. Anti-pilling technology just means that any project you make with this yarn should not ‘pill’ (go bobbly) over time.
Woolbox Imagine Classic DK is available in 20 different colours, and I just used three different colours for my Elephant; Soft Heather (a pretty purplish shade), Raspberry Jam (a lovely bright pink), and Pure White with a 3.5mm (US size E/4) hook.
The pattern is available for FREE from the Woolbox as just the digital download for the pattern or as a yarn kit – I’ve added the links below:
If you make up the Woolbox Pink Elephant I hope you will share your finished project 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 sign 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
Huge congratulations to the folks of Crochet Now magazine who’s 100th issue recently went on sale! I was delighted to be asked to create and share some fun designs for their special edition.
With the magazine comes a very special Amigurumi All Stars supplement which has 48 toys for you to make. Myself and some other Crochet Now designers created a set of brand new party animals, including my new ‘Percival the Party Pig’ with separate party hat and present. I love how the whole group looks together – it looks like a fabulous party doesn’t it!
I created my Party Pig out of some Ricorumi DK which is a firm favourite yarn of mine. Ricorumi DK is a 100% cotton yarn that comes in wee 25g balls [57.5m] in that’s available in 80 solid shades, 10 spray shades, 5 prints, 3 neon shades and also some 10g balls of gold and silver lame – there’s so much to chose from!
The rest of the supplement is comprised of a collection of Crochet Now’s top toys from the archives to help celebrate the 100th issue. And it includes another pattern of mine – you may remember my Coffee House Kawaii Toys from issue 71.
Issue 100 is on sale now with over 71 fun patterns to crochet 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 Snoopy 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.
I was beyond excited to get another opportunity to create a Snoopy pattern for the folks at Crochet Now magazine! And a Halloween brief just equalled so much fun!
Star of the Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts, and later TV and movies, Snoopy is best known as the pet beagle of Charlie Brown. Everybody loves Snoopy and all fans of the iconic series will love this classic Halloween version with the great pumpkin.
I created Snoopy and the pumpkin out of some Paintbox Cotton DK which is 100% cotton that comes in 50g balls [125 meters / 137yds] balls. I’ve used this yarn for quite a few projects, it’s a nice soft cotton which is great for amigurumi. And as I write this it’s currently on sale at LoveCrafts so go fill up your stash!
Pattern addendum: Snoopy’s Legs. It should be rnds 8 – 12, then continue to rnd 18 to create the body.
If you are quick you can pick up Issue 99, with my little Snoopy on the front cover, before the next issue of Crochet Now is out. It’s full of lovely seasonal patterns 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 Snoopy 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
Subscribe to the blog:
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.
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…
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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)
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:
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 September2023.
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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
I’m delighted to share with you today a brand new FREE crochet patterns that I’ve designed in collaboration with Woolbox. Recovering from a recent romp in the Serengeti, it’s a cute and cuddly crochet blue rhino!
If you’ve not heard about Woolbox before they are a new online yarn company with a wealth of knitting and crochet knowledge. With the help of different designers they are beginning to develop some FREE patterns of their own using their own brand of yarn – and I’m delighted to be helping them out with that.
You may remember that back in May this year I created a British Bulldog and now we’ve got a new cuddly companion perfect for any wildlife lover. I let you into a little secret too; there just might be a few more ‘Jungle Friends’ patterns from me coming to join this little guy.
For my the Rhino I used Woolbox Imagine Classic DK. If you aren’t familiar with this yarn it’s a smoothly spun 100% anti–pilling acrylic that comes in an array of beautiful shades. Anti-pilling, in a nutshell, just means that any project you make with this yarn, like an amigurumi should not go bobbly over time.
If you make up the Woolbox Blue Rhino I hope you will share your finished project 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 sign 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
Will you be mad with me if I tell you that there’s only 117 days till Christmas…that’s about 17 weeks…or 4 months, it’s gonna be here before we know it! As crafters it’s always nice to get a little head start on things and that’s just what you’ll get with the latest issue of Your Crochet and Knitting magazine.
Everyone needs a Festive Ted! This Christmas mascot is sure to become a family favourite with his colourful stripy shirt and a Santa hat.
He’s was a really fun character to make, and I would say is perfect for adventurous crochet beginners that are looking to extend their amigurumi skills.
Meet Magnus the Gnome! Inject some Scandi fun to Christmas with this cheery colourful chappie. You can style his fluffy beard in lots of different ways – how would you style yours?
Another enjoyable character to make, and I would say is perfect for crochet beginners who are looking to make their first amigurumi.
Your Crochet and Knitting magazine. comes complete with an exclusive 4.5mm crochet hook, 4.5mm knitting needles, and 6 balls of yarn and is packed full of simple and fun festive makes and seasonal toys to knit and crochet.
If you make up either the Festive Ted or Magnus the Gnome 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.
Allow me to introduce the Jardin de Fleur blanket which is available in Issue 97 of Crochet Now magazine. It’s a design I’m hoping might infuse your living space with a bit of Frida Kahlo’s creative spirit!
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits and use of bold vibrant colours, and she’s become a recognisable historical figure partly because of her characteristic style and image.
Kahlo often embraced representations of flowers in her work, alongside geometry, to suggest that even if things look opposite, and shouldn’t seemly go together, we are never separate from nature. As a crochet designer I find that nature is a never-ending source of inspiration for me and so guided by Kahlo’s ideas I knew I wanted to use a flower motif combined with something else to create a unique look.
In the end I combined bold 3-D flowers with geometric diamond shapes in lovely bold colours to create a distinctive work of art for your home. The finished blanket is made up of four different motifs and is approx. 143 x 109 cm (56 x 43 inches) in size making it a great to cuddle up with on the sofa.
For my blanket I used Stylecraft Special DK with a 4mm hook in 4 different colours; White (1001), Dandelion (1856), Lipstick (1246) and Lobelia (1825). I think many of us have a Stylecraft stash of yarn for various projects, though if you’re not familiar with it, it’s a versatile 100% acrylic yarn that I’ve used many many times for various crochet projects. It’s available in a large selection of shades, and it’s a soft, durable yarn which is machine washable – making it great for blankets.
If you make up the the Jardin de Fleur Blanket 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
The Festival Fade crochet shawl in now available for purchase from usual pattern platforms.
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.
Hi there! How are you all doing? It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post; life and stuff has just been so busy that there doesn’t seem to have been much time for anything else! However, I am still beavering away on various projects behind the scenes and one of them I can finally share with you. Allow me to introduce the Delani Diamond C2C scarf which I created for the August 2023 edition of I Like Crochet magazine.
Although summer is in full swing before we know it we’ll be swapping iced tea for hot cider and our t-shirts and shorts for something warmer – and as crafters it’s always good to get a head start on a project!
The Delani Diamond C2C scarf is a crochet design that combines an eye-catching chequered pattern created with the engaging corner-to-corner (C2C) method. I really enjoyed making this project and I love how it turned out; those big blocky diamonds were just the look I was aiming to create.
For my scarf I used the gorgeously soft and squishy Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted which is a 100% Peruvian Highland wool. The strong fiber has an excellent balance of structure, loft, and drape that serves a wide variety of uses and works very well for a scarf. It also has excellent stitch definition which you can see with the gentle texture you get with C2C designs.
I’ve used the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky before, and really liked it, and I can say the same for the worsted (Aran weight) yarn. It’s really lovely to work with, really nice and soft and with a plied twist so it’s not splitty. I used a 5mm hook (US size H/8) which is in the range of the hook suggested (between 4mm – 5.5mm / US size G/6 – I/9) for the yarn.
There are so many colours to choose from in this range but I couldn’t resist the ones I chose as they all had ‘Heather’ in the name of them – so literally made for me! I used Mink Heather the lovely creamy beige , Delft Heather a gorgeous royal blue, Persimmon Heather the fabulously rich rust colour and Rooibos Heather the beautiful rich maroon colour to make up my ‘diamonds’.
This scarf is sure to turn heads and add a touch of style to your outfit. Just follow the pattern and watch the checked design come to life stitch by stitch. Whether you’re new to crochet or have some experience under your belt, this project is well within your reach.
And it was such a delight to see that the Delani Diamond C2C scarf was this months cover star! As well as my scarf pattern the August 2023 edition features loads of lovely seasonal patterns and a range of interesting articles. If you SUBSCRIBEyou can get the magazine straight to your desktop or iPad as well as access to lots of other extra crochet bonus material.
If you hook up the Delani Diamond C2C scarf 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 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. You can read more about my affiliate links here.
